28mm Photography Is Hard 

These are really lovely shots Roman. I have to say I really think the 28mm suits your style of photography a lot.

I own the 18 1.4 and it’s pretty much all I use with my xe4. Just imagine you’re taking a pic with your cell phone. iPhone focal length is about 28mm. Another reason why people struggle with the 28 is because they are so used to staying far away. It’s easier if you just get closer and actually be okay not getting everything in one shot. People think because it’s wider you have to get everything. Closer is the trick with the 28.

Love how you explain the scene and what you are looking for. That thought process is enlightening. And this is why you are one of my favorite street photographers. I keep learning new things from you

It’s so reassuring to hear that after such a day you’re happy with just 2/3 shots that you really like

That Lady smoking end enjoying warmth of the sun is priceless, please give her this memory

Beautiful shots and I love the way you talk through your approach and thought process for each photo and scene. So helpful and inspiring!

I love that you challenge yourself to shoot different gear. And as always, sharing your commentary of what you see while you're capturing it while out on your adventures. Keep up the awesome work man! ❤️

The XH-2 cameras were MADE for that set of next gen primes. The XH2-S and that 18mm f/1.4 just feels like a glove.

As a locla of Valencia, it's very weird for me to watch these videos and recognize every single location. Love your take on the city! I agress that 28mm is not easy, but IMO, it gives a unique perspective whilst not being too crazy. I have recently made a few trips trying to use the focal lenght exclusively and I am enjoying the process.

I love my Leica Q2 with its F1.7 28mm.

Finally a video about this focal length! I’m doing film photography and of course my main objectives are 50mm. This, everything smaller is considered as a wide one. However I also have 28mm. And I was always wondering what to shoot in it, it is so specific. This lens is so wide, catching almost everything. And that’s why I also was considering 35mm as wide one 😂 But this video made me think that between 35 and 28 is the same big difference as between 50 and 35

Wider angles are definitely difficult. Anything under 35mm and I feel like I don’t know what I’m doing

Thank you, Roman! I enjoyed watching you work with a 28mm. I learned quite a bit from this video.

I always learn a lot of light use and composition with your videos. Great job.😉

Great shots and Great video! Always enjoy watching you bud!!

I love Valencia. A very photogenic and underrated city with a lot to do. I used 30mm and 55mm lenses there on film and gave me great results with that beautiful light and architecture.

Great tips, always inspiring. Thanks Roman!

Like this video a lot. Very helpful to see you making the shots and hear the idea behind. Good job 👍🤩

Another terrific video and walk through. Your videos are so helpful to understand your thinking and process. Thanks.

Awesome, Roman. Really enjoyed the video. Such a cool place. Wasn't aware Valencia is such a photogentic city. Thanks for sharing.

Excellent work, Roman!

another insightful video Roman! hope you're feeling better

Great shots Roman, love your vids very relaxing

Super helpful! I’ve been a 35 (aka 23) person for years, but I too got the 18 WR and I’ve been making an effort to get to know the focal length, which has been fun. I really like it, though still not as much as 35. Getting to know photographers that use this field of view well has really helped too. Perhaps you could combine ideas and do a photographer video like you’ve been doing, but focused on how they use a particular focal length. I know I’d enjoy that, but might be too narrow. Anyways, great stuff as always, thanks!

Solid video, enjoyed you talking through your shooting process. Images were great too!

Wow I really like the shots - I learned a lot from this vid!

I think the outcomes are really nice! Keep it up 🙌🏼

Love your videos man 💪🏻

It's funny for me seeing you in this streets, I'm Valencia native. Hope you are having a nice trip

Great shots, as always. 👏🏻

Well done, Roman. The SD card in my brain (micro card?) is going into overload trying to remember all of the great tips & pointers in each video. Looking forward in trying to do another European vacation this year.

Excellent video. I'm just discovering 28mm having had one on my shelf for ages. I'm finding it works great for street especially from the hip which helps people to not be scared of the Z8!

Wow, this videos comes handy as I was looking at some 26 and 28mm lenses for my Z7ii... Thanks for sharing your valuable thoughts on the question

That was a really enjoyable and educational video Roman, thank you. I think 28mm suits you as a focal length, some of those shots are superb! 👏

Thanks for your channel and sharing your skills. Valencia is our go to city in Spain. We mostly stay near the central market but you might want to check out the Cabanyal district behind the sea front. Unchanged in many places and you have a beach promenade to take in some fresh air. Enjoy your tapas!

Another very interesting and informative video. The XT5 is often referred to as the lighter option but if you add a grip (and it really needs one in order to compare with the XH2 handling) then there's nothing in it, in fact if you use the fuji grip sold as an accessory for the XT5 it is actually heavier!

I love how you just so casually bust out fantastic photos. Well done!

