Agreed, I start with apsc camera which most of my shot at 17mm & 50mm. When I change to fullframe, I stick with 28mm & 85mm, even though many photographers prefer 35mm & 85mm.
When I go out with primes for general shooting, I take those two and my Sigma 50 Art to fill in the middle. Maybe add my 20 to hedge against such a wider need.
Is a good practice to stick to a "new focal length" to force yourself to think differently. I have an old 28mm Pentax somewhere. I have a Pentax to Nikon adapter somewhere. It's time to give it a try. Nicely done video, Matthew!
I agree with everything you say. The 28mm lens was the very first wide angle lens I shot with back in the 1980's - my dad saved up for a Canon FD 28mm and it was a massive difference to the 50mm lenses we had been using for years. So 28mm became a very familiar focal length to me and I have literally hundreds of slides shot at that length. Now years later I occasionally enjoy using a Nikon 20mm F2.8 on my D200 which gives me about the same FOV - limitations never enter my head - it's all good.
I agree, thanks for the video. I'm a 28, 50/58,105 shooter. I do have an 85 but a basic 1.8 prime where my 28,s are compact 2.8 and an f1.4. That does everything and dimly lit interiors too, not much distortion...
Nice video!!! After a break of 12 years. from photography (I closed my studio in 12) I recently decided to get back into it. So with the Leica M11P in the bag and deciding which wide, I went with the 28mm Summilux. The focal length is a revelation. The 35mm by comparison feels like a lens you are always ready to take off after a shot for a more preferred focal length. It’s sort of in-between. I could do a major trip with just a 28. I guess that is why Leica makes the Q line of cameras.
I have the Sony FE 28mm f2, Sigma 28mm f1.4 and Nikkor 28mm f2.8 AIS lens (plus other vintages lenses). Love the 28mm. It used to be a blah focal length. Now I love it. Great video Matthew.
I love my Nikkor 28mm f1.4D I agree, great for indoor low light w/ balanced fill. I can be part of the table or scene and not backed up into a wall or hanging out a window to get the shot. lol. It's an amazing close personal feel w/o distorting angles. I grab my old 20-35mm f2.8D if I need more but it isn't as crisp as the 28 I feel.
Great! This video just reinforces my thoughts. Came here two days after getting my new XF 18mm f1.4 which gives a FOV of 27mm in an APSC sensor. Happy about my decision. Cheers!
Great video. You know how to do it. I'm a big fan of the 28mm lens. It's a good mix and a good always on top. Leica Q models also have a permanently installed 28 mm lens. And they know why! Your photos show a good photographer!
Matthew, awesome insights about the 28mm. I am looking for some inspiration for 2024 and this it. Documenting my travels with my Z6 and 28mm. Thanks, Brother!
Hi Matthew, completely agree, the 28mm is perfect for so many travel applications. I find the angles are not to severe, and distortions are kept at bay. Also great for street and people.
Yes you are absolutely right about 28mm, i love my ricoh gr 18.3mm and panasonic leica 15mm on my olympus penF they are both very great lens for what i mostly shoot from lands/cityscape- street/documentary- food- snapping family and friends- to environmental portrait- etc.. Except for a tight portrait i use olympus 75mm f1.8 wich is really rare i need that kind of shot
I bought a 28mm for my Canon AE-1 to take with us when my wife and I went to Scotland last year.I wanted something wide to capture landscapes, but like you said, not so wide as to cause distortion. I find now that it rarely comes off my camera!
Thanks for the kind words! Do you mean the video lighting? Pretty simple led panel shot through a diffusion umbrella, but I’d be happy to go into more detail if you’re interested!
@Matthew Arrington yeah that'd be awesome! I just got a soft box and I wasn't sure it would be bright enough for a source light. I love looking at setups, and I love your coloration, the palette, it's very similar to what I'm going for.
Love this video, really confirmed advice from some photo dudes to try 28mm lens while jumping fully into film for the first time and kicking auto mode training wheels to the curb. Mainly bc of my love for street and good composition, and from study on youtube university lol which has been a game changer for this never too late bloomer photo enthusiast! and some content is easier to digest than others. I'll be bingeing your content soon, keep it coming.
I just got the Z 28mm lens today and this video popped up! I like walking around with this and the 40 for lightweight street photography and just walking about. I'm looking forward having more experience with it. Now to check my meta data...
Hi, thanks to remind me the value of having a 28 mm prime Lens. The first Time I had one (Minolta) was in 1989. It was well suites for taking pictures in a trip to Japan. This year, I'll visit Japan again. Since now I've moved to video, I have adopted the MFT format ( with crop Factor of 2). There are two 14 mm primes for MFT. None have enough speed. Hence one of my lenses will be a Sigma 16mm f1.4 for Bokeh and low light. The other will be the very versatile Oly 8-25 mm for daylight shots with no need for Bokeh (it has a constant f 4.0). For landscape and traveling, I love those two lenses.
I agree, especially with 35mm film and shooting in a busy city. My favorite film camera is a Chinon SLR with the multi leaf shutter fixed with a Fuji 28mm prime. My walk around zoom is 28-300 on a full frame DSLR.
Wow, you hit on all the reasons I like the 28mm view. It's as wide as you can go without getting much distortion. Super wide lenses without distortion exist but they tend to be large, heavy and expensive. 28mm seems to me to match the field of view I see with my own eyes. I used to have the Olympus Zuiko 28mm f/2.8 on my OM-2n but now I use the Panasonic Lumix 14mm f/2.5 on my E-M5 Mk II.
I just picked this 28mm for $60, love it. I was missing the wide angle perspective, I can still get portraits by just getting closer. Took few sample pictures. They came out great. Light and has the 2.8. Love it
Fuji 18mm f2 is my favourite lens. Small, light and beautiful rendering. I love the look of the 50 f2 but have no idea how to shoot with it. everything in between feels really odd and generally just makes me want something wider.
