The rule of thumb for handheld photography is that your shutter speed should be one divided by your focal length. With a focal length of 50mm, you use a shutter speed of 1/50 of a second or faster. However, in many lighting conditions, setting your shutter speed at 1/50 or faster will render your image underexposed.
What type of photos do you take with a 50mm lens?
A 50mm lens is perfect for street photography. Its focal length allows you to get close to your subjects and fill the frame for more intimate images. But it also gives you the flexibility to step back from a scene and capture a wider environmental context, which is often essential to street photography.
What is a 50 mm lens good for?
Why use a 50mm lens? No matter what type of photography you like, there’s a good chance you can use a 50mm lens. It’s one of the most popular lenses on the market, and it can be used for anything from portraits and car photography to landscapes and nighttime shots.
What shutter speed should I use for a 50mm lens?
1/50
So if you’re shooting with a 50mm lens, the rule says that you shouldn’t pick a shutter speed slower than 1/50 if you want a sharp picture. So you could shoot at 1/80 or 1/100 and be just fine, but don’t go to 1/40 or 1/20.
How far should you stand from a 50mm lens?
How far should you stand from a 50mm lens? As a very rough rule of thumb, for portrait photography you want to be at least 3–4 meters / 10–15 feet away from your subject, regardless of the focal length of the lens you are using.
Is a 50mm lens good for street photography?
The 50mm is the ideal street photography lens. Actually it’s an ideal lens full stop. It has the most applications of any focal and hence why they are often referred to as the “nifty fifty”, the versatile lens.
Can I use a 50mm lens for portraits?
For portrait photography, 50mm lenses are great for full-length and waist-level portraits, both on location and in the studio. This is thanks to the wide field of view compared to an 85mm or 135mm lens, and you don’t need to be too far away from the model to achieve these crops.
Can you do macro photography with a 50mm lens?
50mm lenses work best in capturing typical macro shots. However, these types of macro lenses have their drawbacks. 50mm lenses make subjects appear half “life-size” since they usually feature a 1:2 ratio, and require shooting at a much closer distance. But a 50mm lens is a must if you want a general walk-around lens.
Which lens is best for photography?
10 Best Lenses for Portrait Photography (2021)
- Nikon 50mm f/1.8G.
- Canon EF 85mm f/1.4L IS USM.
- Nikon AF-S 70-200mm f/2.8E FL ED VR.
- Sigma 40mm f/1.4 DG HSM | Art.
- Canon EF 50mm f/1.2L USM.
- Nikon 105mm f/1.4E ED.
- Sony FE 85mm f/1.4 GM.
- Canon RF 28-70mm f/2L USM.
Is a 50mm lens good for landscape photography?
But the 50mm prime lens is a great option for landscape photography, especially if you’re a beginner; it will make you think differently about your photos, it will free you from the constraints of a heavy setup, and it will easily provide you with clear, sharp images.
What aperture is best for portraits?
f/2 to f/2.8
The best aperture for individual portraits is f/2 to f/2.8. If you’re shooting two people, use f/4. For more than two people, shoot at f/5.6. These aren’t the only apertures you can use, and there are certainly other elements to consider.
Does 50mm lens zoom?
‘. With 50mm prime lenses, instead of zooming with your hand, you will zoom with your feet. You’ll get closer to your subject to isolate it from a distracting background, which will mostly be abstract shapes (especially if you have the f/1.4 version).
How do you shoot a street photo with 50mm?
If you really want to take your street photography to the next level, try some panning shots. This is a great way to capture motion using long shutter speeds, especially with a 50mm lens. Start with a small aperture – try f/8 – and a relatively slow shutter speed, such as 1/30s.
Can you zone focus with a 50mm lens?
Here are a few recommendations with zone focusing: Choose a normal or wider focal length. The ideal choices are 50mm, 35mm, 28mm, and 24mm lenses. The great masters of street photography used anywhere between 50mm and 28mm lenses.
Is 35mm or 50mm better for street photography?
While the 35mm is great for full-length street portraits where you want to show a lot of background, a 50mm will focus the scene right in on your subject and the most important background details. It allows you to highlight their expressions and personality by getting in close to what really matters.
Is 50mm or 85mm better for portraits?
An 85mm lens offers the same framing from farther back. Some photographers prefer to get up-close and personal when shooting portraits, in which case a 50mm lens is the better option. Others prefer to keep the subject at a distance, and here, an 85mm lens will excel.
Is Canon 50mm a macro lens?
The Canon EF 50mm f/2.5 compact macro lens is lightweight and compact for general-purpose standard focal length shooting and for close-up 1:2 half-life size macro photography. A floating optical system enables sharp delineation at all focusing distances.
Is the Nifty Fifty a macro lens?
A macro lens focusses closer than a non -macro lens, and the 50mm f 1.8 Canon lens is a non macro lens. It’s what macro lenses are not.
How do I take good macro photos?
5 Macro Photography Techniques
- Use flash. While decreasing your aperture will give you the depth of field you need to get your subject in focus, it will also allow less light into your camera.
- Use manual focus.
- Use a tripod.
- Take plenty of shots.
- Stack photos in post-processing.
What 3 lenses should every photographer have?
The Three Lenses Every Photographer Should Own
- 1 – The Mighty 50mm. If you only have budget for one extra lens, make it a 50mm.
- 2 – The Ultra Wide-angle. If your budget allows for two new lenses, buy the 50mm and then invest in a wide-angle optic.
- 3 – The Magical Macro.
Is 75mm good for portraits?
On an APS camera, the 50mm is the equivalent of a 75mm, which is an ideal focal length for portraits. Not bad for a small, lightweight lens. The only disadvantage? When shooting close-ups, noses might look a bit larger than when using a true telephoto, which would compress the space for a more flattering shot.
Contents