28mm 

I wish I had someone to look at me like Chow looks at his 28mm.

for me, it's 28mm in Asia, 50mm in North America. 50 never clicked for me until I read this tip from Ming Thein: "if your subject is close, then stop down - it will force you to treat it like a wide angle lens and search for elements of relevant context with which to fill the background; if you’re shooting wide open or with a distant subject, treat it as a telephoto and start looking for layers."

After doing street photography for five years, I’ve discovered that my favorite three lenses, which are prime. The 18 1.4 Fuji, the 50 F2 and the 90 F2 are my favorite lenses. Remember these are APC. 27 mm, 75 mm and 135 mm. I use them for different reasons, so you’ll have to figure that out on your own. But mostly it’s when there’s fewer people I go to the telephoto and when there’s more people I go to the wide end. Anyway I am working with these three prime now, as I used to work with the zoom lenses. 😉

I might be late to the game, but I just wanted to say this was beautifully done. I've been on the fence of buying a 28mm for a while now, but this convinced me that I should. Thanks again!

i dont think the focal length really matters what actually matters is the person using the lense and what resonates with them and helps them achieve what they are trying to do

I love the way you talk about photography and growing as a good photographer

Incredibly insightful & thought provoking.

Had or have a similar struggle. Started with 28mm, moved to 35mm added a 50mm and now I am thinking of adding a 28mm again (locations haven't changed for me btw.). Thus, I believe sticking with these 3 lenses might be ok so that you can switch how ever you feel at the moment ;-) Great video! Always very inspiring!

I have a variety of glass for my camera collection, I also have a 28mm fo my Nikon ZF and Z6Ii it's a Viltrox the focal length is great for so many types of photography but when I find myself looking for something to tighten up my composition and the 35 is not enough and the 50 is to much I use my 40mm f1.2 Voightlander for my Nikon ZF, it is a mental manual focus lens that has electric connections to give you focus conformation, aperture information and focal length.

Great story. In my younger days I always travelled with a 57/1.7 and 28/2.8 Minolta, and now it's a 50/1.4 and 28/1.7 Leica. It's a perfect combo for my professional work. Keep on rolling.

Lovely video. The nikkor 28 2.8 is absolutely beautiful on a “focal reducer/speed booster” on Fuji bodies.. don’t think it can be beat for the money..

Use your 28mm in crop mode or an APS-c camera in Canada. 28mm compression but 42mm field of view.

Your videos are a masterpiece

I also love 28mm from a completely different usage, which is landscape and nature. I also using the polar opposite in terms of weight - which is a sigma 28mm f 1.4 art. Do not get me wrong, I love light weight primes such as my voigtlander 21mm f3.5, sigma 45mm f2.8, various 35mm primes, etc. It is just that the rendering on the Sigma is so beautiful, and I can use it anywhere from 1.4 to 16, from near macro to landscapes. Its weight is, oddly, a creative companion in that its a commitment. Its FOV grows and grows on me. I have owned and used 20, 21, 24, 35 ,45, 50, 70, 75, 85 (briefly), 105 (which I also love), and 135mm primes. Having an assortment of different primes is like a sixth sense. You look at them, and you know which ones to bring, not necessarily why, you just do. And at the and of the day, you understand why - it is beautiful. Photographs call you from the unseen into the seen, and the primes used record the scene from the view that speaks to you before it even is.

Today was a rough day for me trying to capture some street scenes. Lights, shadows, sun, and details lead me, but I struggled. I didn't have the confidence that I have been building for more than one year in my camera today. I wanted to fade away, but I couldn't. I felt helpless, and the need to take a good photo...right now, your video appears to make it easier for me, but it still hurts.

Nice video and pictures! Can you tell me what viewfinder you use for the 28mm?

Your videos are seriously the best out there

I enjoyed the video, thanks.

Once again, great video! I’m new to the Leica ecosystem having just purchased a Q2. The 28mm lens is forcing me to frame differently. Like most, I try not having to crop. Keep up the videos!

