The BEST Focal Length to Use

my favourite lens right now is a little 70-200mm kit lens on an apsc camera, i've been having so much fun taking photos of the dogs running around in the park. But I have 10mm through 400mm covered with 4 zoom lenses, and I use them all fairly regularly for landscapes and moon photography

I've been using a 16mm-35mm and a 85 mm for portraits. For landscapes I love a 75-200mm and a 16-35mm.

From my part I do mainly portraits, but as I am just an advanced amateur, I did not spend a lot for my lenses (I have an old EOS 6D camera). I use a Sigma 50mm 1.4 ART and a Tamron 90mm 2.8 (a macro lens but works well for portraits). Otherwise I have an EF 70-200mm L 4.0 for other types of photos as well as a Sigma 24-105 mm 4.0 for multiple usages

35mm and 85mm my favourite Lens

24mm, 50mm and 105mm on nikon z8.

Thanks Julia. The 85mm shots are the most beautiful ones to my eyes amongst all focal lengths. Are those pictures from a dedicated video on 85mm? I want to see more of it, but couldn’t find it.

40 mm ♥️

Each one serve a purpose so all must have

For portraits and people group photography I like to switch back to film, usually B and W, but sometimes color. I use a manual focus Nikon FM with a 28mm F2 Nikkor for wide, then I get headshots and such with an 85mm F2. This combo has worked well over the years. Since the people are standing still, manual focus isn't a problem. I realize that these vintage lenses aren't the sharpest, but for people, sharpness is a drawback. If you start out with a sharp image you usually have to process out the sharpness unless your subject is a young person with perfect skin or an older person with tons of makeup.

Could you do this video for cropped sensors?

Hi Julia, I wanted to ask regarding the canon RF 50 mm F1 .8 is that the lens that you’re using?I know you switch on and off regarding Canon and Sony. I’m looking forward to getting the Canon EOS R just with the prime lens that you had recommended I just want to stay simple and I have a lot of other ideas in mind. Just wanted to ask your preference thanks.😊


if there’s a specific 50 mm lens you’re more than welcome to share.

We sincerely are lost with all the informations you give about cameras and lenses 😢

🙏🙏🙏

What camera are you using in these?

Hi Julia I am not a professional photographer. Just an enthusiastic photographer. I shoot only portraits but occasional concert and landscape photography. which lenses should I go for. Currently I am having nikon Z 50mm 1.8.

14-30m F4s (Landscape)
26m 2.8 (Street/Buildings/Story)
50m 1.8s. (Street portrait)
105m 1.4E (Full body portraits with backgrounds)
That’s all what I need, 105mm 1.4E is mine favorite, but the biggest.
And mine 26mm 2.8 is mine “easy” use pancake lens.

Great video as always! Any travel bag recommendations to carry a 35 and 70-200?

Hello Julia, I have a question - why are zoom lenses not used more often, for example 23-50mm? This gives so much more flexibility and is the image quality really so much worse than with a 50mm? Thanks in advance for your help :)

I love 35MM. It is my all time fav for portrait, architecture and landscape.

What if I love them all for different reasons? That’s why perhaps I bought so many lenses. At the moment, I enjoy my Sony 35mm GM and Batis 85mm.

your color grading in this video have a little green on skin tones

35, 85, 135 is my holy grail for portraits, for landscape 14-24, 35, & 135. Sometimes I’ll use my 50 for fashion & portraits also but it’s not the one I reach for the most

Please note that this is probably based on a full frame sensor if you get a camera with a crop sensor a Canon R7 for example a 35mm becomes a 56mm (35x1,6x crop)

Could you please do a video on how to get started on moon cycle photography? That sounds so amazing!!!

I love my 35mm and 85mm f1.8 combo. One lens on the body, the other in a waist pack with a spare battery. Fairly compact, even with a full frame camera.

Muy buenos los tips de los diferentes lentes para usar 🙂

My Sigma 85mm lens is the one I've overwhelmingly used in portrait photography since I got it, though my Samyang 135mm has been more and more present. For travel, I prefer 24-120 (16-80/4 on Fuji X) paired with a fast 35 prime, which cover 90%+ of what I want to shoot.

