Last Updated on 11/13/2019 by Mark Beckenbach
These incredibly affordable 50mm lenses are all you need to get started in the world of portrait photography.
Photography is an incredible art to get involved with, but it can also be one of the most expensive. We are inundated by people and YouTube channels advising that you MUST use the most expensive lenses in order to be a pro or get pictures worth anything. This is simply not true. If you’re a photographer considering portrait photography, you’ll be pleased to know there are affordable 50mm lenses that create sharp images and produce all the bokeh you need. After the break, we have listed some of our favorite 50mm lenses for portrait photography that won’t make your wallet cry.
We recently posted an article that proves photographers need no more than a trusty f1.8 ‘nifty fifty’ to create stunning portrait images. These affordable lenses offer the perfect gateway into portrait photography, but don’t let their low prices fool you. Despite being very affordable, these lenses can produce sharp images, gorgeous colors, and beautiful bokeh. They focus quickly, and are built very well too. If you know your way around a camera and understand how to compose an image, you’ll be able to create stunning pictures with them. Here’s a shortlist of some of our favorite affordable 50mm prime lenses for portrait photography.
Canon 50mm F1.8 STM
Here are the pros and cons from our full review:
Pros
- Very sharp image quality when only slightly stopped down
- Better image quality when shot wide open than previous versions
- Nice bokeh
- Small size
- Silent focusing and manual focusing is much more simple
- Better build quality
Cons
- For those who care about this a lot, purple fringing is a problem
Buy now ($125): Adorama
Nikon 50mm F1.8 G
Here are the pros and cons from our full review:
Pros
- Really affordable
- Nice build quality
- Focuses fast thanks to the Silent Wave motor
- Smooth focus ring for manual focus
- Creates sharp, clear images with pleasing bokeh
- Renders great colors, especially skin tones
Cons
- Does not have a hard infinity focus stop
Buy now ($176.95): Adorama
Olympus 25mm F1.8 (50mm Equivalent)
Here are the pros and cons from our full review:
Pros
- Super sharp wide open and stopped down a tad
- Small and light
- Fast-focusing performance in various lighting situations
- Smooth bokeh
Cons
- Wish it were a tad faster
Buy now ($249): Adorama
Pro Tip: There’s more to portrait photography than pointing your camera and telling your model to strike a pose. To be a great portrait photographer, you need to know how to compose an image, make the most of available light, and, most importantly, communicate with your models so your ideas can come to life. If you’re new to portrait photography and aren’t sure where to start, we suggest taking a look at this guide from Lindsay Adler. This tutorial will teach how to direct your models and how to pose men, women, and groups of all shapes and sizes. It will show you how to light, how to use modifiers, and so much more. The best part: it’s super affordable, just like these lenses listed here.
Sony 50mm F1.8
Here are the pros and cons from our full review:
Pros
- Decent image quality
- Affordable
- Small
- Fast to focus in good lighting
Cons
- Autofocus in low light even with the a7r II is slow
- Autofocus is a bit louder than we’d like
Buy now ($248): Adorama
Fujifilm 35mm F2 R WR (50mm Equivalent)
Here are the pros and cons from our full review:
Pros
- Great sharpness
- Nine aperture blades make bokeh as good as it can be
- Small size
- Weather resistance
- The fastest focusing lens Fujifilm has offered as of the publication of this review
Cons
- Just f2…a refresh to the 35mm f1.4 actually would have been more appreciated
Buy now ($399): Adorama
Samyang/Rokinon 50mm F1.2
Here are the pros and cons from our full review:
Pros
- Very, very sharp image delivery
- Beautiful bokeh
- Smooth focusing ring
- Lightweight design
- Affordable price point
Cons
- We think it’s time for Rokinon and Samyang to give their lenses a metal body/exterior
Buy now Fujifilm X ($399): Adorama
Buy now Canon M ($389): Adorama
Buy now Micro Four thirds ($399): Adorama
Buy now Sony E ($399): Adorama
Pro Tip: Even experienced photographers can hit a wall when it comes to figuring our poses for clients, so it’s good to have poses saved to your phone that you can refer to. If, however, you don’t want your clients to have access to your phone, and you’d like to make your sessions a little more interactive, you can bring these posing cards along with you. These cards can be shared with clients, and the models can also help pick out poses that they like. Don’t draw a blank while out on a shoot; make sure you have plenty of back up ideas so that you and your clients can make the most of the time you have together.
Nikon 50mm F1.8 Z S
Here are the pros and cons from our full review:
Pros
- Robust weather sealing
- Excellent sharpness
- Compact and lightweight
Cons
- Pricier than existing Nikon F Mount 50mm lenses
Buy now ($496.95): Adorama