Yes, Toronto is definitely a 50mm city! :)

and sometimes the youtube algorithm give you some gold into our " feed". thanks for that awesome video Ivan. have you ever tried 40mm? i really like it .

Love the video, but now I miss film photography. My contax camera, the dark room, viewing my negatives over a light box. Maybe I should see if a college offers night classes where I can use a dark room

Do videos explaining focal length refer to the effective focal length after accounting for the crop factor? Or do they assume full frame?

I’m very happy with my GRIII, but yeah, culturally, East vs West are super different. You’re not going to be able to pull a Kai Man Wong on people without getting attacked, sued, or getting tons of negative feedback. You’re going to have to learn to interact with strangers and ask for permission, or you’ll have to evolve your style or abandon it altogether.

Your videos are amazing. And very useful. Greetings from Croatia!

28毫米是生活在都市中，户外的"生活视野"。 很高兴你找到了它，并记录了"集体记忆”。

I grown up with a film camera, that had attached a 28mm (I discovered recently)…then I bought several cameras without know anything about FL. And all of them had zoom. Then a couple of years ago when photography begun to be a serious matter I tried several cameras and FL, but at the end I saw that I moved always between 24 and 28…so at the end Leica Q was. And in case I can crop in camera a bit.

Subscribed and liked! Thx for sharing! Keep the 28…. Or at least a 28…. Your photography will adapt! Street photography is a love/hate/hate more relationship!

Do you think 24 and 28 mm are too similar to have both? Or are they different enough?

how about 40mm?

watch this on 2x speed for a tolerable pace lmao

🎉❤️‍🔥

May I suggest a 40mm? It's the perfect focal length for everything in my opinion, not too wide and not too tight. Paired with a 28mm and you're all set.

Love the sense of space the 28 gives. 35mm is like a wide normal and 28 is like a normal wide. 24 gets wonky for me easily.

I can relate with the wide lens big city dilemma. I noticed myself always backing up and trying to get more in the scene with my 50mm in Vietnam but here in Sydney (especially during pandemic times), as I shoot with a 35mm, everything felt a little too far away. Changes in environment definitely warrants a change in focal length.

Wow. What a gorgeous and thoughtful video. Cinematic.

Why, why, why Nikon won't you prioritise a top quality 'S' 28 mm prime? The Z range of mirrorless cameras came out years ago! Just how many customers need an 'S' 600 mm compared with those begging you for my favourite focal length? I just am not interested in a complex, ultra expensive 'S' 14-28 zoom, or an expensive, boring 'S' 35 mm. Surely I'm not alone?

28mm and 50mm are all a streetphotographer needs

When you see a certain look for so long, the creative mind will always strive for different.... can't wait for your new favorite FL!

Ivan, I think you have a superhuman ability of making fine videos! So beautifully well made just like your every other video, pure inspiration! As a beginner and learning, I’m comfortable with the 35mm on the X100V but these days I feel that a bit wider would be better as here in my place all the streets are filled with people and life so often I miss shots due to lack of space in the composition. It’s always necessary to change things up to refill our creativity and I can’t wait to see your work with the new focal length.

Your movies are great! I like content, voice, music and how you answer your different questions - why 28 mm, why Leica, etc.? It’s almost melanchonically but also convincing. Thank you.

A 28 is the same as a 50. it all depends where you are standing. To get your subject, you may be close, or far away. If close, 28. If further away 50. The lens does not create the subject. It is just a tool to capture your view.