I suggest use the 50mm with minimum focus distance all the time & spot yourself moving your body to the focus zone to the subjects eye or the nose if you are shooting kids, you’ll love 💕after you get creative with odd compositions
I'm so happy to hear this was helpful! I definitely struggled between those two focal lengths and so glad to discover the 28mm equivalent in my search. Good luck with your decision!
I got this lens recently and used it for a wedding this last weekend and I absolutely love it. It was fun, compact, lightweight and worked perfectly on my Z8. I’m looking for to using this on my Z F when it gets here tomorrow. This wedding had some tight areas so using this w/ my 85 1.4 F mount lens was a beautiful combination.
Thanks for sharing. I'm learning to shoot with a 28mm and I'm finding that it really does take more effort to frame a meaningful and aesthetic pleasing photo.
Recently I did some portraits with a Nikkor 28mm f2.8. I must admit: they are the most compelling portraits I have shot recently. I am honestly quite shocked at how much I love the images from that shoot and am amazed by the way people resonate with and are amazed by this set of portraits. So, yes, I 100% AGREE!!!
I only had one lens and one camera for years. That was a pentax me with 50mm 1.8. When you say you see the world in 35mm i fully understand, I see the world in 50mm. But only because thats what I am used to. Moving from film (now shooting Nikons) to digital I have just gone to full frame and now have a real 50mm perspective again. But Im watching this video and looking at a Nikkor 28mm 1.4 - 1.8 or 2.8. I hope changing things up will change how I photograph and inspire me to try out new things. I also love my 105mm prime.
Great perspective on this! I think I'd have to agree. I shoot with Canon full frame, and the 28mm f/1.8 is fantastic all around, when I want to keep it simple. One other point that I would add is that 28mm lenses (outside of the Zeiss Otus 28mm f/1.4) are generally smaller profile lenses, so they are easy to carry and don't draw attention to you- a big bonus for travel, street, hiking, etc.
Thank you so much! That is a great point, as far as many 28's being small and unassuming. I've been using the 18mm (27mm equiv) f1.4 lens on my Fuji system, and although it's on the larger side for this system, it's still very compact and easy to carry.
I'm actually gonna be heading on a trip in a few days and I couldnt decide how many lenses to bring for my film stuff, you sold me on the 28mm think ill bring that and maybe a 105 macro lens too. Thanks for the great video!
I never understood the point of 28mm focal length but after spending some time with it, boy has it grown on me. Its literally the take it anywhere, capture anything lens. its extremely versatile and they are often small lenses. I currently use the 28 2.8 SE lens on my Nikon Z6II and absolutely enjoy it. There's a reason why Leica makes the Q cameras using 28mm...Great video!
Thank you so much! I agree completely about the versatility and small form factor being pros of this focal length. I was interested in the new 28 Z lens as well! Glad to hear you're enjoying it and thanks for watching!
I have a Canon A1 that I bought new in 1981. My friend who ran a used camera shop insisted that I purchase a breech mount 28mm, 2.0 ssc lens. I wasn't particularly happy about it, until I shot my first roll of film with it. All I can say is thank you Steve for insisting that I get that lens
I’ve got a 35mm prime and at times I find it a little bit too narrow. A new canon RF 28mm 2.8 pancake lens that is going to be released in July gets me excited.
I recently went travelling with 3 prime lenses, a 28, 35 and a nifty 50. I thought that I would use the 35 the most, but I ended up using 28 for most of the shots and the 50 for those shots when you need a bit more zoom. The 28 and the 50 are the only lenses anyone really needs. The 35 focal length is a bit redundant for me as it’s not wide enough but also not long enough.
I shoot with a Sony a7R3 and I programmed one of the buttons to toggle into and out of apsc crop mode. That makes it easy to get two focal lengths from one prime. For instance 24mm can also be 36mm in crop mode.
For most of my work I generally work with longer lenses anywhere from 80 mm up to 200mm. But recently I opted to dig my 28mm F2.8 Nikkor out of its slumber and put it to good use. And the set of portraits that came out of that exercise were as stunning as you describe. It was a wonderful experience to see those images while I was creating them as well as the amazing experience of observing what was produced after all of the editing was completed. You are absolutely correct: the 28 mm lens is not only a focal length but it is also an experience and an ethos that should be experienced by anyone and everyone who values photography.
When I started shooting film I shot a lot with a 28mm for similar reasons. It seemed to always be able to fit everything in. But then I realised that (for me) was actually a bad thing, I didn't have to work at all on my composition or positioning my subject and just ended up taking a lot of boring images that had everything in them but had no particular focus or unique composition. When I went to shooting mostly 35mm I did find there were situations where it was just a little too tight, but that was more than made up by the fact that it taught me to work my composition and subject just that little bit more, and I ended up getting more interesting images with a better composition.
Completely agree. I’ve just bought the Leica Q3 with a fixed 28mm lens. I love it. I had to sell my 2 Fujifilm bodies, 3 primes and 2 zooms to help pay for it, but it was worth it. I hardly ever swapped out the lenses anyway and wanted a ‘do it all camera’.
Great video. 28mm has been my go to lens for years. I love it for all the reasons you mentioned. My buddy who almost always uses 50mm tends to scoff at me for using 28mm, but I absolutely love it. I have shot a lot with the Hexanon 28mm f/3.5. It is an amazing lens. Thanks again! Keep up the great work.
My favorite focal lengths are 20, 28, 40 and 135(ish)(the 105F1.4E is great, but I don't shoot Nikon (yet)). I think that 28mm is just right for all sorts of stuff. For travel, for a walk in the park, street, forest, environmental portrait, landscapes, indoors, weather (sky and clouds), MilkyWay, cars, selfies, food, pets, kids, flowers, parties, etc.
