Originally posted by Dan Rentea I still have a hard time understanding why Ricoh went with the 50mm lens as their first choice as a new prime lens. Not ideal focal lenght for portraits, not ideal for street, not ideal for landscapes...
I know a commercial photographer who owns a room full of stuff, but really only uses his Canon and a 50mm f1.4, it's so versatile.
Fast fifties are a standard.
Back in the film age, it was what you got with the camera, a do-all with quality. Because the focal length is so close to the registration distance, they're the easiest to do. The sharpest lenses in the Zeiss and Sigma Art lineups are their fifties.
If I head out the door with the K-1, Sigma DG 12-24, Pentax 28-105 and Tamron 70-200, that's all the focal lengths covered but I'll still throw in the DA*55 f1.4, because it's just different.
it's the ideal first lens in a lineup if you're releasing a from the ground up new generation of glass.
The next would be an 85mm f1.4 like Kenspo's drooling for, and guess what? That's the one that's scheduled next.