35mm: The Best AND Worst Focal Length?

I've been a 35mm as my basic everyday lens shooter for 40 years. I came up when zooms hadn't yet reached fixed focal length lens quality so we used primes. There is a terrific mathematical truth to the 35mm lens that I learned from the Leica school, where prime lenses were the only game in town...

The distance from the subject with a 35mm lens is equal to the edge to edge coverage in the landscape orientation. If you are 10 feet from a wall, you'll capture 10 feet of that wall in the frame.

No need to get out a tape measure, close enough is good enough. After some time, you will see the image with your eyes and move to the right spot to raise your camera and shoot what you saw in your mind's eye. This will make you very effective on the street or in journalistic type shooting, versus someone standing in one spot "playing their trombone" with a zoom trying to find the shot.

After I left film and went digital, with every system that I got, a 35mm (or equivalent) was the first lens that I bought for that brand.

Thanks man. I think I needed some of that truth.

I started out with the 40mm of my Agfa and the 50 and 135 Nikons of my father. But now 35 is my favourite prime, like Aleksey Myakishev. Though I often use the 35-105 (the long side is my favourite for portraits.

Spot on. The 35mm brings out the creativity in you, you have no choice else your pictures would look completely flat and unimpressive.

35mm has long been a standard for photojournalism. Its field of view is great for "telling a story". Wide enough to put your subject IN CONTEXT, narrow enough that your subject doesn't get lost. That's why it's a classic focal length for "environmental" portraits. With it you can capture the blacksmith AND his forge, without having to choose between them.

...great insights...learned something new...will use my 35 tom again...

great points!

35 mm makes you work for the capture. For me I think I have started a new thing, photographers yoga to get the most interesting angles from the scene 😂😂. I would encourage people to work with the 35 mm it will make you a better photographer. I like the 28 mm as well, it's more forgiving.

I've found numerous situations where 35mm was just too short for me to take the photo, I couldn't move any closer and as a result, I found it to be a lens that "sucks up" too much of the things I do not want in the frame. I don't like cropping either, I want to use the image as shot, so 50mm is my favourite. My 50 just works in 90% of situations, oh and I LOVE it's perspective/look!

Interesting video. Annoying music!

When you overthink photography.....

Mate. It’s Vegemite. And all Aussie love Vegemite. As should everyone with a camera get into 35mm. Look, I’m no professional photographer, but at 73 I’ve been around the block a few times. My latest, hopefully not last, iteration on photography has been this object from the devil X100V. I genuinely had no idea it was so popular when I bought it, I just wanted some of the Fuji shit on a pocket camera. I use Sony and Leica usually. This evil device threw my on my back. I took 200 shots, put it away for 3 months. Picked it up took 200 more. Listed it on eBay (which was when I realised it was a massive fad, because my kids saw it and told me). So I took down the listing and decided all else would have to languish while I got my head around this bloody camera. I can’t put it down now, bad signs for the A2. You can’t get all the shots and you generally have to work harder for the ones you get, but oh what fun. I’ve come to like this 35 very much. And I will continue the journey so distance yet. Won’t separation, go find the composition. Won’t perspective, walk around and find it, or abandon it. Wide shot, walk back. Anyway. Mate. I’m enjoying your videos and style of production. You’re going to go far.

I've never heard one person say the 35mm being the worst lens....ever.

Over the decades, I have tried 21, 24, 28, 35, 40, 45, 50, and 55mm in a one prime lens/one body situation. All worked well; however, my personal favorite was the 35mm f/1.4 on a full-frame SLR or a full-frame rangefinder camera.

For a one zoom lens/one body situation, I have tried the following zoom lenses on full-frame SLRs :
35-70mm f/2.8
28-70mm f/2.8
20-35mm f/2.8
18-55mm f/3.5 to f/5.6

The 28-70mm was my personal favorite.

When I was shooting news in the 80's I used a 28mm as my everyday lens. Get it all and crop it later. Lazy photography but it worked in the confines of spot news. Then I decided to grow up photographically and for my own work I used a 35mm lens exclusively and only printed full frame. That's when I really honed my skills compositionally. Every little mistake was magnified. After years I found myself putting the camera to my eye and great stuff would be captured. I liken it to a guitarist that never looks at the fret board and is just in the moment. That's what the goal should be. Your eye, camera and brain all working as one. Tough place to get to.