Beautiful photographs 🎉🎉 I own this lens but have not used much after i had the 28mm Z. But your photos hv inspired me to pick it up again. Its close focus is great and it is very sharp
Great video! Glad I found your channel. I’m a Nikon Z6ii shooter and looking at the new Z 28mm f2.8 and 40mm f2. I shoot landscapes , travel, street, low light.
Thanks so much! I’ve heard good things about the 28 2.8 Z and am curious what you think about the 40mm compared to the standard 50. Thanks for stopping by!
When it comes to travelling, I'm a 24mm guy. I did few trips with 35mm. Love it. But I came across few situation I need to move back a bit but I have no more space for it. Recently I'm thinking of going for 28mm and carry another 85mm for travelling. Thanks for this great video 👍🏻
That's what I use for the live portion of my bridge videos. I can get close enough to get good sound with a microphone attached to the camera with no wide angle distortion. This lens is well known for its low distortion.
Hi, Matthew, thanks for your video! I do lots of still work, and now am moving into videography/documentaries. Size, convenience, and avoiding checking baggage for international trips is huge. For still work, no question, I just need the Sony a6600/(upcoming a6700 camera body), and two zooms---18-135mm Sony; 70-350 Sony; for sports, wildlife, and overall flexibility. I find zooms literally create new pics that I could never get with still lenses. That said, I use a small gimbal so for video work it is best to use a fixed lens. 28mm is fine :)
I have a Nikon F2SB and a Nikon FTN with lenses (20mm, 24mm, 28mm, 55mm macro, and 85mm), but when I traveled, I took my Olympus OM-1 with only a 28mm, 2.8 lens, in a "ever-ready" case, because it would fit into my carry-on hard-case with two-weeks of clothes. I forced myself to use only this focal length to capture scenic, close-up, portraiture, interiors just as you demonstrated. I heartily recommend trying a 28mm with film (or full-size sensor) and pay attention to minimizing extension distortion when doing portraiture, not too close to eliminate exaggeration of noses and keep the focal-plane as vertical as possible to reduce near-far distortion. David Riddle
I got a leica Q2 and it's such a flexible focal length, I can easily crop to 35mm, and it being f1.7 i'm not really losing much compression compared to 35 let's say f2.8 or even f2
Love this video kept me right to the end and coincidently only two weeks ago bought a 28 man for my D850 .. you make a lot is sense many thanks for the suggestion
Thank for your report. For my Nikon z 30 is there a 28mm f/1.4 lens on 6:186:18 the market? Any comments to using 28 mm as discussed in your report in taking videos while on the run? Thanks and kind regards from Switzerland . Jack
Back in the 70's-80's when I was shooting with a Canon F-1n, I had a Canon FD 28-85mm f4.0 almost permanently attached to the camera. I had the 50mm f1.8 and 70-210 f4.0 as well, but hardly used them. I never got the chance to go lower than 28mm then, but it was perfect for me.
Wanted to share this tidbit of information with you & others for a very creative way of using the 28/2.8 AiS lens - Nikon makes a "reversing ring" adapter, called the BR-2A. This adapter allows you to mount your 52mm threaded lenses (most AiS and older lenses) in "reverse" on your camera. In other words, the 52mm filter thread in the front literally screws into to lens mount on the camera, with the back element of the lens now acting as the front element. This yields a "macro" lens that goes well beyond 1:1. It works with 50mm and wider lenses, and the 28mm lens is ideal for this. Images quality is often better, but, of course, DOF is a micro-thin plane. Physically, your lens will only be a couple of inches from the subject. Creative abstract flower photography is great for reversing your 28mm lens, and then shooting wide open at f2.8 - masses of vibrant, blurry color with only a hint of sharpness on a tiny edge of a petal.
Thx I am looking forward to your Fuji 18mm review. I used the Leica 15 1.7 on my lumix and loved it. I do hope that the 18mm will give me the feeling back. I do think that 18mm is also great as a video lens and especially for documenting family life. 28mm is also the lens of leica q so the focal length is not dead (yet) :) thx for your content all the best from Austria
Thanks for sharing! The 18mm review will be coming soon, but I can say that it is an extraordinary lens so far, bitingly sharp and a joy to use! Stay tuned for the full review.
I see out of one eye and my vision is wide - 28mm is my natural field of view. So this Lens on my Camera feels very natural. its really beautiful. I recently acquired the Nikkor 28-70mm F3.5-4.5D. This lens is absolutely perfect. Because of my one eye vision 70mm is my natural telephoto. I know this because i tested my 50mm 1.4 on my DX. That felt natural. So having one lens that covers how i see naturally is perfect. I love your video. 👍🏽
I hope you like the 16mm! That’s a great one too, I hear. The f1.4 version is legendary. Stay tuned for the 18mm review, which I’ll have up soon once I’ve put it through its paces! Spoiler alert, it’s incredible 👍
Very interesting thanks. I recently ordered a 28mm lense for an elderly Sony A200 I own. I was so impressed with a 50mm I used on it I was keen to try this too. You seem to back up what I’ve been hearing elsewhere.
I prob. will get a sony /minolta dslr body to use a 24-50 & the excellent 100-300 APO from maxxum A-mount film bodies. Sony never had one (among 5?) A->E adapters that would w/ the E-bodies I own ( just like it was decades ago, no complete features in one single cadsette deck model).
I used to be a 50mm photo guy, but after having a child and switching to mirrorless video mainly recording activities and adventures with my son I tend to be of a 20mm guy now… but it’s not a good allround lens though. I recently bought a 50mm/f1.2 but its a hefty piece. I never got around to like the 35mm which was my first prime for my mirrorless system (Nikon), I thought it was a bit too tight shot in general. Maybe a 28mm could be interesting to explore, having a smaller camera setup when on the move would be great as well!
