40Driggs wrote:
For all you street shooters out there...
What focal length do you prefer? I am thinking of a 28mm or 35mm. I already have 50mm, but would like a wider lens for a slightly different perspective.
My feeling is that the wider the lens, the more difficult-- particularly for PJ or in the street. Not only is there more to deal with in terms of light and composition, but you have to get closer to your subjects.
That said, getting closer to your subjects-- in my perspective, which has been shared by some legendary pjs-- makes for stronger, more felt images. You know: "If your photos are good enough, then you're not close enough." -- RC
Fifty makes for nice portraits, but it's borderline too distant for me when it comes to telling a strong story.
Twenty-eight works really well when you get close and change your perspective (get down towards the ground, get behind something that partially blocks your view, get into tighter quarters), but it's just wide enough that sometimes distortion is too high on the edges of the frame and you have to get so close that it can lose its oomph.
Thirty-five is my favorite focal length for this kind of thing. It's wide enough that you have to get close enough to really feel. It's not so wide that you can almost ignore WA distortion. It's great for in-situ portraiture, with background and context, but without being so far away you lose the environment.
So, for me, the resounding answer at one lens is 35mm.
If I have a second camera/lens, I'd keep an UWA for the 10-15% of shots where getting REALLY close opes up a hidden world. Beyond that, a 50-ish or more like 60/70 for the 2-5% of shots where I want a dedicated, close, portrait. I'd guess that if I went out with 17mm, 35mm, and 55mm... I'd leave the 35mm mounted 9/10 times all day with no lens switch. Which is why I'm pleading with Sony to give us a sharp at f/2, 35mm f/2 halfway in size and price between the f/2.8 and f/1.4. Bonus if it has an aperture ring; I'll take a non-G, non-Zeiss though at $500-800, like a 28mm f/2 with a little more FL and a little more w/o sharpness.