Cheap Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 II Camera Lens and Digital Camera Reviews

Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 II Camera Lens

Great value 2008-11-28

Great value for this lens, I'd recommend the 50mm 1.4 for anyone shooting sports or action since it will focus faster using USM.

Great lens for the price! 2008-11-27

This is a great lens for the price. I love it. I use it on my camera as a default lens. In spite of the low price, I've found it to be very structurally sound.

lens 2008-11-26

Fantastic image quality. Little noisy and slow to focus at times. But definitely a great purchase.

Great lens 2008-11-24

Excellent travel/portrait lens on an aps-c sized sensor. Fast, light. Probably not the most durable, but still (even though price has gone up 15 bucks) about the best deal on the internet. 1.8 provides nice BG softness, and on my 40D it seems to have great corner to corner sharpness at most f-stops and I have had no auto-focus issues. Nice color, low CA; for the price, I don't think an EOS could find a better lens. I also shoot with the EF 28-135 IS and the EF 16-35L (though the latter is an intermittent loaner from a very kind friend.)

This is obviously not the EF 1.4 or the EF 1.2, but it's also 1/4 to 1/12 of the price, and much more portable. The only minor "drawback" is that the "hood" supplied by canon is actually a catch all for smaller lens fronts, though they sell it as a dedicated hood, a bit of a price-gouge on that. You can buy a third party hood and get equally good results.

Smashed on impact.... 2008-11-24

I am only an amateur photographer, but I thought the picture quality, ease of use, and versatility of this lens was terrific for the cost of the lens. Recently, however, I had the misfortune of having my Canon 40D - with this lens attached- fall out of my camera backpack, and the lens completely disintegrated on impact. (The camera fell from a distance of @1.5'). This wouldn't have been so terrible if not for the fact that not only did the lens housing shatter into pieces, but the lens mount bent and the lens could not be removed, making the camera completely inoperable for that day's picture taking. I had to take the whole setup to a Canon repair site in NJ, since the camera had to be taken apart to remove the damaged lens. (Luckily, the Canon 40D survived the fall.) Obviously camera lenses were not designed to be dropped on asphalt, but accidents will happen, and had the lens had a sturdier housing, I don't think the mount would have bent so easily. I've had other Canon lenses survive worse falls than this and still function.

You get what you pay for 2008-11-23

I am not 100% happy with this lens. It is cheaply made and does not do a good job of focusing. I used to have an older 50mm f/1.8 and I sold it. I will never sell older lenses again. They are made ten times better than the lenses they are selling today.

This lens does the job for the most part, but I would not recommend it or purchase it again.

a GREAT lens for the price! 2008-11-21

This is a REALLY fun lens to use! I got it for my Canon Rebel XTi, and have used it constantly since. The lens casing does, of course, feel cheap and when focusing is slightly louder than a normal lens, but the pictures come out crisp and have good color saturation. I recently used this lens to shoot a preschool graduation in a darkened auditorium, and the pictures came out fantastic. I'd definitely reccommend this lens.

A+ lens for the price 2008-11-18

Pro's:

-Great DoF (f/1.8)
-Great bokeh
-Inexpensive

Cons:
-Plastic, unlike the mk1... I've heard it's very easy to break... If you drop it it's a goner
-AF is noisy
-Focusing ring is annoying

Overall:
Overall, I love this lens... It's great, especially for the price. If you can't take perfect care of your lens, save up for the mk1, which is about $300 more, made of metal, and is f/1.4. But if you want a great lens for a cheap price and are willing to take care and just be a bit extra careful, I'd recommend this beauty.

Surprisingly Sharp Piece of Plastic 2008-11-17

When you feel this lens, it feels like a joke. The construction quality isn't stellar (i.e. come on, it's plastic) but I have been generally impressed with the quality of images it produces. I shoot w/ this on a 5D and it produces fantasticly shallow depth of field, great colors, and surprisingly sharp images. I would recommend getting this lens, if for no other reason than as a backup.

Best deal for the buck 2008-11-16

It's a really good product for this price. It is very light, it is nicely build and you get really nice portraits with this lens. I'm really glad about this investment.

