It’s dated now, but World at War is a fantastic documentary. As it was made in the 1970s it was able to interview many of the people who participated in the war. Especially fascinating is the episode on the Atlantic Convoys - it states how radar and the RAF’s strategy for covering convoys was what led to them sinking so many u-boats. In reality it was because we’d cracked the enigma code; but in the 1970s this was still under the official secrets act. Laurence Olivier is also an amazing narrator.

@jj9nf

Жыл бұрын

Probably the greatest war documentary ever made.

@jodeanesullens6588

Жыл бұрын

I really enjoyed it. I still am bothered by the Holocaust episode. As everyone should be.

@jj9nf

Жыл бұрын

The holocaust episode Should be compulsory watching in schools. I was only a primary school kids when it aired back in the day, but as there were only 3 channels at the time you watched what your dad watched most of the time. I remember watching and asking questions of my grandad who had fought in North Africa.

@jodeanesullens6588

Жыл бұрын

@@jj9nf Absolutely

@nh-ss5pw

Жыл бұрын

It is epic

Back in the day when fixed-lens 35mm film rangefinder cameras were very popular, the focal length designers typically chose for such cameras was 40mm (or generally somewhere in the 38-42mm range). As it proved to work so well in the past, it's not surprising that more and more photographers are once again enjoying this focal length today.

I think 95% of my photos, if not more, are shot on my 20mm F1.4 from OM System these days. I love the lens and the focal length! And I definitely agree with the power of limitations. Young me would bring so many lenses, but these days I only bring one or two. Also, I am older and don't have the energy to carry as much haha. I look forward to more videos from you using 40mm this year!

I really love the shots where the pale and cool in appearance icy/snowy trees juxtaposed against the bright warm and green evergreen trees on the sunlit hilltops.

I love your style of photography James, and really enjoy accompanying you on a shoot, whatever the focal length. Happy new year to you, Emily and Noah.

Not too long ago I picked up the Voigtlander 40mm Ultron f2, and I love it. It's like 35mm without the extra bits and bobs that I'd normally crop out, and it just feels a little more versatile and flexible than 50mm. The lens lives on my SLR now.

@FrankLeeRoberts

Жыл бұрын

Love this lens. See comment above. Im on my third copy.

@xander1052

Жыл бұрын

Still a big fan of my Yashica ML 50mm f/1.9. I wish I could stop down to f/22 but it's just a lovely lens to use.

Didn’t have enough money to buy the Nikkor 50mm S, but there’s a 40mm Nikkor Z Lens also offered. Well I got the 40mm f2 and it’s my favorite lens now because sits not way Zoomed in and not also too far away. Not only that but if you want more reach you can use DX mode for some cool results. 40mm is 100% here to stay. 👍

@Pantheragem

Жыл бұрын

I have both, but found I've gotten more use from the 40mm f2. I've always found 50mm a little bit tight. 40mm is totally comfortable for me, especially for indoor shooting.

Honestly, this is why I love my Rokinon 45mm f1.8. Amazing focal length, with a bright aperture in a tiny package.

@RandomThinker10

Ай бұрын

I use the same lens! Love the 45mm focal length

I hope you had a great Christmas and have a good New Year! I received all three of your photography books for Christmas and have really enjoyed looking through them!🎄

👍 Always enjoyable and informative, all the best in the New Year James.

I really enjoyed this week's vlog...especially since I just purchased a 40mm prime two weeks ago....I can't wait to see how you use yours in up coming videos. Thanks for sharing.

I absolutely love my 20mm Pany 1.7 for my GX9. It helps that it's such a physically small lens but I also just find it so easy to compose interesting frames at that focal length

@weisserth

Жыл бұрын

One of the oldest MFT lenses, I have the original version that came with my GF1. It's an evergreen lens that stood the test of time. I got a lot of great shots with that lens. I've gone a little wider with the Panasonic Leica 15mm now, but I come back to the 20mm occasionally.

