Favourite Focal Lengths

Whether we're amateurs just starting out, or more seasoned professionals, we develop preferences over time that become integral to what we produce. Below is a flavour of what I like to use when choosing lenses and their focal lengths. I own APS-C sensor cameras, so a lens' focal length has to be multiplied by 1.56 to make up for the crop factor.

21-24mm (moderate wide angle): this wider focal length allows you to stage action and movement in depth, without compromising on the cinematic quality offered by the slight barrel distortion on the edges and sharpness created by the deep focus. 21mm is Spielberg's favourite - and it's easy to see why. You can frame most types of shots, whether in real locations or more deliberate settings. It's wide without being too wide, and close enough to make you feel immersed in the action. It's also a very popular focal length for street photography for the same reasons, offering a subject in-situ rather than isolated from the environment. To achieve this look on APS-C, I use the Sigma 16mm F/1.4 & Fujifilm XF 14mm F/2.8 which work well on gimbals too.

40mm (portrait close-up): this versatile focal range is often-referenced as the closest to human vision. It's wide enough to give some idea of context, but focuses on faces and objects particularly well with bokeh and isolation of surroundings. It's a great focal length for closer shots, especially those that need to highlight human expressions in a naturalistic way. Ironically, it's quite a difficult focal length to achieve naturally as most lenses are offered either in 35mm or 50mm flavours. On my APS-C sensor, I use the Sirui 24mm T1.2 for video (37mm equivalent) and the Fujinon 35mm F/2 for stills (50-55mm equivalent).

60mm (tight close-up): this is an odd focal length, as it's tighter than your typical nifty fifty lens for portraits, but doesn't offer the same kind of separation akin to that an 85mm lens. I don't often use this focal length, but where it does come in useful is when trying to use a telephoto lens like the below proves too difficult in tight spaces. A 60mm focal length helps give you separation without being too tight. To resolve this, I use a combination of different lenses: the Sirui 35mm T1.2 (55mm equivalent) when I need cinematic sharpness and the vintage Prinzflex 55mm F/1.8 for a softer feel.