Street Photography and 21mm

[TheInfamousAMF]

I just picked up a Voigtlander 21mm f/4 pancake lens and I'm asking myself, as a street photographer, if this is the focal length I've been missing all of my life.

I don't have great examples to show yet but wow is it nice to shoot this from the hip and get full body shots. It's also so incredibly easy to zone focus. I can't wait to get out and shoot more this coming weekend.

Does anyone else use 21mm for street photography? I often see landscapes and architecture touted as the best use for super wide lenses.

 

[danmitch]

I just picked up a Voigtlander 21mm f/4 pancake lens and I'm asking myself, as a street photographer, if this is the focal length I've been missing all of my life.

I don't have great examples to show yet but wow is it nice to shoot this from the hip and get full body shots. It's also so incredibly easy to zone focus. I can't wait to get out and shoot more this coming weekend.

Does anyone else use 21mm for street photography? I often see landscapes and architecture touted as the best use for super wide lenses.

21mm is a little on the wide side for me but I frequently use 24mm - great for getting really close and still including some background for context. Interesting you have commented about it being the focal length you have been missing, I have gradually gone wider and wider, from typically 50mm, to 35mm, then 24mm - perhaps I will join you at 21mm soon!

 

[TheInfamousAMF]

I just picked up a Voigtlander 21mm f/4 pancake lens and I'm asking myself, as a street photographer, if this is the focal length I've been missing all of my life.

I don't have great examples to show yet but wow is it nice to shoot this from the hip and get full body shots. It's also so incredibly easy to zone focus. I can't wait to get out and shoot more this coming weekend.

Does anyone else use 21mm for street photography? I often see landscapes and architecture touted as the best use for super wide lenses.

21mm is a little on the wide side for me but I frequently use 24mm - great for getting really close and still including some background for context. Interesting you have commented about it being the focal length you have been missing, I have gradually gone wider and wider, from typically 50mm, to 35mm, then 24mm - perhaps I will join you at 21mm soon!

The lens I primarily shoot with is the Cron 35. When considering what lens to add next, I was considering a 28mm since I learned to love that focal length with the Q. But ultimately I feel that it's too close to 35. But 21mm feels far from 35 and opens up more possibilities such as landscape, but I did not anticipate to love it as a street option.

 

[Rodrigue Zahr]

Oh yes, and on my M9 it has become the default lens.

I just picked up a Voigtlander 21mm f/4 pancake lens and I'm asking myself, as a street photographer, if this is the focal length I've been missing all of my life.

I don't have great examples to show yet but wow is it nice to shoot this from the hip and get full body shots. It's also so incredibly easy to zone focus. I can't wait to get out and shoot more this coming weekend.

Does anyone else use 21mm for street photography? I often see landscapes and architecture touted as the best use for super wide lenses.

 

[David Kieltyka]

The lens I primarily shoot with is the Cron 35. When considering what lens to add next, I was considering a 28mm since I learned to love that focal length with the Q. But ultimately I feel that it's too close to 35. But 21mm feels far from 35 and opens up more possibilities such as landscape, but I did not anticipate to love it as a street option.

I also like 21mm as a wider complement to 35mm. Haven't used it much for urban/street pic taking, but it's great for boardwalks. :-D


M10, Zeiss 21/2.8 Biogon (coded as a 28/2.8), f/8.

-Dave-

 

[chessov]

It is the lens you have been missing all your live for street photography! For the reasons you mention (full body and ease of zone focussing), because people don't realise they are in your frame up close, and because it's more forgiving of slow shutter speeds. Great for hip shooting and for cramped places (think tube/subway). The main thing when shooting from the hip is trying to make sure the horizon is level as sideway tilts are not pleasant with a focal length this wide.

 

[Irakly Shanidze]

To my taste, this is not a lens to use for the street. The wide angle perspective is overbearing making all pictures look the same. It looks cool at first, but gets tired quickly. Also, shooting from the hip almost never results in shots that look well-conceived.

Of course, there are situations where 21mm is indispensable, yet those are not common.

--
Irakly Shanidze
www.shanidze.com/en
www.artphotoacademy.com

 

[northernlightsphotos]

2362631[/ATTACH]
Voigtlander 21mm f4.5 on Leica T.