I had a 28mm with my full frame Nikon F Photomic FTN (great camera!) as early as in the 1970s and it was an absolutely lovely flexible wide angle lens. For a crop camera it is even more useful!
Very informative, straightforward video. I had a 28mm f/3.5 AI back in the early 1980's. How does the Sigma 28mm f/1.4 DG compare to the more expensive Nikon 28mm f/1.4E mounted on a D810 or D850?
I started photography in 1989 with a Minolta x-300 with a 35-70 3.5 lens which I found was not quite wide enough , I then bought a used 24mm 2.8 but found it to be just to wide and later bought a used minolta 28mm 2.8 which I used until I changed to digital & Nikon in 2010 when the D90 came with a kit lens. I bought a 28mm 2.8 f mount sigma mini wide in 2015 and used this for stills and video until buying a dslr that does time lapse and would not work with the older lens , so I bought a 28mm 2.8 AF nikkor pre D and it is nearly always on the camera and do not used wider focal lengths very often.
28mm is my favourite lens as well. In fact I have the one that you have, the 28mm 2.8 Nikkor ais. This particular lens is the reason I fell in love with 28mm. The close focus distance of .2m along with tack sharpness and almost no distortion make it a very special lens. My first one I had was by accident as it came with a camera I purchased. For some stupid reason I sold it to purchase a zoom lens and regretted it almost instantly. Within a few months I purchased another one and plan to keep it forever. I agree fully that it is a very versatile lens. You can almost do macro with it, it’s great for portraits, landscape, street, whatever. And it’s compact. What more could you want. I don’t know but I always seem to find something 😆.
I'm glad to hear you feel that way about the 28mm as well! Definitely the most versatile lens in my kit and the one I keep coming back to. It can't be overstated how useful a short minimum focus distance is. You always miss it when you don't have it. I wish there were more modern lenses in the focal length. I've been using the Fuji 18mm (27mm equivalent) and so far it has exceeded my expectations. Thanks for your comment!
I agree with your thoughts on the 28mm focal length. I had the 28mm F2 AIS. But sold it years ago. 😭 Will probably get the new compact Nikon 28mm F2.8 Z lens for the Z system next year.
same here. I really love this focal-lenght for travel. Im not yet into mirrorless, and stick to a simple f-mount setup with D600+Voigtländer 28mm/2.8 and 58mm/1.4. 80% of the time I go with the 28mm. It is crazy sharp, have beautiful oof blur, and colorrendition are soo
Before even I knew your video existed, I bought a 28mm f2.8 Z for my Nikon and realized how amazing this focal length is. You are 100% right
скажите, вам не хотелось взять 28 f1.8 например от Viltrox? пробовали ли вы его и что думаете?
Thank you, great observations. I use 28 2.8 on Z8 for travel and with a quick switch to the crop mode it doubles as a 42mm for tighter street shots.
I thought I was the only one… 28mm and 85mm are my two most favorite focal lengths.
Agreed! I feel like I could photograph the world with those two lenses and be happy!
Agreed, I start with apsc camera which most of my shot at 17mm & 50mm. When I change to fullframe, I stick with 28mm & 85mm, even though many photographers prefer 35mm & 85mm.
When I go out with primes for general shooting, I take those two and my Sigma 50 Art to fill in the middle. Maybe add my 20 to hedge against such a wider need.
Same, but 105mm.
28mm, 85mm and 105mm. Can't wait for the new 135mm also
Is a good practice to stick to a "new focal length" to force yourself to think differently. I have an old 28mm Pentax somewhere. I have a Pentax to Nikon adapter somewhere. It's time to give it a try. Nicely done video, Matthew!
I agree with everything you say. The 28mm lens was the very first wide angle lens I shot with back in the 1980's - my dad saved up for a Canon FD 28mm and it was a massive difference to the 50mm lenses we had been using for years. So 28mm became a very familiar focal length to me and I have literally hundreds of slides shot at that length. Now years later I occasionally enjoy using a Nikon 20mm F2.8 on my D200 which gives me about the same FOV - limitations never enter my head - it's all good.
I agree, thanks for the video. I'm a 28, 50/58,105 shooter. I do have an 85 but a basic 1.8 prime where my 28,s are compact 2.8 and an f1.4. That does everything and dimly lit interiors too, not much distortion...
Nice video!!! After a break of 12 years. from photography (I closed my studio in 12) I recently decided to get back into it.
So with the Leica M11P in the bag and deciding which wide, I went with the 28mm Summilux. The focal length is a revelation.
The 35mm by comparison feels like a lens you are always ready to take off after a shot for a more preferred focal length. It’s sort of in-between. I could do a major trip with just a 28. I guess that is why Leica makes the Q line of cameras.
I have the Sony FE 28mm f2, Sigma 28mm f1.4 and Nikkor 28mm f2.8 AIS lens (plus other vintages lenses). Love the 28mm. It used to be a blah focal length. Now I love it. Great video Matthew.
Great video. I think my favorite part was the last line, about looking in your metadata to see where you usually zoom to
I love my Nikkor 28mm f1.4D I agree, great for indoor low light w/ balanced fill. I can be part of the table or scene and not backed up into a wall or hanging out a window to get the shot. lol. It's an amazing close personal feel w/o distorting angles. I grab my old 20-35mm f2.8D if I need more but it isn't as crisp as the 28 I feel.
I’m a fan of the 28mm. Mine lives on my OM2 , zuiko glass is superb.
Completely agree, never thought about that middle ground between 24-35, thanks!
