Are you using the wrong prime lens? Which Prime Lens Best Suits YOUR Photography?
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 15 ม.ค. 2024
- Which Prime Lens Best Suits YOUR Photography? - Are you using the wrong prime lens?
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In this video, we look at the different focal lengths often used in photography, particularly street photography.
We are mainly talking about Fujifilm Camera gear and lenses. However, this relates to any camera brand or sensor size. To help make things easier all the items mentioned are discussed in 35mm photography terms.
Very often, beginner photographers advance their street photography skills by shooting with a prime lens. This is a fantastic way to master your camera, which in turn leads to a higher keeper rate with your photography!
If you are a beginner or advanced photographer, this video discusses some important things to consider when upgrading your camera gear.
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30mm 1.4 stays on my X-T5 & X-T2 works perfect for my Street/Travel.
Been looking for this type of video for a long time. Yes I was watching a lot of gear related videos but it wasn't to learn about the gear but to see sample shots and learn which focal lengths are good for what types of pictures. Really wish a lot of intelligent photographers reviewed their peer's work like this so its easier for us noobs to understand what is going on. Really appreciate your connections to other bodies of work.
Hey thanks so much. Really nice comment 😁
The 40 mm was just mentioned very short. If I had to choose just one lens, it would be my Fujinon 27 /2,8. If I do not leave my house with this, it is with the combo 16 /2,8 (equals 24 mm) and 50 /2,0 (equals 50 mm)
I think the 24-28mm FF focal length is a bit easier for many than you think because it's the standard smartphone focal length. Many beginners will be familiar with that one even though it is wide and it's also commonly used for portraits with a modern, more artistic twist. I wouldn't use it a ton on the street because it's really only great if you get into people's faces at a busy crossing or sth similar though, but it really is like using a smartphone camera just with way better quality, so it can be an easier entry
Very helpful video! Thank you!
Glad it was helpful!
I mostly shoot with the 33 1.4 and the 56 1.2 for street. As for auto focus, the trick is to use the single point focus for the fastest speed and to use your limit Focus for the 56, 1.2. I find around 6 1/2 feet to infinity works quite well.
Another trick is to check your ISO, the higher the ISO, the better depth of field you get, that is, if you’re leaving it on auto.
How I work is basically, if there’s a lot of people I try to get a wider angle lens, and if there’s fewer people, I try to use the telephotos.
Also, I like the 50 F2 as an alternative to the 56, 1.2.
I even like the 90 F2 for photographing across the street, it’s like a 35 mm equivalent.
Interesting video as usual mate
Great video Gareth. I like to use Xt2 or Xt20, nice & light. I have 23mm f2, 35mm and the 18-55mm kit lens. Which would give me best results for architectural, similar to Mark Fearnley and your own style. Wanting to do more B&w this year.
A concept that is not often discussed when the topic of "what the human eye sees" is discussed is "what the mind registers". Since we humans don't stare and regard what we see in real life with an unmoving eye and head, the actual FOV of the eye's optics, has only a partial impact to what we think we "see". Our eyes are constantly moving, and our brain is constantly stitching together what is captured with our retinas after applying our own cognitive filters of what is drawing our attention and what our minds are considering noise.
That's a lengthy way to say "what the human eye sees" debate of 28mm, 35mm, 40mm, 50mm is of little actual consequence. What is of greater consequence is what the photographer wants to convey in their compositions, and what focal length works in the environment that they shoot in to achieve that result.
Great video topic, as always, Gareth!
Very interesting. And yes I agree. Our eyes are ridiculously clever - well mine are getting less clever haha. Good points well made mate. Thanks for watching. 😁
The talk of what focal length closely resembles human vision only really applies to the perceived spatial separation of near and far objects, and doesn't really apply to the field of view (as you alluded to). If you stare straight ahead and pay attention to your field of view, the human visual field is actually far closer to that of a fisheye lens than 40-50mm. However, our "field of attention" is generally narrower, and as you say our visual system is almost stitching information together in real time.
This was great. It's a lens buffet out here in these photography streets.
Great video and +1 on picking up your Zines! I just downloaded them the other day and read through Issue #1. Really enjoyed the photos and the stories behind them. Looking forward to reading the rest!
Thanks so much for the support mate. Any feedback more than welcome 😁
Thoroughly enjoyed your video,which I found very informative. I currently use (Fuji) an 18mm f2 and 35mm f2 but considering a 23mm f2 , in hope it’ll stop me faffing around changing lenses on the go!
When I 1st started people kept talking about the nifty 50, so I bought 1 but what I didn't realise at the time was crop factor, had it on an apsc sensor, hated it and couldn't work out what all the fuss was about, then I learnt about crop factor and got a 35mm, absolutely loved that and had it for ages until it broke, I now use a 25mm which I enjoy as much as the 35mm, still on an apsc sensor.
No such thing as wrong if someone likes the results.
Of course not. I agree. I’m simply saying people need to be educated to understand what settings do instead of just shooting everything wide open because it’s fashionable. As they progress they might revisit some images and wish they were sharper or had more thought put in.
You’re right. Everyone gets a trophy!
I thoroughly enjoyed your video.Besides the 23mm lens, I frequently use the X100v with the 28mm conversion lens which is quite sharp. I have never enjoyed the 50mm "normal" lens as it is too confining to me.
