Stop Sleeping on THIS Focal Length!
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 6 ต.ค. 2024
- Look, I know, you love your 35mm lens. Trust me, it won't run away if you put it down to try this out. Plus, in my opinion, this is the best focal length of them all, for street photography, documentary making, and more.
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Over the years, I tried sleeping on many focal lengths, even some zooms, but none of them was comfortable, and I kept going back to my down pillow instead.
Have you tried a pancake lens? Maybe softer.
@@huntercreatesthings Now that you mention it, I did sleep on 40mm for the longest time, until one day, I got smitten. Now, it's my second favorite focal length to shoot after 28mm.
@@huntercreatesthings The Nikon 40mm is a muffin lens --- even more padding. Blueberry is a favorite. 😄
"Taking photos of your kitchen in the morning because the light looks good" - man I feel so called out on this! LOL. It must be a common thing, I have more than 1 of my kitchen, and I know another TH-camr Teo Crawford also has done the same.
It just hits different yk
Teo Crawford is excellent.
I usually carry the 28mm in one of the following full-frame three-lens kits:
14/28/55 macro
28/55 macro/105 macro
28 f/2 Zeiss/50 f/1.4 Nikkor/135mm f/2 Zeiss
I love using the 28mm focal length lens on a full-frame camera for landscapes and nature photography.
For street photography, I would use a 35, 40, 45, or 50 before I would use a 28.
I think part of it is that in the digital era there's very few high-end (and thus attention garnering) 28mm (or 28mm equivalents) lenses. I think that's maybe starting to change. When the 18mm f1.4 (which is an 28 eqiivalent in APS-C) released in Fuji X land it got a lot of positive attention and many moved from both 24mm equiv and 35mm equiv to that. So I think if we get more great 28mm (equivs) I think this trend will continue.
As for why it looks natural: it's the default (equivalent) field of view of phone cameras, so people are really used it.
Personally I generally prefer 40mm (which I think is better than both 35mm and 50mm)… but if I ever want to go vider it's 28mm I prefer to go to.
Honestly yeah, completely agree! I think 28+40 is the new 35+50
I have been looking for a 28 for a while. I have a nice 35... enjoy it ,but... I see exactly what you were getting at. I think I need to just get to it and find one for my day to day use. So, ok, thanks.... you just convinced me to spend a bit more money!
My pleasure! Come back any time for another dose of GAS
I totally agree, the 28mm is my go to wide angle. If’s when I want less, I just crop. You can always subtract, but never add.
Correspondingly, my favorite “normal” lens is around 42mm. As I shoot in Full Frame as well as APS-C, my 28s (I mainly shoot with vintage manual primes) also do double duty, as my 28s on Full Frame become 42s on APS-C. I also, however, also shoot with an actual 40mm on my Full Frame for a faster aperture than usually found on 28 vintage lenses, that being a Konica 40mm f1.8. I have the same very compact Pentax 28mm as yours, but I also have the somewhat larger & higher quality 28mm f.35 pre-M K mount version, which I utilize when not needing the the extra portability for street shooting.
Nice! Some of those Konica lenses are proper lovely
Yes, high quality lenses often overlooked by most, particularly the 40 mm, where most vintage lenses of this focal length were made to be ultra-compact, sacrificing quality in the process. Konica made theirs a bit bigger, but still very compact, & easier to handle ta boot because of that size factor than the other too small 40mm pancakes, in order to retain a quality level that’s the best in the field at this particular focal length.
I also shoot in Micro 4/3 for Super depth of field street shooting, where I use a 14mm & 20mm to achieve my ideal focal length goals.
Ive had many 24s and 28s over the years.
The Asahi Super Takumar 28mm f3.5 is a great lens.
Yes it's old
Yes it's slower than other lenses
BUT
The colors and contrast, the handling and build quality is simply sublime.
Completely agreed - it's got such a unique look!
