Why I Hated the 50mm Lens (But Bought One Anyway)

Let’s call this one 50mm, a love story. Or, why I bought the one lens I have been avoiding for 45 years.

Hello, my name is Marc, and I hate the 50mm lens.

It was not always this way. We used to be close. Some might say too close, because 50mm was all I had. Back in the day you did not choose your kit lens. Kit lens, please. It came with a 50. No 16-55s, no 18-whatevers. This was it. This was the kit.

I shot yearbook photos with a 50. I shot sports with a 50. I made my way onto the pages of the Washington Post with a 50. It was my wide. It was my macro. It was everything, and I hated it for exactly that reason.

So I bought a 50mm. Put it on the Canon R8 and walked around to see if I can get used to it again. Did I buy it because I am dumb? Or because I am ready to forgive?

Here are the shots from this shiny little relic of pain and childhood trauma. Let’s see if I fall back in love.