There’s even the special term “Nifty Fifty” which is usually a reference to the Canon 50mm f1.8 lens, but it is used very often synonymously with any prime 50mm lens.
What is So Special about a 50 mm Lens?
There are 7 top reasons to buy a 50 mm lens.
1. It is fairly inexpensive. One of the main reasons you should own a version of this lens is the fact that many are incredibly cheap (about $100-200).
2. It is compact and very light. Having a small, portable lens makes it far more likely that you will bring your camera along with you that is the very important step to improve your photography. It is a lens you can shoot with all day.
3. It is a fast lens. Fast lenses are those which have f-numbers f2.8 or lower. 50 mm lenses have a wide maximum aperture, usually f/1.8 (or even f/1.4 and f/1.2). Most entry-level zoom lenses and kit lenses have their widest aperture at f/3.5 or f/4.0.
A wide aperture gives you many photographic opportunities that are not as easy to achieve with other apertures. It helps you in shooting in low light conditions and to use either a faster shutter speed and avoid camera shake, or a lower ISO and avoid the noise, or a combination of both.
4. Professional quality. 50 mm lenses give very good quality images. Prime or fixed focal length lenses are usually inherently sharper than zoom lenses.
5. It gives you great bokeh. Shooting wide open creates a very narrow depth of field (area of the photograph in focus) and easily creates bokeh.
6. It is a “normal” or “standard” lens.
By normal it means that the 50 mm lens is considered close to the view and vision of normal eye sight, it gives a natural look to the images.
7. It is a versatile lens. 50 mm lens is good for “any situation”.
50 mm lenses have always been popular with street photographers, who value the small size and fast shooting.
It is good enough to capture landscape, because it is indeed a great lens for natural light photography.
It is very good for portraits because does not create noticeable distortion.
With 50 mm lens you can experiment with close-up photography and even with macro photography (with a simple reverse ring).
The 50mm is a great addition to your bag for trips.
Conclusion
With the help of the 50 mm lens you’ll become a better photographer.
When a photographer uses zoom lenses he doesn’t need his feet to walk around his subject. With the 50 mm lens a photographer needs to walk around his subject but that helps him to see different views and helps him to think about composition.
And the most important point is that even “Nifty Fifty” requires a great deal of practice.
I have several lenses, but my Canon EF 50 mm f/1.4 USM is one of my favorite lenses ever.
Thank you for reading!
Stay tuned!
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