If you follow Rachel’s blog, you may have seen that she is looking for a good wide prime lens and finding the choice a bit difficult. There is a lot to consider (price, brand, maximum aperture, etc…) when choosing a lens, so we thought we would touch on one of the most important aspects, focal length, as it does greatly affect the look of your shot.
With a DSLR, you have a choice of lenses. Primes or zooms; There are some pretty great advantages to both. Good primes are amazingly sharp and crisp, and generally have higher maximum apertures, allowing for low light shooting and creamy smooth depth of focus (that background blur) whereas zooms, while usually giving up a bit of the sharpness, allow you to get a variety of different looks with one lens.
The range is:
fish-eye (10mm – 16mm)
wide (20mm – 35mm)
normal (50mm – 60mm)
portrait (85mm – 105mm)
telephoto (120mm – 210mm)
long telephoto (anything from 250mm on up)
Although terribly unflattering to adult (and even baby) faces, wide angles give a degree of distortion, which can be a lot of fun when used well.
In the below examples, the top two shots are taken with the 24mm end of a Canon EF 24-70mm f/2.8L 
The bottom pair are shot with the Nikon 28-105mm 3.5-4.5 D. Where the top two were taken at the same focal length, by moving around to get a different look (as you would with a prime), the bottom pair are different in that they take advantage of the zoom capabilities. They were taken one after the other, from the same position, first using 105mm, then switching directly afterwards to 28mm, the widest end of the range.
Rachel tends to shoot with a variety of prime lenses as she tends to plan her photographs with certain looks in mind. The zoom she used for these images is not considered a pro lens and is not one she uses often. Peta shoots the majority of her work with the one zoom lens that was used above. She likes the flexibility. Both cameras are full frame (FX) sensors, digital sensors (DX) change the stated focal legnth of the lens, unless that lens is specifically made for the DX sensor, in which case they wont work on FX sensors. See?… so much to think about!
Have you found a focal length that fits your style? Or do you change it up? Tell us in the comments below as it just may help another person make their choice.
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I prefer a fixed-length lens. The 50mm is, of course, the go-to. I am terribly uncomfortable with a zoom: the 70-300 that came with my camera body bests me every time. I’m adding a 20mm f/2.8 to my bag; it’s not a pro lens, but I’m not pro. It’s small, wide-angle, light-weight, decently reviewed, and hopefully a good addition.
I love my Canon 50mm/1.2. We have had a love/hate relationship but after it came back from a tune up at Canon, we’re in love! It works beautifully with my 5D. It does take a LOT of getting used to and it is totally different than the 50mm/1.4. I have a couple other lenses, but the 50 is on my camera 80% of the time. I’m saving pennies for the 24-70/2.8. Want it bad!
I am still not comfortable shooting wider than 2.0, but we’re getting there.
I love my Canon 50mm f/1.8, I have two other lenses but right now this has been the one I favor. I would love to get more but my next big purchase is going to be a flash. I am however looking super forward to your workshop!!
Michelle, we are looking forward to having you in our class! You should be getting the first email soon! And great news for you, we will be covering flash in that class!
This may be overly technical. But the word, “fisheye,” like the word, “macro,” is used a little loosely. Both have very specific technical meanings. A fisheye isn’t just a super-wide lens. It’s actually a lens that gives a 18-degree angle-of-view. So you could have a 15mm lens that’s an actual fisheye and a 14mm lens that isn’t (Canon offers just those lenses). Fisheye lenses also have tons of funky distortion. You can get superwides that don’t. So if you go shopping for lenses, you might not want to ask for a fisheye if you’re just looking for a superwide. They’re both super wide, but they’re very different. Hope that adds something useful
I shoot Nikon, and I currently have 2 lenses. The 50mm 1.8, and the 18-105mm. I LOVE my 50!! I am looking forward to getting the 35mm 1.8, and am seriously considering selling my brand new 18-105mm and replacing it with the 85mm 1.8. We shall see! Zooms are nice, but I love the sharpness of those 1.8s and wider!
thank you so much for this! i have been looking at purchasing a new lens here in the next month, and i was pretty sure i wanted the Canon EF 24-70 mm f/2.8L . . . now i KNOW that’s the one i want! i just love the wide-angle distortion and want to learn how to use it to my advantage! very cool!
I shoot mainly with the Canon 24-105mm f/4L on my Mark II on a daily basis (chasing after a 4 year old). Sure I’d love to have a lens with a wider aperture but I shoot mainly in an 85-100mm range and there’s no other real choice for me. I’ve had lower end lenses but now I just buy Canon because I can see the difference in the glass. I have a wide angle, standard, standard zoom, telephoto zoom, super telephoto and macro. This covers me from on my day-to-day shots to low light dance performances at a distance. Other parents laugh at my attempts to take photos without a flash (not that their flash helps at that distance) at a dance recital but don’t see the end result. All that money just for photos to scrapbook but it’s worth it.
