Adventures in 50mm
Ayup! For the second half of this year, I've been shooting exclusively with a 50mm lens. When I decided to get back into photography with a camera, rather than a smartphone, I had a crucial decision to make; which lens to go for, when the budget only allows for one.
Back in my Fujifilm days, the 35mm F2 was always my favourite lens. As it turns out, this had already laid a solid set of foundations. The full frame equivalent of the 35mm is between 52 and 53mm, so I kind of knew what to expect. Versatile and multipurpose, but often challenging.
Following a stint of mobile photography, and all of the flexibility that it offers, I picked up a Sony a7C II with a fixed, 50mm F2.5 prime lens. Earlier in the year, I wrote about the self-imposed limitations this set up brings. With that said, the pros have far outweighed the cons.
If you’re learning photography and trying to improve your technique then a 50mm will open up a whole world of creative options that you just can’t achieve with your kit lens.
Benefits and advantages of a 50mm prime lens
A review of this year's photos actually prompted the idea for this blog post. Something that became immediately evident, is that a 50mm lens helps to find order in the chaos. It lends itself perfectly to picking out calm, quiet scenes in an otherwise frantic world.
Generally speaking, a prime lens will usually offer superior image quality and sharpness. The added bonus with 50mm, they always start at an extremely affordable price point. No matter which camera brand you use, there will be something for all budgets.
The Sony 50mm F2.5 in particular, is hands down the most flawless lens I've ever used. Plus, it's absolutely tiny. The marketing spiel mentions edge-to-edge sharpness, which it certainly delivers on. Paired with the a7C II, you get a super-portable, yet extremely powerful full-frame set up.
Personally, I also find a fixed focal length brings additional mindfulness aspects to photography. It almost forces you to concentrate and notice more. Increased awareness of your surroundings is required to start figuring out your framing and compositions.
Lastly, 50mm is considered a classic focal length. It's often recommended as a first prime lens. This is down to a combination of the aforementioned pricing, the versatile use cases, and the lessons it will teach any photographer about composition. Zooming in and out with your feet is something you'll frequently hear or read when learning about 50mm photography.
On a full-frame digital camera, a 50mm lens offers a similar field of vision to our own eyes, meaning you have the ability to shoot what you see. However, when you begin to use fixed focal length lenses (such as a 50mm lens), you might have difficulty fitting every element of the composition into the image. Using a 50mm will require you to think creatively about your composition and will help to improve your composition technique.
50mm & calm
Overall, I've come to seriously appreciate the look I can achieve with a 50mm lens. When the composition and framing is right, there's something quietly calm and peaceful about the images.
When you're forced to choose only one lens, it's always a good opportunity to go all in. Work it, and then work it some more. As we approach the new year, I'm looking forward to plenty more outings and adventures with the 50mm
Granted, this lens comes with its niggling set of limitations and frustrations. As a fixed focal length, it's often a love it or hate it type scenario. Some photographers find it overrated. Fair play. Looking back on what I've captured so far, though, it works extremely well for my particular requirements. Happy days! Here's to a prosperous 2026!