Great documentary with soul and inspiration for a lens !!! Bravo

The longest excuse video for getting GAS 😂 just kidding... beautiful video Ivan (as always)! I just moved into the countryside and 28mm starts to feel too wide. But I really love the personal perspective 28mm gives me. Even though things look far away now, they still have that POV look. I find 28mm is the perfect focal lenght if you want to remember things through your eyes. And because it includes so much of the environment, years later you will find everything surrounding the subject much more interesting. But experimenting with other focal lenghts is always good and will teach you new things. I am actually considering using a zoom lens as my main lens now haha. And if it helps you make a decision, I already sold my Elmarit (even though I freaking loved that lens) because I want to experiment more :D As long as you keep your GRIII you won't miss 28mm. Looking forward to see what you will come up with next!

Damn, this is beautiful. Poetic. Introspective. And I can relate. New York + 28mm was so perfect. Now I find myself going longer because I don't have the same effect/closeness to my subjects.

I'm a long time 28mm shooter (Contax/Zeiss), it's perfect for street. I picked up a 50mm to stretch myself and I find it's often a challenge due to the very narrow perspective but it's a great companion to have in the bag for impromptu street portraits or close-up shots. The 28/50 combo is a great kit for the streets...

There are difficulties in a city with a lot of space. I remember realising this after living in a very spacious city for most of my life, then traveling to cities like Hong Kong or Seoul, I couldn't believe how much easier street photography was in those cities. The whole time I had been grinding to get better at street photography in my home town, thinking "wow this is a really difficult", but I hadn't considered that the actual subjects themself were playing a bigger role than I thought. I like the idea you bring up about, perhaps the need to change the lens we see things through. I hope you find what you are looking for in your new home :)

Something about your videos i love. Your the only photographer who’s music choice is perfect. The volume is perfect. Other people’s videos I found the music is to loud and you cant enjoy looking at the pictures. Love from Ireland 🇮🇪

A true love story. Nice vid!

35mm to me is where it's at. Tried everything and this is the one that gets the very best out of me.

Started with 35mm and recently been experimenting with 28, 50 and even 40.Each focal length has its own character and fun to it, and it’s so fun to switch around and view the world in different ways! I have to say 50mm never felt right for me until I tried the Zeiss Loxia 50 on my A7C. The rangefinder style with a good full manual lens somehow makes 50 a lot more special than expected.

You really flexed on us with that “this one” intro lol. Nah but for real, I love the look of 28mm but it intimidates me to think how close I’d need to get to fill a frame. 50mm is my comfort zone for now 😄

a small city like hong kong... 🙄

Beautiful presentation. Thank you for sharing your thoughts and images. I have a 28mm lens and now I see it in a different light.

Almost started crying at 09:00min. Thank you for the inspirational video

I sold my whole kit to pick up a Q2, and I also live in Toronto. I've been feeling the pain of how you describe the challengers of 28mm photography here😓

What an awesome documentary on a Man and his passion for street photography with an 28mm lens.

I’ve been doing street photography for 30 years coming from a commercial photography background. I also love a 28 and a 50 as that’s all I really need, but then I usually carry a 21 and a 90 just to play it safe if I’m traveling. My 28mm is a summilux - I also purchased a 24 mm Elmar as a smaller and lighter option without duplicating another focal length. Yeah, I’m still looking at a 28mm Buogon as a whole different render and close focus. I also live in Hong Kong half the year and it’s a street photographers paradise.

35mm... Koudelka....50mm Bresson... u decide. But 28mm for this generation is like the iPhone camera view... you need to be really good at composition. Othewise these are snapshots....snapshot is not really photography.

Wrong. That soldier, "shot" with 50 mm is an EXCELLENT photo - any more distortion (like if it was shot with 28 mm) and it would not be as "firm" or "expressive"... the Chinese guy eating at a bus stop would have come out better with a little less distortion (should've been shot with 35 mm...though, it can still be improved by cropping it from left and right ).

You say the Zeiss Biogon isn't coated. Not true - it has some of the best lens coatings in the industry. You also commented that it it may lack corner sharpness or maybe some fall off. That's because it's not a distagon (not a retrofocus lens). It's a true wide perspective lens and the rear element is much closer to the film/sensor which may result in a bit of fall off in the corners, and with a digital sensor that's not made for it, some softness or distortion. Not an issue with film, and nothing wrong with the lens. Retrofocus lenses use "optical gymnastics" to get around this to make room for a mirror box on an SLR or to project a more straight-on image to a digital sensor. But it usually comes at a cost in size and weight.

