Saturday morning is coffee and listening to James prattle on contradicting himself and being inconclusive but in an entertaining way. Keep it up mate and stay safe.
Personally I don't think you should worry about any specific focal length when starting. Controversially I'm going to say you should get something like an 18-300 zoom and just start taking pictures to find what you like taking photos of. You might think you want to shoot landscapes, but find you instead enjoy wildlife for example. If you start with a 35mm or 50mm lens then you will never ever take a wildlife shot as you'll never be close enough... After you've figured out how ISO, aperture and shutter speeds work (possibly the most important bit) you'll have a collection of images, granted not great ones, but with the wonder of digital, you'll also have metadata that tells you what focal length you shot at... You'll also have a better idea of what type of photography floats your boat and with a wide range of focal lengths, you won't have been limited in what you can shoot... you then probably know what lens to buy next to suit the type of pictures you enjoy taking most ... Also to start with, don't be afraid of cropping, it all helps you narrow down what you like, it also helps you learn about composition as you can tell what works and what doesn't retrospectively. Just my few pence :) Enjoy the videos and the complete randomness :)
This vid demonstrates more than most how catching a break is what matters most in outdoor photography. No need to apologise for grabbing the rainbow shot (which is pretty spectacular) without setting up the video capture. If there’s a lesson in that, and I think there is, it’s to just go for it when it’s in front of you. Cracking video again, James - thanks!
I'm still a beginner photographer and ever since I got myself a 35mm prime F/1.4, I've seen my shots get SO much better! Thanks for confirming what I was feeling James, another great video!
James, I enjoy your sort of offhand presentation technique. It can be a bit distracting at times, when you interrupt yourself with unrelated comments, yet it is oddly entertaining. The following comment is not related to you specifically, However, as you mentioned in your video a concern about the trees near the water that you said were quote "distracting" and therefore diminished the scene as a quality photo. I frequently hear this concern from photographers about distractions in outdoor/nature photography and it bothers me. In my opinion, for what it is worth, I believe that it is the wildness of nature, its apparent disorderliness, that attracts us to it. It's so different from what we experience in our everyday lives. I think that these so- called distractions add interest and appeal to nature photographs, rather than distractions. So what if the reflection includes a few trees on the shoreline. Those few trees represent the reality of the scene and add authenticity to the photograph; make it appear less sterile. Just my opinion and perhaps worth a discussion. Thanks James and enjoy your son! Lew in the US, wishing that I could visit your beautiful country!
If you had made the video first you would never have got that beautiful rainbow shot, you definitely made the right decision. The other images were lovely too. All in all a great video. Many thanks.
I grew up with a 40mm lens on my 90s point and shoot and it's still my focal length of choice, as it feels the most natural to my eye. So yes, I agree, anything from 35mm to 50mm seems like the best place for people to start.
Good morning James, never apologize for opportunistically capturing a potentially great shot. Obviously you always *plan* to only do this or that, talk about this or that, but seize the moment mate! We all understand you taking the necessary steps to get the shot.
For me it was getting a full frame 5Dmk2 with a 50/1.4 that helped me most. More so the lens than going FF, but the combo really took my enjoyment of the hobby to another level. I suspect that most people will go for a 24-70, but Ireally enjoyed getting that first prime and it became my go-to lens over the 24-105L I also had. I think I would have had roughly the same experience if it had been a 35/1.4, but all these years later 50 is still the focal length I think of most fondly. I'm not much of a landscape photographer either, but I do have a 16-35 that I love as well.
I've been photographing for 1 year and have used a 18-55 5.6, which has been good to learn on, but I could really use something a bit more specific now, but it was good
Kit lenses are really pretty good now, maybe not the sharpest, but a lot have image stabilisation which you sometimes don't get in primes. A 50mm fast prime is great for portraits though.
A lot of compact film cameras, fixed lens, Agfa SIlette, Halina, etc, had (still have actually) 45mm lenses, which is close to the diagonal 43mm of the 36x24mm negative. So 45mm is the actual 'standard' lens, doing family snap shots, but 50mm is a trifle more flattering for close-up portraits. A typical stock zoom on a film SLR was often 28-50 making mid-range 39mm "about 40mm". So yeah. 35mm works well for landscape. 45mm for granny and the kids on the beach.
Interesting point about 35 and 50 not taking you out of the picture. The one caveat is landscape vs street. Obviously, you concentrate on landscape. For streets I would often only carry a 28 or 24 equivalent. Thanks again.
For being a classic focal length I've always thought 35mm is a bit awkward. If you want to shoot wide you are more likely to reach for a 24mm or an ultra wide zoom. If you want tight you would go with a 50 or 85mm. Where does the 35mm fit in? In a sense, it doesn't... it's an in between focal length, which is both it's strength and weakness. It's a focal length you have to marry, where you just put one 35mm lens on your camera and never change the lens (or at least only take that lens out with you on your shoots and no others). Another great thing about 35 mm primes is they often have very fast apertures. So you can get both shallow and deep depth of field and shoot in low light, further adding to it's versatility.
I really like wide and long shots precisely because they don't look like what the eye sees. They're photographs and proud of it. That said, I really appreciate your 35mm and 50mm videos. These are affordable, light and compact lenses that you can always have with you, so it pays off to learn to use them.
Hi James- Just came across this video of two years ago and found it really interesting. I sort of did what you suggested, except with my 16-80mm lens on an APS-C camera (24-120mm FF Equiv.). On a half-day shoot where I kept 34 photographs, I found that I took 10 photos between 10-24mm, 17 between 25-50mm, and 7 between 51-80mm. This showed me that I don't have a strong millimeter preference but compose within the full range of the lens. Thanks for great content!
