If you are stranded on a desert island and can only have one camera lens with you, which lens would you choose? That may depend on your specific area of expertise, but for the average photographer, the 50mm focal length is an essential tool to have in your kit. The 50mm prime lens, or “Nifty Fifty,” features a field of view close to that of the human eye, and delivers exceptional image quality, subject isolation, and background rendering, all in a compact package.
The Origin of the “Nifty Fifty”
In the bygone era of film SLR photography, many cameras like the Canon AE-1 came packaged with 50mm f/1.8 lenses. Today, this may sound odd, as the average “Kit” lens is usually a zoom. After all, zooms are more practical for the beginner. The varying focal length makes zooms a more versatile option and the ever-increasing quality of these lenses had made pairing them with entry level cameras a no brainer.
There was a time when the prime was undoubtedly the superior lens, but the gaps in quality have continued to shrink to the point where some normal zooms are near indistinguishable from their prime counterparts. With that said, you may find yourself asking why in the world would anyone want a 50mm prime? The answer is surprisingly simple. So, without any further ado, let’s get into what makes the nifty fifty so versatile.
Field of View
There is some conjecture on whether it is the 35mm lens or the 50mm lens that closest approximates the field of view of the human eyeball—minus the peripheral vision. Basically, both the 50mm and 35mm lenses see the world the way our own eyes do—give or take a few degrees. Because they do not bend light from wide angles, or zoom in to a smaller part of our eye’s image, these lenses provide our photographs with a familiar aesthetic—a realistic representation of the world that we all see when we open our eyes.
Does this mean that the 50mm, because of its familiar perspective, prevents the photographer from exploring the world with creative vision? Definitely not. The 50mm lens allows the photographer to make creative images inside a familiar field of view.
Size
As enamored as many of us are with big cameras and big lenses—the ones just like the pros use—there is something to be said for small and light. If you have been humping a telephoto zoom or a wide-aperture f/2.8 “pro” mid-range zoom lens around your neck or in your camera bag, grab a 50mm lens and watch your chiropractic copays vanish overnight.
Regardless of how big your camera is, snapping a 50mm on to the front of it will change the way your arms and back approach your photographs.
Cost
We live in a world where four-figure lenses are becoming commonplace. These prices reflect great advancements in construction, focusing speed, and of course, weight savings, but they come at a literal cost.
The 50mm lens, especially ones with f/1.8 or f/2 apertures, are not that fancy. They feature a simple, tried and true design, and with the exception of adding autofocus and improved glass quality, haven’t changed all that much since their initial conception. With the exception of a few select models, they can be purchased for the cost of a nice dinner for two in Manhattan (with drinks). On the used market, they can be had for the price of dinner for one—or a few inexpensive New York City lunches.
A superlative lens for a fraction of the cost of a professional zoom? Sign us up!
Optical Quality
In general, prime lenses outperform their zoom counterparts in optical quality. Don’t get me wrong, zooms today are incredibly good—good to the point where only the pixel peepers will tell zoom from prime—but it is the prime lens that still has the overall advantage of a more basic optical formula and mechanical simplicity. When it comes to sharpness, chromatic aberrations, and distortion—Advantage: prime.
Looking for shallow depth of field? Put your f/4.5-5.6 zoom lens on the shelf and mount your 50mm. Open up the aperture and watch the rest of the world melt away.
Is your f/5.6 aperture kit lens not getting you the bokeh you crave? Twist on a 50mm f/1.4 or f/1.8 lens, go wide open, focus on a close subject, and experience bokeh like you read about.
Darkness
It’s dark out there. The key to better and less blurry low-light images isn’t only magical low-noise/high ISO cameras, it is a large aperture. Just as your zoom lenses limit the shallowness of your depth of field and restrict your bokeh because of their comparatively narrow aperture openings, the wide-aperture 50mm lens is just the right cure for low-light handheld photography.
Versatility
Of course, the advantage of a kit lens is versatility. But the prime lens is not a one-trick-pony. Representing the “normal” focal length, the 50mm lens, in seeing—more or less—how we see the world, is perfectly capable of capturing scenic vistas, a moment on a busy sidewalk, a close-up of a spring flower, or a portrait of a beautiful face. The 50mm is a jack-of-all-trades lens and a master of almost everything photographic.
The Anti-Kit Lens
As mentioned earlier, a huge majority of interchangeable-lens cameras are sold with “kit lenses.” There is nothing wrong with this and, to be honest, a pair of quality zoom lenses is the fastest way that new interchangeable-lens photographers can explore the world around them. And, for many photographers, the kit lens or lenses is/are 100% sufficient.
But say you’ve been bitten by the bug and you want to improve your photography, technically and creatively. We believe the single fastest way to get on that track is by shooting a quality prime lens—likely a 50mm. If you’re feeling inspired and want to learn more about photography, check out the other guides, articles, and reviews on the B&H Explora page!
