Why you need a 50mm Lens for Portrait Photography
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- Опубликовано: 13 окт 2024
- Hey guys! In today's video I'm sharing 5 reasons you should think about using a 50mm lens if you do portrait photography.
All photos in this video are edited with my Lightroom Presets which you can find here: www.digitalfil...
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Canon 5dmkiii
Sigma 24mm f1.4
Canon 35mm f1.4
Canon 50mm f1.2
Canon 85mm f1.2
Canon 135mm f2
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Thank you so much for watching! xx
All photos in this video are edited with my Lightroom Presets! Check them out here: www.digitalfilmactions.com/lightroom-presets/
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Hey Julia, i would really like to know, do you consider to buy the new Canon Eos R with the RF 50mm 1.2L? Heard its and absolute stunning lens!
Great video, great reasons and it confirms all the reason why I got it. I wasn't really on the market for a lens, but then I saw 50mm 1.8 for insanely low price, so I had to have it, just to try and i was shocked that for my cheapest lens, this is actually one of the better lenses that I own. I also read somewhere or saw when I was looking to get it, that in primes, canon puts the same glass as the L series lenses. Not sure how true it is, but the quality speaks for itself and I am not really surprised if I got a great glass for cheaper price. Thanks for sharing the information on this.
There was an internet meme a few years back of one-year/one-lens/one-camera which I followed using only a 50mm for a whole year. Definitely made me a better photographer.
your voice is so calming and you seem like such a nice person.
One month ago I bought the 50mm 1.8 and I love the dreamy look it gives to my photos. I love your work and your editing style!
Wonderful video, Julia! And so true! When I got my first SLR (film) I ONLY used a 50mm lens and it helped me to get amazing shots! And I LOVE the Canon 50 1.8. Great value and great results! In my experience, the 1.2 is at its best after f2 as you’ve shown in the past.
I've shot almost 400 weddings, I learned photography in the trenches. I'm retired now and my website is no longer up, but Julia knows her stuff. Pay attention!!!
Ahh thank you, I appreciate it!
Your voice is therapeutic. Much love from Uganda 🇺🇬
50 mm lense is too good to capture portrait photos.
Now I have 50mm 1.8 lense 😍📷lovely📷😍 lense
Hey Julia, have you tried some Vintage 50mm lenses ?
I use f1.4 lenses all the time that i paid 20$ or less, and right now i have 9 f1.4 50 mm lenses, so i can tell you that some of them are way better than the modern ones.
I would be cool to see you use a vintage lens for your portrait shoots!
I'm using some Vintage lenses, they have a greate price, but Julia have 50mm f1.2 with autofocus, her camera never miss focus, and you can work with background and composition, not with autofocus :D
P.s. love my Helios 44-2 58mm f2.0
you mean a 58mm ?? the Helios 44-2 ?
YES Julia you should totally try Vintage lenses like Mathieu on his channel !
I love using my super takumar 50mm f1.4 on my sony a7! Super sharp wide open
Yes, this is good russian lenses.
But i forgot to say about my favorite vintage lens - Monolta MD 50mm f1.7. Love it so much, but chromatic's can be better, but lenses to old :D
Focal length is a very personal choice. For some 50mm is great. Others might find it neither wide enough nor long enough...
I just bought a 50mm 1.8 and I have three shoots this weekend and I cannot wait to use it. First prime lens I'm so excited!
Ooh exciting! I hope your shoots went really well :D
Thank you :) yes they all went amazing! This lense has changed my life lol
I’m using a fujifilm camera (aps-c format) and have the Fujinon 35mm f1.4 which gives you a full frame equivalent of 50mm. This lens is just magic!!! My most used lens for portraits!
Oh, yes. So many people say you must use an 85mm lens. If you use a 50mm, you are doing it wrong, blah blah....I tried 50mm, 85mm 100mm....I just feel so much comfortable with a 50mm doing portrait. Good to hear someone shares the same thought.
Have shot with the 50MM lens for decades and love the focal length. I'm shooting Sony now and recently picked up the Sony Zeiss 55MM f/1.8. You would think just 5MM would not make that much difference but I am now in love with 55MM. The lens is super small too.
