the appeal of the 50mm camera lens
July 3, 2008 – 2:30 am
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.
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.
- 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…
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"Back in ‘94 they call me Chi-town’s Nas
Now them niggas know I’m one of Chi-town’s gods
We eatin' joe, you’re still talking no carbs
A conscious nigga with mac like Steve Jobs" -Common
the first was stolen.
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