What is the best focal length for street photography?
For street photography, 35 mm on full frame is the most common choice. 28 mm is wider for crowds and narrow streets, and 50 mm keeps more distance. On APS-C, 23 mm frames like 35 mm, and on Micro Four Thirds, 17 mm.
Recommended focal lengths by sensor size
Each row starts with a full-frame focal length, followed by the lens that frames about the same on each smaller sensor. Where a common lens is close, it's named, with what it frames like on full frame if that differs.
| Full frame 1x | Best for | APS-C 1.5x | Canon APS-C 1.6x | Micro Four Thirds 2x |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 35 mm | The all-rounder: people in their surroundings | 23 mm | 23 mm frames like 37 mm | 17 mm frames like 34 mm |
| 28 mm | Close up in crowds and narrow streets | 18 mm frames like 27 mm | 18 mm frames like 29 mm | 15 mm frames like 30 mm |
| 50 mm | Faces and details from farther away | 33 mm | 30 mm frames like 48 mm | 25 mm |
Why these focal lengths
35 mm frames a scene the way you tend to notice it: a person and what's around them. At 3 m it covers about 3.1 × 2.1 m, enough for a shop front or two people talking.
28 mm covers about 3.9 × 2.6 m at 3 m, so you can stand close in crowds and narrow streets and still fit the scene. At the same aperture and distance, a wider lens also keeps more in focus, which makes zone focusing easier.
50 mm covers about 2.2 × 1.4 m at 3 m. It picks out faces, gestures and details from farther away, which feels less intrusive, but it leaves out more of the street.
To try these focal lengths where you actually shoot, Prospekt (Lens Simulator: Prospekt on the App Store) turns your iPhone into a viewfinder for your camera body: pick the body and a focal length from 14 to 300 mm, and the screen frames what that lens would. iPhone app, $3.99 once, no subscription.
Questions
Is 28 mm or 35 mm better for street photography?
35 mm is the safer start: wide enough for scenes and tight enough for one subject. 28 mm shows about 25% more width from the same spot and suits photographers who like to work close.
What focal length is best for street photography on APS-C?
About 23 mm for the classic 35 mm look, or 18 mm for 28 mm. On Canon APS-C (1.6x), about 23 mm. A 35 mm lens on a 1.5x camera frames like 52 mm, which is tighter than most street photographers want.
Is 50 mm too tight for street photography?
Not too tight, but different. At 3 m it covers about 2.2 × 1.4 m, against 3.1 × 2.1 m for 35 mm, so you photograph people and details rather than whole scenes.