The world is already full of articles contemplating the best lens: The best lens for street photography, the best lens for portraiture, the best lens for wildlife. Inevitably these all seem to conclude that while the author’s personal preference is for one such lens, there are merits to all focal lengths, and it ultimately depends on your shooting style as a photographer. This is not that article.
Such advice is often meaningless to beginner photographers. Any photographer who has spent a decent amount of time with their glass will develop preferences for different focal lengths, be they 35mm for its ability to hone in on details, 85mm for its gentle background compression, or 24mm for exaggerated perspective and long leading lines. The Best Lens, the one I am talking about today, is the lens every photographer should start out with, and which many should frequently return to: The fast 50.
50mm is not only the historical standard, but also photography’s most common focal length: Canon’s RF mount has two, Nikon Z has three and Sony FE has five.
