An old discussion, I know, but I just (re-) found some good articles and a HCB interview, so here they are:
1. Why Henri Cartier-Bresson used a 50mm lens.
2. Why I switched from 50mm to 35mm as a primary lens for street photography.
3. HCB interview in the NYT (part 1 and part 2)
Enjoy reading.
Oh, and if you have zoom lenses only, or never used your fixed lens much, do it: set your zoom to 50mm (equivalent if it’s a “crop” camera with an APS-C or (µ)43rds sensor), or to 35mm (equivalent), and keep it there. Mike Johnston says “for a year”, but if you take your camera with you often enough and take lots of photos, then maybe you’ll learn a bit faster.
I do. I mean I’m still learning. At 59…