Just started using 28 more heavily this past year I absolutely love it. Definitely feel like it has elevated my work. But as the pandemic continues it is a challenging focal length keeping me open to 35 & 50. Great video Ivan, enjoy the thoughtful content.

My favorite 24mm on canon, but now I looking to buy Leica SL2-s but 24 not egsist. I will buy 28. Amd I feel I will be happy 😊 and I want 90mm

Different focal lengths for different towns for sure!! When I was in Hong Kong I pretty much only used my 24mm and felt it was a great FL for HK and I'm sure a 28mm would have also pleased me.

Fujifilm GFX - GF 45mm- 50 mm- 63mm- 80mm- 110mm ! 63mm is most hated lens , but my favorite !

The Nikkor 28mm you using, can you tell me if it's the AI version or the AI-S . Cheers , keep up the good work ..

Wow, that feeling it's so true, i moved to Lisbon recently. In Chile i always shoot in 35mm but here, the things are different, idk what will be my focal, but the feeling of your video could help to what im looking.

I never knew changing lenses was so depressing. Holy sh*t. Great video, though.

The 50mm was Cartier-Bresson's focal length of choice. If it was good enough for Henri...

I love your videos. I shoot with the Q2. Beautiful Lens Who is playing the guitar music?

I’ve been building me a 28mm lens collection. It’s a focal lens that is …….. well it is……period. I have other focal lengths I’m fond of . The Nikkor N 28mm f/2 is a lens you may want to look at . The Nikkor O 35mm f/2 is also a phenomenal lens I enjoy and 35 just doesn’t feel right most of the time . I’m starting to see the world in focal lengths and have been adapting how I look at the world . The Sigma 65mm f/2 Contemporary ( i ) Series is a lens I really love the focal length of and I just got the Nikkor S 55mm f/1.2 . I’m pushing myself to understand these views .So being like water and seamlessly being able to adapt to the situation is how I’ve been “ flowing” lately. I shoot live music videos and had a large Bluegrass band to shoot . 28mm was my focal length for the gimbal work . Then I got a Sony a7siii and a Sony G Master 24mm f/1.4 . Awesome lens it is . This lens being even wider than the 28 still wasn’t right for shooting this band in this particular setting. I laid out a 20, 24 and 35mm. I was going to switch between them all this particular night . Well I stuck on the Sony 20mm f/1.8 and it felt so “just right” that it never came off . I know a short zoom may be a great adaptation and I did this in the past . I shot exclusively with the Sigma Art 18-35mm f/1.8 for maybe 3 years. So it’s a 27-50 basically and super useful. It almost never came off of 18mm . I’d started with a 18-105 Nikon kit lens and it was on 18 or 105 . So came the love for the 27-30 fov. It always just felt right . I also had a liking for the 135mm fov too . I think because starting with that old apsc lens 18 to 105 I got used to seeing the world in those focal lengths. I only used that lens for a couple months and it was gone . Now I love “flowing like water” I believe I stole this line for Bruce Lee . Peace Y’all

Great! The question of live: "Should I stay or should I go?" Thank you!

What a beautiful and inspiring video. I adore the feel it left me with.

Nice to finally see this. My favorite focal length is 35mm.... but I am considering going to 28mm. I started with 80mm, then much preferred 50, I have loved 35mm for years now... but I really want to like 28mm because I am thinking of getting a Leica Q2 for my 40th. I just struggle with the 28mm a little because I always feel that little too far away for most shots (but don't get me wrong 35mm can feel not wide enough on a rare occasion). I guess I just need to shoot it a little more.... I have that same Nikon 28mm F2.8, and I should probably just use it more and get the feel. Either way I think I can choose to use the Leica in the 35mm crop mode if I dont get used to it... and treat the extra pixels like a 'range finder' where I can see what is coming into the frame. Anyways.... keen to understand the practicalities that you had in learning 28mm (I always feel I need to run forward 3 steps when I see a photo, or I feel like I am invading peoples space).

