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28mm vs 35mm portrait comparison
Interactive side-by-side simulation at the same subject size: see how 28mm and 35mm change camera distance, perspective, depth of field and background blur.
What this comparison shows
Both images show the same portrait at the same size. For the same head size, the 35mm camera stands about 1.3 times farther back than the 28mm camera. From closer in, 28mm shows more of the room around the person. 35mm has a narrower field of view, so the background looks larger and closer and is easier to simplify.
Start at f/1.8 on the left and f/1.8 on the right. Then try f/1.8 vs f/1.8, or open both to f/1.8 and f/1.4. Match depth of field sets the right-hand aperture so the background is as blurred as on the left. Both cameras use the same sensor, so equal f-numbers give a similar depth of field.
At the face framing, 28mm stands 46 cm from the subject. At f/1.8 the sharp zone runs from 44 cm to 48 cm. 35mm stands 57 cm away, and at f/1.8 the sharp zone runs from 55 cm to 59 cm.
Questions
How far from the subject do you stand with 28mm and 35mm?
In the face framing, 28mm stands 46 cm from the subject and 35mm stands 57 cm. For the same head size, the 35mm camera stands about 1.3 times farther back than the 28mm camera.
Which blurs the background more, 28mm or 35mm?
At the same framing, a distant background blurs in proportion to the aperture opening, focal length divided by f-number. 28mm at f/1.8 opens 15.6 mm and 35mm at f/1.8 opens 19.4 mm, so 35mm blurs it about 1.3 times as much. Close behind the person, the focal length matters less and the f-number more.
Does 35mm compress the background compared with 28mm?
Compression comes from camera distance, not from the focal length itself. For the same framing, 35mm stands about 1.3 times farther back than 28mm, so the background looks larger and closer behind the person and less of it fits in the frame.
Related comparisons
- 24mm vs 35mm portrait comparison
- 24mm vs 50mm portrait comparison
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- 35mm vs 40mm portrait comparison
- 35mm vs 50mm portrait comparison
- 35mm vs 58mm portrait comparison
Also see: depth of field, bokeh, crop factor, lens compression.