I use the Zeiss Distagon 28mm f/2 ZF.2 lens with my Nikon F3/T camera. Favorite is another Zeiss lens the Distagon 35mm f/2 ZF.2.
I accidentally bought this few days ago and I am in love with this focal length for portraits and landscapes.
Great! This video just reinforces my thoughts. Came here two days after getting my new XF 18mm f1.4 which gives a FOV of 27mm in an APSC sensor. Happy about my decision. Cheers!
Great video I’m looking forward to working with my newly acquired 28mm lens. Thank you for a very informative video.
Great video. You know how to do it. I'm a big fan of the 28mm lens. It's a good mix and a good always on top. Leica Q models also have a permanently installed 28 mm lens. And they know why! Your photos show a good photographer!
Matthew, awesome insights about the 28mm. I am looking for some inspiration for 2024 and this it. Documenting my travels with my Z6 and 28mm. Thanks, Brother!
Hi Matthew, completely agree, the 28mm is perfect for so many travel applications. I find the angles are not to severe, and distortions are kept at bay. Also great for street and people.
Yes you are absolutely right about 28mm, i love my ricoh gr 18.3mm and panasonic leica 15mm on my olympus penF they are both very great lens for what i mostly shoot from lands/cityscape- street/documentary- food- snapping family and friends- to environmental portrait- etc..
Except for a tight portrait i use olympus 75mm f1.8 wich is really rare i need that kind of shot
I couldn’t agree more and have a 28mm f/2.8 hanging on my walk about camera often. It is also a great focal length for video. Thanks for sharing!
I bought a 28mm for my Canon AE-1 to take with us when my wife and I went to Scotland last year.I wanted something wide to capture landscapes, but like you said, not so wide as to cause distortion. I find now that it rarely comes off my camera!
Your photography is excellent, your lighting is fantastic, would you do an indoor lighting tutorial?
Thanks for the kind words! Do you mean the video lighting? Pretty simple led panel shot through a diffusion umbrella, but I’d be happy to go into more detail if you’re interested!
@Matthew Arrington yeah that'd be awesome! I just got a soft box and I wasn't sure it would be bright enough for a source light. I love looking at setups, and I love your coloration, the palette, it's very similar to what I'm going for.
the image at 4:19 sold me on buying the 28 over 35, beautiful shot!
I got my first 28mm (the Zeiss f2 ZF.2) to pair with my F3 and it fits me way better than the 35mm. Close-focusing with a 28mm is great.
Thanks for the comment! I’ve been wanting to try the Zeiss and hear it’s an amazing lens. Glad to hear that I’m not the only 28mm lover!
This is why my travel, EDC is a Leica Q3. 28mm f/1.7 and loving the focal length. Thanks for the video, really enjoyed it.
Love this video, really confirmed advice from some photo dudes to try 28mm lens while jumping fully into film for the first time and kicking auto mode training wheels to the curb. Mainly bc of my love for street and good composition, and from study on youtube university lol which has been a game changer for this never too late bloomer photo enthusiast! and some content is easier to digest than others. I'll be bingeing your content soon, keep it coming.
This is where the SIGMA ART 24-35 f2.0 comes in handy. Literally what I bring everytime I travel
I just got the Z 28mm lens today and this video popped up! I like walking around with this and the 40 for lightweight street photography and just walking about. I'm looking forward having more experience with it. Now to check my meta data...
Hi, thanks to remind me the value of having a 28 mm prime Lens. The first Time I had one (Minolta) was in 1989. It was well suites for taking pictures in a trip to Japan.
This year, I'll visit Japan again. Since now I've moved to video, I have adopted the MFT format ( with crop Factor of 2). There are two 14 mm primes for MFT. None have enough speed. Hence one of my lenses will be a Sigma 16mm f1.4 for Bokeh and low light. The other will be the very versatile Oly 8-25 mm for daylight shots with no need for Bokeh (it has a constant f 4.0). For landscape and traveling, I love those two lenses.
I agree, especially with 35mm film and shooting in a busy city. My favorite film camera is a Chinon SLR with the multi leaf shutter fixed with a Fuji 28mm prime. My walk around zoom is 28-300 on a full frame DSLR.
Wow, you hit on all the reasons I like the 28mm view. It's as wide as you can go without getting much distortion. Super wide lenses without distortion exist but they tend to be large, heavy and expensive. 28mm seems to me to match the field of view I see with my own eyes. I used to have the Olympus Zuiko 28mm f/2.8 on my OM-2n but now I use the Panasonic Lumix 14mm f/2.5 on my E-M5 Mk II.
I just picked this 28mm for $60, love it. I was missing the wide angle perspective, I can still get portraits by just getting closer. Took few sample pictures. They came out great. Light and has the 2.8. Love it
Fuji 18mm f2 is my favourite lens. Small, light and beautiful rendering. I love the look of the 50 f2 but have no idea how to shoot with it. everything in between feels really odd and generally just makes me want something wider.
I suggest use the 50mm with minimum focus distance all the time & spot yourself moving your body to the focus zone to the subjects eye or the nose if you are shooting kids, you’ll love 💕after you get creative with odd compositions
Thank you, great post. I have been trying to decide on a prime and I was stuck at 24 and 35. You gave a different perspective to me.
I'm so happy to hear this was helpful! I definitely struggled between those two focal lengths and so glad to discover the 28mm equivalent in my search. Good luck with your decision!
Nailed it! When I first bought my Ricoh GR III, I was a bit sceptical if I really would use it, but now it is one of my favorites!
I got this lens recently and used it for a wedding this last weekend and I absolutely love it. It was fun, compact, lightweight and worked perfectly on my Z8. I’m looking for to using this on my Z F when it gets here tomorrow. This wedding had some tight areas so using this w/ my 85 1.4 F mount lens was a beautiful combination.
