Brand:
Canon EF 50mm f/1.2
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As a real estate photographer, you want a versatile lens that can capture bright and sharp photos of both interiors and exteriors in a wide range of lighting conditions. The following 50mm vs 18-55mm guide can help you determine which lens can suit your shooting space and lighting conditions.
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Camera lenses come in varying specifications of focal length and aperture. The focal length determines the angle of view, and the aperture determines how much light reaches the camera sensor. As a result, the focal length and aperture differences between the 50mm and the 18-55mm lenses tend to affect their overall usability and performance.
A 50mm lens is a lens with a fixed focal length of 50mm, regardless of the brand, model, or build quality. Keeping in mind that the focal length that offers a field of view like that of a human eye is around 43mm, a 50mm lens is also considered a normal lens.
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Brand:
Canon EF 50mm f/1.2
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Brand:
Sigma 50mm f/1.4
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Brand:
Yongnuo YN 50mm f/1.8
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Lens Type:
Standard
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Lens Type:
Standard
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Lens Type:
Prime
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Maximum Focal Length:
50 Millimeters
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Maximum Focal Length:
50 Millimeters
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Maximum Focal Length:
50 Millimeters
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Primary Rating:
4.7
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Primary Rating:
4.7
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Primary Rating:
4.4
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This field of view sits between the field of view of a wide-angle lens like Canon with an angle of view of around 35mm and a telephoto lens with a field of view of around 70mm. When paired with a full-frame camera, a Canon EF 50mm gives you a diagonal field of view of around 46.8 degrees.
An 18-55mm lens has a variable focal length of 18 to 55mm, regardless of the model, brand, or quality. Since a wide-angle field of view starts at 35mm and below when the lens is paired with a full-frame camera, Nikon AF-P DX NIKKOR 18-55mm can capture both normal and wide-angle perspectives.
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Brand:
Nikon AF-P DX NIKKOR 18-55mm
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Brand:
Canon EF-S 18-55mm
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Brand:
Fujifilm Fujinon XF18-55mm
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Lens Type:
Macro
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Lens Type:
Standard
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Lens Type:
Standard
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Compatible Mountings:
Nikon F
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Compatible Mountings:
Canon EF
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Compatible Mountings:
Fujifilm X
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Primary Rating:
4.2
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Primary Rating:
4.7
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Primary Rating:
4.7
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When paired with a full-frame camera, this lens allows you to capture a narrow field of view of around 42.9 degrees when using the longer focal length of 55mm and a wide-angle field of view of around 100.5 degrees when using the shorter focal length of 18mm.
Although the two lenses are versatile and come as kit lenses for a wide range of cameras, one has a fixed angle of view and the other a variable angle of view, making them have the following similarities and differences.
Although one is a zoom lens and the other a prime lens, the two lenses can have the following similarities depending on the build quality and the sensor size of the camera you have paired the lens with.
Although the two lenses can capture images with minimal distortions at a natural field of view of a round 50mm, they have the following weight and low-light performance differences.
Usually, real estate interiors don't have studio-quality lighting that can allow you to capture bright photos, especially when using slower shutter speeds. Increasing the ISO to brighten the photos can cause image noise and make the photos look lower quality.
That means the quality of the photos will mainly depend on the maximum wide aperture of the lens. Usually, 50mm lenses have wider maximum apertures of around f/1.8, with some models going all the way up to an f/1.4.
On the other hand, most 18-55mm lenses come with narrow apertures of around f/3.5-5.6. As a result, 50mm lenses can capture brighter photos than 18-55mm units in poor lighting when using the same ISO and shutter speed settings.
Background blurring is when the main subject is sharp and in focus, and the background elements and details are obscured and out of focus. Usually, this creates a beautiful bokeh effect that can help minimize distractions from the main subject.
For instance, if you want to emphasize the kitchen cabinets, background blurring can help obscure the appliances in the kitchen, minimizing distractions. Usually, the ability of the lens to blur the background depends on the focal length and the aperture.
The maximum wide aperture of the 18-55mm lens is f/3.5, which reduces to f/5.6 when using the maximum angle of view of 55mm. The 50mm lens has a wider maximum aperture of around f/1.8, allowing it to capture photos with a more pleasing bokeh effect when using selective focus techniques.
The weight of the lens is an important feature to consider depending on whether you'll be shooting interior photos handheld for a prolonged time or exterior photos with a tripod during windy weather.
In most cases, the weight of the lens depends on the length of the barrel, the overall build quality, and the number of optical components. Keeping in mind that the 18-55mm lens is a zoom lens like Canon with more optical components, it is generally heavier than the 50mm unit.
Although most lenses come with advanced optical elements to help reduce distortions and abnormalities, in most cases, these abnormalities can't be completely eliminated. Usually, these abnormalities affect the overall image quality.
Keeping in mind that the 18-55mm unit is a zoom lens, it comes with more optical elements and moving parts compared to the 50mm unit. This makes it have more optical distortions and abnormalities than the 50mm unit.
As a result, the 50mm unit tends to capture higher-quality images than its 18-55mm counterpart under the same shooting conditions.
The major distinguishing factor between a 50mm lens and an 18-55mm lens is the zoom capability. The 50mm unit is a prime lens with a fixed angle of view, and you will need to manually move closer or further away from the subject to adjust how much of a scene the lens is capturing.
On the other hand, the 18-55mm unit is a zoom lens with a variable angle of view. That means you can reduce the focal length to capture a broader scene with a wide-angle perspective or increase the focal length to fill the frame with a distant subject.
Since the 50mm unit has a wider aperture and takes photos with a more pleasing bokeh quality, it is the best lens to use in the following situations.
Considering that the 18-55mm unit offers both wide-angle and normal perspectives, it is the best lens to use under the following circumstances.
The wider aperture of the 50mm unit makes it more versatile and a better option, as you can use it to shoot in a wider range of lighting conditions. Like most prime lenses, the 50mm unit also captures higher-quality photos than its 18-55mm zoom lens counterpart.
The above 50mm vs 18-55mm guide reveals the versatility of both the 50mm and 18-55mm lens. Generally, you can use the 50mm unit to shoot in a wide range of lighting conditions and the 18-55mm unit to shoot both normal and wide-angle photos.