Best portrait lens for the money! 2008-11-16

I purchased this lens from Amazon for $80 and got the special offer: free Tiffen 52mm UV filter. The lens performs like a pro lens. The body is more fragile than the metal-body version, but that one is $250 more. If you are careful with it and/or keep it on the camera everything will be fine. If you drop it or twist it on and off in a hurry, I'm sure it will eventually get damaged. It is wonderful in low light...gyms, churches, auditoriums, etc. Is only $80 with a free UV filter, yet it will be one of the best and most used lenses in your bag.

Excellent optical performance from a disposable lens 2008-11-15

The first time I used this lens was on an EOS 1n, shooting Ilford HP5+ black and white film. I processed the film in the same tank as other Ilford film shot with a Leica M6 and a Summicron 50/2 lens. After the film dried and I viewed it with a loupe, I really couldn't see much difference between the two. The Canon was selling for about $75 at the time. The Leica lens was bought used for about $600.

While that is impressive optical performance, the EF lens is not so great in actual use. There is no distance scale--forget hyperfocal distance. (If you don't know what that is, you probably should read up on photography.) If you should ever need manual focus, such as when using hyperfocal distance or the lens is on extension tubes and autofocus is a PIA to use, there is a rudimentary ring but it offers zero damping and feels like turning a loose bottlecap. It's also cheap-feeling plastic from front to back, including the mount, making it very lightweight but also fairly fragile. Quite a few people report this lens being disabled with minor bumps.

I haven't used this lens in some time. I have an EF 50/1.4 that has good optical performance AND has operational features and build quality that are miles ahead of the f/1.8 model. I keep the cheaper lens around as a spare.

You will be well-served by this lens if you accept the limitations. Consider it disposable.

WONDERFUL LENS 2008-11-13

I really like shooting with this lens, and would recommend it to anyone that is just starting out.

works for me 2008-11-11

I have had a lot of fun with this lens getting great portraits with ridiculous bokeh, and nice low light shots. Yes it is not built like a thousand dollar lens, but it seems sturdy and nice enough for me, not like a cracker-jack box lens.

Nice pictures 2008-11-10

Like this lens a lot. Love the depth of field and the quality of pics.

Great Lens 2008-11-10

I have been using this lens for about 1 month. It's amazing. It takes some getting used to not having a zoom but that is not a big deal and the large aperture is great!

Beware that you have to get used to the DOF with this lens. If you are not careful you might have the tip of the nose in focus but the eyes will be out of focus. This wonderful lens really performs when you learn all of your cameras settings that will make the most of it.

You just can't get more bang for your buck than this lens!

The plastic construction hasn't been an issue at all. It feels pretty solid and not like it's going to break off. I am sure if you abuse it then it will break easier than the metal lenses. The thing is that the lens is so short and light that the plastic mount works great.

I would recommend this lens to anyone!

Wonderful portrait lens 2008-11-10

This lens seems cheap by the price and somewhat in your hands. It is not heavy and the attach rings are plastic-- get over it the lens is so inexpensive in price! I love this lens and it has a low F stop so it makes a wonderful portrait lens.

Superb optics in crappy plastic box 2008-11-09

I have been using the EF 50mm f/1.8 II lens for almost 2 years now. Bought for about $70 from JR. As many reviewers have stated, plastic case is cheap, focusing ring is obscure and it may not survive a drop from couple of feet on to a hard surface, but it does take super sharp pictures. On a cropped sensor camera like Digital Rebel or 40D, the 50mm is great for portraits. I compared it with $1000 EF 24-105 L at 50mm @ f/4. This lens is the winner(agree this is a prime and the other is a zoom, still it's an L). If you can handle it gently and carefully, you should own one. It is the "best value for money" item in my kit.

Amateur DSLR owners would be silly not to own this lens 2008-11-07

Every DSLR owner should own at least one prime lens with a wide aperature. For amateurs, the 1.8 is the obvious choice. This lens is too inexpensive--and too good--for amateur DSLR owners not to own a copy.

Obviously, it doesn't have a zoom, so it's not a good landscape or telephoto lens--you probably wouldn't rely on it at a sporting event, the Grand Canyon, or the zoo. Still, it's the lens that is on my XTi most of the time. I'm definitely an amateur, and I primarily take pictures of my family and friends at various events or around the house. Its portraiture capability is great, and with the large aperatures you can really get creative. The 50mm is great in low light too if--if--you have enough contrast for the lens to lock in on focus. Otherwise, the lens has a tendency to hunt. As long as you aren't shooting in pitch black and can find a contrast point to lock on to, you won't have a big problem.