I love my 28mm as well. Currently I'm using Voigtlander Color Skopar 28mm f3.5 with both Leica M6 and Leica M4-P. Its compact, classic screw type lens and I love it a lot. But sadly its almost a year I'm not able to go out and shoot because of the lock down.. :'(

The Zeiss 28mm 2.8 ZM *is* coated- hence the “T*” on the front of the lens in red!

Where American we dont like are freedom being messed with not even with cameras.

I think you cropped some of these, they look slightly longer than 28

Amazing content from an amazing creator. Thank you for sharing this piece and keep going!!!

ooo what's the new lens gonna be??

I use a Ricoh P 28mm 2.8 k mount lens on a Petri gx1. Perfect.

Great video!! Love the story and journey. I always shied away from 28mm cos it’s the same FL as my iPhone and felt redundant but had a huge quality difference of course. I often go out with a 28/50 combo and mix it up when I’m bored. 28mm is also great for chasing your kids in action close up. Listen to your gut it knows what it wants!!!

The Voigtlander 40mm f/1.2 is worth a look see.

What is this dude these stories i 18k subs for this channel seriously...

I don’t have the right words to describe how much I love the 28mm focal range…it just fits ME!!! 🤷🏾‍♂️

28mm is my favourite street photography focal length too. I love the Mary Ellen Mark shoots with hers Nikon fm2 and 28 mm 2.8. I don't know if is the same for you guys, but i'm tending to choose wich lens to get out 28, 35, 40, or 50 mm depending on my daily mood.😁

Did you consider a 40mm lens? It might be ideal. A 28 on a crop sensor is 42mm.

I would like to suggest 40mm as focal length. It isn’t that common and has a ‘sense of direction’ to it that requires attention but it’s my go to alternative to 28mm - where available.

28mm - my favourite too. Beautifully narrated. And makes feel the sudden sadness of your parting. Hope you found the new love.

I really admired your photos. But the narrative was even better. Your story telling really held me captive. Perhaps photography is you business, but are writing and voicing video your "professional" hobbies? I will put you alongside Morgan Freemon and Peter Coyote.

I shoot the X-70 and it does take some time to get your head around how to shoot what is basically a landscape lens all the time. I find that in tight cities it's totally fine. In the great outdoors too. But in these North American cities with wide roads, you're basically stuck shooting on-coming foot traffic, because the opposite side of the street might as well be on the moon. I live in Mexico City, so there are areas that tighten up, but in the US it's all super wide, so if you don't get at a diagonal with the street to lead the depth, or take photos out the window of a car in the street, you get super flat, empty-looking photos. What I do for those far-spread places, is go for diagonals and dynamic symmetry lines, as well as try to layer as much as possible with the surroundings to add depth to a more distant subject.

28 and 50 are the only lenses I use. they are a perfect match

I always bring my fujifilm x70 (28mm focal length on ff), very versatile everyday camera

l also love the 28mm focal length...have you tried Nikkor 28mm f/1.4 D? it's really spectacular!

I think 50m is a good idea. Good luck out there.

Loved it! Gives me much bigger hope with my Leica Q 😎👍🏼

I used to shoot everything on the 28 when I first got my camera

Having used primes most of my life, I am finally getting into variable focal length lenses for certain situations. A 35-70 Minolta zoom macro for close range street stuff, especially in these days of Covid in 2021 where getting too close to strangers is a no-no. Unfortunately zooms won't work with RF cameras.

I love 24 and 35 for some reason. But I'm curious to try out a 28mm. Really intrigued, can't deny.

Thank you