The “best” prime focal length depends on various factors and personal preferences, such as the type of photography you’re interested in, your shooting style, and the subjects you commonly photograph. Let’s look at a general overview of popular prime focal lengths and their typical uses:
- 50mm: A classic “normal” lens on full-frame cameras. It closely approximates the field of view of the human eye, making it versatile for various genres such as portraits, street photography, and everyday scenes.
- 35mm: A wide-angle prime that’s great for street photography, photojournalism, and environmental portraiture. It offers a slightly wider field of view than the 50mm, capturing more of the scene.
- 85mm: A popular choice for portrait photographers due to its flattering compression and ability to create a pleasing background blur (bokeh). It’s great for headshots and close-up portraits.
- 24mm: A wider prime that’s useful for landscapes, architecture, and wide-angle storytelling. It can give a dramatic perspective and capture more of the surroundings.
- 135mm: This longer prime is often used for portraiture and sports photography. It provides even more compression and a pronounced bokeh, isolating subjects from their backgrounds.
Here’s a wonderful video on Youtube by Mitch Lally from Australia that does a great job explaining & showing the differences through examples as well as his personal favorite.
The “best” prime focal length varies from person to person and depends on your creative vision and intended use. Many photographers find it beneficial to have a selection of prime lenses with different focal lengths to cover a broader range of situations. It also helps to have a “fast lens” with a 2.8 or 1.4 f stop to use in low light or to throw the background out of focus to bring more attention to your subject.
Experimenting with various focal lengths will help you discover what fits your style and preferences best. Happy shooting!