@WhatsleftofTom

Жыл бұрын

@@weisserth I think I also have the first gen one, I bought secondhand and I recall seeing that the updated one didn’t really improve on it. I’m curious about going wider but I’ve not yet got the hang of anything wider; I’m never satisfied with the photos I take. Perhaps I’ll look at the 15 or the Oly 17 one of these days

@jgaffney567

Жыл бұрын

Lumix was hip before hip was a thing

@RdTrpBrgr

Жыл бұрын

@@WhatsleftofTom I was happy with the Panny 20mm, until I got the Oly 17mm f/1.8. Way faster autofocus. (If buying 2nd hand and you shoot videos, just make sure it doesn't make the loud clicking noise in movie mode)

I absoluetly agree. I got the sony 40mm as a small always on lens and I‘ve really come to love it. It‘s just fun to shoot and quite versatile.

Hi James, I do own a Nikon 35mm & 50mm F1.8. Having checked my Lightroom catalogue and I was amazed how many of my best images were shot around 40mm. I too have now sold my 14-30mm F4 because I hardly ever used it. You never know you could be right ! Happy New Year to you & the family.

Dear James, you do live in a beautiful region. I'm mostly an urban photographer, and sometimes finding inspiration when wandering the same city streets and among the same buildings is hard. Which is why I try using different focal lengths, to keep looking at my surroundings with fresh eyes. And I agree - while 35mm and 40mm look close on paper, they can provide perceivably different perspectives. Cheers, and happy 2023! //Rick

After watching your videos about the Ricoh GR3x I bought one and could not be happier - that tiny little thing is fekkin brilliant! I love everything about it and the astonishingly sharp yet characterful 40mm equiv lens is a big part of that.

Fuji 27mm is glued to my camera ❤

Great video. Lots of hidden gems of information in here. Thanks James. I really appreciate your work and thought process.

Thx for sharing your thoughts, I can totally relate. A couple of years back I noticed that when using my 17-40mm zoom lens I would either go with 17mm or with 40mm but nearly never with sth in-between. That is why I then added a 40mm prime pancake lens which has become my standard lens and body cap replacement ever since.

I'm normally a wildlife photographer (500mm!) but you've inspired me over the last few months to get out and try something out of my comfort zone.... thank you and happy New Year!

Can't get enough of your photos and the man made aspect in them as well ❤

I really like that 50mm look for environmental portraits when traveling, but it's often to tight to get a shot of a building or landscape. So 40mm and crop to a 50mm angle of view with high res sensors seemed the most sensible compromise. Plus, these 40mm lenses (Sony f2.5 and Voighlander f1.2) are perfect travel size.

James, entertaining video as always, Happy new year

Agreed! So that 40mm Sony is truly wonderful. Been testing it against the 50mm 2.5 G brother and the 40mm has some kind of magic by comparison. So light and tiny too. Ive got the 40mm Voigtlander 1.2, the 1.4 and the 40mm Rokkor all being shot adapted to sony cameras. LOVE LOVE LOVE THE 40MM!!!

@bryanladdphotography

Жыл бұрын

Love my Rokkor 40 too!

I love this 40mm lens on Sony. I initially picked up photography with the Panasonic 20mm F1.7 and the Olympus E-P1, it has been great to return to the 40mm equivalent focal length and I love the perspective it gives. Thanks for highlighting it, James!

@bastian.michel

Жыл бұрын

Same here. But I kept the 20mm ind addition with a Panasonic GX880. 350g in total. Hard to beat.

I bought this lens four months ago and I'm still blown away by the field of view, which is wider than a 50mm but smaller than a 35mm. The sharpness is stunning and the lens is lightweight so it's all good :)

Your videos inspire me to get out and take more photos. More than any other KZreadr.

The video footage / pics in this video was spectacular James ! That white with the colour from sun was pretty cool 👍 Love it ! Always luv ya last little piece before u end the video ! Makes me laugh 👍 HNY

VERY interesting timing on me coming across his vid of yours. I've been recently screening my photos to determine my favorite focal length to shoot, and I found that I have A LOT between 40-45... And I had actually been hunting for the best lens solution for my R5 to cover that focal length. Ha! I might have to join you on that photo project concept my friend! ✌️

Clear, interesting and game changing! Excellent stuff. I’m going to try it

I have a 24mm on a crop that I like to go out with for the same reasons you give in your video but to be honest I generally prefer to use my 70-300 on a FF. I like to pick out little vignettes and compress scenes. Each to their own and all that but I do agree that a 40mm or equivalent is a great way to focus your mind on compositions.

