This is why you should use a 35mm lens

A 35mm prime lens is an awesome lens and I urge all photographers to take a 35mm prime lens out for a test run at some point. A 35mm prime lens is a versatile lens you can use for many different subjects, and this is one of the biggest attractions of this lens.

On a full frame camera the 35mm focal length is considered ‘wide’ and is great for landscape, seascape and cityscape shots. The 35mm prime lens also makes an excellent portrait photography lens and is particularly useful for taking group shots and environmental portraits where the background is just as important in the photo as the person. 

Taking portraits with a 35mm lens requires getting up close and personal to the subject, which not only allows you to be able to talk to the subject, direct and pose the subject but also capture an engaging shot.

On a crop sensor camera the 35mm prime lens has an effective focal length of 56mm, i.e. a little bit longer than 50mm. This focal length is another popular focal length among photographers.

The way 35mm prime lenses are constructed and put together means you get a lot of lens for the money. They are optically very good and capable of capturing photos that will impress and amaze and (on the whole) reasonably priced. I say “on the whole” because there is one 35mm prime lens that is very good, but also very expensive – the Canon 35mm f1.4L. 

The 35mm prime lens I use is the Canon 35mm f2 IS lens (full review here)

Focal Length – Full frame/APS-C:- 35mm/ 42mm/ Aperture:- 2 - 22/ Min focus:- 9.4"/ Dimensions:- 3.07" x 2.46"/ Weight:- 11.8oz/ Image stabilization:- Yes/ Price (approx.) $USD/£ GBP:-$550.00/£445.00 

I chose this lens because the Canon 35mm f1.4 lens was bigger, heavier and way more expensive – there is no way I could justify spending so much money on a 35mm prime lens when there are several alternatives out there that are a fraction of the cost.

I also chose the Canon 35mm f2 IS lens because the build quality is very good, the image quality is very good and the image stabilisation, whilst not needed a lot of the time when using a lens with such a short focal length, is useful when the ambient light levels are low.

The Canon 35mm f2 IS lens is a cracking lens and one I am very happy with. The build quality is very good (although not up to L series standards – but this is to be expected), the image quality is very good and it is nice to use. The Canon 35mm f2 IS lens isn’t cheap but then it’s not that expensive either and, all things considered it is top value for money. 

Quick video clip exploring the pros and cons of the Canon 35mm f2 IS lens you may find useful:-

If you want to see what the canon 35mm f2 IS lens is capable of take a look at the Flickr Group photo pool.