What Can You Shoot With a 50mm Lens?

A 50mm lens is a lens with fixed focal length and a wide field of vision. They are low priced, light and one of the most popular lenses on the market. So, what can you shoot with a 50mm lens? 

What Can You Shoot With a 50mm Lens?

A 50mm lens can be used to capture low light images, Bokeh, portraits, and street photography. The 50mm lens refers to the focal length that mostly comes paired with wide apertures. It can capture a wide field of vision and images as they seem to a human eye.  

Candid Photography

The 50mm lens can capture images as they seem to a human eye. This means that you do not have to look into the viewfinder before taking images. This coupled with their speed, makes the 50mm lens ideal for candid photography.

Hence, when you are out on a holiday or just spending time with your loved ones, a 50mm lens would allow you to capture the most beautiful moments. 

Low Light Pictures

A 50mm lens usually comes with wide apertures such as f/1.4 or f/1.8. The camera aperture refers to how much light enters the camera. The wider the aperture, the more light can enter your camera.

If you pair that up with your shutter speed (around 1/10 seconds to 2 seconds) and ISO levels (above 10,000), you can get the best exposure. Also, with a wide aperture, you can use faster shutter speeds and capture moving objects.

These lenses are good for:

• low-light photography
• nightlife photos
• indoor photography

The versatility allows you to experiment with different settings and get the best shots.

The Perfect Bokeh

The fact that this 50mm lens can be paired with a wide aperture around f/1.4 to f/1.8 means that you might have some out-of-focus pictures. With a shallow depth of field, you highlight a single point while blurring out the rest of the image.

These lenses can be used to capture the most beautiful Bokeh because of their wide field of vision and ability to blur it out. Thus, you capture a small subject and blur out the large background. This allows you to focus on the details of the subject along with the aesthetic blur.

Portraits

Lots of photographers admit that the 50mm lens is a great choice for capturing portraits. It allows you to capture every detail. Pair it with a wide aperture such as f/1.8 and you can capture these portraits in every light. 

Although it is true that you cannot zoom in or out due to their fixed focal length. To get close-ups you can always walk towards the subject and shoot away. It has little or no distortion on the edges, hence it is commonly used in fashion photography.

Also, you can use the magic of Bokeh to capture some good portraits. You can focus on the person’s face to capture the details while blurring out the rest to create a beautiful effect.

Street Photography

Street photography involves capturing life as it happens on common streets. The wide field of vision which entails these lenses allows you to shoot the best street photographs.

During street photography, if you are nervous about getting close to the subject then these lenses are perfect because you would not have to. They allow you to capture the colors and dynamic features of the streets.

Pair them up with a slow shutter speed (such as around 1-2 seconds) or high ISO levels (up to 14000), and you can take pictures in low light too! Moreover, you can get the best candid photos through this lens, which is what street photography is all about!

Wedding Photography

The 50mm lenses can be used to cover weddings too. Wedding photography involves everything from close-ups, portraits, and family photos.

These lenses capture details in closeups which are ideal when capturing the bride and groom. The fact that they have a good field of vision means that they can be used to capture candid moments of laughter during weddings.

Also, the lens works whether the event is indoors or outdoors. Indoor, the wide aperture captures pictures with the couple in focus and the background blurred out. Hence, if you are planning to shoot at weddings, the 50mm lens is a great choice.

Travel Pictures

If you are a travel enthusiast, then be sure to get hold of a 50mm lens. This lens is small, light, and portable! Thus, you can take these along anywhere you go without worrying about additional baggage.

The wide field of vision can help you capture scenic views in detail. You can carry it along on streets, during the nights without worrying about anything.

Related Questions

What Are the Advantages of Using a 50mm Lens?

The 50mm lenses are the closest you can get to a human eye. By that, we mean that it captures photos like the human eye sees. Besides that, it is extremely light, fast, and easy on your pockets. If you are someone who is starting photography, then this lens is a great choice to start!

What Are the Disadvantages of Using a 50mm Lens? 

One letdown here is the fact that this lens has a fixed focal length which cannot be used to zoom in and out. This means that it is not a good choice for macro photography or zoomed-in images.

Is a 50mm Lens Good for Beginners?

Most photographers who are just starting out are advised to use this 50mm lens. This is due to their versatility. These lenses can be great for hundreds of entry-level situations. 

Also, the fact that you cannot zoom in or out, lets you try them out in different angles. Their shortcomings bring out the creative side within you and help you learn a lot along the way!

Conclusion

You can shoot a lot with a 50mm lens. With its fixed focus length and wide aperture, the 50mm lens is ideal for portraits, Bokeh, and landscape photography. Whether you are an amateur or just a beginner, shooting in daylight or night light, these lenses can help you out.