I mentioned yesterday that I brought two Sony cameras outfitted with prime lenses to the Dia de los Muertos parade last year. The 35mm and 85mm primes gave me a wide and telephoto perspective. But how different are they? And as you can see, there is a more significant effect than how large the subject appears.

I used the Sigma 35mm f2 in the first photograph. The wider perspective and the smaller aperture defocuses less of the background. More interestingly, look at the spacing between the dancers.

I was standing in the same spot when I switched cameras. The Sony A7C II had the Sigma 85mm f1.4, producing a different look. The larger aperture blurred more of the background, including the dancers behind the gentleman in black. Notice the reduced spacing of the dancers. A telephoto compresses the space from near to far. Not only does the lead dancer appear closer and larger, but the space between the dancers is reduced.

I didn’t shoot these photos to do a lesson in lens characteristics. I happened to create pictures that illustrated this perfectly. In retrospect, I had a new lens, the Sony 24-70mm f2.8 GM II, which would’ve worked a lot easier with a single camera. However, I wouldn’t get the level of background blur we see here. Primes have a purpose, though switching between cameras can be more work instead of zooming a single lens.

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