Quick point I forgot to mention. All focal lengths in this video are in full frame terms. That way you can work out for yourself depending on your system.
I was about to tell you this! Great video Roman. Thanks to your videos I've happily changed from a Canon EOS R (with heavy and expensive zooms) to a Fuji XE4 first, now just bought an XT4 which will be paired with my 18-55 + 35, all barely over 1kg and amazing quality.
I’ve been using the 85mm and 50mm range for about 2 years now. Just recently have I started to use the 35mm range and it’s quite a pleasing perspective in my opinion
hey, landscape photographer here, and there is a similar kind of discussion to have about what focal length you'd use compared to street. By going with your standards : 28mm for wide shots, 35mm for general purpose, 50mm for detail shots : For landscapes, the scales are not the same, you need to capture elements that are much bigger and much further away. I'm doing landscapes on hikes mostly, and there I have my two "modes". I'm either going to take a picture of something far away, like a full landscape, mountain, what ever, or I'm going to take the picture of something I'm coming by when I'm walking. For the latter, well it isn't much different than street : my general purpose lens is a 35 (23f2 on my Fuji) and a 50 (35f2). I sometimes happen to get out my 85mm if I want to get a detail a bit further away, but that kind of lens is not as important I think (at least I clearly don't use it as much). If you want to photograph something big and far away, then you'll need two types of lenses that are extremes to what we've been using before. Sure, your 35 and 50 equiv can still work to an extent, but you're not going to get images nearly as striking to the viewer. My first lens is an ultra wide angle, generally 18 or 20mm to be sure to get all the scenes. I'm generally carrying around a 12-24 zoom, but since it's quite big and bulky I sometimes take panos that I then stitch together with my 35 equiv. For details shots though, the 50, even sometimes the 85 aren't enough in my experience. Here, I get out the 135mm equiv (either a 90mm f2 on a Fuji, or a VIltrox 85 f1.8), this kind of lens will get you very striking images about specific details in the landscape. Sure, you could take a 70-200 with you, but I would not recommend it on a hike as the lighter you go the better you are and the 70mm end of the lens is not very useful while the 200mm is sometimes too zoomed in for my taste.
@Shawn McCrimmon I would definetly advise you to look at a 85/90mm lens. The Viltrox one is a very good value. I'd also recommend you try out some things like 85mm equiv like 56/55mm lenses (if you have a zoom lens, try it) to see if that's the compression you're going for. For me it wasn't enough and the 200mm equiv was too zoomed in, I found the 135 equiv to be kind of a sweet spot
As someone who has the 23mm (35mm) as my first prime, I agree with your point that this is a good starter lens if you're not sure what you like to shoot yet. Now I'm using the 56mm (85mm) and I think i'm in the category who enjoys this focal length. I love the compression it gives and I notice myself being more creative with my shots because I have to work with a pretty tight field of view. But I'm sure if i hadn't come from a wider lens I woudn't have this mindset.
Great video! Well organized, well presented, lots of information and examples. You gave very human aspects to a very technical topic, both from the photographer’s and viewer’s perspectives. Your photos were really good and I could clearly see your talking points illustrated in them.
I am in Bursa at the moment and had only the X-T3 and XF 16-55mm with me. Amazing camera and lens, amazing for everything except street photography. I did buy the X100V at the Fuji Shop, 600 euro price difference in Europe. It’s the most beautiful and amazing travel camera I used so far. I did some street photography at the bazaar and the 35mm is perfect. I also made some great portraits, documentary, architecture, landscape and night photography pictures.
If conditions permit you can pano/stitch with the 50 and crop into that for a wider look 👍 So many carry foto-phones these days. I'd 1st chose a 50mm on a camera and also take the cellfone. Using both I'd get to see my preference in the EXIF data afterwards. Not sure why but I see the world at 50mm; that's when the connections start.
I had to sell my Fuji kit and only keep a Ricoh GR3. I wasn’t a fan of 28mm because I’m sort of introverted and feel quite intimidated by walking close to people. But after shooting exclusively with this focal length for about half a year I became a fan of it, if you get the composition right you can get some really interesting shots. Still saving up to buy another Fuji kit with the 3 new primes. But I totally agree that each focal length has its own use case and I really had a lot of fun shooting at different focal lengths, but I guess I need to find a balance between enjoying taking photos and gear acquisition syndrome.