Perfect educational advice. I will be showing this to my grandaughter as we're on this journey together. Thank you.
Please do! thanks so much
The fuji kit lens is the best kit lens I've ever used. I'm more of a 50 mm guy. Ive found the 35 is a little wide and 85 is a bit close up.
I still stick the 35mm on a lot though as its a small f2.8 and it makes my kit nice and light
Lovely vid as always. I do hobby street photos and walked hundreds of miles in 2023 with my Fuji 16-55 f2.8 (equivalent to 24-85mm full frame). It gave me a nice feel for possible primes.
I've settled into the Fuji 33mm f1.4 (equivalent to 50mm full frame), not because it feels 'natural' to me but because I have huge respect for the kind of 'portrait-y scene' it wants to take. Unlike wider street lenses, it encourages me to more carefully compose a narrower slice of the background (or even a foreground layer) in addition to the main subject - almost like portraiting two things at once.
With the 16-55mm I'd developed lazy habits, drifting too often to s*xy wide distortion or lazy zoom shots. The 33mm is slapping that out of me.
Haha. Nicely put. I need to play more with the 33. It’s a fantastic lens. The focal length scares me a bit tho. I always feel I’ll miss something happening too close. 👍🏻
@@GarethDanks It's certainly increasing the mental energy I spend looking for specific ideas/things in the background to include. Whereas, previously, I felt like I was more passively observing the background as a sort of wallpaper.
if not controlled, it risks becoming a bit didactic. Maybe "how much didactic is good" could be a cool idea for a future video i.e. how much irony, contrasting ideas or other obvious commentary works to add meaning to a photo, and how much is too cheesy.
@@GarethDanksJohn Free very often shot his street photos with a 55mm F/2.8 Micronikkor AiS (on an F3). He did use 28 as well. Have you seen the video of him talking about his 10 years photographing the tramps in the Los Angeles freight yards? Amazing
Olympus are micro4/3 so you need to double ‘their’ focal length to get the full frame equivalent….I tend to shoot with an Oly and 17mm Zuiko which roughly equates to a 35mm in full frame terms…❤
I know mate. It says exactly that in the video. Did I say something wrong?
I havent used the 85mm for over a year but still find myself getting over protective of it. If everyone used wide lenses and captured the same kind of shots then it would be boring. I like the detail and creativity with street photography you get with an 85mm but too many times its just called lazy. Its a shame because the examples you showed there looked amazing.
I'll stick with my 40mm still but will probably go back to the 85mm at some point
Love the vid and the advice but one has to ask the question, if you don’t trust your cameras auto on focus on Fuji why have bought into so heavily? I get you preference for zone focus but still you mention this a lot
Great Video!! Thank you. 2 Questions: 1) which lens would you recommend for video (daily/travel/kids) and 2) do you have a recommandation for a 85mm equivalent with better AF than the 56mm f1.2 ? Greets Erik
Thanks for the comment mate. For video and standard zoom with ois. If Fuji then the 18-55. As for a 56.. there isn’t one. Hence my Sony purchase. Really frustrating that fujifilm can’t do a faster af 85 equivalent. The VILTROX isn’t much worse and it’s half the price.
@@GarethDanks Thank you! 😊 I have the new viltrox 75mm f1.2 and it is really great but the focal length and the weight of the lens are challenging. Indoors you have to take some steps back and outdoors you think twice if you take it with you 😃 . I think we are all searching a f1.0 zoom lens which is about 300grams 😁. Keep on making such great videos. 👍
Thank you for the video! I think it's still not possible to understand all these focal lengths unless you buy and sell a bunch of them... for me the 135 mm (90 f2) works much better than the 85 (for street photography), and the 28 (18) works much better than 50. But it's still a matter of personal preference which can be acquired only with practice
Exactly right. But having an idea of what you’re trying to capture is the first step. 😁
I do use 18mm f/1.4 for graffiti
40MM FULL FRAME 75% of the time for me
I prefer zooms for street.
Which street photography books would you particularly recommend.
I like David Gibson's " The Street Photographer's Manual"
Concerning focal lengths on a crop sensor camera, we always talk about the equivalent focal length when compared to a full frame. But the focal length is still the same focal length. The field of view charges with the focal length on a crop sensor. But the field of view really only changes to the crop factor if you're shooting from the same spot you would of using the same focal length as on a full frame, right? Let's say you were taking had and shoulder shots of someone and had a full frame body and a crop sensor body. If they both had the exact same focal length on and you were standing in the same spot with them, the crop sensor would be cropped in a of it another focal length. A 50mm becoming a 75mm. But if you were to move back with the crop sensor body until the head and shoulders were framed the same way it was with the full frame, wouldn't they look alike? The bokeh is the only thing that would really change and that's because the distance to the subject had changed. So wouldn't that 50mm lens on the crop sensor camera look the same as being closer with a full frame with that same lens? We all know that really wide angle lenses can distort features when you're really close to something and the 85mm is very flattering for portraits. So the look of the focal length doesn't really change much. Except with a super wood angle lens. The closer you are to the subject the more distortion of features you will get.
Another misleading video.....
meaning what?