Have you ever come back from a shoot using your 50mm lens, only to find the images feeling slightly off, but you can't pinpoint exactly why? Understanding how to use this popular lens correctly can drastically improve your photography results.
Coming to you from Martin Castein, this insightful video explains precisely why images shot at 50mm often feel awkward, despite your best efforts. According to Castein, the primary issue comes down to perspective and how you position yourself relative to the subject. When shooting with wider lenses, you naturally accept some level of distortion because it feels intentional. Similarly, with longer lenses like an 85mm, the increased distance naturally corrects perspective distortions. However, the 50mm lens sits right between these extremes, creating a subtle, uncomfortable distortion if you're not careful about your shooting angle. This slight distortion doesn't look intentional or natural—it just looks off.
Castein illustrates this problem clearly using buildings as an example. He shows that when using wide angle lenses close to tall buildings, there's an obvious tilt inward that you readily accept as normal because you're obviously looking upward. With telephoto lenses from a distance, buildings appear straight and clean because perspective lines naturally flatten. But with a 50mm lens, these lines often end up only slightly skewed, which can subtly irritate viewers. This issue is especially pronounced if you're taller and shooting downward, or shorter and angling upward, without adjusting your camera height.
The trick to making your 50mm shots feel balanced and natural, as Castein explains, is all about positioning your camera at exactly the right height. Rather than shooting downward or upward, he advises adjusting your stance or camera position until the camera sensor is perfectly level with your subject. This simple adjustment aligns all the lines within your frame, removing the awkwardness and providing harmonious composition. Whether you're photographing people or architecture, achieving this neutral perspective is crucial.
This subtle shift in camera position transforms your 50mm lens from frustrating to exceptionally useful, blending storytelling abilities of both the wider and narrower focal lengths. When you master this technique, you'll begin appreciating the 50mm lens for its unique ability to combine elements of intimacy and distance in a single shot, making it ideal for diverse photographic situations. Check out the video above for the full rundown from Castein.