I just picked up a Leica X and it’s got a fixed 35mm prime. So far the pics I’ve taken on it all have some 3D pop and not flat looking at all. My other camera has a fixed 24mm-75mm.

I must say, 35mm is the focal length that leaves me unimpressed. Either 28mm or 45mm, but I can’t figure out how to use 35mm. But valid point 😅.

Great video! The focal length I've fallen in love with is 40mm full frame equivalent. Closer to a 35mm than 50mm (I find 50mm a bit too tight for my style). I used to use zooms exclusively, then after reviewing my images discovered that more often than not for my style I shot around 40mm. I got the affordable 40mm Nikon Z lens for my Z5 and it was like lightning striking. I now use my Ricoh GRIIx as my everyday carry and have shot some of my best work with it.

I'm a fan of the 28mm and 50mm pairing. The 35mm is indeed one of the flattest and most boring focal length. It is versatile, but the versatility lies in how boring it is, hence it's usable for everything. I would actually argue the 28 is far more unforgiving. Actually the wider you go, the more unforgiving it gets and your skills will be questioned. You'll be unable to "crop" out unwanted elements, and you'll have to learn how to layer them together. The 35mm is like semi easy mode, and 50mm is easy mode for street photography. >85mm is tutorial level.

That said, I'm taking the 35mm if I'm out with my gf (she gets impatient if I change lenses too much) but 28/50 if I'm out to shoot street photography or travel. If I'm travelling for the purpose of photos, I almost never used the 35mm for the last 4 years until now.

IMO 35mm is a bit boring, too tight...It's neither a 50 or (for me) a 28mm for a wider focal length is better. 28mm and 50mm primes would be ideal, if only a 1 choice then definitely the 28mm is more versatile.

Thank you for bringing this interesting subject. Basically I don’t think there is a good or bad focal lengths. Each focal length has it uses. Personally, I think the 35mm focal length is boring with no character. I agree with the negative stuff you mentioned about the focal length, as did the positive stuff they apply to 50mm focal length as well. Personally I would rather go wider or tighter than 35mm. 24mm for landscape, 28mm and 50mm for street photography.

Good video my man. I really liked your explanation and insight.

I've never heard anyone call the 35mm controversial haha, it's one of the most widespread focal lengths in photography, alongside the 50mm. Nice to get a different perspective though.

cause of the overlap if I got an 85 why get a 50 ? that's why my trio is an 18mm/20mm 1.8 a 35mm and an 85. doesnt make sense to me to get a 24,50 then 85.

35 mm is important. It’s the same focal length as your eyes. It’s what you basically see. And that’s important. It’s the best.

Thanks! I don't know about best or worst but the 35mm has become my favourite lens. The 50mm, which I used most of the time in my Canon days, now looks as a compromise to me but I still I use it together with the 75mm and that's about all I need. Cheers!

I love prime lenses because you’re forced to work with one focal length and really have to think about composing your images within that constraint. “Zooming” feels a bit like cheating to me, and I get a really good bang for your buck for the quality of prime lenses.

Brilliant video, James. You hit the nail on the head.

Quality visual storytelling in this one - the cat + trees was particularly good educational resources. Gratz man - striking balance between teacher and entertainer very well 🔥

I like the 35 mm equivalent focal length on my X100V. It’s a little tighter than my iPhone camera and more often than not, that’s a good thing.

I just purchased a XPro3 with 23mm(35mmFF) and love the focal length.

Hang on 35mm as in apsc lens or 35 full frame?

Hi James watched this I think I would call this a Love in for 35mm and of course the magical instrument in the Fuji X100V - I think your have answered the question😊 today. Sending Love and a hug ❤ Michael

Yea great video except for the fact that 50mm is the best but who’s counting (I’m counting)

I love a fixed lens! Great video James! I love how picking a lens and making it my primary lens forced me to find solutions. Looking at a scene and hunting for the right vantage point, waiting and directing in portraits to get the best shot possible.

Every focal length works. The 50mm is the most forgiving. One day I shoot wider, the other middle, followed by tight. It's all good. - Loren Schwiderski, on the street.

Excellent, excellent advice. And the effort you put into this video made it so engaging.

The brutal truth about the brutal truth! Thanks JP!

Enjoy the coffee. 😊