On New Year's Eve, I decided to analyze the focal lengths that I use and how fully I use the photo technique that I have.
2013 Results
I analyzed the EXIF data of my photos for 2013 and related exclusively to the genre of wedding photography. I have a folder on my computer where all processed photos are stored, which, ultimately got my clients as a final result... In reality, when shooting a wedding, much more raw material is 'shot'.
To carry out the analysis, I used the file manager Total Commander for Windows (you can find the trial version). Each wedding I shot is located in its own separate daddy directory, in which there may be several more subdirectories. To immediately get a list of all the photos available in folders and subdirectories, in Total Caomander, just press the key combination 'CTRL + B'or use the command'View -> Show all files without subdirectories'. The constructed list will only include the names of all files, but will not show EXIF shooting data. To access EXIF data, it is enough to use the function 'View-> Custom Column Set-> Photos'. After that, information about shutter speed, aperture, focal length and much more will be added to the list. Due to the huge amount of photos, this operation took about 20 minutes on my computer. After that, just click on the 'Focus' field (meaning the focal length, program translators are just very lazy :)) to sort all photos by focal length from larger to smaller. By holding down the 'Shift' key and pressing the 'up / down' arrows, you can select all files with a certain focal length, and their total number will be shown in the lower right corner of the program window.
This is how the panel looks like with extended data about all files lying in one directory:
This is what sorting in the program looks like
As a result, I spent another 20 minutes and got just such a plate with the distribution of the focal length to the number of photos taken at this focal length. Green indicates the focal lengths that account for the most photographs.
| Focal mm |
Number of photos |
| 12 | 326 |
| 13 | 6 |
| 14 | 17 |
| 15 | 16 |
| 16 | 17 |
| 17 | 104 |
| 18 | 62 |
| 19 | 26 |
| 20 | 41 |
| 21 | 1 |
| 22 | 30 |
| 24 | 393 |
| 26 | 43 |
| 28 | 6670 |
| 29 | 17 |
| 30 | 4 |
| 31 | 313 |
| 32 | 297 |
| 34 | 344 |
| 35 | 280 |
| 36 | 8 |
| 38 | 636 |
| 40 | 272 |
| 42 | 25 |
| 44 | 240 |
| 45 | 7 |
| 46 | 292 |
| 48 | 277 |
| 50 | 578 |
| 52 | 247 |
| 55 | 272 |
| 56 | 132 |
| 58 | 7 |
| 60 | 234 |
| 62 | 292 |
| 65 | 13 |
| 66 | 293 |
| 68 | 8 |
| 70 | 590 |
| 72 | 7 |
| 75 | 210 |
| 78 | 328 |
| 80 | 182 |
| 82 | 55 |
| 85 | 1881 |
| 90 | 257 |
| 92 | 161 |
| 95 | 82 |
| 98 | 132 |
| 102 | 39 |
| 105 | 1342 |
| 110 | 56 |
| 116 | 78 |
| 125 | 90 |
| 135 | 97 |
| 145 | 63 |
| 155 | 92 |
| 165 | 116 |
| 180 | 56 |
| 190 | 66 |
| 210 | 503 |
| unknown | 1816 |
Many photos do not have in EXIF information about the focal length, this is most likely due to various manipulations on the photo when processing them.
I mainly shoot on a full-format camera Nikon D700, in fact, I have two of them, and 90% of all pictures fall on them. I also sometimes shoot in the studio in cropped Nikon D80 and a cropped Fuji S5 Pro, which is a standard tool for my partner. I rarely go to the studio with weddings. For 2013 my wedding lenses were Nikon 28-105mm 1: 3.5-4.5D AF Nikkor, Nikon 70-210 1: 4 AF Nikkor, Nikon 50mm 1: 1.8G AF-S Nikkor, Nikon 50mm 1: 1.4G Nikkor and Nikon 85mm 1: 1.8D AF Nikkor. I shot a couple of times with Tokina 12-24 / 4, Nikon 24-120mm 1: 3.5-5.6D AF Nikkor, Tamron 28-75mm 1: 2.8 AF - maybe with a couple more lenses. For the last two months of 2013, I have a Nikon 180mm 1: 2.8 AF Nikkor in my service, but I have shot very little with it, since all the work has moved indoors. In fact, the lion's share of shooting at an ordinary Kiev wedding falls on the reportage orientation, in which my 28-105 “complete” with my assistant are simply irreplaceable;) -85/70.
After I made such a plate, it immediately became clear that I had to perform a lot of reportage shooting, using the widest possible angle of the standard zoom. This gives me a reason to buy a real reportage lens of the 17-35 / 2.8 type, so as not to constantly rest against the 28 mm limitation of my Nikon 28-105mm. And also very often the maximum range is used - 105 mm, when you need to reach the desired object as quickly and simply as possible, which pushes you to buy 24-120 / 4. Also, I analyzed the values of the aperture at which the shooting takes place. Due to the fact that I almost always shoot with an assistant who helps me with light, reportage shooting takes place at closed apertures from F / 6.3 to F / 9.0, and staged from F / 1.8 to F / 5.6.
Who cares, do a similar experiment to analyze the most commonly used focal lengths with your pictures, and be sure to unsubscribe in the comments.
The most important conclusion for me was the fact that I take a lot of photos on the extreme values of zoom lenses, turning the zoom on a dipolar lens which has only two extreme positions :) Therefore, maybe it makes sense for me to switch to fixes and win in image quality, while not losing much in convenience, especially if you shoot on two cameras.
I congratulate all readers of Radozhiva on the upcoming New Year and wish them many great ideas, successful staff and error-free operation of photo equipment :)
Arkady, thanks for the interesting thoughts and analyzes !!!
