There isn’t a camera brand that doesn’t make for a nifty fifty. There is hardly a camera blog or advice source that doesn’t recommend fifty-nine. Thousands of photographers believe they must have this lens. I am one of them. Here’s why I think fifty-nine is overrated and why you probably don’t need one.
It all started when I was young watching a lot of YouTube and saving pocket money. At the time, all I had was a film camera and a partially working 70-300mm lens. The low-light capabilities of such a setup leave a lot to be desired. After reading and watching a lot about fifty-nine, I decided that I desperately wanted a book. Looking at as many reviews and comparisons as possible, while saving about $70 on buying a used 50 pieces, it took longer than I expected. But in the end, I can tell you exactly why a $70 lens is as good as a $1,000 lens. It’s not, but I believe it is, and that’s all that matters.
How Nifty Fifty Made Me Worse
I really think this nifty fifty will be the lens that takes my photography to the next level. Just think of all the pictures I could take at f/1.8, all the happy customers and all the smiling faces.
The dream world fell apart as soon as I put it on the camera. What seems like a great lens is starting to look very boring. We will return to that. See how I shoot with the lens.
When you buy a new lens, especially one with a wide aperture, you’re going to be a worse photographer. If you previously took a darker image with a lot of grain, now you take less grain but half the image is out of focus. I shoot everything at f/1.8 out of fear that as soon as I stop even half a stop, I will lose the magical quality of the lens. Instead of having a positive effect on my work, it made me worse as more and more of my image became out of place.
Made for portraiture, the nifty 50 is a lens that makes it harder to focus on the eyes. This is an important thing to consider, as you need to understand depth of field and plane of focus before using a wide aperture. In short, the wider the aperture, the shallower the depth of field and the harder it is to focus if the subject moves. This is especially true for older cameras or cameras with limited focusing capabilities like a beginner DSLR. Before you learn all the facts of the focal plane and depth of field, you’ll capture a lot of by-products, which make your image worse on average. If you were focused before, now you can’t.
Let me tell you how I took every single shot at 200mm f/2.8. When I’m lucky enough to get a 70-200mm lens, I immediately came to the obvious that “the deeper the depth of field, the better for humans.” There are a bunch of tasks that are literally shot at f/2.8 only. I don’t even understand the purpose of other apertures when it comes to f/2.8. Why do people shoot at f/8 let alone f/13?
Well, how silly I was. Now, the tables have changed, and I get nervous if I switch to f/4 instead of f/8. That’s why I advise photographers to work with a closed aperture. That way, you’ll get a subject that’s fully in focus. Super cream foundation is an overused technique anyway.
Another reason to avoid 50mm, especially if you’re a beginner, is that it really limits the focal lengths you can use. As a beginner, it’s more interesting to get a junk superzoom and know how the image changes depending on the focal length you shoot. As a trinity owner, I completely follow the principle of experimenting with focal lengths. Something that looks bad at 50mm can look great at 16mm or 200mm.
50mm is a focal length that is essentially the same as the human eye, making one think that it is the most attractive focal length. The opposite: as a normal focal length, it removes the technical “funk” from the image and focuses only on the content of said photo. While it’s beneficial for situations where there’s already a lot going on, it’s almost certainly necessary to highlight and blow away a boring background. What this means for you as a photographer is that you need to really make sure that the scene is interesting, but sometimes, it’s not. As someone who shoots in a boring or secondary style, I tend to get weirder with lighting, angles, or something else. This helps me focus on the technical side of the photo, as opposed to the design or fashion aspect. However, I like to take the time to make the content interesting and then shoot it. No need to hurry.
So, to summarize my story using the 50 nif lens, I captured beautiful images exclusively at f/1.8. Instead of focusing on educating and crafting my visual message, I focused on getting the best bokeh possible. Instead of experimenting with different focal lengths, I started trying to shoot “correctly and accurately” 50mm.
The advantages are obvious, but are they worth it?
There are obvious advantages to having a fifty-nine, as many reviews and articles will suggest. To be objective and paint a full picture of owning such a lens, here are some of the obvious benefits of fifty conveniences. 
Size
The lens is probably as small as it gets. If we don’t count f/1.2 . option, fifty nifty is easily unquestionable if space is of the essence. The lens is often praised for how discrete it can be. Several photographers have come forward and say that their subjects feel less threatened when they are captured by a digital 50 camera, as opposed to a large zoom or medium format camera. While this may be a valid reason for some shooters, it’s not important enough to change your spending habits. Your audience’s comfort is determined by how you behave. You can’t expect your subject to immediately feel comfortable around you just because you pull out a small camera. If anything, a larger lens may imply more “professionalism”. 
Weight
This is a very valid one, also for me. As I’m filming day in and day out, my wrists inevitably get tired and I’m only in my 20s, leading a healthy lifestyle. I started using a tripod on some occasions because it took the pressure off my hands. Although, for sure, I resort to keeping the camera because I find the process less restrictive. While I won’t be buying a 50mm any time soon, I’ve been thinking about revisiting the lens once or twice. It makes the setup much lighter, which will certainly allow many photographers to create the work they want. 
Price
If you’re looking at entry-level 50mm lenses, you’ll find plenty of decent, inexpensive options. As I know, EF 50mm f/1.8 is Canon’s cheapest new lens to buy. It is almost aimed at beginners as something professional but inexpensive. It could very well be the only option for those who enjoy party photography. While this depends on your shooting style, I find the 50mm focal length rather boring in event photography. If I’m working at 50mm, it can be fashion or beauty in the studio, at that point I’m using a zoom lens at f/8 and I don’t need f/1.8. For party and event photography, things like a 35mm or even a 24mm lens will be more useful.
Stop thinking
As you can clearly see, the nifty 50 is not a versatile all-in-one lens that every beginner should own. Quite the contrary: it is a niche product that will be useful if used correctly. I would avoid using the 50mm f/1.8 lens if you are a beginner photographer as it will prevent you from experimenting with focal lengths, as well as make your images a bit more boring. . The 50mm lens is also the one that you need to start using once you have a good understanding of depth of field, focus distance, and other factors that affect image sharpness. However, if you like the look and feel confident that you can use 50mm f/1.8 to its full potential, use it, but only after you’ve gone through rounds using zoom, not prime.