Thanks for this detailed insight into the different types of prime lenses. I have been looking at the 35mm and your video has just confirmed it. Cheers.
Great video. For me, if I’m only carrying one prime, it’s gonna be the 40mm equiv pancake. I’ll toss the camera in my jacket or a tote bag and I’m good to go. If I’m bringing an extra prime, I’ll pack the 28 and 50 equiv combo and pack in my super compact HEX Ranger Mini, which is perfect for just the camera and an extra prime. To keep decisions simple, If I’m with friends/family or in narrow streets, the 28 will be the one mounted on my body. If I’m doing street photography alone, I know I don’t like to get as close to people, then the 50 is the one to start with. The x100v is calling though, wondering if I’d swap the 40mm for it.
Used a 28 / 43-86 / 200 as my travel kit on fe & fm Nikons. On the fm I shot b&w, and on the fe reversal with a polariser most of the time and the exposure compensator set to under expose by a 1/3 of a stop. For really quite and unobtrusive street photography I went with a little Rolli TE that I picked up in Singapore in 83. In hindsight I wish I had of also grabbed the a secondhand Nikon range finder.
Late to the game on this conversation. I have the 85mm most of the time for architecture and street photography and I visit downtown Toronto most of the time. It is tight and sometimes you cant get the photos you want, but it allows you to focus on the textures and building material of the facade, its shadowing, etc. In that case I agree, it becomes almost abstract. However, I am still able to take photos of the street and prefer the 85mm because I still end up cropping most of the photo if I use the 35mm. I do have the 35mm and is on rarely. Like in the previous video, I seemed to have my niche with the 85mm and stick to one lens, albeit unconventional.
Haha what does across the puff mean? But seriously thank you for this video Mr. Fox. I loved the detail you provided and I really really appreciate the sample photos. That's often missing from these types of videos or they just take the same simple photo with the same lens which isn't very helpful in the really world. I appreciate it!
how to choose? put all your lens in a bag, reach in, whatever you happen to pick out is the right lens. every lens gives you a different eye, every lens has its own charm.
Buy used lenses and try them out. Keep one sell, the other. You won´t lose much money on Ebay & Co. The fuji-system is made for these kind of experiments.
This video is nice but confusing, because u talk about FF focals, but u use ASPC focals ... so your advice with 35 mm doesnt apply to 35 mm f 1.4 fujifilm or 33 f 1.4 fujifilm. So thats nonsense.
As you have said on more than one occasion, "not everyone is comfortable with up close and personal lenses", but the 23mm f2 Fuji was my first and only current prime. I love it and on the street xt3 with 23mm and very minimal kit gives the impression of a tourist and people pay very minimal attention to what I'm doing. It does really help subconsciously to bolster my confidence. Great video again Roman, keeping it real, thanks mate.
Im definitely a 85mm guy! Here in athens the streets have way to much "noise" and the 85mm helps me to compose only what is necessary. And i love to pair that prime with a 17-50 lens. Loved the video
I visited Athens on my honeymoon this May! It was absolutely stunning. Of course we mainly saw Athens tourist areas but we really enjoyed the energy of the city. We actually visited the week before the elections so there were all kinds of demonstrations and parades, it was incredible. One thing we both noticed is that the mopeds/motorcycles will squeeze into absolutely anywhere where there is space for them to go. It's totally different to the U.K. attitude and actually quite refreshing. There's a lot of trust involved and noone argued or shouted. I didn't think of using a short telephoto, in fact I purchased the 16mm f/2.8 (24mm equiv.) in order to ensure I could fit everything in if my X100V wasn't wide enough. Such a short and simple comment has inspired me to think longer in focal range, thank you!
Thanks Roman, another great video. For years I was a 28, 35, and 50mm guy. Perfect. But, carrying three lenses was getting a bit much (plus another issue which I will cover below). I found a great solution. I now carry two Voigtländer lenses. 21mm and the 28mm (stick with me, it will make sense soon). The 21mm = 31.5mm FF equivalent. This now covers the original 28 and 35mm with literally half a step either forwards or backwards when composing. The 28mm = 42mm FF equivalent which again, with a step forward or back when composing, now covers me for the 35mm and 50mm. See, whilst carrying three lenses was annoying, it wasn’t my main issue. My issue was feeling like I always wanted to swap out lenses when I came across a scene (too tight or too wide). However, in both of these instances, I now feel like I am right in between and can make the images work more often without feeling like swapping out lenses. Even swapping between these two lenses is rare because most often, a location will generally be fairly spread out so I reach for the 28mm, or they might be super tight compact streets and I reach for the 21mm. Then, they generally stay on the body for the entire walk/shoot! I know this isn’t for everyone, but it has changed my world for the better. Thanks again for your inspiration Roman. ✌️
@@prithvim7The video was about primes, and my reply was some real world experience to add to the discussion. But all good bro. Keep zooming with your 15-50 👍
@@danfarmer_photo lmao I have never seen someone being this butt hurt over a lense suggestion, Tip 1:be respectful first to get respect from others. That said I'm done here
I’ve seen more than one of these “which primes should you choose” videos. This one is easily the best. Paired with your excellent images, it was a joy to watch.
