Which is your most used focal length on Full Format 35mm cameras

Which is your most used focal length on Full Format 35mm cameras

  • 15

    Votes: 2 0.3%
  • 18

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • 21

    Votes: 10 1.6%
  • 25

    Votes: 13 2.1%
  • 28

    Votes: 43 7.0%
  • 35

    Votes: 236 38.7%
  • 50

    Votes: 259 42.5%
  • 75

    Votes: 3 0.5%
  • 85

    Votes: 10 1.6%
  • 90

    Votes: 3 0.5%
  • 135

    Votes: 1 0.2%
  • something else

    Votes: 30 4.9%

  • Total voters
    610

135format

Established
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Dec 10, 2011
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187
I did search to see if there was a poll already but couldn't find this exact question, so here it is:

Which is your most used focal length on full format 35mm cameras.
 
Something else is going to be very popular. 40mm is big around because of the CV 40/1.4 and 40mm cron and because of the imperfect frame of rangefinders
 
currently 50.
next week maybe 28.
next month maybe i go back to 35?

this kind of poll is the perfect chance to get 42 different answers from 23 people.
 
50 almost exclusively on rangefinders
On SLRs I preferred standard zooms, 28-70. I didn't use a 50 prime for years, I had one but only used it as a loupe on a lighttable. Though I use it the las couple of years for shooting concerts.
 
Seems like I'm the only one that answered 85mm this far.

It takes some explaining however. I take more photos with my 5D2 even if I use it more seldom that my film cameras. Chimping and bracketing is sometimes the best thing about digital. And as I got hold of a 85L (older version) I have a hard time taking it of the camera. It is simply a little too good.

As I only own the 40/1.4 for my Bessa that is in close second.
 
This is a weird thing to try and answer.

I really want to say 35mm, and indeed, I do use the 35mm more than any other focal length (currently running 21, 28, 35, & 50).

However, I find that most of what I consider my best shots were taken with a 50mm.

But, I have thought about why this is, and I think I know why this happens (and this may be overly analytical).

You see, because I favor the wide end (over the tele), I'm used to working close, and as I'm sure many of you know, it takes a while to get accustomed to getting your a$$ in there and taking the picture--if i'm comfortable, the subject is comfortable, hence the closer I can get, and so on. Being invisible from 3 feet away takes a helluva a lot of practice, and I still need work.

Anyway, you do this for a while (or rather, I did)--cut your teeth on the 28 and 21--and then the 35 is really comfortable, but the 50---shooting with the 50 starts feeling seamless. I feel like I don't even have to get involved when I shoot with the 50 now, no matter how close I am, and that level of comfort and confidence, I think, transfers to the subject.
 
35mm if I have a choice, 50mm if I don't.
If we want to analyze a trend, the poll should allow for multiple choices (limited to 3 for instance).
 
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