Capturing Weddings With A 50Mm Lens: Pros And Cons

Wedding photography can be a stressful affair, and choosing the right gear is essential. One of the most important considerations is the lens, with 50mm being a popular choice. But can you shoot an entire wedding with just a 50mm lens? The answer is yes, but it comes with some limitations and requires creativity. 50mm lenses are versatile, great for portraits, candid shots, and low-light conditions, but struggle with wide-angle and long-range shots. They are perfect for capturing bokeh, a soft and elegant aesthetic with a beautiful background blur, and their fixed focal length encourages creativity by forcing photographers to move around and explore new angles. While a 50mm lens is a fantastic option, bringing additional lenses, such as a wide-angle lens, a zoom lens, and a macro lens, can provide more flexibility and ensure all the bases are covered for a successful wedding shoot.

50mm lenses are great for portraits and low-light shots

50mm lenses are a popular choice for wedding photography, particularly for portraits and low-light shots.

The 50mm lens is often referred to as the "standard lens" because its perspective closely resembles human vision. It offers a natural feel to images, without distortion or compression. This makes it perfect for portraits, as it provides an even framing of faces at many lengths and a perfect background blur. The lens also has a fast shutter speed, which is ideal for capturing sharp images in low-light conditions, such as wedding receptions.

The 50mm lens is also versatile, allowing photographers to capture a range of shots, from intimate candids to creative, unique perspectives. Its lightweight and portable design means photographers can move around the venue with ease and stay close to the action without disrupting the event.

Additionally, 50mm lenses produce gorgeous bokeh, a soft background blur that adds a magical touch to portraits and product photography. This feature, along with the lens's wide aperture, helps to isolate the subject and create a shallow depth of field, making the photos pop.

While 50mm lenses excel in these areas, they may struggle with long-range shots and capturing large groups. Therefore, it is advisable to have a variety of lens sizes when shooting a wedding to ensure you can capture the event from different perspectives and in various lighting conditions.

They are versatile and can be used in different lighting and environments

50mm lenses are incredibly versatile and can be used in different lighting and environments. They are perfect for a variety of shots and disciplines, and can be used in both indoor and outdoor settings. They are also great for high-contrast photos and can be used across a variety of light levels, making them suitable for weddings that take place at different times of the day or in different locations.

One of the biggest advantages of using a 50mm lens is its ability to capture fantastic shots in low light conditions. This is due to their fast shutter speed, which lets in more light and reduces blur in images. This makes them ideal for weddings, especially when taking portraits or candid shots of guests. The fast shutter speed also allows for quick photographs, so you can capture moments without interrupting the flow of the event.

Another benefit of 50mm lenses is their portability. They are small, light, and easy to carry around, making them convenient for weddings where you need to move around frequently to capture different moments and angles. Their size also allows you to get creative with your shots and try out new angles without being restricted to a single spot.

The image quality produced by 50mm lenses is also impressive. They are known for creating soft, elegant, and "magical" photos with beautiful bokeh, or background blur. This blur helps to separate professional photographs from those taken by other wedding guests, adding a warm and intimate touch to your images.

While 50mm lenses are versatile, it is important to note that they may have limitations in certain areas. For example, they may struggle with wide-angle photos or capturing large groups of people. Therefore, it is recommended to have a variety of lens sizes in your kit to cover all the different types of shots needed at a wedding. However, a 50mm lens can be a fantastic starting point, especially for beginner photographers, and can be a workhorse for any portraits, candid shots, and night scenes at a wedding.

They are small, light, and portable

The 50mm lens is a small wonder. Its compact size, lightweight build, and portability make it a convenient companion for photographers, whether carried in a bag or mounted on a camera.

The 50mm lens, often referred to as the "nifty fifty," is known for its versatility and ability to capture stunning shots across various environments and lighting conditions. Its small size and weight make it easy for photographers to manoeuvre and stay close to the action without being obtrusive. This is especially useful during weddings, where photographers need to be discreet and capture intimate moments without disrupting the ceremony or annoying guests.