I've also found that my lens has a slight accuracy problem at higher aperatures. It's not a big deal, but you definitely get a little "dreamy" effect at f/1.8 if you're not careful. But the depth of field is so narrow, that it's probably partly user error, too.

As for the build quality, this seems to be the biggest knock against the 1.8. I don't think it's as bad as some people say. If you're content with the build quality of the kit lens on the digital rebels, which also have plastic mounts, you'll be fine with the build quality of this 50mm.

Is it better than the Canon 50mm F/1.4 or F/1.2L? Clearly, it's not. But some people would never spend so much money for a prime, anyway. The 50mm f/1.8 is for those people. It's so cheap and takes such good photos that, unless you're really serious and looking at the 1.4 or 1.2, you'd be silly not to own the 1.8.

good, not great 2008-11-02

for amateurs, this is a very nice lens to have. it's cheap and very sharp stopped down below f/2. If you can afford it, though, get the 50mm f/1.4. the images from the 1.4 are slightly better, but the thing that really sets it apart is the focusing. the 1.4 has USM focusing while this one does not. this lens takes forever to focus in low light and intense light. sometimes I can't get it to lock on at all and I have to manual focus. even then some times I can't get it to confirm that I'm in focus.

Great Lens... Bad Copy? 2008-11-02

I love the crispness of this lens, I love how it saves my hide in low light. When it does. I have had my Rebel XTi for almost a year now, and shot almost 5000 images with it. I never once have experienced ERROR 99, till the first day I used this 50mm lens. Second time I went to use it on the shooting assignment - the same thing happened. I would work for a while, and then go into ERR99 freeze, I would have to turn the camera off, then back on to get few more shots, till it happens again. Does not happen when other lenses I own are used. I might update, when I find out more about whets going on...

Amazing Lens 2008-11-02

This lens is great for indoors, walking around outdoors, portraits, and basically all kinds of photography. If you are looking for a general use lens for an EXTREMELY good price, this is definitely the lens for you.

Canon EF50mm f/1.8 II 2008-11-02

I bought this 50mm lens last Sept. 2008 and I find it just exactly as advertised. It gives me a crisp, clear picture and it is very handy to have when you need a lens for low light. It feel plastic but the construction is properly well done. If you handle it with care I think it will last a long time. It has a plastic mount but as I can see it will last long with proper care. The only down side I see on this product is sometimes, it takes longer for Auto focus to lock and it is a little bit noisy but for me as an amateure, it doesn't bother me.

In General, I am happy with this lens in comparison with its price, it can give you a very clear,crisp Photo that can compare to the more expensive canon lens. I would recommend this lens to anyone as per my experience.

Great Quality at a very low price 2008-10-30

This lens is a great buy. It has a very sharp focus even at a distance. The low aperture setting really lets you isolate your subject from it's surroundings, and the quick shutter speed stops time. It is the best lens you will find for the price, and it's a must have for anyone who wants to get into photography.

Captures great color and tac sharp 2008-10-29

I bought this lens for my XTi. I usually take landscape scenics and abstract photos. I also have the kit lens 18-55 and a Tamron 28-200. This little lens surpasses both in color saturation and sharpness. It's also very fast meaning that you can take photos indoors without a flash. Natural light photography usually adds more depth and feeling to a photo; this lens is perfect for that.

Since buying this lens and seeing the difference between the Tamron and kit lens I am very unsatisfied with both. It has caused me to have a very discerning eye when judging sharpness and color saturation. I have ordered a 17-40L lens now because I know the difference between "good enough" and "outstanding". Trust me this lens is sharp and color rendering is awesome.

Some bad points, the focus is a little on the slow side but not much of a bother when taking landscapes. Also the lens has a cheap feel to it, but once again the cheap feel is forgotten when looking through the pictures it captures.

Good points, it has a wide open f 1.8 with great bokeh (foreground/background blurring). Again color and sharpness are awesome. It's also small and lightweight and inexpensive.

If you get one you will likely love it!

Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 II Camera Lens review 2008-10-29

Good optics. Plastic is too delicate. Worried it may collapse at any moment in my camera bag. Expect good pictures till it lasts. Sharp focus and reasonably good resolution even at high ASA.