Moving from the kit zoom lens that came with my X-T3 into prime lenses was a significant turning point in my appreciation of photography. Initially started with a 35mm, but ultimately fell in love with a 50mm that I use for street photography. Thanks Roman for helping guide me towards this setup.
I sold all my f2 primes... honestly part of me regrets it due to how compact they were and I miss that. However the new f1.4 lenses specifically the 33 and 18 are just so much nicer with regards to video AF as well as low light capability. Also they are sharper so my 18 can be cropped to 23 and 33 to 50... so to me they are worth it although I really miss the small form factor
@@snapsbyfox Thanks for the info. I would like to have the 33 and 18 as well, but as an amateur they are just not affordable at this point. Maybe it's time to look for things around the house to sell!! :-) Have a great day.
Great to meet you today, Roman. Really nice to chat and it’s ironic that this video covered much of what we spoke about. Hope I didn’t stop you getting any shots today lol. Really enjoyed seeing how you and Mark work, especially with different styles. All the best. Tony
For me the 75mm (50mm cropped) is so far my fave. Being a slight introvert who does not enjoy invading peoples spaces it's the perfect focal length. Not too far and not too close. Since the Fuji one is a bit on the expensive side, I got myself a cheap little TTArtisan F1.2 for 120 Euros and it's now my new favorite. It's fully manual and boy is it FUN!!! It reinvigorated my passion for photography.
I too purchased the TTartisan 50 f1.2 to replace my Fuji 50 f2. For the price, it’s an unbelievably good lens with a great focus ring for easy manual focusing.
Well I used 35 , 50 , 85 , and more but recently I bought a 25 mm 7Artisans for my Fuji and I am using it so much it’s very nice and good to use on the Streets It’s very important for any Street Photographer to use multiple prime lenses because each one will improve his skills specially when it comes to find a good composition Thank You for the video man keep shooting and keep sharing It’s always good checking out your videos Thank You again …
I've just swapped my 56mm f1.2 for the 50mm f2 as I wasn't really using the 56mm. Wow what a fantastic lens the 50mm is. I'm blown away by the sharpness even wide open and it's a lot faster at focusing compared to the 56mm. Obviously it also has the weather sealing. I haven't had chance to use it for Street yet but it'll be a fantastic addition to my kit alongside the 35mm f2
Thanks for this review. It's a constant battle over which lenses to pack with you and which to leave behind. I've found that you simply have to be prepared to miss a few shots, no matter what when you are shooting primes. Instead, focus on the pics you can get with the kit you have with you. On the other hand, that's why zooms were invented.
For street photography I just put on my Tamron 28-200mm which covers all the focal lengths mentioned in this video and beyond. And it’s very good optically as well.
Good evening Roman. I'm interested in many things, mainly watersports, but since one year more or less photography as well. How ever, you're the only one I'm following. I think you are doing really great and you're a good guy. I would like to ask you something: Last year I bought a Fuji X-T5 in black/silver bicolor in a 16-80 Kit. Now I would like to buy my first prime. I'm swinging between the Fuji XF 23mm f/2 R WR and the XF 35mm f/2 R WR both in silver. Which one would you recommend to me for street photography? I want to own only one tele and one prime. So if you're talking about the 50mm, I should buy the XF 35mm f/2 R WR fur my X-T5, right? Kind regards Giulio
Hello sir... I'm from India and professionally a Pharmacologist but I'm in love with Streetphotography n for that I have bought a FUJIFILM XT30 II with XC15-45mm F3.5-5.6 OIS PZ kit lens and shooting with it. But want to get my perfect Focal Length and thinking about FUJIFILM XC 35mm f2 ( not Weather Resistant ).... is it okay ? Is it sharp enough even for night Streetphotography ??? Need your guidance 🙏
Choosing a prime for Street is not daunting. Here are three easy, peasy steps. 1. Choose the focal length. Look at your images and run a histogram / probability distribution on their focal length. Choose the focal length at the mean in the range of 28-50mm. 2. Choose aperture. How fast do you want/need it? 3. How much do you want to spend? Keep in mind that generally faster means heavier, bulkier. Based on that, look for lenses available in your camera mount.
