Getting used to longer focal lengths?

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Pfreddee

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My default lens choice is 50mm, although for the past 6 months I've been using 40mm just about equally with the 50. For those of you who have gone to a longer prime (85, 105,135), how long did it take you to get used to the view and become comfortable using it as a go-to lens?

Thank you to all who reply.

With best regards,

Pfreddee(Stephen)
 
It seems the normal go-to FoVs are between 28mm-50mm (especially for documentary or street photography). Within that range, one can become more comfortable with a certain FoV with months of experience, though I have never really warmed up to a 28mm lens and, instead, prefer 35mm or 50mm. Your mention of 85mm-135mm, however, makes me think you may be interested in either portraiture (per the 85mm) or some types of landscape photography.
 
I started w a 50. Not a decision; that was the default then. Next lens was a 100 and I don't recall taking any time at all to get used to it. It immediately provided less intrusion and thus more candid shots.
 
Here is an instance where SLRs are very useful. The SLR shows you immediately what you'll get with your telephoto lens. With rangefinders, you have to mentally adjust to a picture inside a smaller frameline.
 
I never got used to the narrow field of view of long lenses. By long, I mean anything above 85mm (in SLR format). Now I am using APS digital cameras and 50mm focal length is my comfort limit.
Over the decades, I have had lenses up through 300mm but have sold them off pretty quickly.
 
My focal length preferences for RFs and SLRs are completely different. Since this is in the SLR forum:

I started with a 50mm lens because that is what came with the camera, but I very naturally moved to 85mm as my normal. I really like the perspective and it just better fits how I see. My next most-used lens is a 28mm.

Though I really like compact fixed-lens RFs with a focal length of 40mm, mainly for travel, I have never used my 35mm lens on my SLR. I keep it because I figure that it must surely come in useful some day! I also really like 100mm and 135mm for portraiture. I have a 200mm also, but I don't use it often.

- Murray
 
I bought a zoom lens first. The 24-70 f2.8 I have used the most. Canon.

I do have an 85 f1.4 Zeiss and a Canon 135 f2.0 but I don't use them as much as my 24-70.

A tripod has helped me.

Your decision could be influenced by what you intend to photograph.

Hope this helps you.
 
I've started using my SD1M again with a 50mm f1.4 which gives a field of view of a 75mm lens with the crop factor. I carry around a 35mm with me whenever I take the camera anywhere but have yet to use it ... 75mm is a very useful focal length and I seem to be quite comfortable with it.
 
There is a lot to be said for a good zoom in this focal length range. Something like a 50 to 135 could be the answer. You could set it to the focal lengths you are comfortable with, probably starting close to 50mm, and work your way up. If you find a setting you especially like, maybe add a prime of that length.
 
Rob-F said:
There is a lot to be said for a good zoom in this focal length range. Something like a 50 to 135 could be the answer. You could set it to the focal lengths you are comfortable with, probably starting close to 50mm, and work your way up. If you find a setting you especially like, maybe add a prime of that length.
Click to expand...

I agree with Rob wrt a short zoom. A few weeks ago, I acquired a very compact and very good manual focus Kiron 70-150mm/4.0 it has been extremely fun to use. It took no time at all getting used to the longer FL. Other manual focus options include the 50-135/3.5 and 75-150mm Series E from Nikon, and a 70-150mm/3.8 from Vivitar. I'm sure there are equivalent options if you want AF.

Of course, I've always had an 85mm and/or 105mm in my bag with my SLR, but always as a complementary lens to a 'normal' 28, 35 or 50.
 
take photos that look good with a longer lens!

half length portraits to tight head shots
distant landscape scenes
still lifes
etc.
 
In the past couple of years I've come to like a "long normal"/"short tele" of around 60 to 85 mm effective as a walk-around general purpose lens. The 1.8/75mm Heliar sees use on full-frame M along with 50mm which is also a fav on crop M8 (~66mm).

