What focal length should I use for street photography?

As with most aspects of analogue photography, there are no rules about what focal length is best for street photography. You should use the lens you feel comfortable with and that gives you the results you desire.

Many street photographers favor a relatively wide-angle lens, such as those with a 35 mm, 32 mm or 28 mm focal length, in order to capture everything happening in a busy street scene. You could even try going ultra-wide angle with the Lomo Apparat’s 21 mm lens, or the Atoll Ultra-Wide 2.8/17 Art Lens. However it’s worth noting that the wider your lens, the closer you will need to get to your subjects. So if you’re aiming to capture candid moments, there may be a limit to how wide you want to go.

A 50 mm lens is also a popular option, especially for quieter suburban settings. The 50 mm viewpoint may help you to isolate subjects and create simple and more intimate compositions. Your choice depends not only on your photography style but also on the environment itself. How busy are the streets you want to shoot on? And how wide are the streets themselves? If the space is limited, a wider angle lens may work best.

Lastly, there have been pioneering street photographers who were unconventional in their lens choices and achieved incredible results. Henri Cartier-Bresson shot almost all his work with a 50 mm lens, while Saul Leiter famously used telephoto lenses. Experiment and find what works for you!