Most Versatile Focal Length

Most Versatile Focal Length

  • 21mm

    Votes: 3 0.4%

  • 25mm

    Votes: 7 0.9%

  • 28mm

    Votes: 34 4.6%

  • 35mm

    Votes: 323 43.2%

  • 40mm

    Votes: 151 20.2%

  • 50mm

    Votes: 223 29.9%

  • 75mm

    Votes: 5 0.7%

  • 90mm

    Votes: 1 0.1%
  • Total voters
    747
P

Peter

Guest
Which focal length of the 35mm RF do you consider to be the most versatile. In other word, the focal length that you could use for your daily photography needs.
 
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40mm because it's what I have on the Canonet GIII & 28 and that's my most versatile RF's right now. Most of my RF's have 50 or 45mm lenses. The only 35mm is on the Kiev.
 
I like 40mm best overall.

But HCB took approx 98% of his shots with a 50mm and his work wasn't too shabby :cool:

Gene
 
Or how about being sneaky and choosing a Tri-Elmar and covering all your focal lenghts (28, 35, 50mm) at once?

Stu :)
 
I voted 35mm but maybe you could add 75 and 90? There are one or two people here who like the longer lengths I think.
 
I had to vote from my history; looking back the 35mm has been my most often used lens for the longest period of time. However, a few years ago I began using a 28mm fairly often and lately have used a 50mm more then ever before.

D2
 
I mainly use my canonet and it's 40mm and I think that's a pretty darn good focal length most of the time.
On my SLR I use the 50mm most of the time but lately I've been addicted to my Panagor 90mm. I've also got other lenses I use depending on what I'm shooting, so I'd say my favorite is somewhere between 28mm and 400mm.
Does that answer your question? :)
 
50mm for me. If I back up far enough I can usually get most of what I want, and its long enough to use for a portrait lens if you're careful. It's also long enough to isolate details and be rid of distracting background elements that distract from the main idea/subject of the photo. Sometimes a 35 is perfect, but usually it's a 50 for me.
 
rover said:
35, step forward and it is a standard lens, step back and it is wide.
Click to expand...

Nu huh - distance to subject does not alter the perspective of the lens. :)
 
Oh, you know what I mean. I am keying on the word versatile. You are correct that they perspective of the lens doesn't change, but the position of the photographer handling that lens/camera dictates what is in the frame. For favorite focal length I would have picked differently as I think that I see better in either 28mm or 50mm than I do in 35mm. With a 35 I either want to, you guessed it, step forward, or back.
 
not to be a wise-ass, but the perspective of an image is dictated by the camera-subject distance, not by the focal length :)
 
Rats. The poll doesn't indicate 135 film, so I voted for what was the closest to my favorite, the versatile 100mm f/2.8 Mamiya Universal...
 
I have realised that I could use only a 35mm lens for my current photography, namely street and documentary. Like what Rover said, all I need to do is to use my feet for proper framing of the subjects.
 
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