Hi James.. Very new to this photo making/taking gig and found your channel here quite by accident..Really enjoying your videos and the format that they take..nice and long too. Well done. Thanks for sharing, Andrew

I recently purchased the Fuji 27mm (40 mm equivalent) for my X-T20 especially because I find 50mm to be too long and 40 mm to be a better lens for my style. Super nice for street and style wide enough for landscape .... and also the fact that it's a pancake lens is the cherry on the top

think this is your best video yet. great work all the way around

This is a perspective that I have very much been thinking of over the past few weeks. Just got the A7IV and a 50 1.8 to use on it until I can spend more lenses. During those few weeks I have found that 50mm is too long for a lot of close subjects and compositions but not long enough for anything a little far away. About the buy the Sigma 24-70 2.8 Art so will be a good breath of fresh air. Love the videos, just found your channel over the past few days 👌

@carlboman3035

Жыл бұрын

They make a 28-70 that's alot smaller and lighter and cheaper. I have the 24-70 though and it is very nice but large.

@Olly.

Жыл бұрын

@@carlboman3035 After review, the 24-70 has much better weather sealing, better image quality and the bigger range. Only downside is that its 300g heavier which isn't an issue for me. And as its less than £300 more than the 28-70 I'm happy to spend that for that lens.

@piotrgraniszewski8544

Жыл бұрын

I use the 28-70 and I do not see any image quality issues on my A7 II and then A7 IV. Maybe landscape shots at infinity at 70mm require some stopping down, but that's it. 28mm is tack sharp and it is my favourite wide angle focal length anyway. I've made a couple large prints with it and the limiting factor is still the sensor. I love using it in the mountains. Very light and compact, easy to pack. My reasoning was the flawed sealing in 24-70 causing dust buildup on the inside of the front lens. A complete deal breaker for me. I do not trust Sigma to fix that issue completely.

I like how you are showing to others.... Its not about equipment, but how you are going to use it. Greetings from Finland! 😄 Oh btw, content you make is just pure gold! Thank you!

The Fuji 27mm has been my favorite for years.... not just because it fits perfectly on my X-Pro1 but the focal length just is very very natural on the eye

@grumpyrocker

Жыл бұрын

The same for me. The Fuji 27mm (41mm equiv) is such a wonderful lens. And it's a focal length that feels more pleasing to me than my 35mm f/1.4. The 27mm is one of the first Fuji lenses I bought back in 2013.

@jimmason8502

Жыл бұрын

@@grumpyrocker It's a perfect street photography lens.

@CianMcsweeney

Жыл бұрын

Love that lens, just wish they made an f2 version of it

@photohiker81

Жыл бұрын

Love it as Well, wo zu ld Love top See a f2 with closer focusing distance.

@marcusmphotography

Жыл бұрын

same(by that i mean on a canon camea though) i have a 17-40mm but i have a crop sensor so that would come out to 27mm and I find that most of my photos seem to come out around that range..

I liked your video as always James! The Canon 40mm f/2.8 pancake lens was one of my first purchases back in 2015, after realising that the plastic fantastic 50mm f/1.8 was too much of a telephoto for my 1.6x crop sensor DSLR back then. It was even covering full frame, so I kept it until today with my full frame DSLR and is still one of my favourite lenses because of it’s light weight apart from its focal length and sharpness too! One odd use of the 40mm lens that I’ve done was to make it a cheap macro with focusing rings, and digitize my old 35mm films from back in the ‘90s, in combination with a Nikon film digitising kit attached to that lens. I found out that it covers the subject of the film without losing precious resolution on the perforated edges of it as the 28mm that I originally used.

I find it fascinating that, in the video, the skies are blue with lovely clouds, yet in your final image you allow the sky to be blown out slightly. I'd have spent ages messing round in Lightroom, trying to bring the blue skies back, but your pics really work without the blue skies. This is something I need to explore more.

Great shots in this Vlog James. I've shot 40mm since 2015 when I bought the A7 and used an M mount Voigtlander 40/1.4 Classic! I later bought the Voigtlander 40/1.2E mount & about 18 months ago the 35GM for AF - well, for what AF the A7 manages.......! I do still have the 40/1.2E though & it's still a firm favourite! Also, the A7 relates to your recent Sony/Leica vlogs regarding the simplicity of cameras. Nice one!