I got my DSLR about six months ago. I have a 50mm f/1.8 and also the LensBaby Composer (which is about 50mm on its own). I also got the macro, wide angle, and telephoto accessories for my LensBaby. I also have my kit lens 18mm-55mm, but it probably gets the least use of the three.
I want another prime (something in the portrait range), but am more heavily considering a zoom lens as I want a lens I can take on the boat with the versatility of getting both shots in the boat and of the wakeboarders behind it. Decisions, decisions…
true, and i think for beginners, super wide and/or fish eye will not even be relevant, but thanks for adding something interesting.
what a great post – thanks!
I have a D60 and a 35mm 1.8. Love love love my 35mm. It is definitely challenging to have to be so ‘in your face’, but my kids are used to it! Hoping to soon aquire a 24-70 2.8, and a new camera. The D60 has been great, but with such a constricting ISO (and other factors), I’m ready.
Question : I am advanced amatuer ready to take it to next level. Would you purchase the ‘next level’ camera Nikon D300, or go for the gusto D3?
I was unaware of the distinction between the focal lengths–I had never seen the range presented like that before (or in any way, really.) And lo and behold, I have a wide angle lens! Haha. When buying lenses I always look more for the aperture–the one lens I have that is wide angle (28-300mm 3.5) , I got because it was a zoom lens, and it was a gift, so my mom picked it out at the camera shop with the camera dude. Now I’ve been doing my own research and finding out things and educating myself and I’ve bought 2 prime lenses (50mm 1.8 and 85mm 1.2) and I love them. So I shoot primarily with those. But I’m kind of excited to know that I have a wide angle lens, haha. Wow. I feel like a dork.
This is a very interesting read.
I shoot with both. If I am shooting in the studio or indoors on, say, a family portrait for a client I will most likely shoot with the prime, but if it’s outdoors I’ll go with the zoom. I find shooting baby portraits is fine with the prime, but with kids, I need the zoom because they tend to jump about so much.
My Nikon 50mm f/1.8 is my cheapest lens but one of my best. I’m looking to buy a new lens in the coming weeks and I have a feeling I’m going to end up buying the Nikon 50mm f/1.4, ha. Gotta love those DOFs.
I’m addicted to my 50mm 1.4 Canon lens for portraiture. But when I’m doing the touristy thing I love my 28-75 Tamron lens, it’s a 2.8 and is really flexibile for going from small dark shops to sunny outdoor architecture/people watching shooting.
I received my Canon EF 50mm 1.4 about a month ago and I love using it outdoors…have not gotten used to using it indoors. I end up with most of the shots being out of focus. Wanted it to be able to take indoor low-light shots…such as photos of my daughter’s classroom events and gymnastics class. Really looking forward to the class!!
I just bought the canon 50mm/1.8 and I am totally in love with it. I think I prefer the prime lense, but will need to get to know it better before proclaiming that too loud and proud. But since buying this lense it has been on my camera more than my other two lenses.
I just purchased my first “big girl” lens. Nikkor 50mm f1.4, and I am smitten. I had rented one for a weekend, and my whole world changed. The difference in the pictures I am able to take with this one lens has been amazing. I can’t wait to see what other len’s I can set my sights on and play with.
Thank you for this information, it is so useful!
i shoot on canon. i have two lenses – the 50mm 1.4 and the 24-70mm. for the longest while i had just had the 50mm and loved it! i love the depth of field and the creamy skin tones. its a beautiful lens!
i bought the L series 24-70mm around 2 years ago. this is an amazing lens! you do loose a little sharpness but boy does it make up for it in the ability to get a variety of shots! coming from a film camera with 4 prime lenses… i never thought id say this but the zoom is my lens of choice! i use it about 95% of the time… i love love love it!
im thinking i might like the 70-200mm next for even more flexibility. id love to hear others thought on that lens!
Rowe- I just bought the Canon EF 70-200mm 2.8 IS USM. It rocks! Very sharp pictures. My second favorite is 50mm 1.4 prime lens.
oooh i love reading everyones posts !! its so cool to hear the different views
i am a bit of a lens addict……….. and over the years have accumulated a few…… but on my 5dmkII i would have to say that my 24-105 f4 is on there majority of the time…….as i photograph kids mostly, but like a post i read above, when i am doing a baby, i will change to my 50mm 1.8, ( the plastic fantastic itself!! such a steal, but great results) ……. i do have a delicious 70-200 f2.8 aswell, but i find it quite heavy and therefore am reluctant to just grab it for a shoot….as i feel i arent as ‘ stable’ for some reason….. but i am a weak -wristed photographer….hehehee…..especially once you get the battery grip & flash on there, its getting heavy !!!
this is a cool blog. I have a nikon, something flash but i have no idea how to take photos its a fluke if i take a good one…..i also have a blog on my site to do with kids, and love this one i will put a link on mine to this xx cheers, i also have a beauty blog if you’re into that stuff http://www.everyoung.co.nz