Focal Length Comparisons: How to Choose a lens
Considering a new lens but having a hard time determining what focal length to buy and what that means? Check out this visual focal length comparisons guide to help you learn what popular focal lengths actually look like!
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Choosing a lens, can be a hard thing. If you are like me, you think you need EVERY SINGLE lens. It’s one of those questions I always ask my favorite photographers and I always look to see which lens was used on photos I like.
But when I was starting out, it would have been helpful, if I could see the same photo, taken with different lenses. Just to understand exactly what I would be getting into. And to help me decide exactly what I might want.
So I created this visual focal length comparisons guide to help you out!
What I used
I used the following to take the photos in this post
In these photos,I stood in the exact same spot for each photo with the exact same settings each time: Shutter Speed: 1/400 Aperture f/4 ISO: 1250
My subject was being bribed with my iPhone……
Focal length comparisons
28MM Focal Length
35 Mm Focal Length
50 Mm Focal length
100 MM Focal Length
What did you notice about each focal length comparison?
I like how the 28 mm shows me EVERYTHING.
I like how the 35 mm gives me just enough.
I like how the 50 mm gives me the perfect snapshot( not too much background, sharpness, a little bit of bokah)
And I like how the 100 mm gives me a creamy background and that I could be standing so far away, but get such a great close up. Not intrusive at all.
So what is your favorite lens? And why?
I like how the 100mm gives the perfect closeup and so clear. I like them all of course.
For creativity, I like the 100mm lens because it’s a clear subject and blurred background. For the traditional shot, I like the 50 because it’s more concise.
What I like about ALL of them is Pookah! lol
Aside from that, I like the 35 – it’s standard and gets the job done. I like the clarity of the 50 and the sharpness on the subject with the 100.
Lawd….I don’t know which one I like I think the 50mm is nice…I have no idea….we need to get a challenge going to help us with some of these photos….I may start one *puts thinking caps on*
OMG THANK YOU for this post!! Being on vaca I love my 35mm but I wanted something that could catch Chunks running all around without being right on him so I love the 100mm!
First, I saw the website and I haven’t been able to comment properly because of these children, but one word. YES! *insert praise hands emoji* its so perfect and so you.
I think I want the 100mm Thanks for doing this because I’ve been wondering which lens I wanted next!
And the 100mm is acutally a MACRO lens! But it’s such a great lens that it can do double duty!
I agree with Cam – Pookah for the win! But for real the 100mm is amazing because he looks almost 3D like he’s coming right off the screen. This inspires me to practice more (and would help when I don’t forget my SD card and/or battery which has been happening lately ughhh). Great post!
I might have to look into that 100mm, I guess I’ve never thought about that lens! I wanted the 35mm because it allows me to get more in the frame when my children are small and need to be closer to me (as in when we are out in public), but I just put the 50mm back on my camera a week or two ago and am in love with it again. For me it depends on how much space I have to work with. Of course, these are all adorable!
This post has been very useful as I am trying to decide on a new lens to purchase!