When I started taking photos I only had 35mm (in a variety of point-and-shoot compact film cameras like the Minolta AF-E II) so that focal length feels very natural to me :)
A very enjoyable session. I must say the audio quality is just superb. Your head is turning around here and there as you address the scenery, yet the sound of your voice never diminishes. Nice presentation. I just subscribed.
Shooting a prime is to my believe the best way to get into, learn and get experienced in photography. At one point of time you can see the scene in your preferred focal length. I'am a 50mm (in FF terms) person. Some how a 35mm is to wide for me. I do shoot a lot of woodland. I mostly do not like photographs with a big distorted foreground.
One thing I love about this channel is whenever I hear a contradiction or an questionable statement James clarifies or answers it himself before I start being a keyboard warrior, such charm 😆
Great video . I prefer primes over a zoom and I often use a prime close to my favourite focal length of 55mm in full frame terms . Second , my 29mm lens on my phone is my alternative lens for grab shots on the go . For portraits I favour 56mm and that equates to three lens that are more or less double each other in MFT terms (30 - 60 - 112) . I need nothing more . Of course that has resulted from years of experience and looking for solutions to stop back and neck ache . I am also not getting any younger . Your advice to beginners I entirely agree with . You can use 35 mm for portrait work but need to be careful of distortions . It also includes a nice piece of referencing to location . 50 mm is a great all rounder and usually a very affordable lens choice . If you cannot afford the 35mm then use your legs to move back on the 50. I would also suggest moving close enough to fill the frame with the object of interest. Finally , if using the kit zoom then work with one focal length instead of chopping about . That usually comes from finding the focal length you tend to favour most I your shooting - and later, you can get that in a prime and a faster f stop . Photography does not need to cost very much and excellent kit can be found from good camera shops used - often in mint or like new for a third of the original price a few years back . This will give you more money for lenses - new laptop and processing software . I think we should see more videos like this to help those starting out and if they use this advice , there is every prospect that we are going to grow the next generation of photographers to replace us. It is all about sharing and learning from each other . Thanks again
I recommend using a normal lens to start learning photography. That would be 40, 45, 50, 55mm focal length on a full-frame camera. My zoom lens selection would be a midrange zoom such as a 35-70mm, 28-85mm, or 24-105mm.
Just a hint of a double rainbow around 9:55, to the left of the more prominent one. Lovely video, I do have mixed feelings about 35mm, but if Forest Mankins can make it work, and you can make it work, so can I. Cheers.
35mm is a very good focal range for walking around. If you need something tighter, you could crop and save Megalpixels with the new super resolution with the new Lightroom. Also great lense for street photography
Hi James, another entertaining ( and useful ) video as ever .. that jacket is definitely one to wear when out in the hills in case Mountain Rescue need to find you.
I spent many years without a dedicated 50mm Prime lens, but I loved my 35mm prime lens much. This changed when I bought a 50mm prime and now it's my favourite lens.
AoV of single not moving human eye is 60deg towards nose, 107deg toward temple, 70deg up and 80deg down. Two eyes full side-to-side AoV is well over 180-240deg, stereoscopic 100-140deg. Massively ultra-wide angle but with curved "sensor". However macular AoV is about 17deg which would be around 135mm FF. Basically what we consider "human eye-like" lens AoV is dependent on visual attention processing which is not universal. Also that depends on aspect ration, orientation, size and viewing distance of the image. Long story short, for someone the standard can be 35mm, for other 42mm for another 50mm.
35mm is my preferred focal length. I started my passion for photography with an Olympus Trip 35 with Olympus D.Zuiko 1:2.8 f = 40 mm Lens in the late 1970's
I always find myself chuckling a bit when you describe how you don't want to be reminded that you're looking at a photo, since the composites you used to do really fit that description well.
Human vision isn't like a camera frame as we have peripheral vision and can move our eyes ... and your brain does a good job of making sense of all that, but as I understand it, the closest focal length to the eye is about 43mm on 35mm film. The real reason 50mm is "standard" is that in 1914 when Barnack designed the Leica, 50mm was about as short as they could go and still keep the edges and corners reasonably sharp and get close enough to 43. Worth noting that the standard lenses on 6x9 cameras is 105mm which translates almost exactly to FF 43mm in angle of view. Personally 35mm (23mm on my Fuji) is just perfectly comfortable in so many situations. I don't just think it's the best angle of view for learning, butbthe best do most things with.
I'm somewhat sceptical of focal lengths reflecting human vision. Our vision extends to around 60 degrees in the middle, 60 degrees up, but 75 degrees down, a 170 degrees horizontally in total which has to be fisheye territory, but somewhat less in the peripheral, I think around 100 degrees. Many of these are subdivided into groupings based on how our brain interprets them. What I can take from this is 35mm is a good focal length for beginners.
The way I see it, 28mm is everything including peripheral vision that we can't quite process without moving our eyes. 35 is mostly what our eyes can perceive, and 50 is what we're actually looking at. Or another way I might view the primes, a 35mm frames up a 50mm shot, and a 28mm frames up a 35mm shot.
Hi James, great video as usual, love your quirky way of explaining your photography. I've lived in North Wales all my life and been into Snowdonia many many times with my camera, admittedly not so much as I get older and creakier but I really don't recognise this Lake. I don't suppose you could share it's location and if it's fairly easy to get to (you mentioned a Car Park) by a pensioner with a dodgy knee..? Thank you again for entertaining us 😄
35mm for landscape. Ok, I get it. I prefer a 28 or 24. Full frame (35 equivalent). But I use a micro 4/3, so 12mm? Tending to use a tiny, tiny sensor OMDS (Olympus) TG 6. Or one of my film cameras. It does tend to rain here in Oregon in fall/spring. Both cameras virtually water proof.