My focal length preferences on SLR are the same as on RF. I use 35, 43, 50mm on APS-C and look forward to using 77 and 85 again on FF when that day comes. :)

In the past when I had a project of environmental portraits, 28mm or the equivalent was most useful. So it all depends on what you're doing!
 
I spent the past few months mostly using a 35mm and occasionally a 50mm on an RF. It was quite a change to put an 85mm on an SLR and look through the viewfinder, but it only took a half hour or so to get accustomed to seeing with that fov.

On my 5D my most used lens was the 24-105 zoom, and I never had problems using the 105 end when necessary (usually portraits).
 
Situations demand different FLs. I was covering action on a school stage, and 300mm was barely enough. For walkabout, I find 28-35mm about right. I like 50-100mm for macro and studio tabletop. Portraits can require 50mm for half body, 100mm for head-and-shoulders. Lately, I'm selecting longer FLs for portraits (up to 300mm for tight crops). Most used portrait lens is a 70-200/4 zoom.
 
I wouldn't be comfortable at all with only a tele for walk-about; too many things that you can't walk close up to and fit in the frame. So there's a 24-120 on the camera if there is no need to have a compact kit, and a 20 otherwise. That said, if I do have the 24-120 on the camera, I find that a lot of shots are taken at a 40ish focal length..
 
It is all a matter of what is best at the time. 50mm or shorter for a fixed walk about lens. 85 or 135 for close cropped portraits. The perspecrive is more flattering and shallow depth of field adds to the effect by isolating the subject from distracting background. It really takes no time to adapt once you have seen what the lens shows. Make use of the stopdown button or lever and you will see what the final look will be. That is one thing a RF cant do for you.
 
Hi,

It all depends on what you do. Wide or standard for street photography, 85 or 90 or longer for portraiture, very long for nature and aviation, macro for close-ups and so on.

The classic set up for decades was 28 - 85; 70 - 200 and a macro lens. Chosen carefully they'd cover 95% of peoples' needs. And the 28 - 85 or 90 as a classic for travel taking one lens.

Regards, David

PS Nowadays the 24mm lens on the phone seems to cover it all, although I have my doubts...
 
It depends.

First off, a few people claimed that a 85mm lens is a portrait lens, well, it is and it isn't. It can easily be used for street, it gives you some more distance to your picture and therefore a different look then a wider lens. Here are some with an 85mm lens:






But if you're not a longer lens person, no problem, just enjoy your wider lenses!
 
I'm in the same boat as you, always shoot a 50mm. Borrowed my friends 70-200 sigma and really enjoyed it. Looking around for a nice 85mm mainly because I take shots of the kids so it works for me. May try it for landscapes as well but at the moment I always default to as wide as I can go.

I'd say borrow something like a 70-200 or 85mm, it's not that much different to a 50mm.
 
David Hughes said:
Hi,

It all depends on what you do. Wide or standard for street photography, 85 or 90 or longer for portraiture, very long for nature and aviation, macro for close-ups and so on.

The classic set up for decades was 28 - 85; 70 - 200 and a macro lens. Chosen carefully they'd cover 95% of peoples' needs. And the 28 - 85 or 90 as a classic for travel taking one lens.

Regards, David

PS Nowadays the 24mm lens on the phone seems to cover it all, although I have my doubts...
Click to expand...

When did the zooms come into their own? I always think of an SLR with a 50mm and 135mm prime lenses, but that reflects my experience with a Canon FX that I bought used from a friend back in 1980.It was already 15 years old and I kept it for almost 20 more years until it was stolen.

I loved the camera and carrying it around made quite a splash in those days; that proved useful for a couple of summers when doing research on folk housing. The camera was often a ice-breaker when I asked people if I could take photographs an measure their floor plans. I shot with a 50/1.8 and never bothered getting a second lens or shooting b&w, until much later. Obviosuly I didn't know much about cameras then, but it just never occurred to me that you would get a zoom lens for a camera like that.
 
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