The 50mm lens is the new hero in anyone’s kit thanks to DSLR filmmakers who revel in the bokeh (the out of focus bits) of these wide-aperture pieces of glass. That’s spilled into stills, with sun flares and bold-bokeh effects finding favour in agency campaigns and with photo editors.

I bought this lens for two reasons: it’s fast and sharp at 1.4 and it’s small and lightweight (260g). Canon‘s 50mm 1.4 is the perfect lens for a backcountry trip when there isn’t any room for my heavier L-series mid-range zooms, but I also like to roam the streets with it when I’m at a new destination. You can blend into the background and capture moments incognito. Because it’s so small and non-intrusive I find that my subjects act more naturally. I also use this lens in my water housing on bigger, less-predictable days – it’s not as fast in the focus department as an L-series lens, but its attractive bokeh allows me to make some nice frames. The 50mm focal length is a good range for swimming in the line-up. It allows me to shoot from further away without dwarfing the size of the waves, like a wide-angle lens can do. It doesn't look like a pro lens, but it's a wolf in sheep's clothing.