Why 50mm Is Misunderstood
HTML-код
- Опубликовано: 26 сен 2024
- The first 500 people to use my link skl.sh/martinc... will get a 1 month free trial of Skillshare premium!
Newsletter:
www.martincast...
/ martincastein
Website: www.martincast...
Your support makes a big difference to me, consider buying me a coffee here:
ko-fi.com/mart...
Follow me on instagram: / martincastein
This video is sponsored by Skillshare
If you only watch ONE MORE video of mine, make it this one:
• ISO and Sharpness are ...
=========================
The first 500 people to use my link skl.sh/martincastein09241 will get a 1 month free trial of Skillshare premium!
@@johndillman8231 ive never been anti commercial, i just like what i like. I like skillshare, i get several offers for sponsorships every day. Even my liking of canon older cameras still benefits the companies like MPB who also sponsor youtubers as well. I honestly dont see how this is at odds with anything else that I do. I really dont have never believed in no one should make money and all business is bad. I also have nothing against mirrorless and own some too, have done since about 2015. Hope that helps John!
50mm is one of my favourite lengths. Even after 50 years of shooting, I often go out with just a single, fast 50mm lens. It makes one slow down, think about composition and move around. Always refreshing. Thanks for this great video.
50 years, one for each mm of focal length
We have a few years between us.. I started this hobby in 1977 with a 50mm f/1.8, and now 50mm f/1.2 :)
It is so informative to have not only the technical hints but also the thought processes and compositional exercises to help become a more informed and creative observer. Thank you.
Thank you, it takes absoluetly ages to make videos like this so I am glad someone found it useful.
Agreed! This is really helpful for me
When I got my Z mount Nikkor 50 I forced myself to use it more than the 24-70 zoom everyone uses. It's because I grew up with 50mm and needed to reconnect, so the experience has been a really good refresher over the past year. Your explanation is really good, so will pass the link to a lot of the people who attend our photo walks, the ones who ask "How did you get that" when seeing my work, and I cannot explain the process as well as you. I think a lot of younger people have only seen the wide angle shots from mobiles, so are surprised when they see something different!
Both this and your 85mm video were quite thought provoking for me. I’d certainly love to see you extend this concept into a larger series if you have thoughts on other key focal lengths
I like a 50mm lens .
In my 60s now . Way back in the day most film cameras came with a 50mm in the box .
So my photography grew using the 50mm along with my 135 f2.8 .
Oh yes and m42 screw mount lenses . Praktika Pentax and Zenit .
I got some great results with them .
Making the best of what I had . How times have changed in a few short decades .
I struggle with 50mm so these tips are all so useful. That idea of shooting something ordinary is something I’ve actually been doing myself recently but you pushed it further than I have. Thanks, Martin.
Seems like it was only 30 years ago (it was) that I was working at a teen summer camp and showing campers how versatile the 50mm was/is. We had photography available as an extra activity some evenings and were able to let the campers shoot with a K1000 with a 50mm lens. I had some photos that I took beforehand to show them what was possible. Too often people feel limited by the little 50mm, but it can do a lot.
Great video as always! I’ve been watching your content since quite some time and it’s amazing to see your evolution. You are a great teacher, absolutely no “bs” or fake in your way of presenting and it feels like you are a friend as opposed to these so called masters of photography that you see online, but I do think you are a master portrait photographer. Love the new setup you have (mic/background). Keep pushing content, never give up. I know your channel will grow to a point you would have never guessed, it’s only a matter of time. There’s nothing fake about you and that will take you very far. Btw, I now own a Canon 5D and a 6D because of you and now on the hunt for a Nikon D700 in good shape 😅
Im going to save this comment, that really means a lot, if you could see how hard all this is youd cry for me haha. Im really enjoying it as well though. I just want to let you know i appreciate this comment so much, it really means a lot.
Martin you are really finding your RUclips niche with these videos. Great information, well presented. 👏
I’m pretty much totally blind in my left eye, so I had a lot of frustration with phone cameras especially capturing a much wider angle than what I could see, or what I was aiming for. When I look through a 50mm lens, however, the composition is pretty much exactly what I see in the real world. I find I’m much happier shooting with a 50mm lens than anything else.
Having said that, there are some awesome tips in here that I’ll definitely be using. Funnily enough, at 5’3” I end up shooting at most people’s eye level anyway!
I grew up with a 50, so it feels wonderfully natural for me but I do understand why people might struggle with it - especially if you're coming from super-wide angles on a phone, I imagine it could feel quite restrictive.
Love the 50mm.
If i go out with only 1 lens , its the 50.
If 2 lens , 35 & 85.
