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When it comes to prime lenses, none are more celebrated than trusty nifty fifties. 50mm primes are loved by the masses thanks to their exceptional ability to comfortably shoot just about any genre you can think of. These versatile lenses are great for street photography, landscapes, portrait photography, event photography, wedding photography, documentary work, and more. The field of view from 50mm primes is also close to what most (but not all) people see with their own eyes. This is just one of the reasons why images shot with these lenses are so pleasing. However, not all 50mm primes are made equal. After the break, we’ll share five premium 50mm primes with you that will delight you image after image.
Canon RF 50mm f1.2 L USM
In our review, we said:
“This lens exhibits beautiful bokeh, sharp images, micro-contrast, a medium format look, weather sealing, fast focusing, etc. In many ways, this is perhaps Canonâs most perfect prime lens within a standard workable focal length that theyâve put out in years.”
Chris Gampat – Editor In Chief
Buy now: $2,025.66
Fujifilm GF 50mm F3.5 R LM WR
In our review, we said:
“The Fujifilm GF 50mm f3.5 R LM WR is one of those lenses that you can slap on your camera and just leave it there. Youâll get amazing results with it, and it will not hamper you in any way, thanks to its small size and overall performance. Couple this with the fact that this is a sub $1000 lens, and you have a winner on your hands.”
Brett Day – Gear Editor
Buy now: $999
Olympus 25mm f1.2 PRO (50mm Equivalent)
In our review, we said:
“It renders beautiful bokeh, sharp images that are best done with a flash, pretty good colors, has incredibly fast and accurate autofocus capabilities, and very durable weather sealing.
Chris Gampat – Editor In Chief
Buy now: $1,149
Pro Tip: These 50mm primes lend themselves well to many different genres of photography. However, they’re exceptional for full and 3/4 length portraits. Still, if you truly want to create gorgeous portraits, you need to know the secrets of posing. Try this: have your subject relax, and ask them to just be themselves. Communicate your idea, and have your subject play around with it. Youâll find that youâll get much more natural, organic captures this way.
Fujifilm 50mm f1 R WR
In our review, we said:
“Youâre going to get nice, natural colors out of the Fujifilm 50mm f1 R WR. This is a boon for portrait photographers as it means skin tones render perfectly. The colors rendered arenât muted, but they arenât oversaturated either. They strike a perfect balance. When it comes time to edit your images youâll just be able to skip over messing with colors. Theyâre that good.”
Brett Day – Gear Editor
Buy now: $1,499.95
Sony Zeiss 50mm f1.4
In our review, we said:
“One of my favorite things about this lens is how it handles colors. For everyone that believes Sony’s colors are too vivid and almost like a painting, this lens will prove you wrong. This lens offers a tad less saturation than even the 85mm f1.4 G Master lens and far less than the 35mm f1.4 Sony Zeiss comparatively speaking. If you like to shoot portraits and really care about skin tones, then this lens may be a must-have.”
Chris Gampat – Editor In Chief
Buy now: $1,498
