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Life in 50mm: The Photographer’s Lens

For most photographers, the 50mm lens is the first one they buy, right after the one that comes with their camera. Why? Because they’re cheap, easy-to-carry, and they allow for some amazing creative options, with even the most modestly priced offering stunning bokeh.

If you don’t have one already, once you’ve started reading Life in 50mm, you’re bound to want to get in on the action, so we’ve compiled a list of the most popular 50mm lenses.

When you’re not shooting with a full-frame camera (or ‘crop sensor’), then you’ll still get the bokeh goodness, but within a crop, so you should aim for around a 35mm lens, or on MFT a 25mm lens. Look for the term ‘Equivalent Focal Length’ or EFL.

Here are some links to get you started, which we’ll update based on your advice:

Canon

Nikon

Sony

MFT (Micro Four Thirds)

It’s also worth checking out ilex author Gordon Laing’s excellent CameraLabs site for detailed lens reviews.