Canon 10-18 adapted lens to a XT3 is a great choice, gives you about 16 to 28 focal length with Fotodiox adapter......for the wide world. Small, lightweight setup. Use Canon 50mm 1.8 STM to get the 75 mm focal length, again with the adapter. Very light. What do you think?
Great points instead of pixels! You said a lot positives about 28, eg nothing coming close to that when it comes to involving the viewer to the scene etc. Any particular reason why you'd think 24 wouldn't do this even stronger?
Great video. My thoughts are almost exactly inline with yours. I’ve been shooting street since around 2014 and have tried all four primes that you mentioned at one time or another. My go to is a 23/24 on crop sensor and 35 on full frame. I feel this gives me the look and feel that I set out to achieve. Although not ideal, most people have a kit lens. I usually suggest that they go out and shoot with it for a couple weeks to a month. Review your photos and see what photo lengths you tend to migrate to naturally. Then get a prime close to what you shoot the most.
I would really really love to see 18mm f2 WR! Does anyone think that maybe we will see it in future? I would love to have 18mm f1.4 and 33mm f1.4, but 18mm f2 WR and 35mm f2 WR for traveling would be best for me
Hi mate, I love your videos but I do believe you need the 23 mm 35 mm equivalent. It's just classic and it works and if you want to improve your photography you do need that lens because it gives you a focal length that makes you work for the shot. It's not perfect. You have to move back and forwards, low high, but it gives you that classic look that will improve your photography. He's just my opinion and I'm a professional photographer in Australia but I just don't have a fancy RU-vid channel
X100V is 23mm, 35mm equivalent I know, but its not 35 its 23. As far as 50s go, if you ever dig in to adapted lenses, its about 90% 50-58mm lenses. The 85 is pretty well known as a portrait lens. It works great on head and shoulder shots. Some of the 85mm (and 56mm equivalents) are just the best glass I've used.
To be clear, are you talking about these focal lengths on a cropped of full frame sensor? A 28mm on my Z6 would turn into a 42 on your Fuji. So to get the same effect as you I would use a 35 or 40.
I really love the 28-35 range and appreciate the 50mil. When I bought my xpro3 I bought the 23 to have that 35mm eq that I like. I also bought a Mitakon 35mm to have a 50mm eq. But lately, thanks to you and Eren and after hesitating for more than a year I acquired the xt4 and I really, really been enjoying having the 35mm eq and the 75mm eq by adapting my Pentax 50mm 1.7. It's really fun to have 2 cameras with the almost extreme opposite focal lengths. The 75 eq is pushing me to see, or rather pay more attention to things I would usually ignore with a 28-35 eq because of the "maah, too far, can't reach" effect. That let me think of the "perfect trio", Fuji x100v, xpro3 with a 75mm eq and xt4 with a stabilized 16-50 for video. I have to go, I need to write a letter to Santa Claus.
i feel the 35mm(ff) 23mm (apsc) is the best (not perfect) focal for street. i enjoy shooting 23mm on my fuji. its pretty versatile for wide shots and close up shots. i have many great shots and i think most street shooters should definitely start with this focal length.
At the moment, the 40mm focal length is very trendy... You can find 40mm lenses or equivalent in apsc or m4/3 in camera manufacturers like Nikon, OM System, Panasonic, Ricoh, etc.
Thanks for sharing your thoughts and comments Roman.... Although I am only a hobbyist I have the 35 & 50mm & yes they are great to use.. I also have & use a 12-24mm Tokina lens which can be useful in tight areas such as narrow lanes... recently I was shooting graffiti in a very narrow lane & the 12-24mm was perfect.... cheers from Australia 😀
I like the 50mm equivalent for the most natural compression look of the photo. But I also like the wider 35mm equivalent. I am waiting for fuji to make a good 40-42mm equivalent f2 lens to the same quality as the 50ish equivalent (35 f2)
I quite like using both 24 and 35mm full frame or full frame equivalent field of view. 85mm for portraits, close or mid distance. 35mm is my most used prime lens. Least used is 50mm.
