An Inexpensive 50mm Lens: A Fly Fishing Photographer's Best Friend

My workhorse lens is also my least expensive lens. It's been with me for 20 years and still producing. Learn why this lens is the one I use the most for fly fishing photography.

Hooked / photo by Ken Baldwin

The workhorse lens in my collection is also my least expensive lens, and the one I've had the longest. It's the Nikon 50mm f/1.8 prime lens. It retails now at $100-$200, but when I purchased it, it was $99.00.

A Prime Lens Will Improve Your Fly Fishing Photos

It was the best advice I received when I first started getting serious about my photography. A photographer told me to get a 50mm f/1.8 lens from Nikon. It's a prime lens (I didn't know what that meant at the time), and not only is it a great lens, but because it is fixed, it would help me develop my eye for composition. And the price made it accessible without compromising on quality.

All this is still true today, and even at a price range of 100 - 200 dollars, it is still a great price.

A small but mighty lens. / photo provided by Nikon

I did a little searching around and found that Canon has a 50mm f/1.8 for their DSLRs and mirrorless cameras. Sony has one for their mirrorless cameras as well. With Nikon, I could only find one for their DSLRs, which is a shame. They offer a pricier lens for their mirrorless, with the same specs, but I'm talking specifically about the affordable 50mm that has become a staple in the photography world.

Taking a break and enjoying the day. / photo by Ken Baldwin

Perfect for Capturing Fly Fishing Moments

This became my most used lens when I guided in Alaska for several reasons. It's a great lens for portraits, or what I refer to as "people shots." On the river, this translated to photos of anglers showing off their catch, hook-sets, anglers in midfight, or just hanging out. I could move in closer to get emotional facial shots or pull back to get smaller group shots. I used the lens for my fish "portraits" too. It got me in close, but not too close.

A 50mm prime lens will get the details and colors of nature. / photo by Ken Baldwin

Big Things Come In Small Packages

Two more factors in why it is such a good lens for fly fishing are its size and speed. When I'm fishing, I hate to carry extra equipment. Anything I can do to lighten the load is welcomed. This is a small lens. It doesn't take up a lot of space when it's attached to the camera body, and it's easy to throw in my pocket when I want another lens option.

Be Able To Shoot During Fly Fishing’s Magic Hour

It's a fast lens. An aperture of f/1.8 will allow you to shoot in low light. Some of your best shots will happen when the sun is just rising or setting. The light is softer, warmer, and has more "feeling" to it. Photographers call this the magic hour. Anglers also call it the magic hour because the bite turns on at sunrise and sunset. This makes the lens ideal for capturing those epic fly fishing moments when the light is perfect and the fish are biting.

A fly angler with a big char just before the release / photo by Ken Baldwin

Upgrading Doesn’t Always Mean Expensive

If you are looking to get more out of your photography than point and shoot, this is a great lens to build on. It comes at a good price, it covers a lot of different shooting scenarios, and will be a lens that you'll keep in your bag for years to come. KB

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“The gods do not deduct from man’s allotted span the hours spent in fishing.” - Herbert Hoover