The "standard lens" that offered the same angle of view as the human eye always got defined in any format as the diagonal of the image (film frame or sensor), and this is, with full frame, 43 mm. The closest aproximation to this in common lenses actually is the 40 mm focus length.

@joetrent4753

Жыл бұрын

I use a Voigtlander 40mm which has quite a big focus throw. I'd love to know the actual focal range the large focus throw actually gives me.

WWII doc well worth watching: 'Destination D-day'. All about the planning, build up and diversionary tactics used for the Normandy landings. Until recently, was only available on VHS but has now been released on DVD.

Well this is weird, this afternoon I was looking into the nikon z 40mm f2 and then your video pops up. Oh and I got your book collection for Christmas, love them!

I think that one of the best documentaries (if not the best) is the BBC's The World At War. Filmed in the 1970's it benefits from input from people who were actually there. Also on KZread is an excellent channel called Mark Felton Productions and he covers many WW2 topics. Hope you had a great Christmas and Happy New Year.

I agree with you on the 40mm, it really is a nice focal length. Not too tight, not too wide. I've been using a Konica Hexanon 40mm on my Sony for a few years and will probably pick up that Sony 40mm at some point.

James, thanks as always for great information. I really liked your comment "all of photography is observation" ; that says it all doesn't it. Looking forward to your next videos.

When you talked about the photo screaming at you, I had this scene from Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone with the book in the restricted section in front of my eyes 🤣 Beautiful shots again, I really like the one with the house where the seagulls were flying above!

I love my sigma 30 on asp-c so a full frame 45. First prime and it has stayed my favorite lens since I got it. Feels very natural to me.

Can you explain how your bringing out the frostiness in the photos?

I picked up a Voigtlander 40mm f1.2 earlier this year and it's become one of the lenses that's always in my bag. Compact size and I love the images it can produce.

I picked up the Ricoh GRIIIx and it made me fall in love with 40mm. No surprise you’ve come across similar observations. Before my last trip down to Argentina, I wanted to find a more compact way to bring my Sony full frame for some street/family stuff that wasn’t the 24-70 on my camera all the time. And well the 40mm 2,5 nailed it on the head.

I have a 28mm that I use with my apsc camera so that works about the same. But I can’t leave the house without a zoom lens. Thanks James - always great videos. Happy New Year to you and your family.

@CHoudijk

Жыл бұрын

30 mm on apsc here. But I use my 17-70 also a lot. May be due to the fact that moving around is pretty difficult if you can't leave the paths

@uwetrenkner9716

Жыл бұрын

I do not even own a zoom lens. Yesterday I shot 95% of my pictures in the studio with 33mm on my APS-C Fuji and some portraits with the 80mm.

I shoot a ton with my Minolta 45mm F2 and Konica 40mm at first I just didn’t mesh with it compared to the 50-60mm focal lengths I love but now they’re my favorite. The Minolta 45mm F2 is an absolute killer lens with its sharpness and it renders to nicely.

Ive got the 27mm pancake for my fuji which is about 40mm and i love it 👍

Interesting video - coincidently (or maybe not) it was that 40mm with the nice clicking sound that I put on my Sony A7c for xmas and it just stayed there. Together they are a nice & compact full frame combo, reasonably fast f2.5 and focal range that works in many situations

Completely agree with your assessment. I purchased an old Canon Eos 650 SLR a couple of months back. I have just finished my first roll of film through it, that's a total of 24 exposures in two months! In comparison, I'm on Anglesey at the moment, only been here since last Saturday and have shot 370 on my DSLR!! Film makes you think more about the shots you take.

My first camera in the mid-seventies had a 43mm. Really good compromise IMO for a single focal length camera. A 50 has advantages too, but the 40-45 range is easier to use in tight spaces.

I used a 17-40mm, often at long end, quite a bit when I first started in photography 7 years ago. When I look back at these images, I ask myself why I sold that lens as I really enjoy the images. I have an idea now why that is the case. Very nice video. Enjoyed a lot. Thank you.