Good lens for the price, but otherwise not so good 2008-10-27

I am an amateur photographer that interns with a professional photographer. Because of this, I am spoiled with using nice lenses, especially the Canon L-series.
I bought a Canon 40D along with this lens and the 28-135mm kit lens. At first, I was in love with this lens. It is nice for close ups, as the bokeh is beautiful. Once I started taking more pictures though, I was displeased with how blurry the pictures were. They were just not sharp and clear like I wanted!
If you are an amateur portrait photographer who doesn't have much cash like I did, this is the lens for you. It is very good for close ups, but otherwise, it is lacking in its sharpness.

LOVIN IT 2008-10-24

All I can say is that...I LOVE IT!! I use it for my freelance photography business [...] That is where you can view some of my photos that have been taken with my new lens. I am so glad that I found it on amazon cheaper than at stores in my area. The crispness of my subject is excellent, and the blurred background is supurb. I especially love it at low aperatures! It is a surprisingly cheap lens for the performance that it delivers. I highly suggest that evey photographer has it among their other pricey lenses. It was well worth the money. Thanks Canon and Thanks Amazon!

Cheap build, but takes EXCELLENT pictures 2008-10-24

For the price, this is an amazing lens. The build quality is cheap, but it takes amazing razor sharp pictures. This lens is a must have for any photography enthusiast shooting with a Canon DSLR!

Good lens 2008-10-24

Lens takes a little to focus correctly and is a only plastic, but overall, good lens.

Little Lens, Beautiful Image Quality, Cheap Build Quality 2008-10-24

I got this lens a month ago, to go along with My new Canon EOS 30d. I waited a while to post a review so i could completely Know the lens, and give you guys an accurate review. This lens is Great, it's under one hundred dollars, which you wouldn't except to pay! And, it's an extremely Fast prime lens, with Great image quality. However, i have two teeny weeny complaints about the lens: The build quality. In short, it's why it's so cheap. It's made of plastic, and really wouldn't survive a fall. Also, the little Manual focus thingy, i wouldn't even call it a ring, is very small to grasp. And, on occasion, if you don't set a specific AF point, the Autofocus can be a little slow, on occasion, doesn't happen all the time though.

Okay, let's get back to more important things, like Image quality, and bokeh. This lens is very Fast, and great for portraits, or humans, and dogs alike. With this lens, open all the way to f/1.8 you have a great choice of where to place focus, like this picture i took:
[...]

You can really be specific. Don't use f/1.8 with moving things, or without a tripod. At least, i can't, my hands are too shaky, and things always move in/out of focus. I love the lens. It's great, superb Quality. If you're thinking of getting it, go ahead. The 50mm length is awkward with some photography, so you might want a slower zoom on the side.

recomended 2008-10-20

takes very good portraits. feels a little cheap, but takes high quality pictures. made my portrait pictures better.

excellent little lens for the price! 2008-10-20

This lens was suggested to me by a friend & I'm so happy I got it! It almost never leaves my camera! It's a great little lens & produces nice sharp photos.

Great images,good enough build quality. 2008-10-16

I am getting great images with this lens.You can't beat the price.I just don't have much to gripe about.I won't dare complain about it feeling cheap,it was cheap,I knew that when I ordered it.Bottom line is it takes great pictures,if I break it because it is plastic I will buy another one.Also if I do break it, I'll be glad it was plastic.

Great Value for the Price - Good IQ 2008-10-15

Yes, it's noisy focusing, made of plastic, but takes great images! I bought it mainly for it's low-light capability and have not been disappointed. It's always a balancing act indoors trying not to use flash, but keep the ISO low enough as not to degrade the image. This lens fills that void nicely for me. Now it's just trying to keep the shutter speed high enough to freeze action indoors.

Nifty fifty! 2008-10-15

No photographer should be without this lens! The price is amazing and the quality superb.

Pros: Great for low light shooting. Small and lightweight. Price. Very practical for shooting faces indoors and outdoors. The bokeh is really neat (not everyone thinks so, though).

Cons: It's all plastic (but it is sturdy enough for its size). slow focus in low light. the focus ring is very small and not too precise- it is usually better to leave it on autofocus (and just focus with the middle focus point in the camera).

Overall, this is a superb lens and it should belong in the camera bags of all photographers that are at least somewhat interested in photography!

What build quality?? Nothing beats this lens at this price. 2008-10-14

I have owned this lens for only 3 days yet... and this is my second DSLR lens to the Canon 28-105mm USM one.

