[Marc Sabatella]

For me - shooting a K200D (APS-C) - the single most used focal length is 100mm, because I have an M100/2.8 that I use a ton for concert photography. Its numbers dwarf all others. But if I eliminate the concert pictures, then 40mm is the focal length I use most, followed by 28mm. Of course, that's because those are two next most-used primes. But actually, those end up being my most used focal lengths with my 18-55II as well. Quite a few at both ends of the 18-55II, too.

[Subkenny]

I recently ran a statistics program on what i've shot the last few years.. and the graphs are heavily loaded at the 20, 35 and 50mm (on the K10D), with the 35 hitting the top marks.
Probably not very surprising considering the 35 lmt macro is my favorite lens.

[Fl_Gulfer]

It looks as though most people shoot what the naked eye see's instead of zooming in to see the small details.
I wonder if it's the same when you look at other people's photo's.

[dadipentak]

I'm all over the map but lean to longer lenses: I'd guess 80% of my shots are over 70mm.

[lesmore49]

I mostly take pictures of:

• Vintage cars, motorcycles, trucks-16-45 mmPentax Zoom
• Wild birds/animals - Pentax 55-300mm zoom
• People portraits -Pentax 50mm F1.4 (converts to 75 mm on K10D
• Landscapes- Pentax 16-45 mm wide angle zoom
• Insects/flowers......Takumar 50 mm Macro (old film lens)

I seem to use all lenses about equal...I'm taking pictures a lot...retired....so I'm out there clicking away..the K10D gets a workout.

[axl]

40mm APS-C
period

why? the combination of portability, performance, size, and price ratio make DA40 my most used lens
BR

[reeftool]

Most of my pictures are with long lenses. I have a Sigma 70-300 and most shots are from 200-300. I looked through the exif on a lot of my kit lens shots and I seem to use it evenly through its range with probably more shots on the 18mm end. My most used would probably be 300.

[pop4]

According to exposureplot:
17mm on my Sigma 17-70mm gets the most use.
Followed by 10mm on my Sigma 10-20mm.

[Marc Sabatella]

It looks as though most people shoot what the naked eye see's instead of zooming in to see the small details.

Well, quite a few of mentioned using longer focal lengths a lot. But even in the cases where we're not, that doesn't necessarily mean we aren't concerning ourselves with small details - it might mean we prefer examining the small details from up close. I generally prefer the perspective one gets when looking at an object from a closer distance - not necessarily "macro" shots, but close enough for the three-dimensional shape of the object(s) to be more apparent. For instance, a frame-filling shot of a rose shot with a long telephoto from a distance will "flatten" the rose - removing all perspective-relate clues as the actual shape of that rose (eg, might as well be a cardboard cutout of a rose). Getting in closer and filling the frame the same way allows one to see the rose has a near side and a far side, with the roundness of the rose more apparent, as well as giving the opportunity for DOF effects to further accentuate this sort of view.

I guess what I'm saying is, when possible, I prefer to come closer and shoot with a "normal" or wider focal length. When it's *not* practical to come in closer, or when I specifically *want* the perspective I get from a greater distance I'm at, I'll certainly shoot telephoto. Bottom line, it's about perspective first, not about whether I want to focus on details or not.

[dadipentak]

Well put, Marc--I'm beginning to appreciate the depth one gets with shorter FL's

[EricT]

Here ya go, focal length statistics from the last 4 months:

My lenses are: 18-55, FA 50 and a Sigma 100-300mm. Obviously the 50mm is my most used lens, by far. But it's interesting to note that when I use my kit lens, I'm usually either at 18mm, or around 35-55. From this I see that I could really use a wider lens, and maybe a prime around 35-40.
With the Sigma telephoto, I'm usually around 140, which means that a 135 prime or the 50-135 would probably be a good choice. These types of statistics can be really useful for figuring out what lenses to buy.

[Nick Siebers]

I use the FA 20-35mm as my everyday lens. Probably from 24-35mm most of the time. I recently got an F 24-50mm, but it hasn't displaced the wider zoom. I often carry 2+ and 4+ close up lenses for flower shots.

2nd most used is the DA 40mm. That is a great little lens.

[SpecialK]

Kind of meaningless, really. It depends on the subject. If you are into wildlife, a wide angle won't get used much. Vice versa for street photography...

[Votesh]

Lately I've been choosing the FA 31mm LTD a lot, so 31mm lately.
Overall I've probably shot most at 105mm because I had the Lester A. Dine 105mm macro, and most of my photography during spring, summer, and fall is macro stuff. I recently sold this lens though and my new macro is the A* 200mm so that will be the most used focal length in a few months when there are more macro subjects to shoot.

[Ratmagiclady]

Well, I like short teles a lot, the 85 is my favorite lens in 35mm, and the 50's the first I had to have for APS-c: these are far and away what I use most. I don't see it as 'zooming in,' really, so much as more cutting away the unnecessary.

On my Mamiya 645 I love my 110: the angle of view is more like in the neighborhood of 65 or 70 on 35mm, (I got this cause a 150 of the same speed would be big bucks, but fell in love) ..it gives some of the other qualities of an 85ish in terms of seeing/shooting experience but, I see it as letting the bigger film take in more.

You could look at it as though that, as most people would use a given lens, I like my composition a bit tighter.

I've used a 35-105 on my old Canons a lot, and I've noticed my habits of wanting to stay at or above around 40mm unless I'm wishing the lens went wider: I've got a 35 F2 that I tend to feel similarly about. For the K20, the second real lens I grabbed was a 28, cause it gives me somewhere around there. 50's on film, I'd usually be happier if those got to be tighter, (Can you say, (in a Jon Stewart imitation, ) 'Noktohnnnnn,' )


I don't, however, really use actually long lenses or real wides except for the most part for really utilitarian needs or 'a bit of fun,'

..basically, if I had the FA Limiteds and either a 58 Nokton or maybe that new 55, I'd be a pretty happy camper, as my preferred angles-of-view go. Mostly, I like moderate primes, unless something outside there is really called for. (I used to enjoy doing sports, for instance, a skill I picked up in high school, which is funny as I'm not a sports fan, but that went by the wayside, eventually.)

It's kind of about *space,* rather than magnification, I guess you could say.