I can't wait to try the Zeiss 55mm soon! Looks like a great lens :D
All mentioned reasons are valid also for 85/1.x which I prefer. (I've used S 50 Art two times and I like much more the result from 85/1.4 or 135/2 or 200/2.)
50mm as a unique lens for portraiture is the ultimest hype nowadays. Shooting portaits with "traditional" portrait lenses such as 85/100/105/135mm is too mainstream, so 2008 !
Funny how 10 years ago the 85mm f/1.2 L & 135mm f/2 L was the most regarded Canon lenses for portaiture, considered as legendary lenses among the Canon community, while the 50mm f/1.2 L was a rather unusual lens, often criticised for its lack of sharpness wide open and distortion (considering its price). But now the trend has changed, mostly because of social medias.
My preference was not changed since 2008 - the time I had Nikon 50/1.4 and 85/1.8 and 70-200/2.8 and the most used lens for portraits was 85/1.8. + every time I show my portrait pictures to somebody (I've just met) on my cell phone - the most of interest is caught by photos taken with 200/2.
I have a cropped lens and for Christmas I got a 35mm for Christmas, and with the cropped lens the 35 turns to about 52mm. Amazing love it and since it is a prime lens it has made my composition skills so much better
I do like the 50 /55mm prime lens a lot better than the 85mm for portraits. More flexible, allows you to be closer to the subject which makes easier to interact and adjust poses. More intimate and natural look.
I agree! I find that I get more of a combination of shots when using a 50mm - close up, full body, etc, compared to when I shoot with an 85mm the majority of my shots are just closeups!
I use my 50mm 1.4 all the time for portraits. Shallow DOF and the perfect field of view IMO.
Thank you, great explanation of the 50mm f1.2 & f1.4 lenses
Can you talk a bit more about using it for landscapes? I've always felt like I needed a different lens for travel photography.--Tasha
You can use a wide lens for more panorama like shots but you can also use a 200mm or even more zoomed in for detail shots of the landscapes. A 50mm is also usable if you have fe people as a foreground interest. You can almost use any lens as long as you can find a composition that works.
My favourite prime lens for travelling is actually the 35mm: ruclips.net/video/MzaWAruOQOs/видео.html&t but I do bring my 50 along sometimes as it's also handy to have in my bag! I'll definitely make a video about traveling with the 50mm lens soon!
You can always use a 50mm to shoot tons of pics and stitch them to make a panorama. Saves you from bringing tons of lenses
I have the Canon 50mm f/1.8 STM that I use on my 6D Mk II and love it! It’s the first (out of three) lenses that I’ve bought so far and it works in so many different situations! I love the way it handles close-ups especially.
Just bought a 50mm 1.8 and I absolutely love it. Totally worth the money!
Love the NiftyFifty! Definitely still working on getting some nicer lenses, but my 50mm will always be with me.
I agree with you..I have the 50mm 1.8... I love it because of the constant aperture.. Also the fixed focal length helps you to get creative as a photographer and just makes you better photographer in general.. I love my 50mm for portraits... So glad you made this video, really love it.. Have a nice day😊
Thank you!
For portraits I prefer 85mm and 135mm. If the background is important, I use 35mm.
Para retratos eu prefiro 85mm e 135mm. Se o segundo plano for importante, eu uso 35mm.
Thanks for sharing, I recently bought a 50mm lens, 1.8. Looking forward to working with it.
Love the 50mm f/1.4 lens. I switched to Sony, so i have the 55mm f/1.8 on my camera all the time. I use it for portraits and dance photography. 35mm and 85mm are my second and third favorite lenses to use. The other two are 1.4 lenses.
Great tips as always. Great video!
I have the Sigma 50mm 1.4 art lens and it changed my life! Because it was a. So sharp and b. So affordable it meant nearly every lens in my kit had to go as this lens out classed everything with shear quality of images, I primarily use it for boudoir photography and portraits x
Thank you, Squarespace for sponsoring all my fave influencers!!!
I have a micro 4/3 camera and my first lens was a 25mm. I love using this for travel photography but also because the image you capture provides a field of view similar to what we see with our eyes.
