Last Updated on 03/29/2020 by Chris Gampat
These 50mm prime lenses offer outstanding value for your money thanks to their performance to price ratios.
Good things in photography don’t always have to be expensive. You will find many photographers who will say that unless you spend thousands of dollars on top-notch gear, you won’t be able to generate excellent images. This is fake news, my friends, and it is advice like this that can stop new photographers from exploring many options when it comes to lenses. If you think it’s not worth dropping less than $400 on your first prime, or just a new prime for you, we’re here to tell you to change that mindset. The 50mm prime lenses that we list after the break perform far better than their prices suggest.
So, why do companies bother making more expensive 50mm prime lenses if these are so good? Yes, there are better performing lenses on the market with better optics, better build qualities, weather sealing and so on. But, if you are looking for your first prime, or unless your clients demand lenses that cost thousands so that they can sit next to you at your computer and pixel peep with you, you don’t need one.
The 50mm f1.8 prime lenses we have listed are all excellent performers. They will help you create gorgeous images, they render colors beautifully, they are fast performers when it comes to autofocus, and they can create nice subject isolation thanks to their wide aperture. I used the Canon 50mm f1.8 and the Sony 50mm f1.8 for years with my clients and never received a single complaint about my work, so don’t fear the low price of these lenses: they are all great performers. If you are looking for primes that won’t let you down and won’t ruin you financially, check out the 50mm prime lenses below.
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 than the previous model
Cons
- Purple fringing is present
Buy now: $125
Nikon 50mm F1.8 G
Here are the pros and cons from our full review:
Pros
- Small size and lightweight
- Great image quality
- Very nice bokeh
- Focuses surprisingly fast
- The nice sized focusing ring
Cons
- Slightly too much plastic in the build, but it still feels nice in the hand
Buy now: $196.95
Sony 50mm F1.8 FE
Here are the pros and cons from our full review:
Pros
- Pretty decent image quality
- Affordable
- Small
- Fast to focus in good lighting
Cons
- Autofocus in low light even with the a7r II is very slow
- Autofocus is a bit louder than we’d personally like, though it’s still pretty quiet in real-life use
Buy now: $228.95
Pro Tip: Regardless of how much you spend on your lenses, you absolutely must take care of them. Regular cleaning will help extend the life of your lenses, and honestly, it doesn’t take very long to show them the love they deserve. Give your lenses a quick wipe down with a soft microfiber cloth before each use as this will help ensure you have no debris on the front element, and go over them in more detail once per week. You don’t have to spend a fortune to get a basic lens cleaning kit either.
Olympus 25mm F1.8 (Micro Four Thirds 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
- We wish it were a tad faster to f1.4
Buy now: $299
Canon 50mm F1.4 Lens
Here are the pros and cons from our full review:
Pros
- Incredibly sharp images can be produced with this lens
- Nice overall bokeh
- Feels nice in the hands despite the plastic build
- Accurate color rendering, especially skin tones
- It can resolve an insane amount of detail
- Very little distortion
- Affordable price point
Cons
- The focusing ring can get a little sticky at times
- Not the fastest focusing lens in the Canon line up
- There is some vignetting present, but can be fixed in post
Buy now: $349
Fujifilm 35mm F2 R WR (Fujifilm X Mount 52.5mm Equivalent)
Here are the pros and cons from our full review:
Pros
- Great sharpness
- Nine aperture blades make the bokeh as good as it can be
- Small size
- Weather resistance
- The fastest focusing lens that 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 and pushed the system ahead overall
Buy now: $399
Pro Tip: These budget friendly 50mm prime lenses are great in many ways, but just remember that not all of them are weather sealed. If you want to continue to shoot in the rain or snow with them, grab some cheap yet useful weatherproof covers. These will allow you to shoot no matter what. Pick up a few and keep them in your camera bag or jacket pocket so you can be safe just in case.
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 really think it’s time for Rokinon and Samyang to give their lenses a metal body/exterior
Buy now Canon M: $301.50
Buy now Fujifilm: $354.80
Buy now M4/3: $351.50
Buy now Sony E: $297.50