The Best Focal Length for Travel Photography and Videography
Let me start off by saying that there are, indeed, multiple great focal lengths for travel photography and videography. Some epic landscapes call for a super wide focal length (such as a 24mm lens) to capture all of the details and vastness, while simple vacation portraits require a more zoomed in focal length (such as a 50mm or 85mm), as they typically provide more flattering portraits and the compression creates better separation between the subject and the background. You might be thinking that, because travel photography has so may different potential types of photo opportunities and requirements, a zoom lens is likely the best option for travel rather than sticking with just one focal length, and I’d generally agree with that. The only issue is that zoom lenses can be fairly bulky, and, when you’re trying to relax and just chill on a vacation, carrying a heavy camera set up around at all times can be, well, a pain.
I will admit that I do bring a zoom lens with me on every trip. The versatility is just unmatched and essential for the travel photography and videography that I do. I did, however, determine that I need a small, compact lens for the parts of each trip where I’m not specifically adventuring to take photos, but would still like to have a small camera set up with me in case I see something epic. This could be when I’m just simply walking to grab a morning coffee, relaxing on the beach, or even chowing down at a cool restaurant. One of the best ways to achieve a small camera set up is to use a prime lens, but that of course brought on the question, what is the best focal length for travel photography and videography?
After looking through my travel photos in Lightroom and determining which focal length I tended to gravitate to the most with my zoom lens, I found what works best for me - and what I think will work best for a lot of people looking for an every day walk around travel lens. That focal length, my friends, is the classic 35mm. Here’s why:
Provides a Wide Enough Field of View
The 35mm focal length is by no means the widest focal length out there, but that’s not the point here. The idea is to find a focal length that is just wide enough to capture most landscape scenes, while still having a bit of versatility to capture other types of content. The 35mm does just that.
35mm prime lenses are still considered a wide angle lens, but they’re not wide enough to create any wild distortions that you get on some of the super wide lenses. This is important because, on most vacations, you may find yourself near an epic mountain view in the morning, and then hanging out in a cityscape by the afternoon. Your every day walk around lens needs to be able to effectively capture as much of that mountain view as possible, while also capturing the cityscape view without distorting the architecture or roadways. A 35mm lens accomplishes that.
Some even say the 35mm focal length is close to what our own eyes actually see, which means that the images you produce will feel both comfortable and authentic to the viewer. And, for those chill walk around travel photos that you’re looking to snap, the field of view should be fairly chill as well, and represent real life as much as possible.
Creates Flattering Travel Portraits
Going back to the whole idea of distortion in photography, ultra wide lenses can actually create pretty unflattering portraits. This is because the wide field of view can actually make your subject’s face and features appear longer and unnatural. If you’re only planning on taking landscape travel photos and videos while you’re on your trip, you can get away with bringing a compact ultra wide angle lens, but chances are you’re going to want to snap some photos of either yourself or your travel companions along the way. This is, again, where the 35mm focal length can thrive.
Sure, a 35mm lens isn’t as zoomed in as an 85mm portrait lens or even a 50mm lens, but the focal length is zoomed in enough to avoid that unflattering look typical wide angle lenses produce on people. This is important, because you want to look good in your vacation photos, right?!
Plus, the 35mm lens is still a semi-wide focal length, so it allows you to take portraits of people, while also incorporating some of the background scene into the frame, creating some pretty epic environmental portraits in the process. Portrait photography that incorporates the surrounding scene is what makes the 35mm focal length, in my opinion, such a great walk around / every day travel photography and videography lens. The focal length is really in that sweet spot that allows for epic landscape photos, portraits, and a mix of the two all at once.
Fairly Compact Options
Lastly, 35mm is one of the best focal lengths for travel photography and videography because there are so many compact lens options out there in the market. I use a Sony camera, and there are a handful of options from both Sony and other third party lens makers, such as Tamron, Sigma and Samyang, that make compact 35mm prime lenses. This compactness, of course, is one of main requirements for an every day / walk around travel photography and videography lens, as it will ensure you’re able to easily carry your camera anywhere and everywhere.
You may also start to see some interesting focal lengths in and around the 35mm mark these days, such as 40mm or 45mm lenses. These can be great as well, and are certainly worth considering if they’re compact enough and the price is right. You won’t notice too much of a difference between a 35mm lens and 40mm lens, however a 45mm lens is edging closer to the classic nifty fifty (50mm) focal length. This just means that your framing will be a bit tighter, so you wont be able to fit as much of a landscape into the frame. But, if the size and price is right, give it a go! A lot of people like to use 45mm lenses, so it may work for you too.
Conclusion
The best focal length for travel photography and videography is obviously subjective. I would also argue that travel photography and videography requires multiple different focal lengths, depending on the scene and how you’re trying to capture it. But there is something nice about having a small compact camera set up for just walking around and relaxing while on vacation, and that’s where a compact 35mm prime lens can truly shine. The 35mm focal length will allow you to capture decently wide landscape shots, while also providing flattering portraits that incorporate some of the surrounding environment, helping really showcase the epic vacation you embarked on.