The Many Possibilities of a 50mm Lens | Tutorial Tuesday

We all love a 50mm lens, the nifty fifty was the first prime lens for a lot of us and it gave us the chance to try out some shallow depth of field, bokeh filled photography. They are so much more than portrait lenses and offer a huge amount as one of the best all rounder focal lengths. So let's talk about it.

#50mm #photography #photographytutorial

Check out a selection of 50mm lenses:

Photo / Video Kit:

Our Video / Photo Kit:

0:00 - Introduction
0:37 - Bokeh
1:15 - Impact of Focal Length
2:09 - Portraits
2:50 - What Can You Shoot?
4:11 - Changing Perspective
5:49 - 50mm on APS-C
6:47 - Video
7:14 - Conclusion

Check us out everywhere:

[robertjones]

I learnt early on in my photography career that I don't see the world in 50mm, for me it's 35mm. I was taught that by an old photographer who told me to go and look at rows of similar buildings across a street and decide what I thought was in my prime sight and what was peripheral. Then look at the same scene through an SLR (No D in those days) with different lenses to see which one best corresponded to my prime sight area. It takes a few goes to get the hang of this but it can help you develop your natural style. Obviously, use other lenses too but it helps to know how you personally see the world when you are relaxed and not focussing your attention on subject.

[Stoxasths]

I've been using a 50mm 1.8 on my full frame since the beginning and I've fallen in love with it from day 1. Light, flexible, fast, great at low light and at a fantastic budget. I think it's a lens that allows you to learn a lot starting a semi-pro photographer, including the physicality of having to move closer and further away from your subjects.

[eric]

Some people prefer 35 mm, including me, but the 50 mm is a great lense in it's own right and is well worth having for it sharpness and wide aperture. I own a Nikkor 50 mm f1.8 and it has always done the business well for me . A light ; sharp lens to own and use, including in low light .

[Adrian_Finn]

Only thing I would add is those of you who have a aps-c crop sensor camera that want the equivalent field of view of a 50mm on a full frame camera will need to opt for a 35mm prime lens.

[warrenrae]

The difference with the depth of field with a prime lens compared to a smartphone is the manual focus.
For videos it enables you to shift focus and shift the viewers attention to tell a story which currently can’t be done so well with a smartphone

[alanplatt]

I have a 50mm f1.8 vintage Canon LTM & a f2 Leica Summicron. I used them exclusively with a Leica M240 on a shoot Saturday, I had amazing results. Very Happy. with my ultra small kit. I also used them on a Fuji X-T3 x 1.5 crop. You are absolutely correct 50mm is so versatile.

[FrodoBeutlin]

Thx for this video! It took me many hours on searching for some reasons in purchasing the new RF85mm/1.2 - happy to close this topic from now on! Instead I put my money in the new RF70-200/2.8 - together with my RF50mm/1.2 I should be prepared for the whole world!

[Geoff]

Always great to hear practical suggestions and uses for various lenses. It might help if you clarified a 50mm lens for Full frame (35 mm film size) or APS-C or other as they give a different angle of view with the same lens (Eg 50mm for FF or 33.3 for APS-C ~ Call it 35 and round up) I always said a 50mm, with film, was like looking straight ahead with one eye only - whearas a 35 or 40mm was like looking with two eyes where area of vision is concerned. But that is all dfferent with an APS-C. Nowadays I think in terms of both FF & APS-C and keep two figures in my head.

[hurleygreen]

Love this video! I lost my 50mm lens and ended up with a 55mm macro Nikon manual lens, and once I got used to the manual focusing, I LOVE IT! :)

[samijune]

My first 50mm prime was a vintage Minolta MD 1.7 and I shot it on the x700 body. I instantly fell in love with the 35mm film experience but I fell deeply in love with that lens to the point where I've adapted it to my canon and often choose it over my native lenses. Now that I'm considering upgrading my digital body to a full frame, I'm contemplating picking up the nifty 50 1.8 instead of splurging on an L series zoom.

[hurleygreen]

Revisiting your video, because I now have a Nikon 50mm D1.8 after losing my first one over a year ago...you made me remember why I fell in LOVE with it! QUESTION: Have you ever used it on a DX camera?

[LostSoulAscension]

I'm so grateful I got the 50mm T1.05 as my first lens! I'm beginning to feel like I may never care to have anything else the more I learn about it!

[derekmadge]

I was glad to hear the reference to the crop camera and the affect the 50 mm would have on that sensor. So many videos along these lines never explained if they are talking about full frame or cropped. I usually assume they mean full frame which, because I have cropped cameras, means those videos heve less relevance to me.

[stacyegan]

Wonderful reasons and examples of the virtues of a 50mm lens.

[melvynmunhuweyi]

Amazing quality videos good work thank you for the tutorials

[snoozysoozy]

I have been doing some filmmaking courses using digital cameras and smartphones and have just brought my first digital camera a Canon D5 Mark II with a 50mm lense. Glad I found you. I have subscribed to your channel so I can continue learning more. I like the way you explain things. I want to get my first zoom lense something I can take photos and videos of animals and the moon. What lense would you recommend that isn't too exspensive. I think I defiently need to learn to use the 50mm lense first so I get the hang of taking photos.

[fatherdanmclaughlinosa]

You presented many good reasons why a 50 mm lens is a great all around lens. I liked that you liked using a 50 mm lens on an APC camera because it better isolates the subject. I am a Church photographer using a Nikon Z 6 II camera with a Zikkor Z - 24-70 mm S lens in Dx ( cropped) mode. I recently purchased the popular Nikkor Z 50 mm 1.8 S lens and did wonder how to use it. I now understand when using the 50 mm to switch the two framing modes to isolate a subject or to get a wider view. Thank you!

Father Dan

[jaredshult]

Using my 50mm with a crop sensor camera definitely changes a lot for me. Turns it into basically just a portrait lens

[mjaquino]

Can I use 50mm f1.4 moving subject? My friend is going to baptize on Saturday in the water and I’m planning to use 50mm, is that a good idea?

[SimonAckerman]

My 50mm f/1.2 RF and R5 are arriving on Friday, I can't wait to go out shooting.