What Happened To The 40mm Focal Length? A Year With It

Just as I thought I was falling out of love with my G6, the little and loved Panasonic 20mm f1.7 MKII waltzed its way through the post to my door and found itself married to my G6’s mount. For most photographers after their first prime, it’s either 35mm or 50mm, whatever happened to humble old 40mm through the years?

A small, Eritrean Cafe. The 40mm is just wide enough from where I was sat.

With Micro Four Thirds users, the 20mm F1.7 still keeps that option alive being a classic for the system. The lens itself is quite handsome, compact, with a generous maximum aperture and good sharpness, and contrast makes it very ideal. It’s only let down by its slightly clunky focusing system. But this isn’t meant to be another review for the Lumix 20mm considering I’m talking more about what it’s been like with the 40mm focal length (thanks to the 2x crop factor).

Now that I’ve spent a year with it, shooting in all conditions and situations, I think this is my focal length when it comes to a ‘normal’ lens. My ‘photographer’s vision’, if you will, now sees in 40mm-vision. Admittedly, to some, 40mm seems neither here or there when you take the 35mm and 50mm focal lengths into consideration. Both of which have their fans depending on how or what you photograph, but for myself, I’m quite comfortable with either as a walk around.

35mm is considered wide, but not wide enough for my tastes. I’d prefer a 24mm or 28mm as a wide, and crop in if need be. The 50mm focal length, as much as it flexible for many things, is just a tad too long for me as a walkabout lens. Both focal lengths seem to just tickle being wide angle and short telephoto. The 40mm, (particularly this one with its lack of visible distortion), is just right. Not wide, or long. It’s simply right for my tastes.

Perhaps my favourite thing about the 40mm focal length is how normal it is. Others may find that boring, I find it to be quite photojournalistic, and what makes it ideal for an everyday lens in all situations. I’ve always wanted to be a photojournalist but considering I’m down the route of an English teacher, the most I can do is play pretend with this lens when I’m out and about.

No, really, I behave like I’m a photojournalist out on assignment with friends when I have this lens with me.

Like any other lens that has its place and purposes for use, the 40mm focal length will undoubtedly have its weakness. In my use, the only time I felt like I wanted a little length was when taking a picture of something up close, to lose any distractions in the background with composition and bokeh. In tight rooms you may find yourself backing up a little bit, but for the most part I haven’t found this to be a problem.

The Lumix 20mm f1.7 has served me well in many environments. Processed with VSCO with b5 preset.

What I like about the above photo, is that it isn’t so wide to give it that ‘look’, nor too compressed to give it that ‘look’, you know what I mean. Those ‘looks’ have their places but I have certainly enjoyed this more neutral ‘look’ with my out and about photos. Everyone and everything in the environment looks respective to where it was when I took the photo.

Even when taking a few steps in for this shot, there is some compression, but nothing here looks wildly crushed. The pathway leading up to the cathedral from the gate looks very natural and true to life. To my eyes, it seems very natural. What about you?

You can get relatively nice looking portraits with a 40mm lens too, being unable to get the permission of someone to take their portrait for a blog post and myself not being too willing, my pet rooster below will have to do. He’s quite a handsome little bugger if I do say so myself.

This was quite up close to him. If you take a few steps back, you can get quite nice ‘environmental portraits’. The smaller sensor of my G6 may not yield as my bokeh though, even wide open. Processed with VSCO with b5 preset.

This lens has been stuck to my G6 ever since I got it, have I ever yearned for a zoom lens since then? Quite simply no. If there’s anything I’d like to add to my kit is a wide angle, 24mm preferably and a short telephoto. Indoors, outdoors, in fields, in the city, with family or in the garden, 40mm has served me loyally. It’s quite a useful focal length when you think about it, ‘just right’.

It makes me wonder how, or why for that matter, the 40mm became left behind in the ‘first prime lens’ choice. Manufacturers do have it available, but crop factor can become an issue. Perhaps considering 40mm is the ‘in between’ of the oh-so-popular-with-first-prime-buyers 35mm and 50mm focal lengths, this would get buyers ripping their hair out from even more choice. Or, maybe it would solve them? The best of both worlds in between. Being neither obviously wide or tele, I never worry about the edges with distortion, or that I’ll be too close to my subject and lose the context of their surroundings.

If only people who were torn between 35mm or 50mm would consider the humble 40mm, maybe then it would make the choice a lot easier?

Have you shot with a 40mm lens before? Liked it, hated it? Don’t be shy to leave a comment, and as always thanks for reading.

More pictures taken in 40mm with my Panasonic 20mm f1.7:

The two (hipster) jars for a muffin milkshake look as close to each other as they did with my eye.

It’s no fancy tundra here, but the 40mm focal length could be a viable choice for landscape work.

Taken from inside the car, I would have preferred to get out for this one.

Taken from a bridge. I wouldn’t have liked this to be any wider or closer.

This taken quite close, as you can see there looks like there is some compression there with the background.

You can’t see it from here, but those skewer handles are meant to look like fish.

Considering each respective mount has a 40mm lens available, it makes me wonder why so many people seem to neglect it. More sample images below:

The fish handle skewers! This is me trying to be ‘photojournalistic’, and get in close with ‘moments’.

Traditional Eritrean food, that I have forgotten the name of sadly.

Some nice bokeh here.

Small table where coffee is prepared in an Eritrean cafe.

And served.