How Do You Find “Your” Focal Length?

And why 50mm might be the worst place to start

There’s a freedom in using a prime lens that lends itself well to street photography. Sure, it keeps you light, but it also helps to concentrate your gaze. It preemptively defines your canvas to tell a story. In one walk, you could see so many frames that removing the choice-paralysis of a zoom lens can make for a better shooting experience. At least, that’s what I believe.

But how do you know what “your” focal length is? How do you know if you’re putting reps on the right glass for your journey? I’ve had this conversation many times with other photographers and I always come back to two thoughts to consider.

The first one? Ignore the 50.

Shot on the Leica M11 with the modern Summilux 50mm F1.4 lens.

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My Problem with 50mm

I wanna believe it’s less prevalent now, but when I was beginning my journey in photography, the 50mm lens was the go-to lens for everybody. You bought a DSLR with a kit lens and then you just added a 50mm F1.8. Why? How dare you ask why! Don’t you know that this is what all the experts recommend?!

Learning photography in the 2010s was an interesting time…

The 50mm was a focal length that most “pros” and sales teams wanted you to believe was close to what your eyes saw. It was something that defined so much iconic photography that it was something you just had to have in your bag. What a load of sh*t that turned out to be.

I should also say, for the purpose of this conversation, let’s assume we’re talking about the full-frame equivalent perspective.

Shot on the Leica M11 with the Summilux 50mm F1.4 lens.

Look, I can see why the 50mm focal length adds value to many creatives but I just can’t accept that this is where most people should start their journey. I also can’t accept that this perspective is how most people “see” the world. For me, the 50mm is sterile. Too comfortable. It’s a safety blanket that lets you stand further from your story. It’s also something—at least if you’re asking me—that’s pushed on consumers by marketing budgets around the world to move cheap glass, increase average order value, and grow market share. We can have a separate conversation of whether or not that’s actually bad thing.

As someone that’s owned many 50mm lenses and enjoys them for some work, I routinely tell people to avoid starting your journey with this focal length. Consider this a specialty lens, like how the 85mm became synonymous with portraiture or 100mm for macro work.

So, this then begs the question…