Only two focal lengths allowed...

[mrtoml]

24mm and 50mm

 

[valdas]

Why not a poll (to see some consolidated picture)?

 

[valdas]

35&85

 

[nightlight]

Depends on the system, these days 58 and 85. I like symmetry.

 

[Disappointed_Horse]

In 35mm format terms, if you could only choose two (prime) focal lengths, which would they be?

Two focal lengths to take on a particular outing, or two focal lengths as in that's all you get for the rest of your life?

For a particular outing, I'd tailor the selection to the particular circumstances, but for a general two lens setup to keep in a bag and be ready for anything, I'd probably pick 28mm and 50mm.

However, I'm a lot more likely to take just one lens with me when I head out the door. Two lenses to keep at home and select one from, I'd probably select a 35mm and a 50mm (or maybe something in the 55–58mm range to make it a little more different from the 35mm).

 

[Sonnar Brian]

Two?

50 is one.... which for me includes a lot of lenses.
85 would be the other.
Nikon roots showing...

I would not pick 1000 or 12. Anything 20mm and 600mm, I have covered. I gave away the 1000 for a project at work.

 

[Ko.Fe.]

35, just because it is superior to tunnel vision, boring 50.
Und.
21, because it is superior to 35, once you have grown enough to get close to show the real story.

 

[coelacanth]

50mm and 28mm.

 

[ChrisPlatt]

I normally carry only two lenses, 35mm and 85/90/100/105mm.
Makes a nice compact kit that fits in the smallest of bags.

Chris

 

[Bolo Kukus]

With my Fuji XE2, '18 and '18-55.

With my Contax G1, '28. The Biogon is a superb lens, it alone has kept me happily involved in film photography.

With my Nikons, '28 and '85.

Re the latter, as I never confine myself only to two lenses, allso in my bag nowadays, '180 and '300. (Note that my lens bag stays at my hotel, securely locked in the safe in my room, as I'm now too old to cart all that glass in my backpack.)

But then I find I do 90% of all my photography with the '28. So the obvious question is, why do I bother...

Connundrums! Or maybe conundra. A new word for '24!

 

[CMur12]

My "normal" is 85mm, and I complement it with a 28mm.

This isn't the result of trying to "limit myself" to two focal lengths. I just ended up using these two focal lengths for the vast majority of my shooting.

- Murray

 

[Doug A]

For my 35mm SLR's: 50 and 85.
For my 35mm RF's: 35 and 50.

 

[Bob Helmond]

The 35mm and 24mm. Third in a perfect world? 90mm.

 

[splitimageview]

Why not a poll (to see some consolidated picture)?

I like the idea of a poll, but looking at these responses, that would make for a lot of combinations that would get few votes. 🙂

 

[splitimageview]

I could be perfectly happy with only 35 and 85 (or 90) as the vast majority of my photos use one or the other. My brain just seems to 'see' in those angles of view.

35 is like a 'normal' focal length to me.

That doesn't mean I don't have other focal lengths (which include 24, 28, 50, 60, 135 as well as 38mm on my Pen FT (53mm equivalent), and 38mm on my Auto S3 which is close enough to 35mm to be identical.

 

[splitimageview]

With my Fuji XE2, '18 and '18-55.

So that would be 28mm in 135 format terms, and the second is a zoom which doesn't qualilfy.🙂

 

[Zuiko-logist]

For SLRs 24 and 85. For rangefinders, 28 and 50, just because the viewfinder is easier to work with.

 

[pvdhaar]

I like the idea of a poll, but looking at these responses, that would make for a lot of combinations that would get few votes. 🙂

If you look at exact focal lengths, then yes, the number of possible combinations is near endless. But there seem to be a couple of trends; either two lenses quite close in focal length (e.g. 35/50) or spread far apart to cover all bases and those skewed towards the short end (e.g. 21/50) or the long end (e.g. 50/85).

 

[Bolo Kukus]

I like the idea of a poll, but looking at these responses, that would make for a lot of combinations that would get few votes. 🙂

Different strokes (and focal lengths) for different folks, as the old saying goes...

 

[shawn]

Tough question... I think with my S1R it would be the 20mm (or maybe 24mm) and probably the 85 1.4.

With the S1R and its various aspect ratios these two give a lot of flexibility. The 20mm is a very different lens in 3:2 vs 1:1 vs 65:24.