I need to practice more with the 28mm as well. I mostly used to 40mm and 85mm. Fine video and some cool photos.

all of these were delightful

I have just been at the Venice carnival to photograph with the Leica Q3 with the 28 mm, the most difficult part was to make space among the crowd to get close to the subject and photograph it surrounded by people with the 70-200, and also to win the embarrassed to get so close... but the immersion of the photo and the different perspective from all the others was worth the effort ❤

Thanks for the video. On a full-frame, I love using a 28mm f/2.8, 55mm f/3.5 macro, and a 105mm f/2.8 macro lens kit for landscape/nature photography. On a full-frame, I prefer using a 24mm f/2, 50mm f/1.4, and a 135mm f/2 lens kit for street photography.

Love how you say "not the most interesting example" or "not going to win any awards" but still take a really nice shot 😅

That building was a photographers dream - the light was amazing

Thanks for this.

I find shooting wide angle (24/28) is about perspective and vanishing points. that's how I go about using them anyway 🙂 and when i was your age, getting down low to thr ground too. if i try that now the noises i make getting back up usually result in the police getting called some cracking light you had there

My Lumix FZ1000ii has a "base" focal length of 25mm, which I use quite a bit. I enjoy the wider approach that provides, though I do tend to zoom it out to somewhere between 50 and 80mm, give or take, if I'm doing street photography. Nice video!

I love the XF 18 1.4 but it takes some time to get used to this focal length. I mostly use it at evening (it’s really sharp even at 1.4) but I will have to practice in the morning.

Nice shots. We seem to have similar tastes in composition. And, yes, 28mm is hard! It is easy for the shot to be too busy, especially if you are not close enough to the subject. But when all the compositional elements are there, they really pop.

I have a 28mm on a full frame that I use a lot. I don't have any issues using it but you have a different style than I do at the moment. I also have a 40mm that I use too. It's a good compromise between the 35mm and 50mm.

I was all excited about this title, as I have spent the past 2 days looking into the 16mm f2.8 for my XH2. Wider than your 18 here and not the same caliber of lens, but I need something wider than my 23mm 1.4 ( the newer version, which is my ultimate lens for walking around). May need to bite the bullet and look for a deal on this 18 though, I think the extra light will help. Keep it up, my friend - we are all benefitting :)

The beginning of this video I agree I've just started photography a year ago and I got the 18mm for the large hyperfocal distance but my God I found it so hard to get a composition I use a 35mm and even then still thinking of going to 50mm on my Fuji because I feel that's what my eye sees

Thanks a lot 😊👌🏻🙏🏻

Nicely done. 28mm is where I'm most comfortable, 35mm as well. The 50mm is oftentimes too tight for me... but I stuck a 35mm Fuji (50mm equiv) last year on my Fujifilm for months and I'm better. But I still prefer the 28mm. Even wider.

Since I got Q2, 28mm it's my first choice for street photography. Surprisingly, I love making wider portraits with it.

All these photos with the stripes was amazing, great video, very inspiring.

You make it look easy, man.

I love your advice about blocking off a part of what's in the frame. However that is your style and I am not keen on trying to imitate other people. Btw, I have the same feeling about using presets of my favorite photographers. "Will my photos look like a pale imitation of so and so?" . I am curious what are your thoughts about that. Finally, I am so happy you dedicated this video to 28mm. My latest lens is a 28mm and I am not yet comfortable with using it. Lots of great takeaways from this video, thank you Roman!

As a dyed in 28mm shooter, I think the trouble most people have with 28 and wider is that their way of seeing a scene has to change. Typically were used to having a single focal point that attracts attention. We're taking a photo or portrait of something. Rarely are we really trying to grab the full atmosphere of the mise-en-scène. This means often the complaint is clutter or being too far away - so people think the solution is get closer = better images. Shoot the 28 like it's a portrait lens and frame out the clutter. However, what was the point in going wide, if you compensate with your feet? The solution that I find works best is to frame clutter as context. Work a scene. Utilise the bigger shifts in perspective from going low angle, high angle, a little to the left and right. EyeExplore has a great video of this using the Ricoh in Asakusa. This way I find my 28 photos went from close up strangers with messy non-discript backgrounds, to characters in a world of context with plenty of story around. Once you can embrace the idea that the 28 isn't shooting your perspective but more of an "ideal" perspective, working the scene to maximise world building and context, the easier is becomes to lose the tunnel vision of portrait photography and see wide too. James Popsys is very good at seeing wide but minimal compositions too. Full recommend checking out how you can apply his approach to street. ✌️

I was thinking watching this 'I wonder why you prefer using the XH2s when you own the XT5' and then you only go ahead and answer my question 😊 I currently own the XH2s and XT3 but not sure which 40MP body to replace the XT3 with and you've helped me make my decision. I'm going to go for the XH2. It took me a while to get used to the different system after using X series since the XT1 but I've grown to love it and prefer it now. You got some fantastic compositions using lines of shadow and light in this vlog. Light that we don't seem to get very often here in the UK 🤔 😁

28mm is my main lens and i do atleast 3/5ths of my delivered pics are usually on the 28mm. Along side it i use 58 and 105mm primes and 14-24 2.8

I love shooting wide angle for video but 50mm for stills!

Really nice pics! The other winner is pocket 3 … really surprised with the quality!

The shot at 2:41 is amazing. That little puff of smoke is so good.

