Is a 50mm lens good for street photography?

The 50mm is the ideal street photography lens. Actually it’s an ideal lens full stop. It has the most applications of any focal and hence why they are often referred to as the “nifty fifty”, the versatile lens.

Thereof, How do I take 50mm photos sharper?

Use f/2 or f/2.8 and focus lock on the part you want sharp. Then very carefully lean in toward your subject or away looking critically through the viewfinder. As you see the part of the picture you want in the sharpest focus, stop and slowly depress the shutter. Good Luck!

Accordingly, How far away can I shoot with a 50mm lens?

You can shoot with a 50mm lens up to 3-5 feet or 0.91-1.5m away from the subject to produce a flattering perspective. A 50mm lens has a minimum focusing distance of 0.45m or 1.45 feet, and you can step back further depending on the desired effect.

What lens is best for documentary photography?
Some suggested lenses:

  • Canon 28mm / Nikon 28mm.
  • Canon 16-35mm / Nikon 16-35mm.
  • Sigma 35mm (both Canon and Nikon Versions)
  • Canon 24-70mm / Nikon 24-70mm.
  • Tamron 24-85mm (both Canon and Nikon versions)
  • Canon 50mm F1.8.
  • Canon 50mm F1.4.
  • Nikon 50mm F1.8.

Also know Do I need a 50mm If I have a 35mm?

A 35mm lens on your camera would be the equivalent of a 50mm lens on a full frame camera. This is commonly considered a “normal focal length” for general shooting. Although many prefer something a bit wider, like 40mm for that purpose. So, while in full frame terms a 50mm is a normal lens….

Is the 50mm 1.8 sharp? The Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 II Lens’ strongest quality is its sharpness. Sharpness performance wide open (f/1.8) is decent, but the Canon 50 f/1.8 is very sharp at f/2.8 and beyond. It is slightly sharper than even the Canon EF 24-70mm f/2.8L USM Lens. With an f/1.8 maximum aperture, this is a fast lens.

What aperture gives the sharpest image?

Because of diffraction there is only one optimum aperture for each situation that will give the sharpest image of a subject requiring depth of field, presuming that the subject is still and the camera is on a tripod.


if the lens’ DOF scale says: then use this aperture for optimum sharpness:

f/8

f/16

f/11

f/19

f/16

f/22

Why are my photos not sharp?

As I noted in the introduction, a lack of sharpness can be due to the aperture, shutter speed, or ISO settings. In the case of aperture, if your depth of field (the area of the image that’s in sharp focus) is too shallow, you might find that your subject isn’t sharp, as seen in the image above.

What mm lens is best for close up shots?

50mm lenses work best in capturing typical macro shots. However, these types of macro lenses have their drawbacks. 50mm lenses make subjects appear half “life-size” since they usually feature a 1:2 ratio, and require shooting at a much closer distance. But a 50mm lens is a must if you want a general walk-around lens.

How do I get sharp portraits?


How to Take Sharp Pictures

  1. Set the Right ISO. …
  2. Use the Hand-Holding Rule. …
  3. Choose Your Camera Mode Wisely. …
  4. Pick a Fast Enough Shutter Speed. …
  5. Use High ISO in Dark Environments. …
  6. Enable Auto ISO. …
  7. Hold Your Camera Steady. …
  8. Focus Carefully on Your Subject.

What is a 50 mm lens good for?

50mm lenses are fast lenses with a fast maximum aperture. The most basic 50mm lenses are typically F1. 8 – a very wide aperture. This means they are great for low-light photography (e.g. low-light portraiture or indoor shooting) as they allow more light into the camera’s sensor.

What lens do journalists use?


Sony Lenses for Journalism

  • Sony FE 24-70 mm f/2.8 GM Standard Zoom Lens.
  • Sony FE 70-200mm f/2.8 GM OSS Lens.
  • Sony FE 16-35mm f/2.8 GM Wide-angle Zoom Lens.
  • Sony FE 200-600mm f/5.6-6.3 G OSS Super Telephoto Zoom Lens.
  • Sony FE 100-400mm f/4.5–5.6 GM OSS.

What is better for street photography 35mm or 50mm?

While the 35mm is great for full-length street portraits where you want to show a lot of background, a 50mm will focus the scene right in on your subject and the most important background details. It allows you to highlight their expressions and personality by getting in close to what really matters.

Is 50mm lens good for video?

Firstly, 50mm lenses tend to be the cheapest and fastest of all prime lenses in any set, they are great value for money. The next thing is, it is long enough to give you a really nice out of focus bokeh. Wider lenses just can’t compete here. 50mm is also about as long as I like to go when shooting hand held video.

What is the best setting for street photography?


Best camera settings for street photography

  • Shutter speed: 1/125sec or faster.
  • Aperture: f/5.6.
  • ISO: 400.
  • White Balance: Auto or Daylight.
  • Focal Length: 18mm to 200mm.
  • Exposure mode: Program AE.
  • AF: Continuous focus.

Is 35mm good for street photography?

35mm Lens for Street Photography

The 35mm lens is probably the most common lens used by street photographers, and this is because it has a lot of advantages in this fast-moving genre. It is wide enough to capture multiple subjects in the frame easily or a subject and a background.

Which is better 24mm or 35mm?

While 24mm can, at times, be almost too wide, 35mm is often just the right focal length. It usually provides little to no distortion and lets in even more light than a 24mm lens. While f/1.2 is available, f/1.4 and f/1.8 are quite common maximum apertures in the world of 35mm primes.

How do I make my portraits sharper?


How to Take Sharp Pictures

  1. Set the Right ISO. …
  2. Use the Hand-Holding Rule. …
  3. Choose Your Camera Mode Wisely. …
  4. Pick a Fast Enough Shutter Speed. …
  5. Use High ISO in Dark Environments. …
  6. Enable Auto ISO. …
  7. Hold Your Camera Steady. …
  8. Focus Carefully on Your Subject.

How do you find the sweet spot of a lens?

The rule for finding that mid-range sweet spot is to count up two full f-stops (aperture settings are called f-stops) from the widest aperture. On my lens, the widest aperture is f/3.5. Two full stops from there would bring me to a sweet spot of around f/7.1.

How do I get the sharpest focus?


10 Ways to Take Sharper Images: Tips for Beginners

  1. Hold your camera well. …
  2. Use a tripod. …
  3. Select a fast shutter speed. …
  4. Choose a narrower aperture. …
  5. Keep your ISO as low as possible. …
  6. If you have image stabilization, use it. …
  7. Nail focus as often as possible. …
  8. Make sure your lenses are sharp.

What aperture should I use to get a blurry background?

The aperture of the lens is one setting that helps create that background blur. But different lenses have different aperture settings available. Ideally, for a blurred background, you should use a lens that has at least an f/2.8 aperture available. Lower f-numbers will offer even more blur.

What is the best ISO for night photography?

While the exact settings will change from picture to picture, the ideal settings for night photography is a high ISO (typically starting at 1600), an open aperture (such as f/2.8 or f/4) and the longest possible shutter speed as calculated with the 500 or 300 rule.

Is 85mm or 50mm better for portraits?

The 85mm focal length is perfect for portraits thanks to the levels of compression they provide, and because they do not distort facial features. … If you are a portrait photographer who likes to focus more on 3/4 shots and much tighter headshots, we would absolutely recommend an 85mm prime over 50mm primes.

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