Regardless, I can already see the difference in image quality when I compare the two. This lens is far better in sharpness and color rendition at an equivalent focal length. It is amazingly sharp around 2.8f.

I wish I had bought this one in the first place... and then I wont have bought the 28-105 one so soon.

To sum up:

Pros:
- A great lens for starters.
- Very sharp around f2.8, sharp even otherwise.
- Very good for low light conditions.
- Light weight, not bulky in size.
- Vibrant colors.

Cons:
- Auto focus isnt very handy.. and struggles sometimes in low light conditions. But thats expected I think.
- Focussing is noisy.. no ultrasonic gizmos in there.
- Manual focus wil need some skills... the grip threads arent very easily grip-pable.

In the end, I would actually cross off all the cons from the list considering the price you pay for it: a sub-100 bucks lens that gives excellent image quality. People who complain about the build quality probably care more about a solid body than about the end result: image quality.. and will be happy to pay 10 times for a lens that isnt as sharp... so let them pay the extra bucks if they can. I speak from personal experience since I paid about 4 times as much for a USM lens and this one still beats the expensive one by a long margin!!

Recommendation: I highly recommend this lens as a starter lens. I would in fact advise you to get this one instead of the crappy kit lenses that no one would buy otherwise.

Great lens, BUT... 2008-10-14

This is a great lens for the price. However the 50mm is a little too powerful for some things. I do have a digital with the 1.6 conversion factor, so a 30mm would of been much better. That being said for less then $100 (tax and shipping) you can get a 1.8 lens that works very well. If there was a 30mm at the same price I would swap, so I have not. This is currently the lens I shot 80% of my shots with.

Perfect compliment to your Digital Rebel (whichever version) 2008-10-14

Okay so you bought that Digital Rebel (whichever generation) a year or two ago, and now you have a brand new kid/grandkid on the way. What little photography you've done, you've used the 18-55mm kit lens for, but now you want to be ready to better document some once-in-a-lifetime moments, without breaking the bank.

If these are your circumstances, this is the lens for you. The 50mm focal length is ideal for portraits, and it has low-light performance and image quality you won't even be able to approach with the kit lens.

Pros:
Great quality optics
Light weight
F 1.8 really ain't bad
Cheapest lens you're likely to buy and use

Cons:
Slow AF
...that sounds like a bee in a tin can
...and is difficult to turn off and manually focus
Plastic construction feels flimsy because it is

So, in short, if you have a Digital Rebel (or even a 20-50D) and you never have taken the time to learn how to get the most out of it, consider this lens. Also, look up some online guides on how to read a histogram and properly color-correct (and with CF card prices as low as they are, you may want to shoot exclusively in RAW or RAW+jpg). Hope this helps!

Great pictures for the price! 2008-10-12

This lens is very reasonable price wise to buy, and the pictures you will take with it are great! I like to use it for portraits. It also does a very good job of blurring the background in your pictures too. If this one we had broke or anything, I'd definitely buy another one.

An outstanding quality lens for the money - built like a cheap toy. 2008-10-11

I bought an almost new Canon 30d to go with a 5d, and it came with this lens.

I thought I'd just sell it on Craiglist or Flea-Bay, but then I shot with it. Wow. For $89.00, this is one great lens.

This thing is light plastic. It seriously feels like a kids toy lens. It has zero heft to it, and is cheap, black, super-light plastic. It is so convenient and light that I often put it on my 5d and use it as a walk-around lens. I also have shot some portraits with it. It is very sharp, and has nice Bokeh when wide open. And, at F/1.8 - it is FAST compared to any zoom lens.

My only beef is its lack of USM autofocus with full-time manual capability - but I have no right to complain - for the money, it is absolutely great as is. I'm just spoiled from using my USM L glass.

My main lens is my 24-70 F/2.8 L USM...it is a tack-sharp awesome piece of engineering, and my favorite lens of all time, but it is over $1200 and it weighs a ton (See my Amazon review). Sometimes it is nice just to put this little guy on and forget the camera is around my neck...like when hiking, etc., or when I want to fit my camera into a small bag.

I'll eventually step up to the F/1.4 with USM at just shy of four bills if I break this little cheapie. Until then, I am enjoying its excellent photos.

If you have an extra body laying around, and you have a kid that wants to learn to shoot, stap one of these on there and let them fire away.

Really, for the money, this little lens cannot be beat. That is why I gave it 5 stars.

