5 Affordable 50mm Prime Lenses That Will Improve Your Skills
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Did you get a new camera over the holidays? Are you confused about which lens you should buy first? If so, you’re in the right place. While your new camera may have come with a kit lens or two, we highly recommend grabbing a prime lens. Prime lenses will challenge you and they’ll help you grow simply because you cannot rely on zooms to get the shot you want. Primes make you think and compose with your feet. On top of that, prime lenses have much faster apertures than zoom lenses. This means you can shoot in low light situations, and you’ll be able to create gorgeous bokeh. 50mm prime lenses are ideal for new photographers because they provide a field of view similar to what the human eye can see. Here are five of our favorite 50mm prime lenses for new photographers.
Sony 50mm f1.8
In our review, we said:
“Generally speaking, in terms of nifty 50 lenses, you can’t really get much better here. Sony’s 50mm f1.8 is right up there with the Canon 50mm f1.8 in terms of image quality. It’s got great color output, is very sharp, very little chromatic aberration (and even then, you’ve really got to look for it), and bokeh that isn’t bad overall.”
Chris Gampat – Editor In Chief
Buy now: $248
Canon 50mm f1.8 STM
In our review, we said:
“Canon’s 50mm f1.8 STM is a great lens for the beginner, hobbyist, enthusiast, or even the professional who likes to rough and tumble their equipment.
Chris Gampat – Editor In Chief
Buy now: $145.90
Pro Tip: All of these 50mm prime lenses are fantastic, but not all of them are weather sealed. If you want to shoot in the snow, rain, or any inclement weather, make sure your gear is protected. Grab some weatherproof camera and lens covers and stick them in your camera bag. They’re just $12.95 for 5! If the weather takes a turn for the worse you can keep on shooting.
Nikon 50mm f1.8 Z S
In our review, we said:
“We found the Nikon 50mm f1.8 Z S’s image quality to be very good in our tests. It is sharp, has very pleasing bokeh, doesn’t exhibit any major problems, and has an overall beautiful look to it.”
Buy now: $596.95
Fujifilm 35mm f2 R WR (35mm Equivalent on Fujifilm APS-C Cameras)
In our review, we said:
“It is the fastest to focus Fujifilm lens to date and finally makes candid street photography with a Fujifilm camera really viable when it comes to using autofocus. For this reason alone, many photographers will greatly, greatly appreciate this lens and just how quickly it can perform.”
Chris Gampat – Editor In Chief
Buy now: $399
Pro Tip: You’re quickly going to find that these 50mm prime lenses will make your creativity soar. If you want to make the most of your new nifty fifty, really take a deep dive. This creative photography bundle will help you get the most out of your new lens.
Olympus 25mm f1.8 (50mm Equivalent on Micro Four Thirds Cameras)
In our review, we said:
“In fact, the 25mm f1.8 is one of the most affordable and bang for your buck lenses out there for the Micro Four Thirds system. We’re quite impressed with the sharpness, bokeh, fast focusing speed (coupled with accuracy), small size, and the overall feel that it is the single-lens that you may want to keep mated to your camera forever.”
Chris Gampat – Editor In Chief
Buy now: $299