For most 35mm and 50mm are taught to be a good starter focal lengths. But I'd say consider another direction: Get familiar with all FLs available to you in your current kit, whether that's just a 24-70 a single prime, or a bunch of lenses with various FLs. Learn what each FL does for you and how it impacts your scene. A 50mm might give you a good normal view, but I think also it's important for those who are serious about photography, to learn about all FLs from wide to telephoto, so after some experience in playing around with various FLs they can envision a scene and walk up to it and have a good idea of what FL they will need to get that vision. Of course this probably comes farther down the road once you've master the exposure triangle and are getting more involved with lenses and finding your vision. I mean I see 35mm and 50mm to be "safe" focal lengths for general things (a 50 for general photography including portraits and head shots) and a 35mm for general stuff (environmental portraits, street, etc). So they are what I would call "safe" or fail-safe focal lengths to use when you aren't sure or aren't doing something specific.
I've just moved into micro 4/3. I have a flexible 14-150mm zoom but have been looking for a prime. I've been lent both a 17m (=34) and 20mm (=40) which I still need to get out and try so this video was of particular interest .My gut says the 20mm will be that perfect balance. Still, as a lazy amateur zoom photographer who has never owned a prime, I'm sure I'll struggle ...
Studies have found the human "cone of attention" to be 55° (it varies) a 43mm lens on a 24x36 sensor provides 55°. The diagonal of any format sensor provides the human-equivalent field of view. By including peripheral vision and swivelling the eyeballs our full field of view is over 180°, our brain fills in the gaps not under full attention (see saccadic eye movement). We can easily encompass a vista of 120° to 135°. Distortion on wide angle lenses is usually perspective, buildings falling over, keep the lens horizontal. But also design - for example the Lumix 7-14mm ought to fisheye but doesn't because it is a rectilinear lens. There are wide angle lenses and then there are wide angle lenses, they are not all alike. On full frame pushing them wider than 24mm is a big ask. The image is bigger, so keeping it 'flat' is down to optics and wallet. On a smaller sensor, equivalent to 24mm might well be a kit zoom lens.
I appreciate that no matter what gear you are using, you are mostly talking about technique and not gear. I already have the gear I prefer and watching channels that are only talking about gear isn't normally of interest. I'm also curious about the switch to a Sony camera. For a long time you were sponsored by Lumix or were one of whatever they call their influencers. I'm guessing this is no longer the case.
Good morning James! I'm with you, I like the additional real estate with the 35mm. 50mm with the exception of portraits is just too tight for most my photography. 35 has more crop flexibility and ability to include more context.
I spent about 12 years with my first camera, a Canon AE1, never switching from the 50mm it came with. My wife has an RP with the inexpensive 35mm RF macro and loves being able to go from landscape to close up portrait with it. I typically carry my R5 with 24-70mm but find most my shots are taken between 35 and 50mm. I also have the 15-35mm and rarely touch it.
For general learning I think your images should include the ability to learn basic editing functions as well. Composition is probably the most important thing to learn. But this also applies to the edit. That brings us to cropping. 35mm is far more cropable than 50mm IMHO if you want two photos from one OR you change your mind. Plus if travel is important 35mm is way more useful for that than 50. I suspect most folks new to photography as a hobby would benefit from covering their travel as well. That's my ramble.
When I clicked on the video I thought it was some kind of Rubber Ducky CosPlay thing ... then I saw your amazing rainbow image and I was like nope it's just James! 😁 I was doing a comparison between a 35mm and an 85mm prime ... I had the gear acquisition itch ... in the end I got neither because I can get both focal lengths in the zooms I already have. I bought a new guitar instead! 😆
Interesting stuff about the 35mm Lens. When I started with M43 the first prime I purchased was their 20mm f1.7 pancake, perfect for indoor shots of my baby boy. Since that I got the Leica 42.5 f1.2 and the Olympus 60 mm macro, probably my favourite lenses. Now I’m changing to the Sony A7iv I thought i’d return to the 40mm (20mm m43), going with the Zeiss Batis, so my new 40mm ain’t too far away from your recommended 35mm focal length.
I love 35mm. I always take photos with my zoom and wonder what focal length I’ve actually used and often it’s 35mm. Great for portraits, landscapes, street and anything else
Hi James love your videos and I’ve been a subscriber for must be a least a year and a half following you from the G9 to the S5 and now the Sony. May I ask why you switched from the S5 to the Sony for taking photos?
You will never be lost in the wilderness with your choice of jacket colour. Neither will you be able to hide from the enemy. Thank goodness you’re a Landscape and not a Wildlife Photographer🤡🤗👍
I actually said 50mm before I started watching and I do agree. 35mm is wider and you can defiantly crop and compose better or at least learn the two in the beginning of your journey. But I am thankful that my first prime lens was a 35mm. It's fun to capture everything, unless you're not in focus😂👄👁
After having done far too much reading to figure out what the focal length of our eyes is I've found that there is no simple answer for it. Apparently we see a wider image but our brain makes us focus on smaller parts of an scene. That said. Images taken somewhere between 35-50 seem generally most natural to me when I look at them. As a relatively new photographer I think starting out with some kind of zoom lens is ideal. You can just set it to a focal length and keep it there to figure out what it's like. Also you don't have to buy 20 different lenses first.
For aps-c 35mm for Fullframe 77mm. That is what I started with each camera sensor. Have not used a Mirror less yet. So that one i dont know how folcal lengts work for that. A nifty fifty?
Focal lengths are just the same for mirrorless as DSLR, bearing in mind that some mirrorless are full frame, and some are crop sensor, usually with the same crops as crop DSLRs. E.g. amongst my Canons, the R5 is full frame and uses the same focal lengths as FF DSLRs, but my many M models are all crop sensors with APS-C, and use the same 1.6× multiplier for equivalent FL.
