the appeal of the 50mm camera lens
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The past few weeks I’ve managed to get a quick video up on Thursday but this week we’ve been pressed for deadlines at the studio. I’m attributing much of the good business fortune at Daylight Photo to the good kharma coming from the website here, so let‘s hope it keeps rolling. Instead of a video today I’ve found a quiet moment at the keyboard to tap out a post I’ve wanted to write for quite some time about a valuable piece of gear.
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I really enjoyed reading David Ziser’s recent post “It’s In the Bag”, where he details what camera bodies and lenses he uses for his portrait and wedding business. It’s always interesting to read about the choices experienced photographers make when it comes to equipment. And this is not just an equipment list, David writes about why each particular piece has won his favor. You might imagine that, given David’s credentials and notoriety as a wedding photographer, he would automatically be carrying a pair of $5000 camera bodies and nothing but the most expensive lenses (his preference is actually the Canon 40D). I think you’ll be surprised to find that his choices are extremely practical in this article that is well worth the read.
Among his listed lenses are the 50mm f1.4 and it’s slightly slower, less expensive cousin, the 50mm f1.8. I’m a huge fan of the 50mm lens and can say that it’s probably the one lens I would recommend to every DSLR photographer, regardless of what you shoot. Maybe not as the first lens to go into your bag but definitely high up on the list.
Why is that? The reasons are many:
- First off, the f1.8 version is probably the cheapest, sharpest lens you can buy. How about just $89.99 for a Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 II Lens (Nikon priced similarly) or $299.99 for the faster 50mm versions like the Nikkor 50mm f/1.4 D AF Lens
. Pentax and Sony have 50mm f1.4 versions available while Olympus has near-equivalent 25mm or 50mm lenses. Any of these choices may well end up being the sharpest lens in your bag. The optical designs used in 50mm lenses were perfected about a bazillion years ago so you know they‘re sharp.
- The fast aperture creates new opportunities for shooting in low light. When your all-in-one super zoom is just too slow, pull out the 50mm and start capturing the moment. Those rainy day portraits by window light are now a reality.
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Speaking of portraits, it’s a very nice (if not perfect) focal length for portraits on APS-C sized cameras, equating to about an 80mm on Canon cameras with a 1.6x crop factor. You’re just far enough away from the subject for a nice perspective but close enough for an intimate portrait.
- With the lens wide open you can truly experience shallow depth of field, making eyes pop in a photograph where other features fade softly away. These lenses also focus fairly close, around 18 inches, usually.
- If you’ve never had a single focal length lens then the 50mm offers a change in perspective. Using a single focal length lens forces you to physically move in closer or farther away from your subject for framing, rather than just planting your feet and twisting a zoom ring. If you’re trying to get out of a creative rut (this past Tuesday’s topic), then simplifying your equipment sometimes helps to see your subject in a new way, refining your vision.
- Lastly, it’s a great insurance policy. Every photographer should have a backup lens of some sort. If you drop your primary zoom lens do you have a backup or are you completely done taking photographs for the day (or vacation)? What qualities would be nice in a backup lens? Well, it should be small and take up little room in the bag, be relatively inexpensive, sharp, a useful focal length…there you go. Even if you don’t use the lens for reasons 1 through 5, it’s still a great insurance policy.
That’s why I always carry a 50mm lens. Whether it becomes your favorite lens ever or merely serves as a backup plan, the 50mm lens proves a worthy addition to most every camera bag, regardless of what you shoot.
* Your favorite photo retailer should have most all of these choices in stock and ready to ship. I’d like to mention that, if you’re looking for equipment, the folks at Calumet Photo have been good to prophotolife, they answer my questions quickly and have 29 retail locations worldwide (they must be doing something right). They also offer Free Shipping Over $75 at Calumet Photographic. Give ‘em a look…
I totally agree with that point of view. I’m shooting a lot with vintage medium format cameras, each one having only one normal lens, and it greatly helps in learning composition and placement. It’s an exercice every photographer should do.
I totally agree with you Jim, I would never regret getting my 50mm (and I gave it lots of thoughts) so I really recommend any photography enthusiast to get one and carry it with your usual equipment, you will enjoy it and enhance your photography. After all it was the standard lens on many cameras for years, want to experiment? why not take out that old SLR from the drawer.
[...] Read More… [...]
I have a 50mm f/1.8. It was the first lens I got after I’d used my kit lens for awhile. I don’t use it all of the time, but it has come in very handy in several situations. I’ve actually been thinking of starting a photo project with it. Something like using only the 50mm every Monday, or take one good picture with it every week. I particularly like combining it with my extention tubes for psuedo-macro work. Talk about shallow depth of field!
The 50mm 1.8 is still my favorite walkaround lens. I’ve heard someone say he never thought of getting a 50mm because it didn’t seem “pro” enough. Couldn’t help but laugh.
[...] On: the appeal of the 50mm camera lens | pro photo life 50mm, Equipment, [...]
[...] if you have been asking yourself that very question then pop over to this post here. Very good post. I love my 50 1.4, you should have one for [...]
The Nikon 50mm f/1.8 is always in my bag. It’s so light that I don’t even notice it. And it’s my go to lens when I shoot concerts or other low-light stuff. It’s probably the second most used lens I have. I agree with all of your points, good post.
Oh, another good thing about the 50mm is that it’s fairly inconspicuous compared to the large zoom lenses. Ideal for street photography.
