Airports make me nervous. I can't even say exactly why. And yet I love the thought of soon arriving somewhere where the language, climate, and everyday life are unfamiliar to me.
For our family holiday in Tunisia, I had also set myself a photographic challenge: I wanted to capture the entire journey using just one focal length. 40mm on my Nikon Zf with the little NIKKOR Z 40mm f/2. And the same focal length for filming on the Nikon ZR.
No zoom, no alternative in case it wasn't enough.
Perhaps a strange decision. After all, this wasn't a photography trip. We were there for family, had errands to run, and a celebration to prepare for. I would photograph whatever happened along the way, without knowing what subjects I might encounter.
But that was exactly what appealed to me.
I wanted to find out whether a single prime lens could be enough to tell the story of a journey. And what would happen to my photography if I stopped trying to have the right lens for every situation.
Why the Nikon Z 40mm f/2?
The NIKKOR Z 40mm f/2 is one of the simpler and more affordable lenses in Nikon's Z system. No large S-Line lens, no expensive premium optics. Just a small, fast prime lens that makes for a pleasantly light and unobtrusive combination with the Nikon Zf.
40mm sits somewhere between the classic 35mm and 50mm focal lengths. Wide enough to show people in their surroundings, but not so wide that everything feels distant.
For travel photography, that sounds promising at first. A zoom would, of course, have been more flexible. Especially when traveling, there are always situations where you can neither move closer to your subject nor step farther back.
But this experiment wasn't about carrying as little weight as possible.
It was about having one less decision to make.
I didn't want to constantly wonder whether another focal length would be better for a particular situation. Instead, I wanted to move more, look more closely, and get the technical side of photography out of my head for a moment.
Whether that would work, I didn't know.
Kairouan – When 40mm Just Works
On the rooftop of a café in Kairouan, 40mm felt surprisingly comfortable at first.
Between unfinished walls, old tiles, and improvised seating areas, I kept discovering new subjects. A tiled arch framed a minaret. First, I photographed it vertically, then with a little more of this peculiar rooftop landscape around it.
A few steps farther along, a blue door caught my attention. Only then did I notice the white bird.
With 40mm and a wide aperture, I could isolate it from its surroundings. The doors softly blurred into the background without losing their color or character.
This was where the focal length showed its strength. I could pick out details while still including enough of their surroundings to tell something about the place.
Above all, I could move freely. A step to the left, a little farther back, a different angle.
As long as I could change my distance to the subject, 40mm hardly felt like a limitation.
Sousse – When the Frame Isn't Always Wide Enough
By the sea in Sousse, that changed.
The wind was pushing against the coast, and the waves were restless. Again and again, the sun broke through the clouds, changing the light within seconds.
At first, I simply photographed along the beach. But somehow, I couldn't manage to capture what I was feeling there.
So I went looking for a higher viewpoint.
From a rooftop terrace, I could see both sides of the coastline. But I could hardly change my position.
Suddenly, 40mm was too tight for a wide panorama and too wide for distant details. A small ship far out at sea remained tiny in the frame. No way to get any closer.
And yet, I liked this particular photograph. In the almost endless expanse of water, the ship appeared lost. Black and white only intensified that impression.
On the other side of the coastline, I eventually found clearer compositions. Piers framed a small bay, while waves traced sweeping curves across the water.
Instead of trying to show more and more of the scene, I reduced the frame to what worked for me.
Perhaps that's one of the most interesting experiences of shooting with a prime lens: Not every subject can be photographed the way you first imagine. Sometimes the better photograph only emerges when you let go of that idea.
The Strength of 40mm: People and Their Stories
Throughout our journey, the camera repeatedly became a quiet companion.
We wandered through the streets of Kairouan, ran errands, stopped because of a car repair, and encountered people whose everyday lives briefly became part of our story.
One experience that particularly stayed with me was our visit to Oum Ezzine. In a peaceful courtyard surrounded by arches, tiles, and ornaments, we watched traditional Tunisian Harkus designs being drawn onto the skin.
I particularly liked 40mm here.
I could photograph hands and faces closely enough to capture small gestures without completely separating the people from their surroundings. At f/2, individual details gently stood out while the rest of the scene receded.
Similar photographs emerged during an evening family outing to an amusement park. No planned photo shoots, just incidental moments. Children surrounded by attractions, light, and movement.
As darkness fell, the colorful lights blurred into the background. The wide aperture helped me capture atmospheric photographs even as the light faded.
I found 40mm particularly comfortable for this kind of documentary everyday photography. Close to the action without losing the context.
When Photography Gets Out of Control
The greatest challenge, however, was still waiting for me at our family celebration.
Musicians, drums, dancing, and a room full of people. Hardly any space, constantly changing light, and subjects that wouldn't stay still for even a second.
What had previously been a pleasant photographic restriction suddenly became a problem.
With 40mm, I could barely change my distance to the subject. For some scenes, I desperately needed a wider angle. Other moments disappeared before I could even react.
No time to think carefully about composition.
I tried to isolate the musicians from the chaos, capture faces, and preserve at least some of the energy of that evening.
Not everything worked. Many compositions were too tight, while others were simply too chaotic.
But the photographs still tell something of that evening.
And perhaps they do that so well precisely because nothing is under control.
What Stayed With Me From This Experiment
Towards the end of our journey, I found myself by the sea once again.
After all the heat, the long drives, and the exuberant celebration, the beach felt like a small liberation.
I photographed the children in the water, the restless waves, and a tender moment between mother and child.
Without any particular photographic intention.
Body language, the soft evening light, and the vastness of the sea were enough to turn small moments into personal memories.
At some point, I realized that I had long since stopped thinking about the focal length.
Of course, I had missed photographs on this journey. Sometimes 40mm was too tight, sometimes I lacked the reach. A zoom lens would have made many situations easier.
But I had also moved more, improvised, and, above all, learned to accept what was possible – and what simply wasn't.
After years of constantly optimizing my equipment, that felt surprisingly liberating.
So, is the Nikon Z 40mm f/2 a good choice for travel photography? For me, yes, especially for people, encounters, details, and the little stories along the way. However, anyone looking for maximum flexibility, wide architectural shots, or distant subjects will quickly discover its limitations.
I wouldn't claim that 40mm is the ideal focal length for every journey.
But perhaps it doesn't need to be.
So, was 40mm enough for me? Not for every photograph. But enough to tell the story of this journey.
The Film Behind the Experiment
How shooting with just one focal length actually felt along the way, which photographs emerged, and which moments couldn't be planned – I share all of this in my accompanying YouTube film.