For street photography on a Canon 700D, should I choose a 28mm or 35mm prime?
Asked 11/29/2015
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I’m choosing between the Canon EF 28mm f/2.8 IS USM and EF 35mm f/2 IS USM for use on a Canon 700D APS-C camera, mainly for street photography. Which focal length is more suitable on a crop sensor, and are there other focal lengths worth considering for a small, discreet street setup?
Originally by Photography Stack Exchange contributor. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
Photography Stack Exchange contributor
10y ago
2 Answers
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If I had to pick one of those two, I would go with the 28mm IS.
But, 28mm or 35mm are both too long for close in street photography. For a small and wide lens, I would recommend the new Canon EF-S 24mm 2.8 "pancake" lens, EF 24mm 2.8 IS, or even the older Canon EF 24mm 2.8 for your crop sensor camera.
One of the so called "rules" for street photography is to use a wide angle prime lens and shoot close in to your subjects. Another "rule" is to use a small inconspicuous camera and lens.
(they are not really rules but more like common practices and suggestions)
You might even consider a 20mm lens. Canon and Sigma have some 20mm lenses but they are all rather large.
Originally by user39427. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
user39427
10y ago
0
Generated from our catalog & community — verify before relying on it.
On a Canon 700D, the 28mm is generally the better choice of those two for street photography. On APS-C, 35mm becomes a fairly tight normal view, while 28mm is a bit wider and more flexible for shooting in close environments.
That said, several photographers prefer going wider than either of these on a crop body for street work. A 24mm lens is often seen as a strong compromise: wide enough to include context, but not so wide that it becomes difficult to control framing. A small lens also helps keep the camera discreet, which is useful for street photography.
If you want the most street-friendly option on your 700D, a compact 24mm prime—especially the EF-S 24mm f/2.8 pancake—is likely a better fit than either 28mm or 35mm. Going wider still, such as 20mm, can work, but may introduce more perspective distortion with people and often comes in larger lenses.
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