The Best Lens for Street Photography? 6 Options to Consider
The ‘best’ lens for street photography is a debate that has gone on for what seems like forever. Many purists stand by the traditional 35mm focal length as the only ‘true’ street lens, lots of folks recommend wider lenses like a 24mm, and then there is yet a smaller, but still significant crowd, who are ardent proponents of the 50mm or 85mm length for more voyeuristic shots and tighter compositions.
As you’ve heard me preach in the past, there’s no one-size-fits-all solution for every street photographer. Each person will have a different experience and perspective, so rather than finding the best lens for street photography, we’ll focus on finding the best lens for you.
As we go through each of the common options available to you, I’ll break down the pros and cons of each as they pertain to street photography, and supply as much context as I can to each so that you can decide which option resonates most with you.
See all my latest street & travel photography on Instagram:
Quick disclosure- For the sake of simplicity, we’ll be discussing focal lengths in their 35mm or full-frame equivalent. That means if I say 35mm, I mean 35mm as it applies to a full-frame camera sensor.
If you’re using a camera with a smaller aps-c sized sensor, you’ll need a slightly different focal length- in this case about 23 or 24mm- to achieve the same results you would with a 35mm lens on a full frame camera. If you’re new to how all this works, check out this explainer from B&H to get a better idea before we dive in.
Image courtesy of B&H
1. Ultra-Wide Angles (12mm - 18mm)
Now, I’ll be honest. You’re probably not hearing 12 or 14mm lenses being hailed as the best lens for street photography, but they do have their place in extreme architectural compositions, landscape work, and some kinds of street photography too.
Image courtesy of Yiannis Yiasaris via streethunters.net
Where you might consider an ultra-wide lens on the tighter end (16mm or 18mm) for street photography, however, is as a secondary lens for establishing shots, or snaps of hectic, crowded environments. This is probably not going to be the lens you start with or the lens you’ll want to have along if you can only have one, but it has to go on the list all the same.
An ultra-wide can be a great addition to your kit if you’re able to bring a second lens along with you.
Pros
Ultra-wide angles are a great complement to a longer focal length.
Perfect for photographers who might lean more toward architecture work than what is traditionally considered street photography.
Can be very helpful in close-quarters locations.
Cons
Often very expensive compared to other primes, especially where extremely wide lenses and ultra-wide zoom lenses are concerned.
Will put you ‘further’ from your subjects.
2. The ‘Not Quite as Wide’ - 24mm or 28mm
The first of three types of lenses (24mm, 35mm, and 50mm) that are most commonly held up as the best lens for street photography. This is your slightly-tighter-but-still-wide lens category and can be a great choice for many compositions.
Retaining many of the benefits of the ultra-wide focal lengths, but dropping the extreme distortion, these lenses prove quite a bit more versatile than those in our previous category.
Image courtesy of Eric Kim via erickimphotography.com
24mm is a favorite focal length for many street photographers. It’s wide enough to capture the whole scene in front of you, and yet not so wide that you end up with too many of your shots looking like ‘snapshots’ as some photographers say. Meaning when too much is in view, your SD card can become plagued with cluttered images lacking a strong subject or focus to draw the viewer’s eye.
24 or 28mm is a much more moderate choice than their ultra-wide cousins, but they will still force you to get very close to your subject if you’re looking to isolate them from the rest of the scene.
Pros
Many of the wide-angle benefits we discussed in the ultra-wide category, but much more versatile.
Still a great, if less dramatic choice for folks doubling as architecture or landscape photographers.
Typically more affordable than extremely wide lenses.
Cons
Less versatile than something like a 35 or 50mm.
Arguably still too wide to be your first or only lens for street photography.
Like an ultra-wide lens, a 24 or 28mm still requires you to get close to subjects.
Also consider- if you already own a 30 or 35mm lens, you might want something more on the ultra-wide end as opposed to a 24 or 28mm in order to have a more unique shooting experience.
3. The Myth, The Legend, The 35mm
The 35mm focal length gets a disproportionate amount of frankly, deserved praise. Especially from the street photography community, so let’s unpack why we sing its praises and decide whether it really is the best lens for street photography.
It’s wide, but not too wide, and can usually be had cheaper than most other focal lengths. This is especially true with slower f/2.8 versions.
If you decide to go with a 35mm lens, it will be a great investment for your street photography setup, but it’s still going to come with a learning curve. In truth, everything about the 35mm length tends to feel very general purpose or even in-between. This isn’t a mark against the focal length, but rather an important point to highlight in your consideration.