Reading the discussions on the topic, I was surprised why no one said kind words for the high-quality standard zoom "golden" of the Nikon series, universal for reporting (including weddings!) And very sharp throughout the entire range of focal lengths NIKON AF-S 24 -70 F / 2.8 G. I, for example, have been working with him for over a year now and am not overjoyed! It seems to me that in terms of sharpness and artistry of the picture, he is not inferior to "fixes".
Happy New Year, everyone! And creative luck!
Yes, it’s simple and so everyone knows that 24-70 / 2,8 is nowhere better :) if I needed to leave one lens for some reason, then most likely it would be this one.
I think because few people have it, especially considering the cost, and not quite universality on crop.
Happy New Year!
Arkady thanks for the article! I have not considered Total from such a point!
I am a fan, preferences: landscape and photography.
I have favorites: 18 mm - 907 pieces (25%) and 105 mm - 1061 pieces (29%), all the rest in this interval with a frequency of 2 mm and an amount of 9 pieces or more. (0,25%) and up to 113 pcs. (3,12%) (average 61 pcs. (1,7%). All photos were taken on D3100 and 18-105 Af-s VR. But in connection with the acquisition of Nikon 70-300 Af-s VR, I assume that I have next year the number of photos in the TV range will increase!
All with Coming! My statistics are as follows: 80% of the shots at 80mm (35mm equivalent) (???? !!!). D7k camera, I shoot both zooms (70-210,4; 28-70 3,5-4,5; 18-105) and fixes (50 1,8; 105 2,5 Ais). This is what comes out (in my case) “50k is our everything!”? I shoot mainly nature, buildings and, of course, portraits, and my favorite lenses for portraits are 105k and 70-210, but only on the open air. The poltykynik is good, of course (on my crop), but the drawing is rather simple, in my opinion (Helios 44-2 is somehow more lively, or something). Arkady, personally, I wish you Happy New Year! I wish you good health and all kinds of (both creative and everyday) success in the New Year!
All with the coming!
statistics: 24-70mm2.8-7%, 58mm1.9-3%, 85mm-34%, 135mm2.0-25%, 80-200mm2.8-31%, I mainly shoot portraits.
Arcadia, personally, I wish you Happy New Year! I wish you good health and success in the New Year!
I rent at home in a limited space mainly, so 18 prevails. And why there are no aperture fixes with such a focal, physical limitations?
Yes, this is a physical limitation, the same as for lenses longer than 200mm.
I am an amateur and love shooting in different genres from close-up to photo-hunting. At the request of the workers, I filmed 3 weddings, now I analyzed the folders with them: the run-up in focal lengths was very strong even in three folders, but the most popular ones turned out to be FRs in descending order of 40-55, 28, 75 and 135 mm. At weddings, he shot with zooms mainly at 28-135 mm, less by 75-300 mm and quite a bit at Zenitar-16. IMHO, zooms at a wedding are more practical, you can take dozens of “official” portraits of the groom and the bride +/- friends / relatives with fixes, and the rest is a reportage (ransom, congratulations, a restaurant / cafe), where you need to quickly change focal lengths, while without disturbing people to have fun.
Well, a dream come true, acquired the D800. Now the problem is choosing a lens. He is needed for shooting at home, traveling, portrait. Fifty is already there. Please share your opinion about glasses such as Nik. 18-35. Nik. 24-120. Sig. 24-105. I'll be very grateful.
I want to come to the idea of a provocation. I think it’s not easy to believe that the mind has lost 24 pieces by the way for the purchase of D800, but vibrate with the help of the mind not to be lost, and have to rely on someone else's. What will you do? If you say it's not a provocation ...
Good afternoon. The Total Commander I have does not support the 'View-> Custom Column Set-> Photos' feature. This is such a shame.
I would be grateful for the link to download Total Commander, or for clarifications on how to enable this feature.
Thanks in advance.
Thank you interesting article
Well, having said, “I’m talking about portraits,” and I mean portraits. Zvidsi, three criticisms addressed to Arcadia. Criticism of viglyadi prokhannya when testing objects do not rob a series of one-old signs of the most beautiful flower beds. Bulo b is good and showy show yak ob'єktiv small portrait, landscape / landscape, subject / macro. I would like to have three different plot signs.
And so the site is informative, I go for it.
Hello! I managed to find out the statistics using the ExposurePlot program.
At different times, there were Canon 1000D and 5D cameras. Canon EF-S 18-55 and 50 / 2.5 and Tokina 24-200 lenses.
Photographed on camping trips and “civilized” holidays abroad, as well as indoors (all kinds of corporate parties, concerts, etc.).
There is a clear dependence of the FR on the shooting location: street - wide angles (24-40 mm, less than 80mm and 200mm), in the room everything fits in 40-90 mm. The champion (39%) was the EGF of the short end of my tokina - 40 (24) mm.
I also noticed long ago that the most frequent fr are the extreme ones on the zoom. Or you try to fit everything, and even a little more ... but a little bit is missing; or you reach with the long end. Personally, I still often get 135mm - an old habit left over from Jupiter 37a. Jupiter has been gone for a long time, and 135 mm is the best focal length for a portrait.
Och
A very interesting article, I’ll definitely try to compile my statistics using this program. I join all the good wishes to Arkady and wish you a Happy New Year!
35mm - 40% frames
135mm - 40%
300mm - 12%
420mm - 8%
about.
I shoot with three fixes on the DF. 35 f / 1.4, 135 f / 2, 300 f / 4. sometimes with extender x1.4
flipped through my photos, so the largest number on extreme focal lenses: 18, 28, 55, 75mm.