To test the 'equivalence' with the human eye, look through the viewfinder with both eyes open and compare what each eye sees while moving the camera. 50mm on full frame is closer than 35. If you use a zoom, somewhere around 55 mm is closer still. Love both 35 and 50 mm - depends on my mood! Love the vid James.
This type of experiment doesn't take into account that our brains see using displaced binocular vision with a lot of sub-cognitive processing to interpret the images our physical eyes see For example, one's field of view feels narrowed if you focus on an object on the wall, say a 25cmx40cm poster on a wall about 10 meters away. Here, my own personal field of view tightens up in a psychological sense to what feels like about 70mm, the tight end of a 24-70. When I consciously try to shift to my peripheral vision, I can feel my field of view widen to what feels wider than even 20mm but then the poster is hard to see clearly. If you hold the viewfinder up to your single eye with a 35mm on a camera with FF35 sensor, I think 99/100 people would say their own vision looks more telephoto than the viewfinder shows. But when you look with both eyes and don't forward focus on a subject, it feels wider than 35mm.
Sensor dust spots is such a Sony camera issue. I’ve never had to deal with dust spots so much since I switched to Sony! Always use a blower each lens change!
Rainbows have priority status. I would rather get to see the photo in your vlog after you add it than miss it all together because you were setting up to record. I like 24mm personally. Not sure why, I grew up using 35mm point and shoot cameras. Something just appeals to me at 24. Maybe you should find room for some Wellies in your camera bag. Then you could put those on while you slog through the boggie bits. Then change back. Not feasible probably. Thanks for letting us tag along , for the good advice, and most importantly a good time.
Just starting out and my favourite has proved to be around 70mm or longer (full frame)........ and you promptly took out what appeared to be a 70 to 200 lol Thank you for the advice on shooting landscapes, not what I like to do but the process of "what you see" is really useful. Am looking forwards to the monographs. Would you consider using an ND filter and a long exposure to eliminate the ripples? Maybe a dumb question considering you have stated time and again you don't like tripod work ... that and you went home!
Hi James,firstly great channel love it! Quick question,total beginner wanting too take the next step from my iPhone! Mainly landscape,secenery. Sony A6000 yes or no? Cheers
Given you’re an adventure photographer, how about talking about the pro/cons of cycling to your locations and also the pro/cons of mountain bikes vs your new drop bar style bike?
i usually use a 50mm or for wide angle 28mm ,& a 75-300 mm zoom for wildlife, but i feel like i'm only just starting out at the moment , as ive been in hospital , so not done any photography with my canon for months , it's amazing how much you forget just laying off for a few months , it's like you go braindead lol .
Ah sensor dust.. Get ready to be frustrated with it on the Sony’s, their dust-shakers are even less effective than the IBIS. If you’re used to m43’s dust resistance you will spend a lot more time cleaning sensors in Sony-land. Drives me nuts in the field every time I spend some time on the Sony stuff. Regarding our eyes, they’re weird. The actual Field of View is around a 24mm equivalent (on 35mm full frame), but we focus on a section that roughly equates to 35-50mm for most people (it varies from person to person). The rest of the frame is peripheral vision.
James! I recently purchased an A7RIV, would you say its safe to trust the weather sealing for when its raining or snowing? Do you use insurance for your gear? Where from? Appreciate it! Take care
Saturday morning is coffee and listening to James prattle on contradicting himself and being inconclusive but in an entertaining way. Keep it up mate and stay safe.
It pays to not worry what others think and simply enjoy what you are doing 🙂
I'll take your coffee and raise you a couple of slices of hot buttered toast 🙂
I’m enjoying my cup right now. ✌️❤️
I agree with prattle... nothing else. You would be better of tuning into someone else .. Sean Tucker... for instance...
These are the breakfast waffles you listen to rather than eat. Still most enjoyable.
Personally I don't think you should worry about any specific focal length when starting. Controversially I'm going to say you should get something like an 18-300 zoom and just start taking pictures to find what you like taking photos of. You might think you want to shoot landscapes, but find you instead enjoy wildlife for example. If you start with a 35mm or 50mm lens then you will never ever take a wildlife shot as you'll never be close enough...
After you've figured out how ISO, aperture and shutter speeds work (possibly the most important bit) you'll have a collection of images, granted not great ones, but with the wonder of digital, you'll also have metadata that tells you what focal length you shot at... You'll also have a better idea of what type of photography floats your boat and with a wide range of focal lengths, you won't have been limited in what you can shoot... you then probably know what lens to buy next to suit the type of pictures you enjoy taking most ... Also to start with, don't be afraid of cropping, it all helps you narrow down what you like, it also helps you learn about composition as you can tell what works and what doesn't retrospectively. Just my few pence :)
Enjoy the videos and the complete randomness :)
Totally agree
This vid demonstrates more than most how catching a break is what matters most in outdoor photography. No need to apologise for grabbing the rainbow shot (which is pretty spectacular) without setting up the video capture. If there’s a lesson in that, and I think there is, it’s to just go for it when it’s in front of you.
Cracking video again, James - thanks!
I have been watching this channel for 4 years and it has remained my favourite UA-cam channel in all that time.Thanks for the great content, James.
I'm still a beginner photographer and ever since I got myself a 35mm prime F/1.4, I've seen my shots get SO much better! Thanks for confirming what I was feeling James, another great video!
That yellow jacket definitely stands out.
Another good one... your informative yet casual style makes for a very chilled watching experience.