What a great idea, shooting with a zoom but keeping it at a particular focal length. Going to suggest that to my photo bestie for our next outing.

Thanks for that video. I've kept an old Yashica GTN 35mm film rangefinder, solely because I enjoyed the 40mm f1.7 lens. Focus was hardly ever difficult to achieve. I use an 18-135mm lens on an APS-C camera but don't seem to be stuck on any particular focal length; so just as you were saying.... a fixed focal length makes you look for subjects that suit it.

I was delighted (may be a strong word for it but still..) that you made the difference between zooming and "zooming with your feet"! Moving around is good, but changing fov is something different.

I just bought a 40mm lens for my z6 ii on black Friday. I finally got to use it this week for street photography. That's what I bought it for. So far I like it.

The diagonal of a typical sensor is ~43mm (FF equivalent), so the closer a lens is to that focal length, the more “normal” it is. I’ve always wondered why more lens manufacturers don’t make 43mm primes.

@LoFiAxolotl

Жыл бұрын

because even before the 35mm film format came out "50mm" equivalents were the most used lenses and it's nicely between 35 and 85mm which are also very very popular focal length.... in addition.... as humans we love round numbers.... so 43 sounds awkward.... 50 sounds great.... also most 50mm lenses (or any focal length) isn't exactly 50mm but +/- a few mm (Nikon F Mount lenses you can see it pretty well... Nikon lenses are a bit wider than Tamron/Sigma lenses at the same focal length)

@geoffreypiltz271

Жыл бұрын

Pentax make a 43mm f1.9

@agenericaccount3935

Жыл бұрын

@@geoffreypiltz271 Yeah, but you'd have to use a Pentax.

@jaybleu6169

Жыл бұрын

@@agenericaccount3935 Or adapt it to another FF camera

@agenericaccount3935

Жыл бұрын

@@jaybleu6169 I know. I just have to kick Pentax in the ribs. Part of my contract with the internet. Right next to the clause about Panasonic autofocus mirth.

Great vid James, my favorite lens is the Tamron SP 45mm!

Tip: Anyone that uses APSC and FF can consider getting the Sony 28mm f2. It's 42.5mm equivalent on APSC and all around a very good performer for the price and rather lightweight and very usable for both formats. You can get a converter for it that transforms it into a 21mm (30.5mm equivalent), which is quite good and makes this a versatile yet price conscious solution.

My personal walk-around lens on full frame for the last 12 years is a 40mm f/2 that weighs 126g. It was originally sold with the diminutive Minolta CLE lens in 1980, so, no, 40mm is not the NEW normal at all. Nice photos as usual James. Inspiring stuff. I also recommend the World At War for the interviews with decision makers still living at the time of production. I wonder whether it will be considered as primary source material by future historians. All the best for 2023.

@seebbii

Жыл бұрын

Same here, my main setup for about anything atm is my trusty Leica mp 240 with the minolta 40mm which I got from my old CLE. It's so versatile you could shoot about anything with it :)

I just bought a FE40 2.5 for my R3 with a Nisi back mist 1/4, can't wait to use it.. ❤

Chuck together a video on the book you mentioned, showing us just where you are with it now, please. Also, not the 2nd world war, but do try and watch Don McCullin , Vietnam. The video was on KZread for free, but is now, I believe only available to buy/rent. It's one of the most inspirational pieces of work I've ever watched. Keep the videos coming James, my Mrs loves the faces that you pull and I'm still looking into what Freud would have made of your telegraph pole obsession. A Merry Christmas and a happy New Year to you and yours.

Yup, Sigma Art 40mm f1.4 is one of the best lenses for full frame nowadays.. On same level as Zeiss Otus However, it's large & heavy.

My trusty G85 and panny 20mm 1.7 come with me on any day trip, camping trip, vacation, etc. I originally bought it because I grew bored of the 15mm 1.7 being too wide and expensive to stay in my bag, the 20mm was smaller, optically worse, had no C-AF and was noisy...but it's now one of my favorite lenses I've ever owned! 40mm is an awesome focal length!

@bastian.michel

Жыл бұрын

Same here. Technical not an impressivr lens. But the user experience is great.

