Whether you’re a beginner photographer or have a few years of shooting experience under your belt, you’ve probably heard the term “nifty fifty” at some point. Photographers from all backgrounds and interests typically carry a nifty fifty in their camera bags.
A nifty fifty is another name for a 50mm lens. But why is it so special and how can you use it?
What Makes a Nifty 50 Lens so Special?
50mm lenses provide a very familiar look and feel for photographic subjects and for the world around us. The 50mm focal length is very similar to what the human eye naturally sees, so whether you’re shooting a portrait, a street scene, or a flower, your viewers will easily identify with the perspective.
Benefits of Shooting With a 50mm Focal Length
Beyond the familiar look of a 50mm lens focal length, the nifty fifty offers photographers a few important benefits. Between its depth of field, physical size, and price point, a 50mm lens is a great addition to any photographer’s kit.
Nifty Fifty and Shallow Depth of Field
Think about the most successful portraits, macro shots, and floral photography you’ve seen in magazines and on social media. What do they all have in common? They all use shallow depth of field to create a sense of focus and separation from the background.
Nifty fifty lenses usually offer much wider maximum apertures than other lenses on the market. It’s common to see a 50mm f/1.8, a 50mm f/1.4, or even a 50mm f/1.2. Shooting at those extremely wide apertures provides a significantly shallow depth of field, which will help you draw the viewer’s eye to your subject more effectively.
Budget-Friendly Prime Lens
If you’ve ever shopped for a wide-aperture prime lens before, you’ve probably noticed that a wide aperture usually translates into a high price tag. Nifty fifty lenses are the exception to the rule.
When you’re looking for an ultra-affordable, wide-aperture lens for your DSLR or mirrorless camera, a nifty fifty lens is hard to beat. Plus, Some introductory models are made with plastic components rather than metal, which results in cost savings.
More expensive 50mm lenses packed with features certainly exist, but you can easily find a good quality 50mm lens for under $350. You can get the price tag even lower if you’re willing to try a manual focus lens instead of an autofocus lens.
Plenty of Available Models for Every Camera
The nifty fifty is ubiquitous across all camera manufacturers. Canon, Nikon, Fuji, Leica, Olympus, and Sony all offer a 50mm prime lens, and some brands even offer multiple 50mm options at various maximum apertures.
If you’re interested in shooting with a nifty fifty but none of the brand name models excite you, third-party manufacturers like Sigma, Rokinon, Tamron, and Lensbaby also make 50mm lenses that are worth checking out.
What Subjects Can You Shoot With a 50mm Lens?
One of the best parts of investing in a nifty fifty is how versatile it is. You can capture just about any subject with it!
Eye Catching Portraits
50mm is a great focal length for portraits. Wide angle lenses can make portrait subjects’ faces look more angular and distorted while telephoto lenses can make faces and bodies look wider by compressing features.
The nifty fifty is the perfect balance. Subjects look true to life and the shallow depth of field at wider apertures creates a nice background blur to make your subject stand out.
Street Photography
Because most 50mm lenses are physically compact and lightweight, they’re perfect lenses for street photography. With a nifty fifty, you can blend into the background much more effectively than if you were using a larger lens.
Find an intriguing spot or a busy city street and blend into the crowd as you capture authentic moments.
Natural Subjects and Landscapes
Subjects like insects, animals, and flowers look great when photographed with a nifty fifty. Between the shallow depth of field, and the close focusing distance available with most 50mm lenses, you can fill the frame with your subject while the background falls into an attractive blur.
You can even shoot landscapes with your nifty fifty. Just close down the aperture for greater depth of field, and enjoy exploring the natural world.