One thing I find useful about the wider focal lengths is the ability to compose larger scenes with them. Large buildings, landscapes and areas with a lot of people shine in these. I struggle to get good results going down to 18-21 because then the barrel distortion starts becoming a problem, and even with lens correction the shots still don't really "look right", but around 25-30 is a good balance IMO that gets you a bit more in frame than the more "focused" look of 35mm.
100% - I love packing loads of stuff into the frame
Agreed! 28mm is my absolute favorite, almost always on my camera
Nice!
For an introvert like myself 28mm get you to up close and personal for my liking - 40mm now we are talking! Supposedly as close as natural to what your eyes "see". Having just discovered your channel I'm off to see if you have anything on 40mm, if not why not!!! :)
Hahaha I am a big 40mm fan - I actually have something in the works for next month that I think you'll quite like...
28 was actually the first lens I got after my kit lens. 50 was the second. Eventually I got a 14mm for doing landscape and astro, but lately I've been going back to the 28 for anything wide. 85 and 50 are the two I use most but 28 is a close third and after watching this I think I'm going t o explore it a bit more and stop shoehorning it into my wide angle lenses.
I am now shooting mostly at 30mm with a Lumix GX9 + 15mm Leica lens, or my Nikon Z5 + 40mm. Using the 50mm less often, but still like it for ease of composition, and with no distortion. Now and then, I use a 28mm equivalent on a little Olympus Pen PL-8. If I had larger cities, as in full of people, it could be wider all the time. In small town America, the 40mm, 50mm and even an 85 or 90mm. As for portraits with a wide, yea you can but if done in haste, not in the center and slightly off tilt, you will have the massive distortion. The 85+mm range is still king for portraits, while out and about, occasional shots done wider are fine, when not distorted. The subject may also prefer the distance offered by 40+ mm lenses. For the everyday, I am liking my slightly wider, 40mm f2 lens on the Nikon Z5. Second carry of Lumix using a 30mm equivalent lens is great until less people are around, or I am shooting across the street, at which time I am wanting for the 40mm or 50mm lens. I did some work with a 60mm field of view, and it works at times, getting that more focused on a single subject look in no time flat. For more broader context, where the surround is also the story, 28 or 30mm is great, but so is the 40mm. And no distortions. Alas there is no right or wrong, only many choices, with accompanying results. Take care, Loren.
Agreed! Thanks Loren - hope you're putting that Z5 through it's paces
Nice mic stand! It doubles as a pasta sauce spoon perhaps? Sorry, couldn't resist. Great video and totally agree on 28mm
Yes and it's also good for dealing with disobedient gaffers and grips 😂
Considered me convinced! Great video as always x
Glad you liked it!
A 28mm lens has many uses and advantages. Being "immersive" is not one of them. On the contrary it makes everything besides the subject in the foreground seem unnaturally far away. This is used in dolly-zooms: Them more the lens is zoomed out while being brought nearer to the main subject, the more it (and the viewer) is separated from the scene surrounding it. A longer lens compresses the whole scene bringing it closer to the viewer.
Maybe we think of different things when we think immersive? I think that 28mm looks much more like what our eyes see in real life. What do you prefer to shoot street with?
If I was a rich man…….id get a Leica Q2 or 3.
Brilliant video! As you said, the 28mm reveals your perspective! A very tough lens to get good results out of!
Absolutely! Thank you for watching 😊
I’m now opening up to these wider angle shots. It’s really cool to look at when a shot is framed well. I really wasn’t expecting to get into this so easily but it kind of came out as an accident, I was out with my 18-200 (on a crop sensor) and I typically really don’t use the wide end. It was getting dark though and my only incentive was to keep the aperture at its “fastest” f3.5 and crop in later but what I got was some really cool perspectives I wouldn’t get with zooming in like 35-80mm like I usually do. And now I’m watching this video, it feels like I’m on the right track lol
I also got a 24mm pancake recently, it’s not as wide but it’s great for how small and light(!) it is, also a bit faster at f2.8
Once you go wide there's no going back hahaha
With a 28 or wider, for street, I’d only feel comfortable using an unobtrusive point and shoot. Wide angle lenses lose their magic when you are too far away from the action.