I think my 50 1.4 is my favorite portrait lens I own. Zooms make me lazy.
The 50mm is great for portraits on a small sensor, plus a cheap way to get wide apertures, though the length makes it a bit long for general use.
Thinking back to yesterday’s post on getting out of a rut, it’s great to change things up by shooting with just a prime lens and natural light.
I had a brief affair with a 50mm 1.8 on my Canon XT, but fell out of love with it and stupidly sold for a zoom (although it’s the 70-200L from Canon, so think I got a pretty good deal). Since then though, I’ve read countless times about the merits of this particular piece of glass. As I crawl further up the learning curve, I am rethinking the gear list and considering adding it back into the bag. Having just added the 40D though, I must wait a while before building the coin back up enough to get another lens. Good post on this though – ProPhotoLife has become one of my daily “must reads”!
When I bought my camera, I opted to go for the body-only, a 50mm f/1.8 and a Sigma 70-300mm lens. I absolutely love my 50mm lens, especially when taking pictures of my kids. When I’m outside and it’s bright enough and the kids are running around, I’ll pull out my 70-300mm sit on the ground with my camera mounted to a tripod and snap pictures. But, when I’m up and moving around, it’s my 50mm. After my 10-20mm lens, my 50mm will see the most use.
On a related note, dPS is having a 1-focal length challenge this weekend.
http://4pphotoblog.blogspot.com/
Synchronisity in action.
I bought the Nikkor 50mm f/1.4 D AF last year before my most recent photo trip to Europe. I was able to shoot hand-held in the cathedrals and museums and come away with shots that I wasn’t able to capture before.
I’m a true believer now!
Jim,
Two AWESOME posts in a row…about the 50mm – I was taught that the 50mm lens saw things much as the human eye does (focal-lengthwise) and so it became the preferred lens for street shooters and most photojournalists…
I think the sharpest photos I can take on any of my gear are with the 50/1.4 at f/8.
- Rich
BTW – the lights came in and are sweet…really sweet.
Have you seen this: http://lightingmods.blogspot.com/2008/06/canon-lens-aging-how-old-is-this-lens.html
Just a fun thing to do with our Canon lenses…
[...] the appeal of the 50mm camera lens Everyone should have one of these lenses. Too bad there’s no AF-S version. (tags: photography) [...]
I have a strange relationship with my 50mm (Pentax f1.2 that’s as old as I am).
I love the idea of it, and wouldn’t give it up, but I don’t use it nearly as often as I should. Part of it is that most work stuff is flash photography, which neutralizes the speed advatage (and a large percentage of that is shot with work Nikons, rather than my personal camera). Also when I don’t use flash it’s often shooting speakers or performers at graduations where I need a longer lens and zoom.
Then for fun I’d rather be puttering around in the flowers with a macro lens, rather than chasing my daughter for portrait shots (which frustrates my wife). I have all of one great shot with the 50 mm in the 8 months since my daughter was born.
[...] the appeal of the 50mm camera lens ProPhotoLife The 50mm prime lens is the king of all lenses… it’s just a fact. Check out some of Jim’s thoughts on why these lenses are so useful to have. [...]
[...] the appeal of the 50mm camera lens ProPhotoLife The 50mm prime lens is the king of all lenses… it’s just a fact. Check out some of Jim’s thoughts on why these lenses are so useful to have. [...]
I do like my 50mm prime, but having a APS-C camera (a Canon 40D) what I really would like to have is a cheap (in my case Canon EF-S) 31mm f1.8 lens.
With 31mm it would be a real substitute for the 50mm lens I had (and still have) for my non-digital museum-grade camera.
The f1.2 sounds like fun but I can see that you wouldn’t use it all the time. I’d still like to have one, though!
Wolfgang, I totally agree. I picked up a used Sigma 28mm f1.8 a couple years ago from KEH Camera. It’s not really sharp wide open (it’s good by f4) but it’s an option, something fun to play with. And I tested the Sigma 30mm f1.4 but was disappointed with the focusing accuracy.
Nice timing. Just ordered a 50 f1.4. Let’s see how I get along with it.
We all agree that the 50mm is a fantastic lens. Flickr has several great pools for 50mm lens users. Search for 50mm and bokeh and you’ll come up with plenty of groups. My Nikkor 50mm arrived on July 2nd of this year and has been an absolute joy to use.
Strong bokeh adds a real artistic and professional touch to many photographs. Good post!
The Nikon 50mm 1.4 is indeed a great lens, and I love the surreal dreamy narrow DOF that it can create, and it’s super fast, the only drawback is that it was made in the days before digital and suffers from reflections from the CCD so you really have to watch for bright subject appearing upside down on the opposite side of the frame (on the D200 at least). Generally it causes problems at night – the lack of ED rear element it’s is a shame really, but i’m sure it will long out live the camera!
I recently purchased the Canon 50mm f/1.8 while upgrading from my 400D to the 40D. I was worried that the lens didn’t have IS, a feature I had become reliant on with my S3IS and my 17-85mm IS USM lens – but I was not disappointed, the lens is incredibly light which is nicely offset by the heavier 40D body.
Can’t wait to get some portrait shots with the 50mm f/1.8!
I’m not sure about close up portraits. A 70 gives much better proportions. The short lens tends to emphasise the close details, that is my bloody big nose etc. Though I must agree the 50 is the business everytime.
Nice article. See if you can write one of your own though. It will give you more credence. Take care. The Baldchemist.
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