There’s a lot of hype around the focal length, but a 35mm lens will not magically give you gallery-worthy photos out of the box just because it happens to be a 35- it’s simply a versatile length that is not too wide or too tight for most applications.
It does a LOT of things really, really well, but it also takes a lot of practice to understand composing with this length. The lens does very little to add visual interest to the shot on its own because it is so decidedly in-between wide and telephoto. This makes it an incredible piece to add your own flavor and style to, but it’s not as inspiring to use out of the box as a wider or longer lens might be.
Pros
Extremely in-demand. All camera brands and third-party lens manufacturers have offerings at this length. Pancake lenses, fast f/1.4 versions for portraits, slightly smaller f/1.8 versions, manual, autofocus, zooms that cover the length, etc.
Very versatile
Affordable
Cons
Still not a tight lens by any means. You’ll need to work on that fear of photographing strangers even at 35mm.
As much as it can do everything, it can feel a bit uninspired out of the box. You’ll need to focus on your composition in order to get unique shots with a 35mm.
A 35mm prime is a must-have lens for most photographers, street or not, but this length does still demand that you get up close and personal to avoid the flat ‘snapshot’ type photos we’ve discussed. Everyone should probably have a 35mm sooner or later, but if you’re a total beginner, you may want to consider some other options first.
Honorable Mention- 40mm
Here’s where I’ll quickly throw in my personal favorite: 40mm. I don’t think it needs its own category, as it is sort of an unusual length for a prime so I’ll keep this section short.
Fujifilm’s 27mm f/2.8 WR pancake lens
It’s not quite as wide as a 35mm, but not as tight as 50. There are times I wish I could zoom out a bit, but it’s almost never restrictive like a 50mm can be in close quarters.
One of the best features of this length is that like 35mm lenses, they can be found in very small packages that can help you avoid sticking out as THE photographer in a crowd. See Fujifilms 40mm equivalent pancake shown here, or Sony’s 40mm f/2.5 FE for reference.
40mm gives me the best of what I want from a 35mm and a 50mm lens in one package. I believe the extra length adds just the tiniest bit of personality to images, and whether it’s because I know the focal length like the back of my hand, or it really is a bit of a hidden gem, I can’t help but come back to it again and again.
I won’t say definitively that 40mm is the best lens for street photography, but if you find yourself stuck between a 35 and a 50, you might consider trying one out!
4. The Nifty 50
If someone who had never taken a street photograph came to me looking for a lens recommendation, the 50mm would almost certainly be the first one I recommend.
Is it the best lens for street photography? Again, arguably, but certainly not for every photographer.
Anecdotally, I believe that it’s held in the same regard as the aforementioned 24mm or 35mm lengths by street photographers and is almost always just as widely available and affordable as your average 35mm.
While there are certain moments when 50mm can feel constrained, shooting at this length allows you to maintain just a little more distance from your subjects, which makes things a bit easier for the beginner who might be nervous about photographing strangers.
I have to admit that while I have a soft spot for the 50mm, I don’t use it quite as much as some of the wider lenses in my bag.
Pros
Tends to be very affordable, and widely available.
Slightly more compression and range than a 35.
Cons
A bit too tight for certain compositions, especially indoors.
Not quite as versatile as wider lengths.
I don’t think you can go too far wrong with the 35mm or the 50mm, but I do believe that the 50 can be a better starting point for new street photographers.
Where it might feel a little more limiting than something wider, it is a little more forgiving, especially for the less confrontational photographers among us.
5. ‘Portrait Length’ 85mm
I recommend the 85mm focal length a lot as an addition to an established set of lenses. I am by no means the authority on all things street photography, but what I do know anecdotally, is that it seems to also be a go-to for street photographers looking to switch things up a bit.
While the 85mm probably comes up more in conversations around portrait photography, and may not be most people’s definition of the best lens for street photography, there are certainly applications where a longer prime really shines.
Where a wide lens adds distortion and exaggerates scale, longer lengths add compression, meaning that the background seems closer to the subject than it really is. This is a length much like the ultra-wides we discussed which is more specialized and suited to particular compositions.
You will find that it is too tight for many close-up compositions, but can be a great tool to highlight details in a scene. It can also put you even further from your subject, so another great tool for beginners looking to get their feet wet.
Pros
Great for maintaining distance from the subject.