If 3 lens , 24 , 50 & 85.
I really appreciate this video, I've been taking exclusively my 50 for shoots and trying to get better at composing with it, very timely advice. Always appreciate your insight on composition, gives me a lot to think about
Tried an 50mm equivalent, for about a year. Not for me. I always felt it wasn't wide enough, or long enough. Just not for me.
Love using my Sigma 30mm on my little 200d
I have had good luck with my 50mm for sections of a forest floor. Thanks for these tips!
Thanks for these tips ! I never saw the Fifty like this before.
Cartier-Bresson used his 50mm extensively.
I forget the name, but a famous photojournalist said the only two lenses you need are a 17-40 and a 50mm. That's all I used for years, but my 70-200 is coming in handy, but I'm covering more action. But my favorite shots of people are with my Sigma Art 50mm 1.4. The 24-70mm 2,8 is amazing, but the 50 just gives the image a certain look, even at 3.5.
Love this series! Would like to hear your take on 35mm and 28mm!
My photography has flourished through the use of a 50mm lens, not knowing all you just said, so I think I will put these things to use and try them out and push myself some more with one camera one lens to get some more creativity out of myself.
50mm and 85mm are my comfort zones. For practically everything, not just portrait. It's not about bokeh, but tighter framing. When I'm composing, I try to avoid unwanted elements. With 50mm or longer, that's more easily achiveable. Which, I think, is a bit difficult with wide angle lenses.
Informative video! I’ve never really knew how to use a 50mm. I do a lot of street and I find it too narrow to tell the stories I want to in candid images on the fly. For headshots I use an 85. For general purpose studio I use a constant aperture zoom. I’ll play more with my 50mm now after this vid. Rotate instead of moving back - great insight.
Super talk! Thank you.
Sometimes I wonder if 'normal' is a misnomer for the 50mm.
To me it's a narrow wide-angle lens .
Normal, as in magnification compared to our eyes, is around 60-65mm.
And we can verify this by looking through a standard zoom lens whilst keeping the free eye open,
watching the two images merge at around that distance as we zoom in from wide to long.
That is recognised by Sinar when they supply a 210mm as standard to their 4x5 F2 kit,
a 63mm equivalent in the 135 format, although the coverage of such a lens is much wider.
So I guess the 50 was chosen for it's versatility. Supplying a 65mm as a normal lens
would be too limiting.
Thank you for this one Martin. 50mm has always been auch an awkward focal length for me.. For just the reasons you mentuined at the beginning of the video. Your tips and suggestions are valuable and I'm excited to dig out a couple od the ole' primes.. Thanks again!
Fantastic teaching points as always. It's difficult to articulate, but the difference between generic theoretical advice (all over RUclips) and practical "I've done this a lot and figured out how to teach it" advice is substantial, and you do the latter.
As a question for you: Do you ever find that in taking non-model portraits, people are offput by how they look at 85mm? It's usually much further away than the mirror-view people are used to. It struck me the other day when I had a rare portrait taken at 85mm and I recall thinking "My face looks wider than I remember". I wonder if a very mild amount of distortion would be considered flattering to the infrequently-photographed.
50mm is also good for macro where larger lenses may have a hard time auto focusing or getting clean shots of small things such as insects or plants
Take a wide angle lens and do whatever you have to do to achieve a 1 to 2 image size on your sensor. Note the depth of field at whatever aperture you normally
Shoot at. Now take your normal lens and do the same thing to achieve that 1 to 2 image size on the sensor. Note the depth of field. What did you have to do to get the same size on the sensor? The distance had to change. What are the three things which control DOF? Distance, aperture and focal length but do they really? When different focal lengths are manipulated by distance to achieve the same size images on the sensor, these rules go sideways.
@crawford323 If I understand correctly I'll agree and disagree. I can get close to the same shots.With both my minolta beer can as well as my 50mm. However, if I were to take a picture of a tiny spider, the fifty millimeter is way better for me Because I can quickly acquire what I am focusing and looking at while The larger lens is an absolute nightmare to focus on a small target like that.
@@OnTheDLum Sure use the best tool for the job and the one you are comfortable with.
The 50 mm lens is great on a crop sensor gives you something close to an 85mm on a full frame that solves all your problems and for me if I’m shooting full length I use 40 mm on crop and 85mm full frame. I’m a British Fashion photographer in Los Angeles!
I really like your videos. So much great information.
I really dislike your videos because I have to watch them 2-3 times to get all the info out because I find your voice so soothing that I keep falling asleep.😂
*Spelling
The 50mm is my least favorite. It always feels too wide to me, and I feel like I need to be right up in my subject's face. I like there to be space. 85-100 feels more natural to me.