James, I enjoy your sort of offhand presentation technique. It can be a bit distracting at times, when you interrupt yourself with unrelated comments, yet it is oddly entertaining. The following comment is not related to you specifically, However, as you mentioned in your video a concern about the trees near the water that you said were quote "distracting" and therefore diminished the scene as a quality photo. I frequently hear this concern from photographers about distractions in outdoor/nature photography and it bothers me. In my opinion, for what it is worth, I believe that it is the wildness of nature, its apparent disorderliness, that attracts us to it. It's so different from what we experience in our everyday lives. I think that these so- called distractions add interest and appeal to nature photographs, rather than distractions. So what if the reflection includes a few trees on the shoreline. Those few trees represent the reality of the scene and add authenticity to the photograph; make it appear less sterile. Just my opinion and perhaps worth a discussion. Thanks James and enjoy your son!
Lew in the US, wishing that I could visit your beautiful country!
If you had made the video first you would never have got that beautiful rainbow shot, you definitely made the right decision. The other images were lovely too. All in all a great video. Many thanks.
I grew up with a 40mm lens on my 90s point and shoot and it's still my focal length of choice, as it feels the most natural to my eye. So yes, I agree, anything from 35mm to 50mm seems like the best place for people to start.
I started with a 35mm and a 70-300mm equivalent - ran with it for 5 years with the 35mm as my main lens. It taught me so much about composition!
Good morning James, never apologize for opportunistically capturing a potentially great shot. Obviously you always *plan* to only do this or that, talk about this or that, but seize the moment mate! We all understand you taking the necessary steps to get the shot.
For me it was getting a full frame 5Dmk2 with a 50/1.4 that helped me most. More so the lens than going FF, but the combo really took my enjoyment of the hobby to another level. I suspect that most people will go for a 24-70, but Ireally enjoyed getting that first prime and it became my go-to lens over the 24-105L I also had. I think I would have had roughly the same experience if it had been a 35/1.4, but all these years later 50 is still the focal length I think of most fondly. I'm not much of a landscape photographer either, but I do have a 16-35 that I love as well.
I've been photographing for 1 year and have used a 18-55 5.6, which has been good to learn on, but I could really use something a bit more specific now, but it was good
time to get some fast prime lenses! or some tele ;)
Kit lenses are really pretty good now, maybe not the sharpest, but a lot have image stabilisation which you sometimes don't get in primes. A 50mm fast prime is great for portraits though.
love my 35mm f1.4 and i had ditched my 50mm f1.4 years ago until a few months ago i bought a new one but still only use it occasionally
A lot of compact film cameras, fixed lens, Agfa SIlette, Halina, etc, had (still have actually) 45mm lenses, which is close to the diagonal 43mm of the 36x24mm negative. So 45mm is the actual 'standard' lens, doing family snap shots, but 50mm is a trifle more flattering for close-up portraits. A typical stock zoom on a film SLR was often 28-50 making mid-range 39mm "about 40mm". So yeah. 35mm works well for landscape. 45mm for granny and the kids on the beach.
Good you showed photos as proof points. Well done. Thanks.
Interesting point about 35 and 50 not taking you out of the picture. The one caveat is landscape vs street. Obviously, you concentrate on landscape. For streets I would often only carry a 28 or 24 equivalent. Thanks again.
For being a classic focal length I've always thought 35mm is a bit awkward. If you want to shoot wide you are more likely to reach for a 24mm or an ultra wide zoom. If you want tight you would go with a 50 or 85mm. Where does the 35mm fit in? In a sense, it doesn't... it's an in between focal length, which is both it's strength and weakness. It's a focal length you have to marry, where you just put one 35mm lens on your camera and never change the lens (or at least only take that lens out with you on your shoots and no others). Another great thing about 35 mm primes is they often have very fast apertures. So you can get both shallow and deep depth of field and shoot in low light, further adding to it's versatility.
I really like wide and long shots precisely because they don't look like what the eye sees. They're photographs and proud of it. That said, I really appreciate your 35mm and 50mm videos. These are affordable, light and compact lenses that you can always have with you, so it pays off to learn to use them.
Hi James- Just came across this video of two years ago and found it really interesting. I sort of did what you suggested, except with my 16-80mm lens on an APS-C camera (24-120mm FF Equiv.). On a half-day shoot where I kept 34 photographs, I found that I took 10 photos between 10-24mm, 17 between 25-50mm, and 7 between 51-80mm. This showed me that I don't have a strong millimeter preference but compose within the full range of the lens. Thanks for great content!
When I started taking photos I only had 35mm (in a variety of point-and-shoot compact film cameras like the Minolta AF-E II) so that focal length feels very natural to me :)
Great timing. I just picked up a 24mm for my crop sensor and have really liked the field of view.
A very enjoyable session.
I must say the audio quality is just superb. Your head is turning around here and there as you address the scenery, yet the sound of your voice never diminishes.
Nice presentation. I just subscribed.
Great video James. You continue to be my fave UA-cam photographer. Keep up the great work.
This one is easy 😊
The kit lens!
But if you buy camera without lens, then the 50mm 1.8.
Shooting a prime is to my believe the best way to get into, learn and get experienced in photography. At one point of time you can see the scene in your preferred focal length. I'am a 50mm (in FF terms) person. Some how a 35mm is to wide for me. I do shoot a lot of woodland. I mostly do not like photographs with a big distorted foreground.
Thanks for some useful information. For wide angle I use a Tamron 11-24mm and absolutely love this lens. Super sharp.
Just bought your presets and as a new photographer my edits have improved a lot thanks :)
One thing I love about this channel is whenever I hear a contradiction or an questionable statement James clarifies or answers it himself before I start being a keyboard warrior, such charm 😆
Oops! have I just been a keyboard warrior then? LOL
@@ashstubbings2603 Missed that one "running repairs" indeed!
