And this might be over-generalizing a bit, but the 50mm lens is the ONE lens that every photographer should be carrying around in their bag for a few reasons.

But, because they are designed for one length, they also have the capability to shoot at wider f-stops (f1.4, f1.8, etc.). This comes in handy when you are shooting in lower light situations or when you want to blur your backgrounds.

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While this might seem like a downfall and a reason to not add a 50mm lens to your bag, it can actually be a good thing for a few reasons

Polarizers are used to filter the input polarization, increase its purity, or separate orthogonal components of a linearly polarized beam. However, a polarizer cannot convert the polarization state of the input light into a different polarization state. For this type of modification, an optical component known as a waveplate or retarder is required. To understand its operation, it is important to know that any polarization state (not just linear) can be decomposed into orthogonal components. The difference between the polarization states then results from the phase difference between the orthogonal components. Linear polarization possesses components that are in-phase, i.e., no phase difference, but have different amplitudes depending on their angle. Circular and elliptical polarization components possess a phase difference of π/2 or a quarter of a wavelength (circular polarization has the same amplitudes for the different components while elliptical has different amplitudes). Consequently, in order to convert one polarization to another, the phase difference between the two components must be controlled. This can be accomplished by sending a polarized beam into a birefringent crystal such that the o-wave or e-wave each experience a different phase delay. The operation of a waveplate and a summary of how quarter and half waveplates convert one polarization state to another are shown in Figure 4. An important case of polarization conversion is shown on the right side of Figure 4. A half waveplate can rotate the angle of a linearly polarized beam to any other angle, which can be used for rotating a vertically polarized laser beam to obtain horizontal polarization. Furthermore, proper combinations of waveplates and polarizers can be used to form optical systems that allow for variable attenuation of a laser beam or for isolating a laser cavity from spurious reflections.

Instead of relying on your hands to do all of the cropping and zooming, you will have to move your body for the perfect shot. This is what you call “zooming with your feet.”

Unless you buy a DX lens for your DX camera body, there will be some magnification. In simple terms, it will make your photos more “zoomed in.”

Yes, there are 50mm lenses on the market that are in the 4 figure range (or my personal favorite), but you don’t need an expensive model to take great photos.

50mm focal lengthiPhone

I remember the first time that I ever tried out my nifty fifty lens – it was eye-opening (and I am not just talking about my own eyes, but the eye of the aperture).

M12 100mmlens

The one amazing thing about a 50mm lens is that you can pick up a good quality lens for under $150. For a lens that takes sharp & fast photos; this is almost unheard of.

Incoherent light sources such as lamps, LEDs, or the sun typically emit unpolarized light, which is a random superposition of all possible polarization states. On the other hand, the output light from a laser is typically highly polarized, that is, it consists almost entirely of one linear polarization. Analyzing laser polarization is easier if it is decomposed into two linear components in orthogonal directions. In this way, depicting the polarization can be done using the standard symbols shown in Figure 1. The upper part of the table lists the symbols generally used for unpolarized, vertically polarized, and horizontally polarized light. For the graphic shown in the figure, the vertical direction would be along the y-axis while the horizontal direction would lie along the x-axis. When a plane of incidence is specified (see lower part of table in Figure 1), the polarization components acquire specific designations. S-polarization refers to the component perpendicular to the plane while P-polarization refers to the component in the plane. Examples of the depictions of linearly polarized light are illustrated in the remaining figures of the section.

CLens

While I do believe that what makes a photographer good is their technique and experience, quality gear does come in handy to create better photos.

DX relates to your camera’s sensor size. Generally speaking, less expensive DSLR cameras are DX because the digital sensor is smaller than a full-sized sensor.

C-MountLens

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I help portrait photographers take better photos, edit with ease, and turn their portfolios into money-making machines! Stick around if you love colorful, happy photos & want to learn how to make money creating them!

I know that seems like a pretty bold statement, but I wouldn’t be saying it if I truly didn’t believe it. It’s been true for me and it’s be true for many photographers in my circle, so I know that this little lens will help you become better too.

50mm fixed focal length lenscanon

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A polarizer is an optical component whose transmission depends strongly on the incident polarization of the light. Polarizers typically filter linear polarization, so an ideal polarizer would transmit 100% of one polarization component while rejecting all of the orthogonal component (see Figure 3). In practice, a portion of the undesired polarization will be transmitted. The transmittances of the target polarization and the undesired polarization through the polarizer are measured (by simply rotating the polarizer by 90 degrees) and the extinction ratio is defined as the ratio of these transmittances. The difference between a polarizer and a Brewster plate is that the former results in strong polarization-dependent transmission while the latter does not (only the reflection is highly polarized).

As a portrait photographer, they are wonderful and very useful for many instances. But, if you’re a landscape, sports, or wildlife photographer, then you probably won’t get as much use out of a 50mm lens.

It’s easy to become a lazy shooter when you use a zoom lens. But, when you use a prime lens like a 50mm, then you will have to step out of your comfort zone and try something new.

100mmfocal length lens

OMG, I have the canon version (which I LOVE and is great in it’s own right) but by far your images appear cleaner and crisper. I can see the difference myself! I have the Sigma 35art and it’s mind blowing. I think you may have just persuaded me to switch.