Back in my beginnings with old film Praktica with 50mm, 9 out of 10 times I found myself to close to subject when I raised my camera to my eye. Almost never have such issue neither with current 17mm on MFT, nor with previous 28mm on APS-C, nor with old film Vilia with 40mm. These feel much more natural for me.

Hi James, interesting video on focal lengths. I've been shooting the Zeiss Batis 40mm lens for some time now and I love the overall feel and rendering of the lens. When I travel I use zoom lenses. My typical walk around set up is a Sony a7R lll camera and a Tamron zoom lens. My favorite images are at 28mm, 40mm, and 75mm focal lengths. It's taken me many years and photographs to sort out the focal lengths that tell the most compelling stories but I suppose that's how it should be in any art form. Thanks so much for the entertaining and stimulating content.

@karlbratby4349

Жыл бұрын

Agree on the batis…my 25, 40 and 85 zeiss batis are the finest trio I’ve used in 30 years as a pro

@josephpeppard561

Жыл бұрын

@@karlbratby4349 Yes Karl, Zeiss Batis lenses are some of the finest lenses I've used as well.

Love to use the Sigma 28/2.8 manual lens from the 1990ies on my Canon APS-C DSLR. Makes the equivalent of 45mm. Again an enjoyable and inspiring video from you - thanks a lot! 🙋‍♂️

I have just rediscovered my own Panasonic 20mm lens, on the front of my GF2 it's very pocketable and enjoyable combination

I don't do much landscapes currently and when I do I use f2.8 zooms. I do more portraits and I often use 85mm or even 135mm sometimes. Found for street portraits I needed something wider so bought cheap and small Samyang 45mm f1.8. Haven't owned a 50mm for ages.

I have a Contax G 45mm Carl Zeiss Planar converted to Leica M mount. It is stunning, I use it a lot.

My tiny 20mm M43 Panasonic lens was the best thing I bought for my Olympus E5 Mk III. It makes for such a compact walkabout lens, compared with my 18-150 (double all numbers for full frame).

If I’m on a landscape photo trip, I take mostly zooms. However, on photo walks or street shooting, it depends on my mood. I’ve been using my 35 Summilux and after feeling bad about not shooting 50, I’ll take my 50 Summilux only and step back or walk closer. But my go to lens is always going to be 35. “The Best Focal Length” is whatever you feel most comfortable shooting. But James is awesome with whatever lens he chooses. It’s a tool. Use the one for the job.

Hi James. I love the 40mm focal length too. I have the Ricoh GRIIIX and have owned the Fuji xf 27mm on a number of occasions. Regarding WW2 documentaries take a look at "Ken Burns: The War." It's based on how a selection of people from towns across the USA were impacted by the war. It covers all theatres of war, Europe and SE Asia, on land, sea and in the air. It also covers life on the home front too. Ken Burns is one of the best documentary makers in the world. (that's coming from someone from the UK). He has also made documentaries on the American Civil War, The American West, Prohibition and many others. All highly recommended viewing. Most of the documentaries are available on Apple TV, Amazon Prime and DVD.

The documentary that you want is 'The World at War', watched this as a schoolboy and picked up the DVD last year, worth every penny.

James, thanks for thoughts and tips of the trade. Quick question, what’s brand of the shoulder bag you used on your walk about? Maybe a topic for light gear on walk about. Cheers, Happy New Year.

Have this 40mm f2.5, got it for the size. Also have the 35mm f1.8 Sony, and definitely find myself using the 40mm far more. I think they're both great. I tend to get use to whatever is on the camera and use it. But being more compact, at least for me, makes for a package I grab more often.

The wooden gate would probably have made an interesting photo when you shoot the barn maybe next time you can try it, would love to see it especially under that direct sunlight

The image circle/frame diagonal is still the best all round. It is when straight lines are in shot that wider lenses show barreling. Usually twice the image circle/frame diagonal gives portrait shots the best depth of field. Wider shots of landscapes is the new norm.

I find that shooting at 40mm most of the time is better because 50mm can be limiting at times and I have missed shots or compromised on composition while using 50mm usually because my back is against the wall of a building. However 50mm does provide more compression to the photo which I prefer the style of as it helps to focus the viewer on the subject of the photo instead of looking behind and in front of the subject. I stick to 50mm. If it wasn't for the compression of the 50mm I would use 40mm.