I know people love 85mm+ as a classic portrait lens but I don’t like how it makes faces look rounder, I prefer 50mm and below as it keeps the face more slimmer and flattering in my opinion

Great video!! I am more inclined towards the 50mm for all kind and the 85 or 105mm for portraits ♥️

Wow !!; many thanks for sharing Julia; all of your suggestions make a lot of sense; just one question; aperture can compensate for different lens capabilities (backgroung blur) your thoughts?

Same as you, for portraits outside I shoot 35 and 85mm. But for boudoir photography, usually inside I shoot mostly 50mm, 35 if the location is stunning, and 85mm if I have the space inside. Also outside, I shoot also 14mm photos with a subject in the middle (usually from the back) if the location is epic: mountains, lake, desert….

Very beautiful ma'am like always. I bought a Google pixel 8a after seeing your detailed videos on pixel cell phones. And in the last but not the least. You are outstanding, very beautiful...

@JuliaTrotti Where was that clip with the jagged mountains, the green foreground, and the golden hour lighting? That was *amazing*. I want to add it to my list of places to visit!
Just tried the 14 GM yesterday. Interesting focal length. Much less distortion than shooting with the 12-24 GM, but everything not in the center does get distorted. Do you find that you need to compensate for the distortion? I'd love to try it for astrophotography! 135 and 85 are still the loves of my life though. :)

Hello Julia, I was wondering if you've every shot with a canon EOS R7 and what system you use currently?

I primes I own are the 35gm, 50gm and the 105 sigma. The 105 replaced my water damaged 70-200gm..I use my 35 during urban city shoots/non swimwear beach shoots and I will use my 50GM for swimwear, close ups (Jon Snip Style)/105 I use it for swimwear to compress the beach scenery that Hawaii has to offer.

Thanks for this!

Amazing video

If you search for Nikon P1000 space station someone filmed the space station going around the moon. I believe they filmed in 60p and slowed it down in post.

I have used my Panasonic 35-100mm f2.8 for protraits and in full frame that's 70-200mm. I always tell my couples I'm going to have to speak and and yell so you can hear me. I'm not trying to be rude its just so you can hear me.

For speaking to people I like 24mm to 85mm. 135mm is still good but you will have to speak up when talking.

I use my 200 prime just as much as my 35

Thanks, always interesting and informative.

Thank you Julia great summary.
I basically use 3 prime lenses: 35mm, 50mm and 90mm. I do general photography and take one of these with me for 1 day of shooting.
I have a 150mm lens, but i only tend to use this in landscape photography.

Honorable mrntions for portrait photography kings: Canon 200mm f2, Nikon 200mm f2.

Great insights Julia! I recently switched from fuji to Sony and revamping my kit. I have a 20-70 f4 and 85mm 1.8. I’m debating now on a wide angle zoom / prime and telephoto. Do you think an 24 f1.4 and an 85mm 1.8 is too big of a range for a kit?

50 & 85 💪🏻🥰🥰🥰

I almost never photograph people, and so I struggled with whether to get a 35mm or a 50mm prime. Ultimately, I ended up with a 40mm f/2 lens, knowing that it was a compromise. For me, and obviously everybody's needs will be different it was a compromise that I was willing to live with.

As for what I typically shoot, and what lenses I use, I am an amateur photographer who does this for fun, not to earn a living. I tend to shoot a little of everything including Landscape, Astro (mostly Wide Angle Astro such as the Milky Way), Aviation, Birds in Flight, a little bit of Wild Life and even Underwater photography when I am scuba diving.

I recently switched from Sony (A7R3) to Nikon (Z8), so I am rebuilding my lens collection. In addition to the Z40mm f/2 mentioned above, I have an unorthodox "Trinity" of zooms that works well for me. So far, I have:
Z14-30 f/4 S
Z24-120 f/4 S and
Z100-400 f/4.5-5.6

This gives me from 14-400mm in just 3 lenses with no gaps in coverage. My next new lens will likely be something for the Milky Way (Z20 f/1.8S) and some way to extend my reach a little for when 400mm isn't quite enough.

Thank you; my go-to lens is also 35mm!! I normally use 75mm or 85mm when I need something longer. Something like a 70-300mm is on my wish list.

35mm all the way.

I had a SL2 with a couple of zoom lenses (no prime). I recently started my full frame journey with a 85mm prime, and I am already feeling very limited. The great thing about it though is that it forces me to rediscover compositions, which I otherwise would ignore.