Thank you Roman for this clear and useful video. I shoot street and have all the focal lengths you mentions and some more... Personally I especially love the dynamic feel of the 28mm that makes the spectator feel inside the scene. But I also adore Alex Webb with his 35mm and Bresson with his 50mm. There's room for all.
Great, great thought about considerations and priorities! I agree on the wide angle when doing street photography. People don't seem to know they are in frame. Often times I do aim at something not wanted, maybe up high in a building (not taking a picture). Take a fake look at the LCD screen, and then pop it up and get the people in the frame. By that time I think people think they are not the subject, and if paying attention they think I don't know what I'm doing. Well that part could be true ;)
One advantage the wider lenses have is that you can zone focus them more easily so you can react quickly if you need to. I mostly use a 50 though, just like the look.
@@snapsbyfox btw - do you use polarizing filters? should I get one for the 23mil? I'm using it on other lenses like the 16-80 wich I also take with me on holidays, but I've never used one in the 23...
Thanks Roman. Nice concise and thoughtful analysis. As an interesting option is the Tamron 20-40 mm 2.8, for if you switch it to APS-c mode, you can get up to 60 mm.
Very well done video making good use of photos to illustrate your points. The Fuji 23f2 (35mm equivalent) has been my go to lens for street photography for almost 2 years. I had decided to get the 50f2, but your video has got me thinking about the 35f2 or the new 33f1.4.
I’ve had the same dilemma some time a go. And now I have a 23 mm f2 and a 35 mm f2. I love that combination, Here’s why… ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-ImFXpyAA1b8.html
What are your thoughts on 24mm for everyday shooting? I know people praise the Fuji 16 1.4 constantly but I haven't found many good uses for that focal length.
The problem with 24mm (equivalent) is it definitely crosses the line into where the lens effect itself (technically only due to the subject to camera distance) becomes visible in the image. Sometimes that works, but sometimes it’s very distracting. 28mm doesn’t have this issue, even though you would think 28 and 24 are so close. Just my opinion. For video it’s indispensable.
When I’m in a city where theres not much going on, an 85 or 50mm really does the job focusing on nice details and creating creative images. I do feel like the wider (35mm) does give a more standard look which often leads (my opinion) to more boring/standard photos unless the composition is really good.
Here here! Damn pervert with your 85mm long lens sticking out! Put that beast away, have some decency and use a 28. Grab some nice normal iPhone looking shots 😂
on second thought that is a really nice tip. I find that I focus on the scene when I use 35mm and on the colors and shapes when using the 50. I also really liked yanking my kit zoom to 75mm, now that I think about it ...
The 50 is a good documentary lens, I thin you underestimate its value…. If you can find reflections, and shadows in windows it can tell a story… I had an image of a man walking in the street, h reflection was on the window. I shot at the window, and had his reflection, the bars at the window and I saw the street…This connection thing is about the way you approach photography in my humble view…. 35mm I really like Carl Zeiss Jena 35f2.4
I started out with a 50mm, but soon realized that I wanted something a bit wider. I settled with a 35mm, and I am very happy with it and take it more out than my zoom lens.
Great breakdown of focal lengths and why. Always good to to hear other’s opinions and reevaluate how we are shooting. Bye the way, what brand is the sling bag you had in the video? Stay well.
How I picked the best lenses for my street photography on my first try as a total beginner, follow this guide carefully: I bought a lens I was advised blindly, not even knowing what focal length is when I asked a beginner friend what to buy for photography, and I bought another one but bought the wrong one. Too broke to even send back I did with what I had, and I've never felt the desire to change ever since. Those are a 17mm and a 45mm for mFT (both f1.8). It works specifically because I didnt have a choice, and dealt two complementing lenses that don't tread over each other. One lens for a specific shot and not the other depending on what u want to achieve. Even now that I'm moving to APS-C, I'm scouring the web to find the most similar lenses in every aspects because I dun need anything else and they have become core to my photographer's eye. It's been 4 years now. I might add a longer focal length to enable that adds smth significant to my photography that my 45 can't achieve rn. But that's all. Might not even use it that much
Hi Roman. I've got a bit of a dilemma... My current line-up is: Sony G 20mm, Zeiss 55, Viltrox 85 f/1.8 (which I actually use for street) and the new 70-200 f/4. I'm wondering whether I should add a 35mm prime (the GM from Sony is such a sweet lens) or... a zoom from Tamron (28-75 g2, which is great, too) Any thoughts? I shoot mainly landscapes, street, and candid portraits.