I carry the 28 f2.8 and 85mm 1.8. All I need for my style. Thanks for the video.
35mm my favorite, but I’m going to do some shooting at 28mm this week on one of my zooms, to see how it looks to me.
I love the look from a 28mm lens. I had two but got rid of them a while back. Now I’m thinking of getting a new one
Thanks for sharing. I'm learning to shoot with a 28mm and I'm finding that it really does take more effort to frame a meaningful and aesthetic pleasing photo.
Recently I did some portraits with a Nikkor 28mm f2.8. I must admit: they are the most compelling portraits I have shot recently. I am honestly quite shocked at how much I love the images from that shoot and am amazed by the way people resonate with and are amazed by this set of portraits. So, yes, I 100% AGREE!!!
I only had one lens and one camera for years. That was a pentax me with 50mm 1.8. When you say you see the world in 35mm i fully understand, I see the world in 50mm. But only because thats what I am used to. Moving from film (now shooting Nikons) to digital I have just gone to full frame and now have a real 50mm perspective again. But Im watching this video and looking at a Nikkor 28mm 1.4 - 1.8 or 2.8. I hope changing things up will change how I photograph and inspire me to try out new things. I also love my 105mm prime.
Totally agree. Nikon, where is the 28mm S for my Z6 mark 1? I have given up waiting.
28mm Zuiko is my favorite for the reasons you state. And the equivalent 45mm on Pentax 645.
My fuji x70 was 28mm equivalent. I took all the photos for my Nepal trek one that camera and didn't really miss my kit.
Great perspective on this! I think I'd have to agree. I shoot with Canon full frame, and the 28mm f/1.8 is fantastic all around, when I want to keep it simple. One other point that I would add is that 28mm lenses (outside of the Zeiss Otus 28mm f/1.4) are generally smaller profile lenses, so they are easy to carry and don't draw attention to you- a big bonus for travel, street, hiking, etc.
Thank you so much! That is a great point, as far as many 28's being small and unassuming. I've been using the 18mm (27mm equiv) f1.4 lens on my Fuji system, and although it's on the larger side for this system, it's still very compact and easy to carry.
I'm actually gonna be heading on a trip in a few days and I couldnt decide how many lenses to bring for my film stuff, you sold me on the 28mm think ill bring that and maybe a 105 macro lens too. Thanks for the great video!
Great video. I'm recently try 28 mm, switch from 24 and wanna say that I agree with author video!
Thank you. I see the possible benefits in tight spaces where you can’t back up and still want to keep context.
I never understood the point of 28mm focal length but after spending some time with it, boy has it grown on me. Its literally the take it anywhere, capture anything lens. its extremely versatile and they are often small lenses. I currently use the 28 2.8 SE lens on my Nikon Z6II and absolutely enjoy it. There's a reason why Leica makes the Q cameras using 28mm...Great video!
Thank you so much! I agree completely about the versatility and small form factor being pros of this focal length. I was interested in the new 28 Z lens as well! Glad to hear you're enjoying it and thanks for watching!
And the Ricoh GR ;)
@@MatthewArringtonphoto Is 28mm similar to an iphone image?
@@ks-rr3nbiPhone usally shoot on 23 or 24mm.
I have a Canon A1 that I bought new in 1981. My friend who ran a used camera shop insisted that I purchase a breech mount 28mm, 2.0 ssc lens. I wasn't particularly happy about it, until I shot my first roll of film with it. All I can say is thank you Steve for insisting that I get that lens
I’ve got a 35mm prime and at times I find it a little bit too narrow.
A new canon RF 28mm 2.8 pancake lens that is going to be released in July gets me excited.
Great video. I appreciate the real world photo examples as well. I do find 24mm too wide as well, but really enjoy 35-40mm.
I recently went travelling with 3 prime lenses, a 28, 35 and a nifty 50. I thought that I would use the 35 the most, but I ended up using 28 for most of the shots and the 50 for those shots when you need a bit more zoom. The 28 and the 50 are the only lenses anyone really needs. The 35 focal length is a bit redundant for me as it’s not wide enough but also not long enough.
Thanks for the comment! I couldn’t agree more! 28 and 50 cover just about all of my needs.
the pub that is featured in some of the shots looks so cozy!
I shoot with a Sony a7R3 and I programmed one of the buttons to toggle into and out of apsc crop mode. That makes it easy to get two focal lengths from one prime. For instance 24mm can also be 36mm in crop mode.
For most of my work I generally work with longer lenses anywhere from 80 mm up to 200mm. But recently I opted to dig my 28mm F2.8 Nikkor out of its slumber and put it to good use. And the set of portraits that came out of that exercise were as stunning as you describe. It was a wonderful experience to see those images while I was creating them as well as the amazing experience of observing what was produced after all of the editing was completed. You are absolutely correct: the 28 mm lens is not only a focal length but it is also an experience and an ethos that should be experienced by anyone and everyone who values photography.
Looks like you just decided which prime lens I should be getting 🎉❤...thank you
When I started shooting film I shot a lot with a 28mm for similar reasons. It seemed to always be able to fit everything in. But then I realised that (for me) was actually a bad thing, I didn't have to work at all on my composition or positioning my subject and just ended up taking a lot of boring images that had everything in them but had no particular focus or unique composition. When I went to shooting mostly 35mm I did find there were situations where it was just a little too tight, but that was more than made up by the fact that it taught me to work my composition and subject just that little bit more, and I ended up getting more interesting images with a better composition.
The more you fit the more you have to compose, you're understanding composition backwards.
@@AnotherInternetBlip I just was talking to my own experience ... by that logic everyone should just be shooting ultra wides ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
Completely agree. I’ve just bought the Leica Q3 with a fixed 28mm lens. I love it. I had to sell my 2 Fujifilm bodies, 3 primes and 2 zooms to help pay for it, but it was worth it. I hardly ever swapped out the lenses anyway and wanted a ‘do it all camera’.