EyE loves 40mm for street work. I use the LUMIX 20mm f1.7 for micro 4/3, Fujifilm 27mm for APS-C, and a legacy vintage Konica Hexagon 40mm f1.8 & Samyang 45mm f1.8 for full frame. ✅

Great timing. Been considering adding a used 40mm to my arsenal

Appcalypse: The Second World War is very good imho. I’ve discovered I’m becoming a stereotypical dad in his 30s. Getting into photography and videography, becoming obsessed with WW2, and making worse and worse jokes. Thanks for being part of my journey. 😅

Hi James, great video. Really enjoyed it as usual. I love the way you see and capture scenes on your walkabouts - this one is from the Lake District I presume. Sorry for this gear question but I’d love to know what camera lens combo you used to get such pin sharp images. Mine of the area are pretty good but don’t quite match yours in terms of sharpness. Also, did you use a particular profile for your shots - they have very attractive and distinctive colour and light renditions. (I realise that there is a lot more to creating your images than these issues of course. I really admire the skills you bring to the process so please don’t think I’m relying purely on gear to try to bring my photography up to your level 🙂)

The barn photo 👌

Great content as always. Keep it up! :) Just one note as my mind could not stop thinking about the % and mm's. I agree with you, going from 35-40 is much larger increse than 100-105 mm, but not in %'s as you explained. % does not work like that when using a non-linear base. It works f.exs with °C, as 1 °C is the same, no matter where on the scale you are. So 5°C increse from 35 is a greater % of the total than 100°C to 101°C. The % in change is gives you an idea of how much since 1 % change everywhere on the scale is the same. The mm measure on optics are indeed linear in relation to the sensor from the optics. However, the result you see, is the FOV. And the FOV is not a linear relationship to the mm measurement that controls it.

i use the 55mm exclusively for the past 2 years,but since last summer i started to use 40mm on a canon film camera and i love it! sweet spot i think

WWI - They Shall Not Grow Old. Amazing job of restoring and colorizing the footage alone. But then analyzing the uniform insignia and going over countless hours of post war BBC radio interview archives to match a unit or at least region appropriate voice in context to the footage to let the soldiers tell their own story 100 years later was simply incredible.

Timely video… literally just picked up a Sigma 40mm f1.4 DG HSM ART for my LUMIX S5, as my first lens after the kit lens ( 20-60mm)… it’s a massive lens, but having the ability to go to f1.4, is going to allow a lot of creative options 👍

Just finished Lancaster on Sky documentary’s… worth a watch… Great footage too of the Lancaster … then you would hope so wouldn’t you.. happy new year

I must admit, your self generated Q&A keeps answering my intended questions 🤣

Tamron SP 45mm f1.8 VC F mount lens, on a D700. Great combo!

Just picked up a Sigma 45mm 2.8 prime for my Sony A7IV after doing a ton a research comparing the sigma to the Sony 40mm. It was a tough call but for almost half the price used, I will have a small compact lens that I love the look of. Sure the sony is bit wider, sharper, and faster being a 2.5, but used or new, the price was a lot. Tbh I love the look the 45mm gives you, I think I'll be very happy with my recent puchase!

Thanks for this video. I've long been a prime and film shooter. I've diversified and gotten a digital body (Fuji) again for the first time since the late 00's. I had to make the decision in my first lens for the digital body being a 35 or 50 equivalent. I shoot predominantly on 35mm and was prepared to go "but 35mm is right there!" but you said what my subconscious was saying all along. I do wish in all actuality it was just a liiiiitle bit longer. I'll still shoot 35mm in the absence of a 40mm alternative.

I honestly think that you can love any focal length and see the world through it if you want to. It just takes persistence with applying that constraint. I definitely love 35mm (best ever), but in the past I have loved 50mm, and I do find myself able to easily able to shoot around 85mm, 400mm, and 16mm based on how I use my other lenses. These days I have been experimenting with 28mm (because I am tempted to get a Leica Q2).... I was hating it (because I love 35mm soo much), but I am already starting to get used to it. I think most people don't actually commit to a limitation for long enough to "see" in the focal length. I think if you committed to 85mm for 6 months you would find that you can switch yourself into 85mm mode fairly easily.