Creates compression, and can be used to capture details in a scene.
Cons
More specialized than 35mm or 50mm lengths.
Fast 85s can be larger and heavier than the other lenses we’ve discussed so far.
If you go this route, I’d urge you to try and accent your longer lens with something wider as you become more comfortable over time, but there’s nothing at all wrong with shooting at 85mm, and it can produce some fantastic results!
6. Zoom Lenses
Now that we’ve covered most of the typical prime lengths, it’s time to jump into the world of zoom lenses.
You will encounter street photography purists who swear up and down that using a zoom lens isn’t ‘allowed’ in the genre. Disregard this rhetoric entirely.
Street photography will never follow any one person’s philosophy, and the last thing that any art form needs is a set of arbitrary rules to follow.
If your local Facebook group is telling you that your work isn’t real street photography, that’s just fine. Not everyone has to strive to create images just like Henri Cartier-Bresson or Joel Meyerowitz or Fred Herzog or Robert Frank.
They are all brilliant photographers, but even they didn’t follow all of today’s street photography rules to an absolute T. Decide for yourself whether you’re inspired to imitate the pioneers of the genre, or simply take inspiration from their work. There’s nothing wrong with either route or dabbling in both at once!
In this shot, I was able to keep my distance and easily compose the image without disturbing the pedestrians crossing to achieve this layered effect.
Zoom lenses can be a great tool for beginners to invest in a whole lot of different focal lengths all at once, but consider the following:
Just Starting Out?
There are generally two schools of thought about zoom lenses.
Many experts swear by prime lenses as the best tool to learn photography. Having the ability to zoom in and out might be easier at first, but it can make you compositionally lazy over time. Gaining familiarity with a prime length and ‘zooming with your feet’ brings you closer to the photographic process, and is an important factor in learning to craft great compositions.
On the other hand, you’ll have to take this way of thinking with a grain of salt, because zoom lenses also add a layer of convenience to the process that beginners are likely to appreciate. The best advice, in my opinion, is to avoid using zoom lenses as a crutch- especially in street photography. Instead, use them as a tool to learn and experiment with as you practice.
The Size Factor
Additionally, zoom lenses are inherently larger and more intimidating to subjects on the street.
This is rarely to your advantage when shooting, so do be aware of the size factor here. When I’m out with a smaller setup, it’s almost as though I’m invisible whereas a zoom can make you stand out or look more ‘professional’. Sometimes looking like a beginner or a clueless tourist is an invaluable skill in street photography.
It’s not that you’re doing anything wrong or trying to hide your camera, but it’s helpful not to have a spotlight on you in what can be a nerve-wracking and confrontational genre.
So while you might enjoy watching the wonderfully entertaining Pierre T. Lambert shoot with a 70-200mm zoom lens, just be prepared to feel a bit like everyone’s watching.
Aperture and Focal Length
If you are leaning toward a zoom lens, I’d encourage you to stick to standard zooms (typically something like 24-70mm) or a wider zoom like a 16-35mm. Additionally, if your budget allows, consider saving up for a higher-end f/2.8 zoom that will have an important role in your kit for much more than just street photography.
These will be bigger, heavier, and much more expensive, but they can be used for almost anything you might try down the road.
Pros
The most versatile lens money can buy.
Allows you to experiment with many different focal lengths all in one package.
Excellent choice for beginners.
Will be an important piece of your kit for more than just street photography.
Cons
Good quality zooms are bigger, heavier, and very expensive.
Far less discreet for street photography than small prime lenses.
Zooming can be either a tool or a crutch depending on your approach.
So is a zoom the best lens for street photography? I think they have a place in everyone’s kit and can be a great tool, but I’ll always be a prime lover at heart.
However, if you’re a beginner, they can make for an excellent gateway into the world of prime lenses, so it’s hard to say one way or another.
The best lens for street photography will vary for you based on your level of experience, style of shooting, and so many other factors. Are you comfortable getting in someone’s face for a shot? Are you just starting out and feeling a bit shy? Looking to dabble in the genre with a lens that will work great for more than just street?
Hopefully, I’ve given you some things to think about with respect to each focal length so that you can decide for yourself what works best for you.
Whatever you decide, let me know how it works, and be sure to share your best images with me on Instagram!
Have any questions or comments about this article? Let me know!
You can email me directly at nick@gunairy.com, or get in touch via socials. Thanks as always for reading!