Luckily my K1000 is fairly unobtrusive, and since it's retro it generally freaks people out a lot less than my monstrous digital camera hahaha
@@huntercreatesthings Honestly, I don't really know what to do. I love the image quality from my Sony a7IV and 50mm GM f/1.4 (overkill, I know). However, the lens is the size of my 85mm f/1.8 from my Nikon DSLR days and it's heavier. My passion in photography is for portraiture (though I rarely get to do it). Street is just what's available to me. However, I enjoyed doing street more when I had the original Fuji X100. It's small and since it's APS-C has plenty of DOF at f/4..so I can quickly react and click. I just don't have that freedom with my Sony setup. The new Nikon ZF with that 40mm f/2 pancake-ish lens seems enticing (maybe trade in my A7IV and 50mm GM). Any thoughts?
Starting out photography with a Pentax K1000 film camera that came with a 28mm lens, coincidentally. Started shooting my first film on a Kodak Etkar 100, and really loving the basic premise of going out and taking pictures outside where I normally wouldn’t have gone.
100%! Photography is the best excuse to go for great walks haha
I DEFINITELY AGREE WITH YOU. I ROCK THE 28MM AS WELL... AND WHEN YOU WANT TO ZOOM, YOU ZOOM IN WITH YOUR FEET!!
FIRST TIME ON YOUR CHANNEL. I WISH YOU INCLUDED MORE WORKS BY YOURSELF FOR EXAMPLES WHEN YOU WERE TALKING. ALL GOOD! SUBBED!!🤘🏾🤘🏾🤘🏾🤘🏾
HELL YEAH BROTHER 🤘 APPRECIATE THE SUB 😁
lmao i like wooden spoon
I recently bought Nikon 28mm 2.8 ais and still shooting my first roll with it c:
also it gives me ~40mm on my crop xt3 which is another focal length I really like
and I found 35mm is not wide and not tight enough for my liking/seeing
100%, I much prefer 28/40 over 35/50
Good video and I can't bring myself to disagree with your points, but I think the reason 35mm seems more popular isn't so much a widely shared conception of 35 as superior, but rather just the simple matter of cost. 35mm lenses, even electronic ones, are very affordable. For people who are still early on as hobbyists or starting professionals who *need* something wider than 50, sharpish, for their repertoire to be able to grow, but can't assuredly invest into a 28 just yet, 35 seems a worthwhile in between step, at least based on the respective prices that *I've* seen.
I totally agree - it makes no sense that most 28mm lenses are twice the price of the equivalent 35mm! Used market makes a lot of sense - you can pick up a 28mm EF lens for pocket change :)
@@huntercreatesthings Well, it may depend on which brand you use (in my case Nikon with an F-mount) and where you are, but the used market follows the same trend as the retail market, insofar as the 28mm cost twice if not more the price of 35mm, even if the 28 still has a separate aperture ring. I live in a small country so the used market is quite small and even people who just inherited the equipment they sell seem to know the value of it, which I can hardly blame them for. The only 28 lenses here going for what I would describe as pocket change are M42 ones which, in fairness, I do have a camera for, so might get one of those. As for digital though, I reckon I'll probably go for a 35 for now and depending on how quickly I can work up the funds I might just go all the way at once and get a 20mm + a full-frame camera :)
YES!! 28mm is the go to focal lengtht!!
It's goated
28, 40 & 75
My favourite focal lengths
Great combo!
I love the 28 and the wooden spoon!
Thank you!
Great video, Hunter. I have just started experimenting with 28mm. It still feels quite uncomfortable. I guess I need some time to get used to it. Greetings from FRAMES.
Hey Tomasz! Nice to see you here - glad you enjoyed! 28mm takes some adjustment, but it's so much fun once you get the hang of it.
100%. Over the years naturally it turned out that all my cameras ended up being shot with 28mm (or the medium format equivalent). I consider this 'my look' and what I feel most comfortable with.
55mm on 6x7 is such an insane look
@@huntercreatesthings Agreed!