Entertaining as always; grabbing the 70-200/rainbow was good for a chuckle.
Great video . I prefer primes over a zoom and I often use a prime close to my favourite focal length of 55mm in full frame terms . Second , my 29mm lens on my phone is my alternative lens for grab shots on the go . For portraits I favour 56mm and that equates to three lens that are more or less double each other in MFT terms (30 - 60 - 112) . I need nothing more . Of course that has resulted from years of experience and looking for solutions to stop back and neck ache . I am also not getting any younger .
Your advice to beginners I entirely agree with . You can use 35 mm for portrait work but need to be careful of distortions . It also includes a nice piece of referencing to location . 50 mm is a great all rounder and usually a very affordable lens choice . If you cannot afford the 35mm then use your legs to move back on the 50. I would also suggest moving close enough to fill the frame with the object of interest. Finally , if using the kit zoom then work with one focal length instead of chopping about . That usually comes from finding the focal length you tend to favour most I your shooting - and later, you can get that in a prime and a faster f stop .
Photography does not need to cost very much and excellent kit can be found from good camera shops used - often in mint or like new for a third of the original price a few years back . This will give you more money for lenses - new laptop and processing software .
I think we should see more videos like this to help those starting out and if they use this advice , there is every prospect that we are going to grow the next generation of photographers to replace us. It is all about sharing and learning from each other .
Thanks again
I recommend using a normal lens to start learning photography. That would be 40, 45, 50, 55mm focal length on a full-frame camera.
My zoom lens selection would be a midrange zoom such as a 35-70mm, 28-85mm, or 24-105mm.
I have never owned a 35mm lens, but lately I have been pondering the possibility intently. This video is more fuel for the fire.
Just a hint of a double rainbow around 9:55, to the left of the more prominent one. Lovely video, I do have mixed feelings about 35mm, but if Forest Mankins can make it work, and you can make it work, so can I. Cheers.
35mm is a very good focal range for walking around. If you need something tighter, you could crop and save Megalpixels with the new super resolution with the new Lightroom.
Also great lense for street photography
Hi James, another entertaining ( and useful ) video as ever .. that jacket is definitely one to wear when out in the hills in case Mountain Rescue need to find you.
Its interesting how interesting it is watching James just waffle on about boots and photography for 15 minutes.
Thats interesting😇
I spent many years without a dedicated 50mm Prime lens, but I loved my 35mm prime lens much. This changed when I bought a 50mm prime and now it's my favourite lens.
AoV of single not moving human eye is 60deg towards nose, 107deg toward temple, 70deg up and 80deg down. Two eyes full side-to-side AoV is well over 180-240deg, stereoscopic 100-140deg. Massively ultra-wide angle but with curved "sensor". However macular AoV is about 17deg which would be around 135mm FF. Basically what we consider "human eye-like" lens AoV is dependent on visual attention processing which is not universal. Also that depends on aspect ration, orientation, size and viewing distance of the image. Long story short, for someone the standard can be 35mm, for other 42mm for another 50mm.
35mm is my preferred focal length. I started my passion for photography with an Olympus Trip 35 with Olympus D.Zuiko 1:2.8 f = 40 mm Lens in the late 1970's
I always find myself chuckling a bit when you describe how you don't want to be reminded that you're looking at a photo, since the composites you used to do really fit that description well.
Great advice as always James 👍
Does the jacket come with a volume control? 😐
I think it goes to 11... 😉
Human vision isn't like a camera frame as we have peripheral vision and can move our eyes ... and your brain does a good job of making sense of all that, but as I understand it, the closest focal length to the eye is about 43mm on 35mm film.
The real reason 50mm is "standard" is that in 1914 when Barnack designed the Leica, 50mm was about as short as they could go and still keep the edges and corners reasonably sharp and get close enough to 43.
Worth noting that the standard lenses on 6x9 cameras is 105mm which translates almost exactly to FF 43mm in angle of view.
Personally 35mm (23mm on my Fuji) is just perfectly comfortable in so many situations. I don't just think it's the best angle of view for learning, butbthe best do most things with.
Great interaction with "us".. you are funny, original and informative just being yourself 👏
Love it as always cheers James
Beautiful! Just bought Volume 3 as well. Cant wait to see it.
heehee on the reaction to the mechanics of light bit! quite so☺ hope dust spot got sorted. lovely yellow, that jacket. 🐥
I'm somewhat sceptical of focal lengths reflecting human vision. Our vision extends to around 60 degrees in the middle, 60 degrees up, but 75 degrees down, a 170 degrees horizontally in total which has to be fisheye territory, but somewhat less in the peripheral, I think around 100 degrees. Many of these are subdivided into groupings based on how our brain interprets them. What I can take from this is 35mm is a good focal length for beginners.
The way I see it, 28mm is everything including peripheral vision that we can't quite process without moving our eyes. 35 is mostly what our eyes can perceive, and 50 is what we're actually looking at.
Or another way I might view the primes, a 35mm frames up a 50mm shot, and a 28mm frames up a 35mm shot.
Did you try the in camera sensor cleaning to get rid of the dust spot?
Your videos are always the best, very informative with a sense of humor to boot! Thanks for the book update, looking forward to getting my copy :)
Great points you made, James.
Hi James, great video as usual, love your quirky way of explaining your photography. I've lived in North Wales all my life and been into Snowdonia many many times with my camera, admittedly not so much as I get older and creakier but I really don't recognise this Lake. I don't suppose you could share it's location and if it's fairly easy to get to (you mentioned a Car Park) by a pensioner with a dodgy knee..? Thank you again for entertaining us 😄
Great vid once again. Thanks.