Like your assessment of the 28mm focal length and why you like it....bravo!
Glad you like it!
Great video. 28mm has been my go to lens for years. I love it for all the reasons you mentioned. My buddy who almost always uses 50mm tends to scoff at me for using 28mm, but I absolutely love it. I have shot a lot with the Hexanon 28mm f/3.5. It is an amazing lens. Thanks again! Keep up the great work.
My favorite focal lengths are 20, 28, 40 and 135(ish)(the 105F1.4E is great, but I don't shoot Nikon (yet)). I think that 28mm is just right for all sorts of stuff. For travel, for a walk in the park, street, forest, environmental portrait, landscapes, indoors, weather (sky and clouds), MilkyWay, cars, selfies, food, pets, kids, flowers, parties, etc.
i can so so so totally relate to you
The in between focal lengths of 28, 45, 75, and 90 are my favorites.
Great job Matt..I just bought a Sigma 28mm F1.4. and can't wait to get out and use it..
Really gorgeous photos, definitely I see the benefit of the 28mm lens now.
Thanks for the kind words!
Beautiful photographs 🎉🎉 I own this lens but have not used much after i had the 28mm Z. But your photos hv inspired me to pick it up again. Its close focus is great and it is very sharp
I'm sure I commented on this before, but it keeps coming up. I LOVE the 28mm. Paired with a 50, I'm good for everything.
Agreed! That's a perfect combo for me as well!
Great video! Glad I found your channel. I’m a Nikon Z6ii shooter and looking at the new Z 28mm f2.8 and 40mm f2. I shoot landscapes , travel, street, low light.
Thanks so much! I’ve heard good things about the 28 2.8 Z and am curious what you think about the 40mm compared to the standard 50. Thanks for stopping by!
When it comes to travelling, I'm a 24mm guy. I did few trips with 35mm. Love it. But I came across few situation I need to move back a bit but I have no more space for it.
Recently I'm thinking of going for 28mm and carry another 85mm for travelling. Thanks for this great video 👍🏻
Such a great video about the 28mm focal length. I couldn't agree with you more! The Nikon 28mm f/2.8 AI-s is still one of my all time favorite lenses.
That's what I use for the live portion of my bridge videos. I can get close enough to get good sound with a microphone attached to the camera with no wide angle distortion. This lens is well known for its low distortion.
Hi, Matthew, thanks for your video! I do lots of still work, and now am moving into videography/documentaries. Size, convenience, and avoiding checking baggage for international trips is huge. For still work, no question, I just need the Sony a6600/(upcoming a6700 camera body), and two zooms---18-135mm Sony; 70-350 Sony; for sports, wildlife, and overall flexibility. I find zooms literally create new pics that I could never get with still lenses. That said, I use a small gimbal so for video work it is best to use a fixed lens. 28mm is fine :)
Nice. Enjoyed this and have pulled my Nikkor 28mm AIS, bought in 1981, out of the bag. Going to play with it on my D810.
I have a Nikon F2SB and a Nikon FTN with lenses (20mm, 24mm, 28mm, 55mm macro, and 85mm), but when I traveled, I took my Olympus OM-1 with only a 28mm, 2.8 lens, in a "ever-ready" case, because it would fit into my carry-on hard-case with two-weeks of clothes. I forced myself to use only this focal length to capture scenic, close-up, portraiture, interiors just as you demonstrated. I heartily recommend trying a 28mm with film (or full-size sensor) and pay attention to minimizing extension distortion when doing portraiture, not too close to eliminate exaggeration of noses and keep the focal-plane as vertical as possible to reduce near-far distortion. David Riddle
Very familiar with the fuji 18 mm 1.4 or the summicrom 28 mm on the leica - completely agree
Thank you Matthew. My 28mm is in the post! Great shots by the way 👍
I got a leica Q2 and it's such a flexible focal length, I can easily crop to 35mm, and it being f1.7 i'm not really losing much compression compared to 35 let's say f2.8 or even f2
Love this video kept me right to the end and coincidently only two weeks ago bought a 28 man for my D850 .. you make a lot is sense many thanks for the suggestion
I’m so glad it was helpful! That’s an awesome combo with the D850.
I have a vintage Zykkor 28mm (no idea what that brand is) that I use with an adaptor on my Fuji X-T4, and it makes some great images
Thank for your report. For my Nikon z 30 is there a 28mm f/1.4 lens on 6:18 6:18 the market? Any comments to using 28 mm as discussed in your report in taking videos while on the run?
Thanks and kind regards from Switzerland .
Jack
Great job. You're a natural teacher with an expressive voice.
Thank you so much for the kind words!
Back in the 70's-80's when I was shooting with a Canon F-1n, I had a Canon FD 28-85mm f4.0 almost permanently attached to the camera. I had the 50mm f1.8 and 70-210 f4.0 as well, but hardly used them. I never got the chance to go lower than 28mm then, but it was perfect for me.
Wanted to share this tidbit of information with you & others for a very creative way of using the 28/2.8 AiS lens - Nikon makes a "reversing ring" adapter, called the BR-2A. This adapter allows you to mount your 52mm threaded lenses (most AiS and older lenses) in "reverse" on your camera. In other words, the 52mm filter thread in the front literally screws into to lens mount on the camera, with the back element of the lens now acting as the front element. This yields a "macro" lens that goes well beyond 1:1. It works with 50mm and wider lenses, and the 28mm lens is ideal for this. Images quality is often better, but, of course, DOF is a micro-thin plane. Physically, your lens will only be a couple of inches from the subject.