Awesome channel .Subscribed.
Awesome, thank you!
Hello. Thanks for this video: the theme of 28mm vs 35mm is pretty hot amongst street photographers and I like your perspective. However, there is one aspect I must say that's been keeping me away from this wonderful focal lengh: I'm afraid to be a bit lazy with this wide angle...I mean that shooting from a low angle, or through a bush or at the reflection of some puddle just seems to get good results without really getting the work into it. Am I asking too much of myself? Maybe, but as you've said in a previous video: one must put in some effort to get the composition right, the layering, the interesting character etc and it seems to me that sticking to the 35mm makes me work harder. But then I'm not a good photgrapher so maybe I should take what I percieve as the easier route....
It depends - some focal lengths just click for me while others I just don't feel free enough with. Perhaps you could try changing up your subject selection or where/how you're shooting?
I disagree. 28mm will look too much like a smart phone photo, primary iPhone camera is basically 28mm equivalent. It offers same type of look which people are used to, and it doesn't offer as creamy bokeh and fine optics like the 35mm. A large f-stop 35mm is really nice.
I love a good 35mm but a nice 28mm on full frame looks nothing like a smartphone imo - field of view is very similar but the depth of field is completely different - true with bokeh but I'm almost always at F8 hahaha
I have two 28 primes, a Zuiko f3,5 and a nikkor ais f:2. love them both. Learned to shoot on a 28-90mm zoom back in the day, and I love the field of view.
Nice!
I think people have to actually shoot with the lenses to to get a sense of their sensibilities with it. However, most camera phones have an effective focal length of 25mm so it makes sense that if you’re taking pics with your phone and seeing other phone pics subconsciously you may start favoring a focal length closer to that. I’ve noticed a lot of people favoring the wider focal lengths in general.
Definitely there's an influence from phone pics - I think younger generation also tends to shoot more verticals. It's probably also a bit of a pushback against the 85mm NatGeo look which to young people seems a bit "Old School" perhaps?
@@huntercreatesthings Or just unfamiliar.
Actually, I believe that 40 mm is closer to what the eye sees! I think 28 is a great focal length, but so is 50! So is 85 if we’re talking about photographing across the street or not. I use a lot of different prime focal lengths, using each for a particular reason and also just to mix it up and force myself to see in that particular space.
It forces you to create in that limited length and improves your eye. It all depends on what you’re trying to convey, either a story or a feeling or a texture. I think it’s more about being able to catch a moment, which can be at any focal length.
Also, there’s the issue of getting into peoples faces and some people aren’t comfortable doing this.
There’s some folks that only use a 300 mm, even though they stick out like a sore thumb, they’re probably not comfortable getting any closer. I just don’t believe in any particular focal length, as the end all for street photography.
I completely agree! I ditched my zooms completely a while back and went prime only. I love all the focal lengths of course, but had to share the 28 as lots of beginners don't hear about them as much as others :)
Nice video
Thank you Richard!
I generally use 15mm in the MFT system. This means 30mm. Sometimes I need something a little wider. But I haven't decided yet whether this is 21 or 24
Personally 24 feels "wide wide" and 21 feels "super wide" if that makes any sense
@@huntercreatesthings I wish I could post some photos here. Then I could better explain in which situations I wanted wide. But thanks for answering anyway.
Thanks for the video. I really like 28mm but so difficult to find a good one for a modern mirrorless camera. I have an older used 28/2 I picked up for my Sony FE cameras but its performance is only so so. I’m sure if I went through my older film cameras I could find a 28mm but really wanted one that supports modern AF. I also like 40mm but I’ve at least found a couple at 40/2 and 40/2.5 that are modern and produce excellent images. Maybe someone will give us a 28mm.
Have you had a go with the Sigma Art 28mm f/1.4? It's rather nice but it is big and heavy
@@huntercreatesthings Haven’t really looked at the Sigma and can’t find a weight for it but I’m most interested in a version less than 500 grams that would fit well on a Sony compact C body like an A7CII. Maybe similar to the Sony FE 24mm f/1,4 GM.
