Make the most of prime time
A 50mm standard prime has enormous potential for FX and DX format cameras
For FX or full-frame cameras, a focal length of around 50mm gives a ‘standard’ viewing angle and perspective. You’ll get most bang per buck from an f/1.8 or f/1.4 50mm prime but some go faster still. The most popular options are from Nikon and Sigma, whereas Tamron sets its sights a little wider, with a 45mm f/1.8 lens that adds optical stabilization to fend off the effects of camera-shake. The Z-mount 7Artisans 50mm f/1.05 goes extra-large in terms of aperture, although it’s a fully manual lens.
Pop a 50mm lens on a DX format camera and it won’t behave like a ‘standard prime’. The 1.5x focal length multiplier or ‘crop factor’ gives the lens an effective focal length of 75mm, making it feel more like a short telephoto prime. That can be a big benefit, as the narrower viewing angle and fast aperture are ideal for head-andshoulders or half-length portraiture, enabling you to shoot from a comfortable distance without crowding your subject.
There are naturally different mount options to choose from. For those of us with a DSLR featuring either a DX or FX image sensor, Nikon’s current and back catalogue of F-mount lenses is available, as well as the Sigma and Tamron lenses on test.
For Z-mount mirrorless cameras, again in DX and FX format, there are now four own-brand Nikon options. We’re covering the ‘affordable’ f/1.8 S-line and f/2.8 macro primes, as well as the super-fast, yet competitively priced, 7Artisans 50mm f/1.05 manual lens. Nikon’s own go-faster Z-mount lens is much less affordable…
Of course, you can also use Nikon’s range of F-mount lenses on a Z-mount mirrorless bodies via an FTZ mount adapter. It’s not an ideal option, as native Z-mount lenses make the most of mirrorless cameras’ largerdiameter mounting flange and its closer proximity to the image sensor, for enhanced optical performance and image quality.
Even so, all of the own-brand Nikon F-mount lenses on test are fully compatible, as is the Sigma lens. For Tamron’s 45mm lens, you’ll need to apply firmware 2.0 or higher, but this can be done using your home computer and Tamron’s TAP-IN USB docking station. Let’s take a closer look at what all the contenders have to offer.