I like my 15mm(30mm for FF) on M43
35mm for landscape. Ok, I get it. I prefer a 28 or 24. Full frame (35 equivalent). But I use a micro 4/3, so 12mm? Tending to use a tiny, tiny sensor
OMDS (Olympus) TG 6. Or one of my film cameras. It does tend to rain here in Oregon in fall/spring. Both cameras virtually water proof.
Yeah for relatable. Best explanation I've heard in a long time.
Nice one James. My preference has been 35mm over 50mm over the years. Just that bit more flexibility if you've only one lens.
Thank you James, more entertaining than informative
. HOWEVER, always thought provoking! Sort your boots out.....
For most 35mm and 50mm are taught to be a good starter focal lengths. But I'd say consider another direction: Get familiar with all FLs available to you in your current kit, whether that's just a 24-70 a single prime, or a bunch of lenses with various FLs. Learn what each FL does for you and how it impacts your scene. A 50mm might give you a good normal view, but I think also it's important for those who are serious about photography, to learn about all FLs from wide to telephoto, so after some experience in playing around with various FLs they can envision a scene and walk up to it and have a good idea of what FL they will need to get that vision. Of course this probably comes farther down the road once you've master the exposure triangle and are getting more involved with lenses and finding your vision.
I mean I see 35mm and 50mm to be "safe" focal lengths for general things (a 50 for general photography including portraits and head shots) and a 35mm for general stuff (environmental portraits, street, etc). So they are what I would call "safe" or fail-safe focal lengths to use when you aren't sure or aren't doing something specific.
I've just moved into micro 4/3. I have a flexible 14-150mm zoom but have been looking for a prime. I've been lent both a 17m (=34) and 20mm (=40) which I still need to get out and try so this video was of particular interest .My gut says the 20mm will be that perfect balance. Still, as a lazy amateur zoom photographer who has never owned a prime, I'm sure I'll struggle ...
Good job reflecting on random reflections and rainbows. Rock on! 🌈 ☀ 🌧 🌦 🥂
Studies have found the human "cone of attention" to be 55° (it varies) a 43mm lens on a 24x36 sensor provides 55°. The diagonal of any format sensor provides the human-equivalent field of view. By including peripheral vision and swivelling the eyeballs our full field of view is over 180°, our brain fills in the gaps not under full attention (see saccadic eye movement). We can easily encompass a vista of 120° to 135°.
Distortion on wide angle lenses is usually perspective, buildings falling over, keep the lens horizontal. But also design - for example the Lumix 7-14mm ought to fisheye but doesn't because it is a rectilinear lens.
There are wide angle lenses and then there are wide angle lenses, they are not all alike. On full frame pushing them wider than 24mm is a big ask. The image is bigger, so keeping it 'flat' is down to optics and wallet. On a smaller sensor, equivalent to 24mm might well be a kit zoom lens.
I appreciate that no matter what gear you are using, you are mostly talking about technique and not gear. I already have the gear I prefer and watching channels that are only talking about gear isn't normally of interest. I'm also curious about the switch to a Sony camera. For a long time you were sponsored by Lumix or were one of whatever they call their influencers. I'm guessing this is no longer the case.
Good morning James! I'm with you, I like the additional real estate with the 35mm. 50mm with the exception of portraits is just too tight for most my photography. 35 has more crop flexibility and ability to include more context.
I spent about 12 years with my first camera, a Canon AE1, never switching from the 50mm it came with. My wife has an RP with the inexpensive 35mm RF macro and loves being able to go from landscape to close up portrait with it. I typically carry my R5 with 24-70mm but find most my shots are taken between 35 and 50mm. I also have the 15-35mm and rarely touch it.
James
One of my favorite things to photograph reflections on water be it trees , boats or lights.
I love 35mm. Always feel 50mm is a bit claustrophobic, if that makes sense. Great video. You have a very calm manner.
For general learning I think your images should include the ability to learn basic editing functions as well. Composition is probably the most important thing to learn. But this also applies to the edit. That brings us to cropping. 35mm is far more cropable than 50mm IMHO if you want two photos from one OR you change your mind. Plus if travel is important 35mm is way more useful for that than 50. I suspect most folks new to photography as a hobby would benefit from covering their travel as well. That's my ramble.
One off your best yet.. Luv the incidental contradictions that you experience....🤣
When I clicked on the video I thought it was some kind of Rubber Ducky CosPlay thing ... then I saw your amazing rainbow image and I was like nope it's just James! 😁 I was doing a comparison between a 35mm and an 85mm prime ... I had the gear acquisition itch ... in the end I got neither because I can get both focal lengths in the zooms I already have. I bought a new guitar instead! 😆
Hi James, Really enjoy your content.
what camera and lens are your currently using for blogging???
Interesting stuff about the 35mm Lens. When I started with M43 the first prime I purchased was their 20mm f1.7 pancake, perfect for indoor shots of my baby boy. Since that I got the Leica 42.5 f1.2 and the Olympus 60 mm macro, probably my favourite lenses. Now I’m changing to the Sony A7iv I thought i’d return to the 40mm (20mm m43), going with the Zeiss Batis, so my new 40mm ain’t too far away from your recommended 35mm focal length.
maybe the 35mm f1.8 from sony could be interesting for you. very close minimum focus distance and nice autofocus.
I love 35mm. I always take photos with my zoom and wonder what focal length I’ve actually used and often it’s 35mm. Great for portraits, landscapes, street and anything else
I had just talked myself out of the sigma 16mm 1.4 for my G9, but now I might just have to reconsider.
My 24 to 8omm zoom together with my wide angle lens, and my micro are best for learning.
Not intended as a deprecating comment, but was the focus jumping around 13:10? I think I've noticed my 70D do it sometimes.
