How One Thing Revolutionized My Photography 

One of my favorite exercises is to go out with a particular prime lens, which ever size I fee like using at the time, and shoot with it for a few weeks. This exercise really helps you learn the different nuances of each focal length, it helps you learn to anticipate what lens will work best in different situations, and you learn what focal length works best for you. In my case, 50mm is the one i like the best. Oddly enough, when I shoot with primes, I feel like I have more freedom and I'm less restricted. Go figure. Great stuff.....thanks for posting!

The upside of a prime is mainly about problem solving. When you know your prime by heart, you know where to place yourself to get the framing you want before even looking through the viewfinder. With a zoom, you ask yourself where to be and how much you should zoom to get the shot. Two more questions, hence slower to react and to get what you really want. Takes a bit of time but really simplifies the parameters of a photo in the end.

Primes are generally fast, tack-sharp, light and unobtrusive, which makes them ideal for street or reportage. No question. I've been using a 35mm and 28mm as a general go-to for years. Hands down. My zooms are great for wildlife and landscape, or when weight is no object.

I used the 35mm 1,4 for a long time. Then suddenly for no reason I stopped using it. I cannot say why. An elderly friend introduced me to the narrower angle telephoto Photography. I since bought a 50mm 1,2 and 135mm 1,8. I still own a 35mm Leica f2,8 m lens which is adapted to my nikon z6ii. I complemented it with a 90mm f2. I tried my luck with a 28mm but was not happy. I was surprised that the 50mm played well with my vision. I had refused the 50 mm for a long time.

I love my 28.. lately I have been using the SL 50Summilux wide open.

I definitely relate! Since picking up the Summarit 35mm f/2.4 last summer it’s been practically glued to my M10-D. I sometimes wonder if I would like a Summilux, but honestly the tiny little 35 has been my favorite daily lens of recent years. Love you environmental portraits!

Beautiful and emotive photographs! 👍😍

Once again, thanks Justin. Always insightful. Always helpful. It worked for HCB, although his chosen optic was the 50mm, apparently.

Hmm... Another great, very useful video. You "crop with your feet." I'll remember that. Regarding MY favorite lens for street photography, it's Leica's 75mm f/1.2 lens. With your 35mm lens I'm sure you often have to step toward your subject. With my 75mm lens I tend to take a step back.

Nice photos! I think this is very good advice about choosing a primary focal length, to keep things simple, to cultivate a strong understanding of what the focal length will give one, -- so that one can pre-visualize the shot -- and relatedly to get one moving one's feet!

Nice music at the end btw 👌

Always enjoy your shared expertise and experience. But I wonder if you speak Vietnamese? If so, how long did it take to learn? I can’t imagine living in another country and not knowing the language. Keep up the good, inspirational work!

My 35mm is also a favorite in my kit. A great choice to get in close with without being noticed. A+

One of my most favourite shoots for work was in 2017 with my (new to me) M240, all shot with a 35mm Cron - the only lens I had. It's still a landmark shoot for me. Something about a) that lens, and b) being restricted to one focal length, just focuses the mind.

I took your suggestion to heart, and permanently epoxied my Summilux-M 28 mm to my M11 and APO-Summicron-M 35 to my M11 Monochrom. 😊 Kidding aside, your advice is solid.

100%. Did the same thing on my last trip and the photographic gods reached down, blessed my 50mm, and said "LEVEL UP" very loudly. It got weird though as now I am obsessed with the different renderings of 50mm and my collection of 50s has frown.

Will you do a review of the movie 'Civil War' from a photojournalist's perspective, once it comes out?

Those 35’s are a beauty that’s for sure 🙏🏼 I find with a zoom I feel like I rush a bit and aren’t really sure where I want to be, 24, 35, 50 etc… Much prefer a prime, especially a nice pair which are distinctly different.

Agree Justin, fixed fl the way to go, I either use the 28 on my Q3 ( no choice I know 😂 ) or the 40 on my GR3 x , I used to use zooms on my Nikon Z and ended up flogging the lot and you know what ? I don’t miss zooms one bit , it’s surprising how you adapt.

Absolutely agree with this! Started doing it at the beginning of last year and now it feels strange, and a bit uncomfortable, to use a zoom!

Really enjoyed your images. Of course, there's a long tradition going back at least to Cartier-Bresson of using a fixed 35mm prime lens in photography. I used a Fujifilm X100S with its fixed 23mm (35mm-e) prime lens for travel photography during 2014-2016 and found it adequate for almost all purposes. Also liberating not to have to think about which focal length to use, as you describe. I think everyone who buys a Fujifilm X100 series camera thinks the same way. Also Ricoh GR and Leiica Q users, though those cameras have 28mm-e lenses. I still often go out with just the 23mm (35mm-e) f/2 prime lens on my newer X-T5 camera.

Sorry forgot to say, love those images, my kind of photography😀

I have one zoom on an A7M III. Everything else is prime, usually around 50mm but also some 35's and a 28. You get in closer than I do and use use black so well. I'll keep what you say in mind. I like the old CZJ's for their color and IQ. But it is more who holds the lens than the lens.

I agree that prime lenses tend to be higher quality and faster. But I'm struggling to decide between my 40mm prime and the versatility of my 28-50mm kit lens. The kit lens gives me the flexibility to switch between a wider 28mm view and a tighter 50mm view, which can be helpful in different situations. I am chrused.... which way to go :(

When I got my first camera in 1990 I could only afford one lens, a 35mm f2. I was in a situation where there was a lot of interesting things to photograph and I ended up with most of my best images to date. Over the last 20 years I’ve been somewhat lost in amongst multiple camera systems and too many lens choices, trying to recreate the magic of that first camera and lens.

Great advice. I wasted so much time as a beginner with just zooms juggling not only with exposure, focus, and depth of field but then also 'cropping' in camera. Nightmare! I've really enjoyed using prime lenses. I have now joined the L-mount club (inspired by the SL-3 launch (!) even though I can only run to a used Panasonic S1R) and will actually start with a Leica 24-70 zoom. But after my experience with zooms, I think I will use this lens one focal length at a time and definitely won't go zoom crazy like in the early days. The Leica Q stays for street and the freedom of a 28mm prime. I believe either the Sigma or Panasonic 70-200 has a lock button on it to lock the focal length which would be great to see on more zoom lenses then they can be used as 'virtual' primes.

I can't afford a good zoom so I just use the 60 to 28 kit lens, so used to using it now i don't want a zoom.

And good " LIGHTING "

Thank you for sharing. I find this subject fascinating. I guess everybody has an opinion using zoom or prime lens. Although I use zoom lens(24-70), I avoid zooming in or out, I use as if it's a prime lens (normally 50mm). I must confess I'm often tempted by shifting the focal length and do it. In recent years a lot of people start with a kit, reasonably priced body with a zoom lens. How would you think about it if I may ask. I guess you have some comments or opinions (pros vs cons) toward kits. Do you think a kit has a negative impact on beginner photographers ? What do you think about kit lenses compared to your experience ?

Yo todos los días salgo con una focal fija , en este caso es un 40 mm 1.4

Are you Team Prime or Team Zoom?