Howard Moo Young, Contributor 
Doctor's Cave Beach. - Howard Moo Young Photo
THE FIRST 35mm SLR camera I ever owned was a Kowa SE with a fixed 50mm lens, I had no choice of any other lenses. This was the camera that took me through art school in New York, and although it didn't have a through-the-lens light meter, it had an exterior meter and was completely manual. The lens was super sharp and the image quality was excellent, the entire camera cost me US$80.00 back then in 1965.
In the beginning, photographers had no choice, as many of those who bought a miniature camera back in the '20s, found a 50mm lens permanently affixed to the front, and that was that. Even when other lens were introduced in the early '30s, the classic 50 remained the choice of many who valued its appealing combination of small size, relatively high speed, and good image quality. By the way, these were rangefinder cameras.
The 50 was and is an ideal lens for candid reportage, as seen in the work of such greats as Henri Cartier-Bresson and Alfred Eisenstaedt, whose images exploit the '50s capacity to reveal intimate details while retaining a sense of timeless objectivity.
Today's photographers no longer regard the 50mm as the ultimate lens, and with the proliferation of wide-to-telephoto zooms, an enticing array of superwides and long, fast teles, it is not the "normal" tool of either pros or amateurs anymore.
Nevertheless, the once fabulous 50mm normal lens still has a devoted following among serious photographers, who remain enchanted by its compactness, high speed, modest cost and great performance. As the saying goes, "if you've got one, use it!"
I have in my arsenal of lenses, two of them - a Nikkor 50mm 1.4 very fast lens and a Micro-Nikkor 55mm 2.8 lens, which is one of my favourites. You just cannot beat the 1.4 for speed when used with very fast film, as you can capture beautiful subjects lit by just one candle. I use the 55mm macro to capture the intimate details in my flower images that no other lens can.
As I explained before, my fixed 50mm Kowa lens took me through art school and help me set the foundation to develop my personal photographic style. I found that this lens forced me to concentrate on the subject and to de-emphasise the camera. I learned to move closer or back away from my subject to fill the frame, get high or lie on my stomach to create a different point of view, all with one lens.
I also discovered that some of the more affluent students in my class, who could afford Nikon or a Canon camera, were always coming over to me to enquire what kind of camera and lens I used to do my assignments. I could see the smirk on their faces when I showed them, while the grades on my photographs told a different story. My instructor always said, "It's not the type of camera or lens you use, but the eye behind the camera that makes the difference, learn to see!"
What can you do with a 50? With a little imagination, planning, and legwork, practically anything you want. Given the right shooting distance, vantage point, and cropping, you can achieve a wide look, or tele, or macro shots. This lens will make you work to get the perfect shot - just as in the old days.
I will never forget my final graduation assignment in photography, which was to produce ten (10) 8"x10" Black-and-White images of "42nd Street" in Manhattan, processed, printed and mounted for my final presentation portfolio. Every photo was taken with my standard 50mm lens. This assignment changed my view on photography and also helped to teach me "the art of seeing".
When is the best time to give your 50mm a workout? When you feel like stalking the streets or roaming the countryside in search of incisive images, the straightforward way.
Photograph taken by Howard Moo Young with a standard 50mm OR 55mm Macro lens.
Howard Moo Young is an advertising/graphic design/photography consultant with over 40 years experience. Email: howardmooyoung@ getcaughtmedia.com
