Good prime lenses that also have a wide aperture are hard to come by. A bright aperture can help with getting a nice depth of field, but also help photographers to dare to make images in the dark. If you have been someone who wants to offer cinematic appeal to your images, then fear not. We have collated this list that can help photographers from various walks of life to excel in their careers.
Olympus 8mm f1.8 Pro: Street and Creative Photography
The only fisheye f1.8 lens on the list, the Olympus 8mm, is quite a catch for various photographers. It is designed with 17 elements in 15 housings, is weather resistant, has a 180-degree angle of view, and has a minimum focusing distance of 0.12m. Some of the things you will like about this lens sis great distortion control, despite the fish eye effect, and that you get great colors. In fact, you also get good bokeh, and most objects are in focus in a scene. Anyone with an acquired taste will definitely purchase it.
Sony 20mm f1.8 G: Architecture and Astrophotography
The Sony 20mm is an excellent f1.8 lens with a 7.5-inch minimum focusing distance, a maximum magnification of 0.20x with AF, and a filter thread of 67mm. The lens is super fast and has weather sealing, and the images are very sharp. The colors are pleasing, the bokeh is great, and the manual focusing ring is also quite smooth. The distortion is very controlled, thus making it an ideal option for professional photographers.
Panasonic 50mm f1.8 S: Photojournalism
The Panasonic 50mm is another superb f1.8 lens that can be used by various genres of photographers. It has 9 rounded aperture blades, 9 elements in 8 groups, and a close-of-coupling distance of 1.5 feet. The lens is 3 inches long, has a 67mm filter thread, and has a 0.14x magnification ratio. As a 50mm, you get beautiful image quality, fast autofocus, and great weather sealing. Photojournalists who often work in challenging environments will love it.
Nikon Z 85mm F1.8: Food and Wedding Photography
Designed for mirrorless cameras, the Nikon 85mm f1.8 offers 12 elements in 8 groups and a 0.12 maximum magnification ratio, and a 0.8m maximum focusing distance. The lens provides excellent image quality, has good weather sealing, and is small and lightweight to carry around. As we said in our review, “There isn’t a single bad thing to be said about the Nikon Z 85mm f1.8. It has exceptional image quality, build quality, it’s priced right, and it’s portable. This is everything that mirrorless is supposed to be.”
Canon RF 135mm f1.8 L: Portrait and Event Photography
The Canon RF lenses are spectacular, and the 135mm f1.8 is no different. It is constructed with 17 elements, 12 groups, including 3 UD elements, 5 stops of image stabilisation, a close focusing distance of 2.29 feet, 9 aperture blades, an 82mm filter thread, and weighs 2.06 lbs. Some of its pros include the image stabilisation, beautiful image quality, and really good close focusing ability. The color reproduction is spectacular, the autofocus is fast, and the weather resistance is great. The price is just as good, too.
2.06 lbs