I've been an Ohio based family photographer for the past 12 years and have been loving every minute of it! But you know what I love even more?! Helping photographers stand out from the crowd with their photos and getting BOOKED. I am happy you found me - thanks for being here!

Adjustablefocal length lens

So, if you are using a standard 50mm lens on a cropped (DX) sensor, the photos that you take will have less room. It will appear more like a longer lens than the standard length of a 50mm.

This especially comes in handy when you’re shooting at certain times of the day such as golden hour and need more range for wider apertures. Or, when you’re shooting indoors for a lifestyle newborn session. These are just a few real life examples of why apertures of f1.4 and f1.8 can come in handy.

In addition to being able to shoot in low light situations, prime lenses are generally sharper and faster than zoom lenses in the same price range.

Edmund Optics C-MountLens

The 50mm length doesn’t zoom, crop, or widen the scene. It simply captures what’s right in front of you the way that you view it yourself.

Polarizers rely on birefringent materials and, since the index of refraction is complex, these materials can exhibit a polarization-dependent absorption and refraction. The first polarizers were based on selective absorption of incident light and are usually denoted as dichroic polarizers. Typical materials used for this anisotropic absorption are stretched polymers or elongated silver crystals; their operation is shown in Figure 3. The strongly absorbing axis of the material is placed perpendicular to the desired output polarization such that the undesired polarization is strongly absorbed. A different type of polarizer is based on the anisotropic refractive indices of a birefringent crystal such as calcite. A birefringent crystal will produce an o-wave or e-wave depending on the axis of the crystal to which the polarization component is aligned. These waves experience different refractive indices and will possess different critical angles for TIR, resulting in one polarization component being reflected while the other is transmitted (see Figure 3). By placing two calcite prisms back-to-back to form a rectangular optic, the transmitted beam will follow the same direction as the incident beam. The gap between these prisms can either be air or an optically transparent cement, depending on whether a high damage threshold or large acceptance angle, respectively, is desired.

The way in which polarized light interacts with an optical material can enable selective filtering of the polarization or conversion of the incident polarization state to a different one. This polarization control relies on a material's optical properties to respond differently depending on the polarization of the incident light. A material that exhibits birefringence, or different refractive indices for different input polarizations, is said to be anisotropic. This anisotropy affects the transmission and absorption properties of light and is the primary mechanism used in polarizers and waveplates as discussed below. However, even isotropic materials (same index for different polarizations) can enable polarization selection via reflection. The Fresnel equations describe the change in reflectivity as a function of angle of incidence. For a linearly polarized beam, both S- and P-polarizations exhibit different changes in reflectivity versus incident angle. There is an incident angle known as Brewster's angle (θB) at which P-polarized light is transmitted without loss, or exhibits zero reflectance, while S-polarized light is partially reflected. This angle can be determined from Snell's law to be θB = arctan(n2/n1). Figure 2 shows this response when light is incident from air onto a dielectric material where θB ≈ 56°. This polarization-selective reflectivity is exploited in laser cavities to produce strongly polarized light and for fine tuning of the output laser wavelength.

Precise control of polarization behavior is necessary to obtain optimal performance from optical components and systems. Characteristics such as reflectivity, insertion loss, and beamsplitter ratios will be different for different polarizations. Polarization is also important because it can be used to transmit signals and make sensitive measurements. Even though the light intensity may be constant, valuable information can be conveyed in the polarization state of an optical beam. Deciphering its polarization can reveal how the beam has been modified by numerous material interactions (magnetic, chemical, mechanical, etc.). Sensors and measurement equipment can be designed to operate on such polarization changes. For these reasons, optical components capable of filtering, modifying, and characterizing a light source's polarization are valuable. Such polarization control can be accomplished by exploiting the reflection, absorption, and transmission properties of materials used in these components. The physical phenomena that enable polarization control, as well as the key components that exploit them, are discussed below.

What I mean by appear longer is that the focal length of a 50mm lens will be longer on a DX camera. When you have a camera with a smaller sensor, the the focal length of the lens will become magnified and the length will be longer.

Simple. You are now forced to work for different crops and angles. You have to start moving to find different views and this leads to more opportunity for creativity.

The electric field of a light wave vibrates perpendicularly to the direction of propagation as shown in Figure 1. Since the electric field is a vector quantity, it can be represented by an arrow that has both a magnitude (or length) and a direction of orientation. This orientation direction is the polarization of the light. There are basically three polarization states: linear, circular, and elliptical. These terms describe the path traced out by the tip of the electric field vector as it propagates in space. Figure 1 shows a snapshot in time of a linearly polarized wave. Although the electric field alternates direction (or sign), it stays confined to a single plane. Therefore, sitting at a fixed point in z as time passes, the arrow tip would oscillate up and down along a line. The angle (θ) of this line with respect to some reference set of axes completely specifies this linear polarization state. For circular polarization, the electric field vector tip forms a helix or corkscrew shape. For a fixed point in z, the vector would rotate in time, like the second hand on a watch. Circularly polarized light can be either left-handed or right-handed, depending on the clockwise or counterclockwise nature of the rotation. Elliptical polarization is the most general case of polarization. It is the same as circular polarization but with unequal major and minor axes (for circular polarization, these are equal).

Sure, it did have a learning curve to shooting at such small apertures, but once I got the hang of it, my photos took on a new look.