Prime 50 mm F1.4 and F1.8 lenses for Nikon or Canon dSLR’s – Possibly the Best Portrait lenses.

A prime lens (fixed focal lenght) is not sexy with zoom trimmings but it is possibly one of the best lens choices you can make.  It even shines as some of the Best Portrait Lenses.

One of the most useful and often overlooked lenses in the Canon and Nikon DSLR arsenal is a 50mm fast (or large aperture) Prime Camera lens.

Clear, crisp photography is often evidence of a fast DSLR Camera lens.  F1.4 or F1.8 DSLR lenses are typically very expensive and out of reach for most casual budgets. Mostly we can just dream.  But the 50mm Canon and Nikon Prime F/1.8  and F/1.4 lenses provide a way that the amateur can fit a decent aperture into his or her collection. The crop factor of the APS-C sensors in the Canon and Nikon range, makes the 50mm effectively a 75mm lens which is more versatile.   The best camera lens for any make of camera will cost 10 x as much or more than the 50mm F/1.8 Prime lens, but the higher prices will not buy better image quality for the range of applications that suits the 50mm.

A very affordable and flexible option is the Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 II Camera Lens or the Nikon 50mm f/1.8D AF Nikkor Lens for Nikon Digital SLR Cameras.  For me, at the price of around the $100-$130 mark, this is by far the best Canon or Nikon lens buy for any budget conscious DSLR Camera enthusiast.

If budget is not that much of an issue, you will still get more than you pay for at the Canon EF 50mm f/1.4 II Camera Lens or the Nikon 50mm f/1.4 D AF Nikkor Lens for Nikon Digital SLR Cameras

Here’s why a 50mm fast Prime DSLR lens is great:

• Crisp, clear pictures even in low light, far superior to slower zoom rivals.
• A 50 mm lens is ideally matched  to the sensor sizes of Canon and Nikon DSLR’s for the highest resolution (See later)
• Using the full DSLR sensor’s megapixel capability means you can crop any part of the picture and still get high resolution, equivalent to longer lenses.  It does indeed give you zoom flexibility when editing!
• High F-stops allow you to use fast shutter speeds virtually eliminating camera shake.
• You can limit depth of field, bringing your subject out against its surroundings.
• Simple design components make a  50mm fixed lens possible with very high quality yet very affordable.
• Here’s why I say that the 50mm Canons or Nikons are the best Portrait lenses:
  • In portraiture you do not want to crowd your subject, nor do you want them far and out of touch.
  • Ideal portrait lens focal range is  normally viewed anywhere between 50 to 100mm. (Too close, widens a person’s facial features and can create a bulbous nose!   To far, flattens the face into a poor snap shot.
  • The 50mm’s crop factor of 1.5 or 1.6 on the APS-C Canon and Nikon dSLR’s  makes it behave like a 75 mm lens.  That sits neatly in the best portrait lenses range!

Best uses for 50mm DSLR Prime lens:

• Sharp Nature scenes with wide vistas. You can choose your depth of field.
• Clear Architecture and gardens.
• Party shots where low light is often a consideration.
• Portraits of course, be it single or group subjects.
• Ideal, versatile lens for family gatherings and parties where light is not always ideal.
• You can get creative later with cropping and light and colour manipulation.
• You can easily crop a picture taken in good light by more than 80% and get the same telephoto view and equal or better picture taken with an average (F 5.6 or lower) 250mm zoom lens!

A wide view of the Isle of white

I’ve had to compress the two Pictures to shorten their load time on the web, but hopefully the point is made.  The second is a Photoshop crop from the first. About 10% height and width.

a 10% photoshop crop (1/100 area)

Who needs a telephoto Zoom?

The 50mm Fast fixed focal length lens is one of the the most versatile lenses in my bag.

A Prime 50mm lens is a great Christmas gift idea for camera enthusiasts.  In fact it is a great gift idea for a photographer at any time. Amazon will typically deliver it within 48 hours.

Looking a little into the specs of the Canon and Nikon DSLRs and the specs of a Prime 50mm lens, it becomes evident why it is the optimal for both Nikon and Canon DSLR’s:

See how the lens Aperture and the Camera Sensor sizes interact in the following graphics:

A 50mm lens on a Canon or Nikon DSLR with the APS-C sensor format:

	Canon DSLR  APS-C Format Canon Entry Level DSLR and Midrange		Nikon DSLR APS-C Format Nikon Entry Level DSLR and Midrange
	Prime 50mm Lens @ F 2=25mm	Prime 50mm Lens @ F 1.8=27.8mm	Prime 50mm Lens @ F 2=25mm	Prime 50mm Lens @ F 1.8=27.8mm
	Light area visible in the frame is reduced by only 2% to fit on the sensor	All of the sensor is used to capture more light than the visible frame.	Light area visible in the frame is reduced by only 5% to fit on the sensor	All of the sensor is used to compact more light than the visible frame

Compare the above to the capabilities or the typical Kit zoom with an F/4 or F/5.6 Maximum aperture:

Canon DSLR  APS-C FormatCanon Entry Level DSLR and Midrange		Nikon DSLR APS-C FormatNikon Entry Level DSLR and Midrange
Typical 18-55mm Kit Lens at 50mm F 4=12.5mm	Typical 18-55mm Kit Lens at 50mm F 5.6=9.9mm	Typical 18-55mm Kit Lens at 50mm F 4=12.5mm	Typical 18-55mm Kit Lens at 50mm F 5.6=8.9
123mm2 of light is dispersed over 329mm2 of sensor area=37% light capture	123mm2 of light is dispersed over 329mm2 of sensor area=19% light capture	123mm2 of light is dispersed over 390mm2 of sensor area=33% light capture	63mm2 of light is dispersed over 390mm2 of sensor area=17% light capture

All other things being equal the ‘slower’ kit lenses effectively limit the megapixel capacity of a DSLR camera to only 37% to 17% of its picture taking ability.

How do the Canon and Nikon Lenses compare?

Both Canon lens reviews and Nikon Lens reviews emphasize the image quality.

In the many Canon 50mm reviews for the Canon Prime lens hundreds of people rave about the image quality and a few comment negatively on the plastic build quality and relative noise of the autofocus motor, meaning they can hear it!  So it is not the best Canon lens ever, but at the price, I think the negative Canon 50mm reviews are overly critical.

In the Nikon lens reviews, the image quality again stands out among hundreds of reviews.  No mention of poor build quality, but some comments about the 1.5 crop factor that makes the 50mm Nikon Prime view like a 75 mm lens.  You can always buy a 35mm Prime at four times the price if your budget allows.

More Detailed Canon 50mm Prime Lens Reviews:

See Detailed Canon EF 500 F/1.8 Prime lens Reviews here.

See detailed  Canon 50mm EF 500F1.4 Prime lens Reviews here.

“ Why spend more?
“With the 50mm f1.8 lens available for less than a hundred dollars, why spend so much more to get the f1.4? The answer is, you may not need to. It all depends on your seriousness, budget, and how long you need your lens to last….”

More Detailed Nikon 50mm Prime lens reviews:

See Detailed Nikon 50mm F/1.8 AF Prime Nikkor lens Reviews here.

See detailed Nikon 50mm F/1.4 Prime Nikkor lens Reviews here.

One of the many five star reviews starts as follows:

“ One of the best lens for portrait and low light photography, October 10, 2006″

“I don’t even know where to start. This lens produces sharp pictures and great color and contrast. This lens is perfect for low light and/or action/sport photography (as this lens is famous for being one of the fastest lens together with its brother 50mm f/1.8). This lens is also perfect for…”