Those weaknesses you mention at the beginning are to me its strengths. The 50 gives a hint of the environment but doesn’t push it into the viewer’s face. It retains intimacy with the subject. The 85 with shallow depth of field sometimes you don’t even know where the subject is. I find it even more versatile for video where it so often seems to be the correct focal length.
I agree
Excellent video as usual Martin. I always thought of 35mm as PJ lens because it includes the background whereas the fifty is more about the person so I always carried my 35 and my 85 lenses but left the fifty at home. I found it either too long or not wide enough. But last year I bought some older vintage 50’s and started using them again. I used to shoot weddings but now I’m transitioning to still life and product photography so it will be well used for it’s normal perspective. Thanks for sharing your insights. Regards, Gerry.
thanks, cool video. pity there were no visual examples in the second half to show one or the other of the mentioned suggestions
Wow. So helpful. I can't wait to spend time with my 50mm again and try those ideas. Thanks!
The "Why 85mm is misunderstood" video also made me think about 85mm like I had never done before. Thanks
glad that was useful for you, its nice to get that feedback!
Great video Marting with excellent advice and tips.
Thanks Andrew, glad it was useful!
I love my canon 50 1.2 Really great video Martin!
I preferred 55mm and when that isn’t available then I use a 60mm. I find 50 a little too wide and this is because I wear glasses that sit a little low on my nose and as such , this distorts my concept of what normal perspective happens to be . I often found portraits worked well with the kit prime lens on old film cameras and adapting to digital bodies means I avoid zooms because I like to be challenged by using my feet . Blurred backgrounds are a little overrated and I can remember those who became successful with soft focus images because of their poor eyesight . Having said all that ; you could do a lot worse not using one of these gem focal lengths and keeping to just one will see an improvement on the number of keepers from your holidays .
Love this serie by you 😍👏👏👏 Can you also do a "missunderstanding 35mm"? 😁 Greets from Germany 👋
thinking about it!
Anyone who isn't sure this guy's POV is legit, look at the Mona Lisa. Subscribed.
Wow this is the first time I hear someone talking about the 50 this way. Has the consensus really shifted to 35/85?
Great information
I know you do workshops and I’m a pattern supporter. Would you consider making a paid version of this sort of lesson in which you model the exercises you describe? These are great as is, but they’d be even more impactful if you demod. Just a thought and a wish. Thx.
Hi thanks this is what I’m planning for Patreon at the moment and going to start soon.
Once again, Martin, excellent information and motivation 🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏
35mm next ?
I'll start taking a spoon outside for a walk trough the park. Let's see how creative I can be, without feeling to stupid. 😂
🤣
Great advice and spectacular photos Martin!
Awesome information
I was told face only 85/90mm, top half 50mm, full body 35mm...
thats only if you dont change your height, hopefully i proved that wrong
Great video, thank you.
Amazing video! Question. I use apsc. 23mm and 56 sigma. Is there a difference with ff equivalent 35 and 85. And what would you recomend to do with them?
Beautiful images. You know what you are talking about.
Thank you
Thanks!
Thank you!
Thank you .
I never cared for a 50. Lately I have been using a Tamron 45mm or my trusty 35mm for a bit more room
40mm is really nice as well.
I was waiting for you to show examples of a boring subject shot on the 50 as you described...I found it odd that none were shown. Show, don't just tell. It's a visual medium, after all. Overall I appreciate your videos and am a regular viewer, but found this one lacking.
I mean.. The 50mm is a slight tele-photo lens. Treat it as such and you're golden.
Definitely. 35mm is wide angle. 50mm is telephoto. I guess 40mm must be the inflection point but I’ve not tried that focal length.
I believe only Pentax has the perfect 43mm normal focal length lense available …
@@our_roadtrip the Fuji GF 55mm is also around 44mm FF equivalent. Also a 28mm on an APS-C camera is around 42mm
😀
👍🏼
This is a very useful video! Thanks! I'd love to see a similar video on the 35mm too.
ALSO LOVING THE 50MM LENS! It does take a little creativity in composition, but once you master it, it will
make you a better photographer and encourage you to stay away from the zoom kit lenses! Thanks for the video...
Martin - I enjoyed this video. I think it is thought provoking but more importantly very on point. I shoot with any number of focal lengths from 20mm to 200mm for various work that I do, but it portrait, fashion, or even event work. I have found that for a long time I would 'shy away' from the 50mm feeling that it was too 'plain' - preferring 35mm or longer lengths like 85mm or 105mm and there is no doubt that all of these have a look. That said, recently I have re-discovered the 50mm focal length and have come to see that it is an extremely versatile focal length that is often not used in a way that plays to its strengths. I think this video exposes this truth well and gives concrete suggestions on how to come to love this classic focal length again. Well done!