Actually I just purchased a secondhand Nikon D700 with a 50mm f1.8. For a old camera the portrait & landscape photos are one of a kind!
Btw you’re a great photographer.....love your stuff keep it up.
I love the 50mm lens, I remember when I started wedding photography I only had a 50mm and I have shot an entire wedding with just the 50. I wouldn't recommend it but I got away with it. My second lens was a 24mm Prime. Nice video as always.
Wow can u share more details? Like for those close ups during the ceremony where you can't move closer
My favourite camera, my Zorki 4K, only has a 50mm f2 lens and I've no intention of buying any more for it. I use it for my more urban photography, and it really makes me think. There’s a fairly new portrait photography called Annie Leibovitz who says you should only buy one lens when you take up any photography and should with that lens until you know everything about it. I don’t think she’ll got far, but it’s a good philosophy and I think the 50mm is the best to start with.
As always a great video with some great tips.
Mark Harris very true. About Annie though, she's been a successful portrait photographer for...well a while now :)
Aze876 If she had been around for a little while I’d still be a teenager 😎. She might be abrasive and doesn’t suffer fools gladly, but she is an amazing photographer with a very simple philosophy for both camera and lighting. She keeps it simple to perfection, and knows exactly what she wants.
Hahaha, I actually love that philosophy and really agree with it. Getting to know how your first lens works inside out is super important for so many reasons! And thank you as always :)
I have the Nikon 50mm 1.8 on a D3200 and LOVE it!!!! I switch between that and my 35mm 1.8. I rarely use the kit lenses that came with my camera unless I’m outdoors as need the zoom
I just purchased a 50mm 1.2. Can't wait to try it out!
The nifty fifty is the 1.8.
I agree. Just shot a short film with 50 mm and the shots were beautiful.Forgot my 35 mm and might use it sparingly.
I have used my Nikon 50mm 1.8 for over a year and just upgraded to the Sigma 50mm 1.4 Art and I cant wait to try it out! I love your videos!!
I can't help but bringing out my 85 1.2. I'm just addicted to that lens. But yeah... I love my 50mm and always have in my bag and will bring it out when I can't use my 85 or I want a different perspective. Thank you for the vid...
I’ve had the same 5 experiences researching, choosing & shooting with a 50mm prime on my Canon 5D3 & Nikon Super 35mm for client photoshoot products.
I must admit I use to use 24-70 2.8 But it made me LAZY! I moved over to 50mm & I've not looked back it will make you a better photographer and 1.8 is nice.
I have a 50 mm 1.2 and love it. I am saving for an 85mm because I love how your photos look with it. It's one Ive been looking at but now really want it 🤷🏼♀️😍. Thanks for all your videos. I am so excited I found you.
Thank you so much!
Julia, this is such an interesting video for me. I learned photography many years ago with a Minolta film camera and a 50mm lens. I don't particularly like the 50mm focal length as I gravitate towards 35mm and 85mm for portraits. Having said that some of my favorite images were shot around the 50mm focal length. Thanks for another educational and entertaining video. Also, I loved your images and edits.
me too, 35mm and 85mm my fav
Wow that black and white shot of the bride at 1:13 was stunning. Great shots!
Thank you!
Doesn't the nifty 50 usually refer to the 1.8 version?
Not in this video
Yeah. The 1.8 is 'thrifty', the 1.4 is pretty pricey.
It just refers to the 50 mm
It refers to the 1.8. Not sure why this other guy said it just refers to the 50mm. The 1.8 is the nifty 50 and is called that because you can pick it up for such a great low price. The 1.2 is much more expensive.
i suppose the 'nifty fifty' tag fits the 50mm as a focal length (in general, rather than a specific lens) being a versatile "closest to what the eye sees" focal length, but can't argue with the fact that the 1.8 holds claim to the nickname with its nifty price, added with the 'plastic fantastic' to drive home the message.
Hi there, I recently got into photography. My 1st lens that I bought besides the kit lens that came with my canon sl2 is the 50 mm 1.8. Love this lens it's cheap and gets the job done. Love your channel.
Love my classic nifty fifty Nikon 1.8 lens! Thanks for the video...