Hi Roman. Your video on choosing a prime focal length was a great one for me. I have a Fuji XT30 with the XF 16 mm F2.8 and XF35 mm F2 primes, also the 18-55 mm zoom lens. I have been thinking of buying a used XF 23 mm lens, but wondered if it would be overkill with those lenses. I wasn't sure too, if the XF 27 mm would be better for than the XF 23mm and I Iike the idea of that lens being so tiny. I'll probably still get the 23 mm, but wondered what you may think about the 27 mm instead. Thanks for your thoughts and of course your videos and they are always very informative for us.
I have the 23mm and 35 mm (cropped) and 18-55 Zoom (cropped) but I was constantly curious about the 50 mm (cropped) that I saw Roman use. The problem is the price which I then bypassed by buying a 50 mm from TTArtisan F1.2 for 120 Euros. Most awesome lens I ever got. It's fully manual so I am definitely learning a lot about composition and light but it also didn't break the bank. When I went out first with it I was smiling ear to ear like an idiot. And since I don't like to get into the faces of people (bit introverted) it's the perfect lens for me. The 23 mm I like because it is wide enough that I can capture the entire scene/city/landscape. So for me the 35 is a bit in the middle where I am closer but not close enough to capture intimate scenes and also not wide enough to get the full moment. It's definitely a lens you have to fall in love with and really fight and learn.
There are a number of phone apps that simulate the field of view based on your camera/sensor and lens. A useful tool to help you choose a lens for your style of photography.
I mostly use my 85 mm and I got a 35 mm. I mostly shoot street, but also sometimes landscape. But 85 mm is my go to for street photos, I can get some nice details without being in the scene feeling anxious about my present with a camera on top of ppl.
I rarely do street photography, but I do enjoy your work and videos. With that being said the zooms todays are very close to the optics in the primes covered by the zooms. I would be interested in knowing why you prefer primes over the zooms, say 24-70 f2.8 or 24-105 f4?
Roman, great video as always. I've noticed that you also visited Japan often. I am heading to Tokyo end of March. As a photo enthusiast, I will be bringing my XF16-80. However, being that its widest aperture is at F4.0, I am thinking of bring one additional prime lens for lower light/night photography I have the XF23mm F2.0 (just like the one you used in this video), the 30mm F2.8 macro, and also the 56mm F1.2. What would be your recommendation? Would the long focal length of 56mm be too limiting? Any recommendation will be highly appreciated. Thanks.
Very nice video. I pretty much agree with all of it. I feel the same. I mostly own a 35 and a 50 and they are my faves. I do have a 90 for portraits in the studio but for everyday I am a 35 and a 50. I have recently purchased a 28 to challenge myself. Let’s see how that goes :)
Since I have ditched my old Nikon FM2s, in favor of a Nikon Z50, I decided to split the difference between a 35mm and a 50mm by using Nikon's Z 28mm f/2.8 lens, which becomes a 42mm f/2.8 on my camera, despite having other primes and a couple of zooms. I, also, carry Sony RX100 Mark V (24-70mm f/1.8-2.8 variable Leitz lens) point and shoot, for quick B&Ws.
Excellent video, I have recently got my first prime lens, NIKKOR 35mm 1.8G, love it to bits, totally agree with you reasoning. Keep going my friend, love your work..
Thanks. I’m relatively new to photography but have always been the one to find beauty when walking around town and/ or hiking through nature. I’ve decided to treat myself to the X-T5 and can firmly say that you’ve helped me dial in a decision on my first primes. I’m going with the 23 and 35 mm f2 lenses (35/ 50 equiv). I was torn between the 16-55 zoom and getting a few primes, but I really like the idea of having a smaller form factor because I travel so much. I also like the WR that the F2 lens provides and don’t feel like I’d get much use out of the extra stop of the f1.4 lenses.
I would agree that a 35mm prime is probably the most useful for most people. If you wish you had a wider lens, try a 24mm. If you wish you had a longer lens, try a 50mm. Anything wider than a 24mm and you are specifically looking for that wide angle point of view. Anything longer than a 50mm and I would probably go for a 70-200mm zoom.
