You know when you come home from a long day at work and you constantly have one pair of pajamas that fit just right. They’re cozy, warm, and make you feel all sorts of lovely inside. That’s what the 50mm does for me. Weird? Probably. But next to my dog, this would be my snuggle buddy of choice…

I shoot about 98% of a wedding day with this bad boy. The only time she leaves my camera is during the recessional & that’s only due to the fact that I have mad anxiety about a short focal length during this part of the day. I use the 35mm during the recessional to give myself some extra room!

But WHY is the 50mm my favorite lens?! I shall list all the reasons right now 😉 

1. She’s tricky at 1.2 but when you nail the 1.2 it’s like a magical unicorn singing sweet love songs to you.. I primarily hang out in the 2.0-2.2 range though. Tack sharp baby & I can continue my constant talking during shooting and still hit focus.
2. At 50mm you’re close enough that you aren’t shouting at your clients but far away enough that you can give them a little space to breath and not feel like you’re up in their face.. Or awkwardly close while they’re smooching 🙂 
3. She’s a beefy little baby but callmecrazy balances the weight of the camera nicely so my wrists don’t feel like death. 
4. The 50mm is the closest focal length to the human eye that you can get. The 35mm has some warping on the edges (which can be super unflattering), & I’ve heard mixed reviews about the 85 (some love some dislike).
5. Focusing is quick! I consider myself a fast shooter so obviously a lens needs to keep up with me. Now, all the L series lenses are quick so it’s not really isolated to the 50! 

A couple of cons, just because every lens has it’s problems.

1. Maintenance is a must. I send my gear into CPS a couple times a year (speaking of which, it needs to go out like now) and I can always tell when it needs some service. It gets a little soft in focus.. But nothing a good calibration can’t fix 🙂 
2. That’s all I got for negatives. Ooops. 

What’s your favorite lens?! I firmly believe a favorite lens has more to do with your shooting style verses personal preference.