Irakly Shanidze, post: 62999823, member: 232415"]
To my taste, this is not a lens to use for the street. The wide angle perspective is overbearing making all pictures look the same. It looks cool at first, but gets tired quickly. Also, shooting from the hip almost never results in shots that look well-conceived.

Of course, there are situations where 21mm is indispensable, yet those are not common.

--
Irakly Shanidze
www.shanidze.com/en
www.artphotoacademy.com

I only used it on the T which is 1.5x crop (32mm). Not bad a lens. Nevertheless i used the CV12 f5.6 (18mm FOV) for street was just too wide. Like what Iraky said interesting at first but cliche after a while with no composition. But just a personal opinion.

--
I like street!

Prisoners Dilemma

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[northernlightsphotos]

24 lux asph on M240 shot at f1.4. Streets of Jodhpur, Rajesthan, India.

I do like the 24mm FOV but it’s the max I can go whilst using the shallow depth of field play which is not usually how street should be shot (f8,f16 on at least 1/200s shutter)

--
I like street!

Prisoners Dilemma

Explore Prisoners Dilemma’s 818 photos on Flickr!

www.flickr.com

 

[Paul20]

Oh yes, and on my M9 it has become the default lens.

Rodriguez- how do you manage the colour shifts at the corners are you running the photos through corner fix ?

Thanks

Paul

 

[Irakly Shanidze]

24mm is the wides that I go on the street

 

[chessov]

Not all landscape pictures at 21mm are the same, I don't see why that should be the case for street.

 

[bosjohn21]

i have done a lot of street and I have had a twenty one but found over time it was actually a bit too wide or rather I did not deed that much coverage . The Zeiss 21 f2.8 is a superlative lens very much in contention fot best performance in real use. I naturally gravitate to the twenty eight mm these days for street and I like to take only one lens and one body with akmost no accessories, traveling light makes it mush faster ti stir and shoot.

 

[Rodrigue Zahr]

Hi Paul,

I use CaptureOne Pro, I do regular adjustments to my taste but nothing special really.

Oh yes, and on my M9 it has become the default lens.

Rodriguez- how do you manage the colour shifts at the corners are you running the photos through corner fix ?

Thanks

Paul

--
http://www.flickr.com/photos/47134895@N05/

 

[Khun_K]

I just picked up a Voigtlander 21mm f/4 pancake lens and I'm asking myself, as a street photographer, if this is the focal length I've been missing all of my life.

I don't have great examples to show yet but wow is it nice to shoot this from the hip and get full body shots. It's also so incredibly easy to zone focus. I can't wait to get out and shoot more this coming weekend.

Does anyone else use 21mm for street photography? I often see landscapes and architecture touted as the best use for super wide lenses.

I think if you ask a true master that the only thing for him is a camera with 21mm lenses to shoot on the street then he would still come back with works. I think the only difference in photography, particularly street photography, is to go out shoot or stay home saddened with the thought of limited equipment. I have seen some very interesting shots with the fisheye lenses and why not 21mm.

 

[Irakly Shanidze]

Yes, a true master will go out with a tin can and come back with at least a few exhibition quality shots. The question is, will he perform well because the equipment is good for the job, or despite the fact that it isn't? Real masters find what suits them the best and then perfect their skill.

 

[bonesetter]

To my taste, this is not a lens to use for the street. The wide angle perspective is overbearing making all pictures look the same. It looks cool at first, but gets tired quickly. Also, shooting from the hip almost never results in shots that look well-conceived.

Of course, there are situations where 21mm is indispensable, yet those are not common.

I agree, although I have used fish-eye's for street - with moderate sucess, but a keeper is rare

What would be your widest comfort option for street

Mine is ~28mm

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https://www.flickr.com/photos/10752586@N06/

 

[chris102]

21mm used to be my favorite street focal length, mainly because I didn't need to fiddle with focus or aim. Here's one:

 

[Irakly Shanidze]

mine is 35, but most of my street keepers are actually 50.





--
Irakly Shanidze
www.shanidze.com/en
www.artphotoacademy.com

 

[chessov]

21mm