The 50mm lens is highly portable, allowing photographers to move freely around the venue and capture shots from different angles and perspectives. Its lightweight design ensures that photographers can remain comfortable and agile throughout the event, reducing the risk of missing important moments.

The portability of the 50mm lens also encourages creativity. Photographers using this lens often need to be more mobile and flexible in their approach, which can result in unique and captivating shots. The lens's small size and ease of use allow photographers to be more spontaneous and capture candid moments that might otherwise be missed.

Additionally, the 50mm lens is an excellent choice for low-light settings, such as wedding receptions held outdoors, at sunset, or in dimly lit interiors. Its large maximum aperture and fast shutter speed enable photographers to capture well-lit images even in challenging lighting conditions. The combination of a wide aperture and fast shutter speed ensures that the subjects are properly exposed and in focus, resulting in crisp and clear photographs.

The 50mm lens is a versatile and convenient tool for photographers, offering portability, ease of use, and exceptional performance in a variety of settings, making it a popular choice for wedding photography.

They are good for capturing bokeh

Bokeh is the blurring of lights and other small particles in the background and foreground of an image, resulting in small circles or other shapes. It is often used to create warmer and more intimate portraits, making it a popular effect for wedding photography.

A 50mm lens is excellent for achieving bokeh in your photographs. Its wide aperture and fast shutter speed allow for a shallow depth of field, which is crucial for creating beautiful bokeh. The wide aperture, denoted by a low f-number (e.g., f/1.4, f/1.8, or f/2.8), enables more light to enter the lens, resulting in a softer background blur. Additionally, the fast shutter speed of a 50mm lens, typically between 125 and 250 seconds, helps to prevent camera shake and motion blur, ensuring that your subject remains sharp and in focus.

The combination of a wide aperture and fast shutter speed in a 50mm lens gives you greater control over the depth of field. By manually setting your camera to a wide aperture, you can achieve a shallow depth of field, causing the background to go soft and creating a beautiful bokeh effect. This is particularly effective for wedding portraits, as it allows you to focus sharply on the couple or guests while creating a dreamy, out-of-focus background.

Another advantage of using a 50mm lens for bokeh is its fixed focal length. Unlike zoom lenses, which can be heavy and require more light, a 50mm prime lens provides a natural perspective and sharp images. Its fixed focal length encourages you to move closer to your subject, which is ideal for achieving bokeh. By getting up close and personal, you can create intimate portraits with stunning bokeh that separates your subject from the background.

Additionally, the lightweight and versatile nature of a 50mm lens makes it a convenient choice for wedding photography. You can easily move around the venue, capturing creative shots from different angles without being intrusive. This flexibility allows you to incorporate bokeh into your wedding photographs effortlessly.

While a 50mm lens is excellent for achieving bokeh, it's important to note that the shape of the bokeh can vary depending on the number of aperture blades in the lens. Lenses with more blades, such as eight or nine, tend to create smoother and more circular bokeh. On the other hand, lenses with fewer blades may produce pentagon or octagonal bokeh shapes, which some photographers find less pleasing.

They are not suitable for wide-angle photos or group shots

While 50mm lenses are a great addition to your kit for wedding photography, they are not suitable for wide-angle photos or group shots.

Wide-angle shots are important for capturing the entirety of the room, especially when the bride is getting ready, or for capturing the venue unobstructed by guests. A 50mm lens is not wide enough to capture the whole picture without the photographer having to be tremendously far away. This is where a wider lens, such as a 35mm, 24mm or 15-35mm, comes in handy. These lenses are also useful for capturing small groups of people, such as bridesmaids, without having to move back.

For larger groups, a 24mm lens is a good option, although it can distort at the edges, so it's important to be mindful of positioning. For groups of 2-9 people, a 35mm lens is a good choice, as it captures a similar width to the natural human eye.

If you're looking to capture a group photo with a 50mm lens, you'll need to ensure everyone is close together and step back as far as possible without losing focus on their faces. You may also need to split the group into a front and back section.

Frequently asked questions