Thread: Why are there no 50mm fixed focal length serious compacts?

The primary focal length for today's fixed lens serious compacts is 35mm. But in the past 50mm was considered the standard lens. And I prefer to shoot with 50mm cameras. I wonder why there are no fixed focal length 50mm serious compacts except for the Ricoh GXR/A12 50mm? Would they be unpopular?

My guess is that 50mm is seen as too long nowadays. Personally, I do like 50, but still prefer 35 for a jack of all trade lens. Maybe someone can make a serious compact with a fixed 35-70 lens with a constant f2 aperture and an 1 inch sensor.

I can't think of a single fixed lens camera with a 50mm equivalent focal length--the GRX is not a fixed lens camera. The most common is 35mm. There have also been 28mm and 40mm. The only formats that had fixed lens cameras with a normal lens was medium-format and mostly TLR and folders. 50mm was a standard lens only in 35mm and for interchangeable lens cameras. BTW, "standard" means that it came packaged with the camera. That is opposed to "normal" which is equal to the diagonal of the format. In the case of 35mm, a normal lens would be 43mm.

Originally Posted by Hikari

I can't think of a single fixed lens camera with a 50mm equivalent focal length--the GRX is not a fixed lens camera. The most common is 35mm. There have also been 28mm and 40mm. The only formats that had fixed lens cameras with a normal lens was medium-format and mostly TLR and folders. 50mm was a standard lens only in 35mm and for interchangeable lens cameras. BTW, "standard" means that it came packaged with the camera. That is opposed to "normal" which is equal to the diagonal of the format. In the case of 35mm, a normal lens would be 43mm.

In my mind the GXR/A12 50mm is a fixed lens camera as mine is never separated

The Sigma DP2M is, I believe 46mm... pretty close to 43mm, but of course not exact.

I would prefer a 50mm fixed length too. If fact if there was an equivalent X100 with a 50mm, I'd be more interested in it.

While a Leica M is also not a fixed lens camera, Leica did used to sell "starter" kits of camera body plus a Leica 50mm Summicron at a "discounted" price. Discounted being loosely used in the context though!

I think the reason 50's used to be the go-to focal length is that it was a relatively neutral length, didn't need to do any fancy optical tricks to go longer or wider than what the naked eye typically sees, and were relatively cheap to produce. And because of the relative lack of optical challenge, it was easier to stretch these lenses to include very fast apertures. These tricks were somewhere between unimaginable and prohibitively expensive on wider lenses back in the day when the 50 was making its name. I know I always preferred a wider lens even as a kid on the rare occasion my Dad would let me shoot with his Nikon SLR that he had some sort of 28 or 35 for, but they just weren't readily available. So I spent most of my youth shooting with a 50 also, but it was by default, not choice. More recently, between better lens design, computer aided design and manufacturing, and software correction, the lens makers have just gotten a lot better at making wider lenses, or making them both good and reasonably affordable. And they're where the market seems to be. I personally prefer 28mm and its possible to find (although one of the best is also the GXR 28mm module), but its easier to find 35mm. Probably because its that in-between length that people who'd prefer 28 or 50 probably figure they can live with and some folks just love all on its own. I suspect if there was much perceived market for a 50mm fixed lens, there'd be more of 'em out there. Its a strategy that's worked on me - I wouldn't buy a 50 but I've been willing to buy a less than optimal for me 35 in the form of the X100. And probably would have kept it if they'd brought out the 28mm adapter for it before they'd released the X-Pro with the 28mm option...

-Ray

I never knew they had 'starter' kits. I thought it was up to each dealer how they want to package their products.

A lot, perhaps even most fixed lens, 35mm cameras had wider than 50mm; 50mm was more the SLR body with lens standard. If you look at the film rangefinder "type" cameras from the 50's and 60's with fixed lenses, you'll find a lot with lenses of around 40mm. 43.3mm is the actual diagonal of a 35mm frame, the standard by which the idea of "normal" is decided, so 50 is actually a little long. It's approximately as much longer as the 35mm lens is shorter than the 43mm "ideal".

50mm works as a normal, everyday lens for me, but that may be because my first used SLR came with a 50mm lens. And many Leica street shooters of the past preferred 35mm to 50mm, even if the 50 was (and still seems to be) cheaper.

Olympus had several 35mm rangefinders with 40 and 42mm lenses, as did many Canonets, and the last Olympus venture into rangefinder land was the XA with a 35mm lens. (Sweet little machines too!) I think 50mm as "normal" became fixed in granite during the heyday of 35mm SLR's, when every second person you met had an SLR body with a 50mm (sometimes 55) lens.

Responding to Ray - I think that is why manufacturers go for 35mm, because it's sort of the new "neutral" for people who prefer wide-ish rather than the 50mm.

The strange thing is, I use my LX5 wide only. But on my Leica, I very much prefer 50mm.