Found the Sigma 28/1.4 ART is approximately 915 grams with hood and was released in 2018. It’s a DG HSM type and not a modern DG DN designed for mirrorless.
This lens was glued to my Pentax Super-A, more than the 50.
Same here!
@@huntercreatesthings and working with hyperfocal set to less than infinity, it's a point and shoot all day long, like you said.
I try to change things up now and again - 35 and 50, sometimes 21 - but I always come back to the 28.
There's a reason 28 rhymes with great
I disagree with the premise that no one talks about 28mm (just try buying a GR III retail right now), but I agree that it's a killer focal length.
Definitely in street photo circles 28mm is common knowledge, but not so much for beginners!
28mm + 40mm
I know I'm a strange one
omg no but I completely agree!
Really? I disagree with you on that one, 100%
I feel like everyone has and IS currently using 28mm. Especially in the street photography community.
Joe Greer, Trent Parke, Alan Schaller, Andre Wagner, Garry Winogrand, Daido Moriyama (also the 21mm), etc etc--its essentially the staple of street photography.
I dont think 28mm is being slept on at all.
if clickbait, it worked.
Whichever the case, nice video
Of course within the street community 28 is quite common - but for people new to the genre, I feel like 28 doesn't get a lot of press. A lot of people know the 35/50/85 combo but not much else. Glad you enjoyed :)
@@huntercreatesthings ohhhh gotcha lol my bad
For me 35mm.I would consider only 50mm instead.28mm is too wide for me,have a lot of people distortion and the worse is that you have to go too close.If you live in NY or Tokyo,no problem.If you live in a small town like me,this is a massive problem because I don’t like to crop at all.For the last 8 years I always travel light,with one camera one lens 35mm.Always works perfect for me.
Small towns do make 28mm pretty tricky! I actually did a video a while back on small town Street photography, you should check it out!
Who is sleeping on 28mm? Lol everyone shoots 28mm.
Did you watch the video x
If that lens you bought is worth $200 now, it's not slept on lol. I bought it on eBay from a seller in Japan about two years ago for less than $70 in EX+ condition (SMC-M 28mm f2.8)
I was sorely humbled when I checked after posting this and found out you can now pick them up for under $50 💀
Is this on APS-C or Full frame?
Full frame :) for APS-C I prefer 18mm or 20mm
Cron 28 mm my only lense on my leica m 10
Nice!
35 strange ? What about a 100mm? Or 300?
I prefer to shoot on wides almost all of the time, since the images feel more immersive and look more like what my eyes see :)
@@huntercreatesthings I like them all I guess. Haven’t had sleep. Feeling cranky. So when I heard 28 is awesome. I disagreed. But I like 28 mm
Cool! I have a Pentax 50mm f1.7 that I shoot on my X-T3. It's quite a nice lens. I use a FD28mm f2.8 as well. But, I do want to get something wider. Any suggestions for a vintage lens that will be around 28mm on APSC? F8 and be there!! LOL! Have a great day!
I've also got the 50, it's great! For a 28mm FOV on APSC you kinda have to split the difference between 18mm and 20mm - the old Nikkor AI lenses are pretty good and they're fairly easy to find, might be a cool idea? F8 and be there for sure! Thanks Charlie :)
Nice video and message. I use the Q2 for street and landscape. With my work camera I use 85 and 35. Total difference dimensions
I suppose you are talking about 28 mm full frame?
Nice - have always wanted to pick up a Q2 but i'm probably a bit too hard on my gear for anything that nice haha
Of course, 28mm on FF.
@@huntercreatesthings the Q2 is a tank of a camera so don't worry
Who was that photographer you mentioned whos work you liked? Im trying to get more 28mm literature in front of my face
Both Josh Edgoose (who's also on TH-cam as one half of Framelines) and Cristóbal Hara!
@@huntercreatesthings thank you!
28 is new 35🥲
28 & 40 is the new 35 and 50 and tbh I'm all for it