What is the best focal length for travel?
For travel, a 24-70 or 24-105 mm zoom on full frame covers most trips. If you carry one prime, 35 mm is the most versatile: 23 mm on APS-C, 17 mm on Micro Four Thirds.
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 | One lens for streets, rooms and people | 23 mm | 23 mm frames like 37 mm | 17 mm frames like 34 mm |
| 24 mm | Squares, interiors and landscapes | 16 mm | 16 mm frames like 26 mm | 12 mm |
| 50 mm | Food, details and portraits | 33 mm | 30 mm frames like 48 mm | 25 mm |
Why these focal lengths
Travel mixes everything: streets, rooms, food, people and the odd landscape. 24 mm fits a square or a church interior, and 70 mm picks out a face or a facade. A standard zoom covers both, so you change lenses less.
A single 35 mm prime is lighter and usually brighter, so you can shoot indoors and at night without a flash. It's wide enough for streets and tight enough for a person, and you walk for the rest.
On APS-C the standard zoom is about 16-55 mm, and on Micro Four Thirds 12-40 or 12-60 mm. They frame like 24-80 to 24-120 mm on full frame.
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 a 35 mm prime enough for travel?
For many people, yes. It covers about 3.1 × 2.1 m at 3 m on full frame, enough for a street scene or a small room, and it's light. You'll miss the very wide and the long shots, like a whole cathedral from inside or a face across a square.
Is a 24-70 mm or a 24-105 mm zoom better for travel?
24-105 mm reaches farther: 19.5° across at the long end, against 28.8° at 70 mm. 24-105 mm f/4 zooms are also usually lighter than 24-70 mm f/2.8 ones, which gather more light.
What focal length is best for travel on APS-C?
A standard zoom that starts at 16 mm frames like 24 mm at the wide end. One that starts at 18 mm frames like 27 mm, noticeably tighter indoors. For a single prime, 23 mm frames like 35 mm.