I have the nifty fifty 1.8 and I love it. It was my very first lens, and used it for about 1.5 yrs before purchasing my others. Love my lens
i got the 50 1.2 about a month ago and it never leaves my camera! it use to be like that for my 35 1.4 but the 50 is just so perfect
A while back we went away for the weekend and as an experiment / challenge I took only the nifty(thrifty)fifty with me. Took me a bit of getting used to not having a zoom, but I still got lots of photos I liked 😺
she has the most cutest voice i have ever heard in my life
When I was just starting to do pro photography back in high school (over a half-century ago) all I had was a 50 mm. f. 3.5. It did a good job. f. 3.5 was a fast lens back then!
I'm watching video from this channel for the first time. It's really informative. You got a new subscriber.
Hi Julia,
I absolutely LOVE your channel.
I was wondering if you have any videos about developing a personal style as a photographer?
Thank you very much, Julia! Just when I managed to persuade myself that I don´t need to buy the 50mm f1,2 you post this video :) It´s a truely impressive piece of glass and I´ll try to give it a go once again. That said, the 50mm f1,8 STM is very nice as well and sooo much cheaper. But f1,2 is f1,2. Btw, I really like what you can do with your lenses. Thanks for sharing.
The 50mm f/1.4 was my first non-kit lens I bought back when I had my original Canon Rebel XT. I actually took it, and JUST it, on our first hike to the bottom (well, close to the bottom) of the Grand Canyon. At first I thought I made a huge mistake since it felt at first like I was looking at the Canyon through a toilet paper tube, but I got images that day (back in 2012) that I still use and show off today!
I do disagree however that there is 'no distortion' on a 50mm when it comes to portrait work. While it really isn't obvious if your not comparing it to any other focal length, it kind of jumps out at you if you put it side by side with another lens of say 100-200mm. I remember watching as Scott Kelby, with guest Peter Hurley, showed the difference between 50 and 200 -for the rest of the episode they referred to the 50mm portrait as "alien girl". I'm sure that any distortion is pretty minimal on full length portraits though.
That's really cool! I also think that having limitations sometimes helps you be more creative as well :) I agree about the distortion, I said it has little distortion compared to a 35mm but it's not really noticeable anyway unless you compare it side by side to other lenses!
great tip Julia. luckily i've just bought a Yongnuo 50mm 1.8 canon lens as im starting to do portraits. i'm normally a street photographer.
Hi Julia, great video as always! Quick question on it -- do you think the reasons you mentioned also apply to crop-sensor cameras? Would you still recommend it as a first prime lens? Thanks x
Thank you! With a crop sensor the 50 would look more like a 70 or 85mm, depending on what kind of crop factor you have. If you want a true 50mm then you would need to get something like a 35mm lens :)
There's a reason why the 50mm prime is the initial student lens for formal SLR photography classes. Same for the Academy of Art in SF and the Defense Information School in MD.
You are such a talented woman 😍
I use a 50mm lens on one of my favourite cameras all the time, a Samsung NX2000, the lens is a Samsung NX 30 f2 obviousy a crop sensor, and I use a Zeiss 50mm on my Leica M9 all the time, in my film day I never used wide angle, telephoto or zoom lenses just a 50mm and on my twin lens reflex of course an 80mm lens, does the job.
You girl make great photos. I'll try to see if I could buy some of your lightroom presets. If I'm using a Canon EOS D77, what's the best lens shold I use for photography?
Thanks for this. Can you please explain how you achieve the white look at 4:50 minutes or which of your presets did you use? Thanks so much!
Hi Julia, love to see your videos, inspirational for sure ! just wanna ask that what focus mode you usually use for portrait sessions, AF-S or AF-C ?
If there's going to be a lot of movement, use AF-C. If not, AF-S is fine. I suspect you are or were using a Sony
It is THE BEST portrait lens, but it needed some micro adjustments and it is very heavy. Anyway...it always makes me happy, when I am using it. You don't even have to buy a brand new lens, usually photographers care about their lenses, when they spent a lot of money buing them. : )
She's right! I agree. I'm tired of using my 85mm 1.2 and move to 50mm 1.2. Don't get me wrong 85 is a bokeh king! but i always step back when I photoshoot someone sometimes lol
I like that your analysis is from a neutral perspective and based on the result of the real world images. The typical portrait photographer will say 85mm because of distortion reasons; which really bugs me because photography is also about story telling. In small studios, square spaces, and areas where you might have people moving the 50mm less confining. Getting the shot is always #1, sharpness on the subject is important as well, but as your style shows having the context in the background of the location is an element that's often overlooked.
