THE NIFTY FIFTY

This classic lens is still ideal for spontaneous photography

Back in the good old days of photography, when you bought an sLR it usually came bundled with a 50mm standard lens. This all changed when zooms took over, but many photographers still like to keep a 50mm prime in their kit, as it’s such a versatile lens.

As well as being small and light, so it’s easy to handhold, and razor sharp thanks to its simple optical design, the humble 50mm is also cheap as chips – just £100-130 will get you a brand new model from the likes of canon and nikon. not only that, the 50mm lens is also incredibly ‘fast’, with a maximum aperture of f1.8, f1.4, and even f1.2 in some cases.

This makes it brilliant for handheld photography in low light, as you can open the aperture right up and manage a decent shutter speed without needing an excessive isO. Your camera’s AF system will focus quicker and more accurately too in poor light. Pop a 50mm prime on a crop-sensor DsLR and the focal length also increases to 75mm +/-, making it a handy portrait lens.