28 mm vs 35 mm: which should you choose?
28 mm is a little wider and suits tight streets, crowds and small rooms. 35 mm is a little tighter and suits people, travel and everyday photos, with less stretching at the edges. On a full-frame camera, 28 mm sees 65.5° across and covers 3.9 × 2.6 m at 3 m. 35 mm sees 54.4° and covers 3.1 × 2.1 m. From the same spot, 35 mm makes everything 1.25x bigger.
How 28 mm and 35 mm frame the same scene
Which one to choose
- The difference is small. From the same spot, 28 mm shows about 25% more width than 35 mm: 3.9 × 2.6 m against 3.1 × 2.1 m at 3 m.
- Pick 28 mm for street photography close to people, in crowds and narrow streets, and for small rooms.
- Pick 35 mm if you also take portraits or photograph food and details. It's easier to fill the frame with one subject.
- Fixed-lens cameras split the same way: the Ricoh GR and the Leica Q3 are 28 mm, and the Fujifilm X100 series frames like 35 mm.
To see 28 mm and 35 mm on your own scene before you buy either, Prospekt (Lens Simulator: Prospekt on the App Store) turns your iPhone into a viewfinder for your camera body: pick the body, switch between the two focal lengths, and the screen frames what each lens would. iPhone app, $3.99 once, no subscription.
28 mm and 35 mm on each sensor size
The same two lenses on different cameras. A smaller sensor frames tighter, so each lens covers less and you stand farther back. Coverage is with the camera held horizontally. The distance fits a 1.8 m person in 90% of the frame height, with the camera held vertically.
| Focal length | Full-frame equivalent | Horizontal angle | Covers at 3 m | Distance to fit 1.8 m |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Full frame 1x | ||||
| 28 mm | 28 mm | 65.5° | 3.9 × 2.6 m | 1.6 m (5.1 ft) |
| 35 mm | 35 mm | 54.4° | 3.1 × 2.1 m | 1.9 m (6.4 ft) |
| APS-C 1.5x | ||||
| 28 mm | 42 mm | 46.4° | 2.6 × 1.7 m | 2.3 m (7.7 ft) |
| 35 mm | 52 mm | 37.8° | 2.1 × 1.4 m | 2.9 m (9.6 ft) |
| Canon APS-C 1.6x | ||||
| 28 mm | 45 mm | 43.8° | 2.4 × 1.6 m | 2.5 m (8.2 ft) |
| 35 mm | 56 mm | 35.6° | 1.9 × 1.3 m | 3.1 m (10 ft) |
| Micro Four Thirds 2x | ||||
| 28 mm | 56 mm | 34.3° | 1.9 × 1.4 m | 3.2 m (11 ft) |
| 35 mm | 70 mm | 27.8° | 1.5 × 1.1 m | 4.0 m (13 ft) |
Questions
Should I get a 28 mm or a 35 mm lens?
28 mm is a little wider and suits tight streets, crowds and small rooms. 35 mm is a little tighter and suits people, travel and everyday photos, with less stretching at the edges. On full frame, 28 mm covers 3.9 × 2.6 m at 3 m and 35 mm covers 3.1 × 2.1 m. Compare both over a photo in the free lens comparison tool.
How far do I stand for a full-body portrait with 28 mm or 35 mm?
On full frame, with the camera held vertically, about 1.6 m (5.1 ft) with 28 mm and 1.9 m (6.4 ft) with 35 mm. That fits a 1.8 m person in 90% of the frame height. On 1.5x APS-C, about 2.3 m (7.7 ft) and 2.9 m (9.6 ft).
What do 28 mm and 35 mm frame like on APS-C?
On a 1.5x APS-C camera, 28 mm frames like 42 mm on full frame and 35 mm like 52 mm. On Canon APS-C (1.6x), like 45 mm and 56 mm. For the full-frame look on 1.5x APS-C, use about 18 mm and 23 mm.