Always enjoy your videos! Would be a kick to go out shooting with you someday.
Hi James love your videos and I’ve been a subscriber for must be a least a year and a half following you from the G9 to the S5 and now the Sony. May I ask why you switched from the S5 to the Sony for taking photos?
You will never be lost in the wilderness with your choice of jacket colour. Neither will you be able to hide from the enemy. Thank goodness you’re a Landscape and not a Wildlife Photographer🤡🤗👍
Does the A7R4 not have the closed shutter when turned off? Or is that just the A1/A9II?
it doesn't
I actually said 50mm before I started watching and I do agree. 35mm is wider and you can defiantly crop and compose better or at least learn the two in the beginning of your journey. But I am thankful that my first prime lens was a 35mm. It's fun to capture everything, unless you're not in focus😂👄👁
After having done far too much reading to figure out what the focal length of our eyes is I've found that there is no simple answer for it. Apparently we see a wider image but our brain makes us focus on smaller parts of an scene. That said. Images taken somewhere between 35-50 seem generally most natural to me when I look at them. As a relatively new photographer I think starting out with some kind of zoom lens is ideal. You can just set it to a focal length and keep it there to figure out what it's like. Also you don't have to buy 20 different lenses first.
For aps-c 35mm for Fullframe 77mm. That is what I started with each camera sensor. Have not used a Mirror less yet. So that one i dont know how folcal lengts work for that. A nifty fifty?
Focal lengths are just the same for mirrorless as DSLR, bearing in mind that some mirrorless are full frame, and some are crop sensor, usually with the same crops as crop DSLRs. E.g. amongst my Canons, the R5 is full frame and uses the same focal lengths as FF DSLRs, but my many M models are all crop sensors with APS-C, and use the same 1.6× multiplier for equivalent FL.
To test the 'equivalence' with the human eye, look through the viewfinder with both eyes open and compare what each eye sees while moving the camera. 50mm on full frame is closer than 35. If you use a zoom, somewhere around 55 mm is closer still.
Love both 35 and 50 mm - depends on my mood! Love the vid James.
This type of experiment doesn't take into account that our brains see using displaced binocular vision with a lot of sub-cognitive processing to interpret the images our physical eyes see
For example, one's field of view feels narrowed if you focus on an object on the wall, say a 25cmx40cm poster on a wall about 10 meters away. Here, my own personal field of view tightens up in a psychological sense to what feels like about 70mm, the tight end of a 24-70. When I consciously try to shift to my peripheral vision, I can feel my field of view widen to what feels wider than even 20mm but then the poster is hard to see clearly.
If you hold the viewfinder up to your single eye with a 35mm on a camera with FF35 sensor, I think 99/100 people would say their own vision looks more telephoto than the viewfinder shows. But when you look with both eyes and don't forward focus on a subject, it feels wider than 35mm.
what the hell James I enjoyed that!!!
Sensor dust spots is such a Sony camera issue. I’ve never had to deal with dust spots so much since I switched to Sony! Always use a blower each lens change!
Rainbows have priority status. I would rather get to see the photo in your vlog after you add it than miss it all together because you were setting up to record. I like 24mm personally. Not sure why, I grew up using 35mm point and shoot cameras. Something just appeals to me at 24. Maybe you should find room for some Wellies in your camera bag. Then you could put those on while you slog through the boggie bits. Then change back. Not feasible probably. Thanks for letting us tag along , for the good advice, and most importantly a good time.
Just starting out and my favourite has proved to be around 70mm or longer (full frame)........ and you promptly took out what appeared to be a 70 to 200 lol Thank you for the advice on shooting landscapes, not what I like to do but the process of "what you see" is really useful. Am looking forwards to the monographs. Would you consider using an ND filter and a long exposure to eliminate the ripples? Maybe a dumb question considering you have stated time and again you don't like tripod work ... that and you went home!
I am told that the weather in UK is so predictable as in rain that come back the next day you can have your rainbow 🌈
Hi James,firstly great channel love it!
Quick question,total beginner wanting too take the next step from my iPhone!
Mainly landscape,secenery.
Sony A6000 yes or no?
Cheers
Given you’re an adventure photographer, how about talking about the pro/cons of cycling to your locations and also the pro/cons of mountain bikes vs your new drop bar style bike?
That’s a bright jacket!
may i know what printer are you using to print your photos,big thanks 🙏
Lol I'd actually love a video of you talking about walking/hiking shoes/boots.
Do you have a sensor-dust problem with your Lumix cameras?
So are we talking about 35 and 50 on a full frame or crop? Since most beginners (like me) start with cheaper crop-sensor cameras.
35 mil equivalent.what ever that is for your camera.
i usually use a 50mm or for wide angle 28mm ,& a 75-300 mm zoom for wildlife, but i feel like i'm only just starting out at the moment , as ive been in hospital , so not done any photography with my canon for months , it's amazing how much you forget just laying off for a few months , it's like you go braindead lol .
Ah sensor dust.. Get ready to be frustrated with it on the Sony’s, their dust-shakers are even less effective than the IBIS. If you’re used to m43’s dust resistance you will spend a lot more time cleaning sensors in Sony-land. Drives me nuts in the field every time I spend some time on the Sony stuff.
Regarding our eyes, they’re weird. The actual Field of View is around a 24mm equivalent (on 35mm full frame), but we focus on a section that roughly equates to 35-50mm for most people (it varies from person to person). The rest of the frame is peripheral vision.
James! I recently purchased an A7RIV, would you say its safe to trust the weather sealing for when its raining or snowing?
Do you use insurance for your gear? Where from?
Appreciate it! Take care
Can you do something with a fisheye lens? Interesting focal length 35mm. Thanks for the video 👍