Creative abstract flower photography is great for reversing your 28mm lens, and then shooting wide open at f2.8 - masses of vibrant, blurry color with only a hint of sharpness on a tiny edge of a petal.
The 28mm f/2.8 AIS is known for low distortion, so, as he said, it's OK for portraits.
Thx I am looking forward to your Fuji 18mm review. I used the Leica 15 1.7 on my lumix and loved it. I do hope that the 18mm will give me the feeling back. I do think that 18mm is also great as a video lens and especially for documenting family life. 28mm is also the lens of leica q so the focal length is not dead (yet) :) thx for your content all the best from Austria
Thanks for sharing! The 18mm review will be coming soon, but I can say that it is an extraordinary lens so far, bitingly sharp and a joy to use! Stay tuned for the full review.
I see out of one eye and my vision is wide - 28mm is my natural field of view. So
this Lens on my Camera feels very natural. its really beautiful. I recently acquired the Nikkor 28-70mm F3.5-4.5D. This lens is absolutely perfect. Because of my one eye vision 70mm is my natural telephoto. I know this because i tested my 50mm 1.4 on my DX. That felt natural. So having one lens that covers how i see naturally is perfect. I love your video. 👍🏽
for film photography/analog SLR'S i can recommend :
- Pentax SMC-M 28mmf2.8
- Minolta MD Rokkor 28mmf2.8
- Canon FD 28mmf2.8
- Pentacon 29mmf2.8 (M42)
- Konica Hexanon AR 28mmf3.5
The 28mm focal length is my new favourite. Love it on my Fujifilm Klasse W!
Yep, just started using a 16mm 2.8 Fuji. I would love to hear about your experience with the 18mm 1.4
I hope you like the 16mm! That’s a great one too, I hear. The f1.4 version is legendary. Stay tuned for the 18mm review, which I’ll have up soon once I’ve put it through its paces! Spoiler alert, it’s incredible 👍
Thanks for this. Gearing up for a big trip next year and thinking of only taking my Leica Q
Very interesting thanks. I recently ordered a 28mm lense for an elderly Sony A200 I own. I was so impressed with a 50mm I used on it I was keen to try this too. You seem to back up what I’ve been hearing elsewhere.
I prob. will get a sony /minolta dslr body to use a 24-50 & the excellent 100-300 APO from maxxum A-mount film bodies. Sony never had one (among 5?) A->E adapters that would w/ the E-bodies I own ( just like it was decades ago, no complete features in one single cadsette deck model).
I used to be a 50mm photo guy, but after having a child and switching to mirrorless video mainly recording activities and adventures with my son I tend to be of a 20mm guy now… but it’s not a good allround lens though. I recently bought a 50mm/f1.2 but its a hefty piece. I never got around to like the 35mm which was my first prime for my mirrorless system (Nikon), I thought it was a bit too tight shot in general.
Maybe a 28mm could be interesting to explore, having a smaller camera setup when on the move would be great as well!
Man, I totally agree with you. I recently got 28mm F1.4 Dg Hsm/Art For Canon Mount. Since then, still on camera, and I love it.
Love the photos of the French Quarter and Lafayette Cemetery.
I had a 28mm with my full frame Nikon F Photomic FTN (great camera!) as early as in the 1970s and it was an absolutely lovely flexible wide angle lens. For a crop camera it is even more useful!
agree! coupled with a full-sized 64MP sensor, that's heaven!
Very informative, straightforward video. I had a 28mm f/3.5 AI back in the early 1980's. How does the Sigma 28mm f/1.4 DG compare to the more expensive Nikon 28mm f/1.4E mounted on a D810 or D850?
Thanks for the comment! I haven’t tried the Sigma out yet, but I’ll keep an eye out!
I started photography in 1989 with a Minolta x-300 with a 35-70 3.5 lens which I found was not quite wide enough , I then bought a used 24mm 2.8 but found it to be just to wide and later bought a used minolta 28mm 2.8 which I used until I changed to digital & Nikon in 2010 when the D90 came with a kit lens. I bought a 28mm 2.8 f mount sigma mini wide in 2015 and used this for stills and video until buying a dslr that does time lapse and would not work with the older lens , so I bought a 28mm 2.8 AF nikkor pre D and it is nearly always on the camera and do not used wider focal lengths very often.
When TH-cam actually recommends a useful photography video. Awesome stuff!
28mm is my favourite lens as well. In fact I have the one that you have, the 28mm 2.8 Nikkor ais. This particular lens is the reason I fell in love with 28mm. The close focus distance of .2m along with tack sharpness and almost no distortion make it a very special lens. My first one I had was by accident as it came with a camera I purchased. For some stupid reason I sold it to purchase a zoom lens and regretted it almost instantly. Within a few months I purchased another one and plan to keep it forever. I agree fully that it is a very versatile lens. You can almost do macro with it, it’s great for portraits, landscape, street, whatever. And it’s compact. What more could you want. I don’t know but I always seem to find something 😆.
I'm glad to hear you feel that way about the 28mm as well! Definitely the most versatile lens in my kit and the one I keep coming back to. It can't be overstated how useful a short minimum focus distance is. You always miss it when you don't have it. I wish there were more modern lenses in the focal length. I've been using the Fuji 18mm (27mm equivalent) and so far it has exceeded my expectations. Thanks for your comment!
I agree with your thoughts on the 28mm focal length. I had the 28mm F2 AIS. But sold it years ago. 😭 Will probably get the new compact Nikon 28mm F2.8 Z lens for the Z system next year.
same here. I really love this focal-lenght for travel. Im not yet into mirrorless, and stick to a simple f-mount setup with D600+Voigtländer 28mm/2.8 and 58mm/1.4. 80% of the time I go with the 28mm. It is crazy sharp, have beautiful oof blur, and colorrendition are soo