Last week, a new lens came in the mail: a Nikkor 50mm f/1.4 AF model, which fits on my brand new FM10 film camera, as well as on my D70. Like Thumper, I'm twitterpated.

I'm utterly infatuated with the fact that its focal length is fixed. After years of using a 35-70mm zoom, and becoming comfortable with that flexibility, slapping on a 50mm lens flexes creative muscles that have long been dormant. It forces me to not be lazy. In order to compose a different shot, I must move my body to another position, rather than swiveling a ring.

It also demands more from my attention to focus. If I open the aperture largely (f/1.4), my extremely limited focal plane opens me up to blurriness like nobody's business. It can be a welcome effect in many situations--eliminating distracting backgrounds, for instance. But one slip of the focus ring, and the wonderful passing smile of a dancer can turn into a mushy, freakish mass of sludge.

Regardless, this 50mm blessing from heaven has got me revved and excited to take pictures again.

All this, of course, is not to say I do not think that zoom lenses are not beneficial or necessary. Heavens to Betsy, I wouldn't shoot a wedding without one! Zoom lenses enable you to react more quickly to a situation--quickly adding context (zooming out) or editing the scene (zooming in)--which is critical in journalism and other documentary settings.

But I'm in love with my 50mm f/1.4. So much so that I might even deign to name it. I think I'll call it Lola.