I ORDER just TODAY 50mm for my SONY a7iii........love your VIDEOS...JULIA....
Like you my first prime was my 50mm. I've since upgraded it to a better quality 50mm but it's still one of my go tos for everyday shooting
I love the F 1.2 I rented one once for a wedding, awesome !
I agree that a 50 mm is good for 3/4 and full length portraits. I use my 24-120 mm for almost everything, and 50 is included. I'm not big on blurring everything in front and behind the eyes including the nose and ears. So, an f4 lens is OK for me. I ery seldom shoot more open than f/5.6.
Hey @Juliatrotti what nd filter do you use? I noticed you had no flash or modifiers on the beach shoot. I think I'd be happy not having to haul gear around as well.
Hi Julia, love your videos! I'm trying to decide on either a 35 or 50mm for an expo I'll be photographing at in a few weeks. I can't afford to purchase both. My subject (dogs) & I will be confined to one area, I can obviously move around but I'll most likely have less than 10 feet between them & me. Going for a small variety or body & close-up shots for each pup. Have holiday backdrops behind them and maybe one light if I'll even need it. Looking for opinions on which one to get, thanks!
Hi Julia! I currently have a 35mm 1.4 and a 24-70 2.8 do you think I should go for a 50mm or 85mm as my next lens? For general travel, street and portrait photography
I had the yongnue 50mm F1.8 as my first prime. A really cheap lens I used for a year but got hold of a sigma 50mm F1.4 dg hsm ex lens yesterday. The quality difference is huge. Images are stunning compared to the yongnue. Now I need to get a better Camera than my Canon 750d. 😂
why a better camera? there are more differences between the different objectives and not between the bodies. save your money and get other objectives
ps: i use the 750d too
The camera doesn't matter, it's the photographer..to an extent. If you're not a good photographer, having a better camera isn't going to make a difference
So so much talent Julia! 😍 All the photos look incredible, keep up the great work! I wish you a nice weekend and if you love music as much as photography like me Julia, I wanna recommend you a cool chill out song for a relaxing weekend: Benedict Ammann - The Rules
I hope you'll like it too!
Thank you so much!
I love my 50mm 1.8 it gives such amazing photos
Awesome , i m new learning photography so that helps a lot thanks to u dear
Great work and info!! 📸🥰
hi. great video and fantastic points. but.... canon 50mm f1.2 or canon 85mm f1.2. I have a canon ts45mm and a Sigma art lens 24mm and a Canon 70-300. what should be my next one? I'm shifting from just nature to portraits
Ur amazing Julia... Looks gorgeous as always
I personnaly did it backword.... got the 50 mm in the end... :( . when I got it, I realize the mistake I made. today, 50 mm 1.4 and 85mm 1.8 are my favorite lens, no third prime yet.. will be my next move. today, I would only say, for the price, no mather what brand, your getting a verry quality lens... this alone is the only reason needed . ;)
I have a Question, have you ever think of doing a photo book for selling ? all the photos you show in this video are gorgeous !
( sorry for my poor english, I'm french-canadien... no one's perfect )
Thanks for the informative video, Julia! I'm still deciding between a 50mm or 85mm. When do you shoot with the Sony A7III?
Thank you! I just did a portrait shoot on the A7III yesterday, so I'll have a BTS video up soon :D
I love your videos. I have a new perspective on how to use a 35mm lens.
Nifty fifty, STM version so cheap on sale and such a good lens, the only downside I find is indoors it can be a bit zoomed in for me and I think a 24m might be better
I own 3 lenses for my camera. The 18-55mm kit lens, a 55-250mm telephoto zoom lens, and a 50mm f1.8 prime lens. I'm looking to purchase a 10-18mm lens for more wide angle shots.
Great video and info!!