-PD
Very well explained and truly informative. Thank you for posting this.
Some say 35 is shit and tasteless, some say 50 is boring and 85 is great, I usually say shut tf up and use what u have at the moment, if u got skills u can take great photos with anything camera and any lens
If you shoot a scene on 35mm with a 50mm lens and print on 8 x 10 paper, and then hold an empty 8 x 10 frame at 16" viewing distance in front of the scene, it will duplicate the print held at that same distance. By geometry, for same perspective: (lens focal length)/(object size on film) = (viewing distance of final image)/(object size on final image).
Great tips. Another example of how to document subjects in surroundings is to shoot art hanging on a wall. You'll consider both lighting and various placements in the frame.
50mm is my tokuiwaza: preferred technique.
There is a reason they were the standard lens for so long. Yes, they were simple to build, but if it sucked, another close range would be used (45mm, 58mm).
In my experience walking around shooting, it’s the most versatile. 35 is often too wide; you just can’t get closer. 58mm is too tight; you just can’t take a big enough step back.
Being close to natural vision, with a little less practice than other focal lengths, is just easier to “see” in 50mm.
Very helpful video thank you! and awesome shots, subscribed
Martin your no bull approach to explaining things is really appreciated and makes sense to me, you have earned yourself another subscriber. I have not even finished watching and wated to leave a commnet. The tips are spot on! I wonder why do we require that subtle framing for our eyes to appreciate the scene more? Is it because of all the paintings/photos on walls we are looking at from early age? Is it because we look for a structure inside the already square photo, or is it something else? I see that the 50 is perfect for that in-between-35mm-and-85mm-look, perhaps travel photography with that slightly more expensive lens look (i.e. shallower dof, while 35mm is getting chased down by the mobile phones nowadays)
So helpful! Grateful for this channel.
50 is truly versatile focal length
Hi! Please explain "I get on eye level" around the 4:20 mark. It seems the lens is at nose level or below ... or is that how you cropped the portraits? Thank you for the content.
yeah about there, eye, nose whatever, its like 1-2 inch difference dont worry just be around there.im not that precise with it, more just trying to be at that rough height.
Nifty 50... one of my favourite lens for sure
Each of Your videos is like a good lesson in primary school. In simple words you are describe very important and very deep concepts. Waiting for a new video and may be the stream with bated breath. Thank You
So nice of you
reading and listening at the same time overwhelmes my brain 🥵
This is TRUE! At last someone made this Video.
I'm gobsmacked, I think that's the technical term. This video deserves to be mounted in a 12 x 24 foot gold-plated frame in a museum room where there was formerly a less deserving Rembrandt. I'm joshing, but not really. Oh my, so much golden instruction. Thank you. You've explained why the portrait that I liked best in 60 years of photography was taken with a humble Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 II. Why did I follow the urge to be more flexible; I love the 24-105 but am so inspired by your photos that I may blow the budget, again, for a Canon EF 50/1.2.
Hahaha thank you so much and I nearly didn’t post this as I wasn’t sure it was good enough. The 50 1.2 is wonderful. It’s not a sharp lens at all but when the light is right it is magical
Great information
Very informative!
Sir, your photos are ABSOLUTELY outstanding!!!
Thank you!!
50mm is like 75mm on APSC. It's not perfect but it don't have to. 🤷🏻♀️🥴
or you use a 35mm on APSC to get to (around) the 50mm FF equivalent.
"Try to find something boring, and make it interesting"... very good advice, loving your videos Martin, keep up the great work :)
Thanks, will do!
Absolutely love this video and the 85mm one! They might be some of my favourite you’re ever done (coming from someone who loves all of your content !). I really hope 35mm is next because it is my favourite and most used focal length! Cheers Martin keep up the great work !❤🎉
Thank you! It’s coming not immediately but it’s coming too and will do a few others too
i dont care whatever lens or camera you use, your works are just mesmerizing. unlike most of youtube photographers out there
Thank you so much!
I came aross your channel about a week ago, your presentation and information is fantastic. I often watch beginner videos as I feel it's always good to refresh the fundamentals and get another view. Your 85mm was a gamechanger and so was this, thankyou 🤟
So pleased great to hear that and thank you!
4:28 is that just feathered light from the side? Looks amazing.
I think that was window light on a studio backdrop if I remember correctly
Thank you very much for this video!👏👏
Glad it was helpful!