Great Video Roman. 😊 How is your trip to valencia? The city seems really nice. I am traveling there in 2 weeks. Taking my fuji xh2s, viltrox 13mm for Video and the sigma 18-50 for photo.

I can't really get on with lenses of 28mm or wider but in that environment of narrow streets it seems ideal. An example of where it's necessary to consider the location when choosing your lens. In a city with wider streets I'd find I ended up with too much unnecessary stuff at the top and bottom of my photos, and probably at the sides as well.

It really is difficult and I have struggled against my preference for 28mm for a long time, trying out various other focal lengths, but ultimately prefering using the 28 most of the time.

Once upon a time it was really my favorite, the 28 mm feature, not only the Fuji lens, especially at night with that awesome digital B-Mode. Valencia is not very different from Seville or Verona, isn't it?! Namastè.

Yes. I think 28mm is optimized for back screen view at hand length from eye. For street i prefer: 35, 50 and 100

Wideangle lens photography is very hard. There is a lot that the lens take in and making a decent composition with all the elements is very very difficult. Best to keep btween 35mm and 60 mm of FL.

It is hard to get exciting results with that focal length or wide angle in general if you shoot with it like a 50mm (xf 33mm in your case). Having said that, I have seen some spectacular shots from 2 people lately : Eduardo Ortiz (with the xf 18mm f/2.0) and Jonathan Jasberg (with a Leica Q2).

Nice shots and beautiful environment . I have a question though.. Why are you usung such High ISO ? Is it because of the shadowed areas and you want to bring details out of them ?

Some reason I always prefer wide for street love my 12mm on Fuji

Sounds like you could enjoy the XS20 as it has the ergonomics of XH2 but the lightness of the xt5?

I always like the idea of shooting with a prime, but I can't get myself to buy one when I already have the Sigma 18-50mm.

the f stop does not change dependent on size of frame the amount of light is the same no matter sensor size. The only difference is the look will change

Hi, Roman! I've failed to find the other "Good morning from Valencia". What happened with the previous video with your thoughts on what makes a successful photographer? I also noticed that the Cornwall travel guide (which I consider as being one of the best) is not available anymore.

Lovely images. Do you ever get pushback from random subjects?

How is the Fuji 18mm f.14 LM WR for video shooting? I've read some reviews that the autofocus motor is too loud. 23mm is a bit more quiet but I'd prefer the 18mm for wider shots and video.

fantastic video as always, do u use any filters (NDs, cinebloom etc)?

Having started on 40mm for versatility, I have the opposite struggle: 90mm is hardest for me. Even 50mm I tend to look for portraits because it feels too focused to capture a scene. My eyesight isn't great so maybe I have a hard time seeing what I'm framing that far away ;)

IMHO... the 28 mm photography is very easy, 'cause it don't have the 24's distortion and the wider open from the 35, the 28 was my first lens on my first reflex in the 1991 ( Olympus OM ) and from those days in every gear I turned ( Nikon, Canon and now Fujifilm and Sony ) I have one, love so much the 28's angle.

Thanks. I really liked most of your shots. 28mm is a bit difficult for for me, being used to 35. Fortunately, you did not spend more time on equipment. Cameras are irrelevant for this kind of photography, because they will be outdated soon. Why carry f1,4 lenses in daylight? Much too big and heavy.

I just have to ask since I am so curious: 1/2500 - 1.4 - ISO 3200? Why the shutter and ISo combination? Is there a particular reason?

2:26 "I will probably be cropping this.." So much for proficiency with 28mm :) Move closer, Roman! :) 28mm is not about photography, it's a therapy tool for combating social anxieties! :P

Hi Roman.. you mentioned at some point you don’t want people’s faces in the photos. Is that more a personal preference or anything to do with Spanish law?

That smoker is a paid actor

It's really not any more difficult. Just point and shoot just like with any other lens.

Are you shooting 8 or 10 bit with your Pocket 3? Footage looks good!

28 is hard, but worth it if you get it right

Roman, was your ISO all the time at 3200 as your screen said? thats higher then i would normally use on a bright day to be honest. Why do you use that much ISO actually? thanks for all of your vids!

Hi Roman. When you travel , do you check the privacy laws for that country? Why do you don't feel comfortable in taking front on faces? Love your style of tuition.

you guys are lucky. Nothing as interesting architectural wise in Chicago.

2:42 Is it only me who sees a face in the smoke! 🤔

Nothing to do with the video... But do you still use iPad for editing or mainly the laptop?

28mm over any anything

The amount of bokeh on the Pocket 3 is amazing.

I smoked for 3-4 months while a soldier. It was fun, but you're right -- not good for you

So much talk of cropping! ;) I think the one thing you need to do more of is get closer.

Hi Roman, something I don't understand, not just with you but most people I follow on YT. Why to mention 28mm (in full frame term) when using a crop sensor. That get me confused all the time. I think if we use a crop sensor why talk about full frame???

Wait hang on. Video quality isn’t the same on the XH2S vs the XT5. The XT5 doesn’t have ProRes recording. Pretty big difference in gradeability there.