Amazing portraits!
Thanks for the tip , like your accent too so nice to listen to you explaing this.
These are all such great photos... and poses... who took them
Great tips and video. Can I ask if you’re using any filters when you’re shooting in bright daylight, like on the beach like you did here?
Thank you! No, I don't use any filters or reflectors even in bright sunlight 😊
Julia Trotti ok, so you’re not having any problems with the images getting over exposed?
Hey Julia, will the 50mm lens work good on a crop sensor camera ?
Yes it will, all lenses would. I use an APS-C sensor (Canon 200D) with the 50mm 1.8 lens, for cropped sensors, it will be 85mm instead of 50mm because of the crop factor
Oh ok cool. So to get “50mm” on a crop sensor I have to get the 35mm ?
@@kershawjoseph3496 im not sure, but in order to get the actual size of the lens on a cropped sensor you should multiply the Xmm with the crop factor which is 1.6 for canon cameras
ex. 50 x 1.6 = actual size of the lens on a crop body
@@kershawjoseph3496 my question too. Nifty fifty is actually a 85mm so do I get a 35 to get to 50ish. I see the difference between my film 35MM and APS-C.
I love my 50mm 1.8 STM. Hoping to upgrade in the near future to the 1.4!
But first I’m upgrading my camera body to a full frame and hoping to pick up a Canon 6D 😍
Drew Valentin Creatives 6D +50mm1.4 is perfect together 👍🏼
Just don't, the 1.8 STM is far better from the 1.4 USM. The latter is slower at focusing and also very inconsistent. The STM is lighter and far more accurate.
Darío Rodriguez I’ll take your advice! I’ll keep the 50 1.8 main
Drew Valentin Creatives Yeap, I had the real nifty fifty, the 1.8 II and it was so bad as cheap, I upgraded to the 1.4 USM hoping to get more bangers and I found out my copy was unusable between 1.4 and 2.2, at 2.8 and down it was a crisp SOAB, but if I wanted to shoot only at 3.2 or 5.6 I would just keep my dollars in my pocket. Be aware, some of the 1.4 USM are accurate, but it's a lottery. After trowing mine away and replacing it with a sigma 35 1.4 I decided to try the new 1.8 STM as a second fast and cheap prime and it's amazingly good for it's price.
+Drew Valentin Creatives Sounds like you're on a similar progression as I have been! I used a Rebel T6i for my first 6 months of shooting and just recently upgraded to the 6D. The difference is so massive it took effort not to tear up in front of my model when I saw the difference in the first few photos I took. Couldn't recommend it more, and paired with the Sigma 35mm 1.4 makes it even better. The nifty fifty works beautifully on it as well. but the advanced focusing power of the 6D makes the 1.4 worthwhile.
Hey Julia, I assume you are talking about a 50mm for full frame cameras. So far I only have the Sony A6000 and a Nikon D7100. Is there any lens that you might suggest that is comparable to the 50mm F1.2? I love your work. You are very beautiful and I enjoy listening to you talk. LOL I'm from Texas. God bless you dear.
On your A6000 you can try a speedbooster (like viltrox ef-e2 or the metabones if you have the cash...) and a 50mm f1.8 or f1.4. they will give you almost the same field of view and the same dof than the 50 1.2 on a full frame camera. The af may hunt a bit and be much slower than native sony e mount lens but if you just doing portraits, who care :)
I ordered my first 50mm lens. I got the 1.8 lens. I hope that will be good enough for now.
most definitely!
i love my 50mm lens ...If its on my camera when I start a shoot...no ever lenses rarely get look in...
I have 24:105mm and 50mm 1.4 i always use the 50 i loooove it and in the future i wanna have the 1.2 so much thank you fo the video hope you make more love from egypt
i shoot with a 50mm 1.8 on a cropped sensor Canon 80D. which puts that to around an 80mm. Need to get a 35mm to get a 50mm photo. But I love my 50mm so much as it is!
Hi! I have a Nikon d5500. I’m looking to get a 50mm f1.2 lens like you suggest in the video. Do you know where I could find and a specific nikon one to get? I see there is AF and AI-S and I’m not sure as to what the difference or what I need? Thanks😁