What Makes a 24mm Lens So Special, And Why You Should Use It (2024)

Last Updated on 08/28/2017 by Chris Gampat

Are you interested in shooting photojournalism or landscapes, maybe dabbling in street photography? If that is the case and you are doing any sort of research into the kind of lenses you should look into the chances are you may have seen 24mm pop up quite a bit in your research. So, as we continue our look at various focal lengths and what makes them special today we have a look at the 24mm lens.

Ready? Let’s jump into it.

What Makes The 24mm Focal Length Special

OK, so 24mm, what is the deal? Why do so many photographers live at this focal length? Well, 24mm is really popular because it offers photographers the chance to shoot on the wide end of the spectrum without taking a huge hit in regards to the distortion of the final image. 24mm is similar to 35mm in this regard, most of them these days are well controlled as far as distortion, so you can get a really wide frame without having to spend a ton of time correcting distortion in your image.

This makes 24mm an ideal choice for landscape photographers, wedding photographers, portrait photographers, photojournalists and street photographers who are looking for a wide angle view of the scene that doesn’t feel unnatural to the viewer of the photo. Some examples of this could be a photojournalist covering a politician’s speech, looking to get the subject and the scene behind him or her. In street photography this allows a photographer to capture a subject while also bringing some context and scale to the image.

Why You Should Use 24mm

Well, shooting on the wide side is not something that is for everyone. Many prefer 35mm or 50mm for general work. But in terms of looking to capture a wide scene without getting into the teens where distortion can become an issue, then 24mm is a good sweet spot.

As far as portraits and wedding work goes, 24mm is a great choice for environmental images where you are wanting to provide the viewer of the photo a sense of the scene or some context about the individual. It is not a focal length, in general, that you will want to use in close proximity to your subject – at least not if you are going for a more traditional portrait feel. That said, depending on your goals, 24mm could work up close for portraits too, just most of the time it will make someone’s face look bigger than it is, which is almost never something a client will want.

For landscapes, a 24mm lens is an extremely popular choice for capturing those wide, epic scenes of city skylines or mountain ranges. 24mm allows you to play with your foreground and at the same time still get an epic view into the distance. So if mountain vistas or waterfalls are your things, 24mm could be for you.

Some Of Our Favorite 24mm Lenses

OK, time for some of our favorite 24mm lens options. We try to include a good spread here for those who are in various budget brackets. So without further adieu…

• [amazon_textlink asin=’B00THPL0AS’ text=’Sigma 24mm F1.4 Art’ template=’ProductLink’ store=’thephobl-20′ marketplace=’US’ link_id=’d6d4c51e-89df-11e7-a114-9dd9136fef6c’] (Our Review)
• [amazon_textlink asin=’B006YM9L26′ text=’Rokinon 24mm F1.4′ template=’ProductLink’ store=’thephobl-20′ marketplace=’US’ link_id=’dcb4d41b-89df-11e7-a95b-8b528793137f’] (Our Review)
• [amazon_textlink asin=’B0037KM0X0′ text=’Nikon 24mm F1.4G’ template=’ProductLink’ store=’thephobl-20′ marketplace=’US’ link_id=’e2b0cf4a-89df-11e7-9bdc-3d1ea5d05c81′] (Our Review)
• [amazon_textlink asin=’B00EZ8BEXK’ text=’Fujifilm 23mm F1.4′ template=’ProductLink’ store=’thephobl-20′ marketplace=’US’ link_id=’e8f8a153-89df-11e7-b110-7bc847a31b58′] (Our Review)