What focal length should I pair with 35mm for traveling in cities?

[tsuki]

I'll be traveling to Paris and other cities soon and can't decide which lenses to take. I have a 35mm 1.8f lens which I'll use as my primary lens for family portraits and general photography, but was thinking of buying a wider angle prime for shots that I probably can't get with it.

Example shots I might be interested in:

• Capturing the entire Eiffel tower without being too far away, at night too
• Indoors / capturing the ambience and feeling of cathedrals, museums, palaces, large spaces
• Maybe some environmental portraits that capture as much of a building / indoor scene as possible but also the person

I was thinking of getting a 20mm prime since the 24mm might be too close to 35mm to justify getting it, but I'm not sure if I should even go lower than that. Do you think 20mm+35mm would make for a perfect travel/street photography kit? I would like to shoot a lot of nighttime in particular, including portraits and buildings and random objects. I have a full frame sensor / Nikon Z7.

Thank you for any help/advice.

 

[JAJohnson]

Given what you’ve described, the choice of a focal length will depend on the location from which the photo will be captured. If you’re not going to be able to scout locations perhaps a 14-30mm f/4 might be useful. It’d give you options a prime lens wouldn’t.

Just a thought.

 

[hef19898]

I agree with JAJohnson on the 14-30, the added flexibility is nice. I never missed anything below 20mm for anything architecture, churches and such. A lot of that is personal preference so.

Maybe also consider something longer than 35, a 24-70 for example, short enough for mosz occassions and offering some added reach when needed. And used, along with the 50/1.8, the only Z mount Nikkor that is, almost, cheap. In case budget plays a role.