Must have! 2008-10-10

I received this lens as a "because I love you" gift from the boyfriend. I couldn't have been more surprised, or happier! I've been snap-happy for the past two weeks, and I honestly can't get enough.

I noticed other reviews declaring this lens a must-have for any-level photographer and I couldn't agree more. It's a great and necessary addition to your lens set, whether you're an amateur or professional photographer.

While the lens itself feels somewhat cheap with a plastic body, the quality of the images are far from. You're not going to get the sharpness of an L-series lens, or the much-more-expensive Canon EF 50mm f1.4 USM Standard & Medium Telephoto Lens for Canon SLR Cameras, but it certainly surpasses the quality of your standard kit lens and rivals that of more expensive lenses. Just take a look through the images, for proof!

There were several reviewers mentioning their 50mm f/1.8 lens breaking easily because of the cheap build. Well I am far from completely gentle with my camera most of the time, and it's held up just fine. As long as you're not dropping the lens on hard surfaces, sitting on it, throwing it against the wall, or using it to play keep-away with the kids, you'll be just fine. All lenses and cameras are fragile and require a certain degree of care, and this lens is no exception.

With a price tag under $100, and the amazing possibilities, why would anyone pass this deal up? All-in-all, this lens is the ultimate exception to the rule "you get what you pay for".

Photography Lens 2008-10-09

Loved this lens.
Its every photographers must have lens. Carry it everywhere i go.
The low f stop allows more light to be captured in, yet again, allowing me to receive a huge depth of focus (blurred background/foreground)

Awesome Lens for the Price! 2008-10-08

This is an awesome little lens for the price. It's plastic but it's great for the amateur! There's nothing else that I can add that hasn't already been said in the other reviews, it's simply a great lens for the price, you can't beat it! Overall, an awesome portrait lens, wish more where affordable like this one! :-)

Great lens for the price 2008-10-06

This lens is great it's currently the only lens that I use. It's not the best built lens but at this price if it breaks buy another one.

Fast and light lens, great for the price 2008-10-06

Well, for the money I spent this lens is wonderful. A little flimsy, as other reviewers have noted but almost heroic in its capacity for good pictures. I wouldn't take it on safari, but with the pop-up flash on my 40D this thing will take a passing portrait in a nearly dark room. The kit lens does not compare, speedwise. A drawback might be that when you really need the USM autofocus other lenses offer, this lens stutters a bit.

All in all, a great value for the price and a handy one to have for low light photography. Be gentle, though! I don't think it would survive even a minor impact.

Awesome Lens 2008-10-04

I read somewhere that the nickname for this lens is the "Plastic Fantastic" and it surely is!

I wanted a lens that was faster than my 2.8mm but didn't want to spend over $600. A friend recommended this one to me, and it was less than a $100. Somewhat skeptical, I read tons of reviews to see what others who own it have to say about it's performance and don't think I saw a bad review on it.

Takes great photos, and you won't find a lens this fast for the price.... Highly recommended if you want to save some money and still have an excellent lens.

Amazing! 2008-10-03

this lens is amazing for the price. ive had it for a little over a month now and havent had any problems with it before. however, be warned at f/1.8 the pictures are a little soft. so if you're looking for extremely clear crisp pictures you should bump it up to 3.2 or so. other than that i have absolutely no complaints about this lens.

Great lens, Great Price! 2008-10-02

I recieved my new lens two days ago and I haven't been able to stop taking pictures! Really does what I want!!

Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 II camera lens 2008-10-02

Great buy. I was glad to see that it has an a/f mode too. Great price and good quality for what I need it for.

Price & Performance 2008-09-30

I wanted a fixed focal length lens for my Rebel since I heard they work better than some of the lenses that come with the cameras. For the price this cannot be beat, great shots and decent overall performance. Since it a fixed length lens it is limited in what it can be used for, so if you were shooting a family gathering this is not one you would want, unless you just want to shoot more potrait type images. Small and light enough though to carry with a general lens for the times you are looking for what a lens with this focal length is meant to do.

Great 50mm lens on the cheap. 2008-09-30

Works great - rich colors, nice and sharp, great low-light performance. As good as it gets for this price.

The build quality leaves a bit to be desired as it feels somewhat fragile. The plastic doesn't quite match my Canon Rebel XT but it's nearly unnoticeable and hardly note-worthy.

Overall a great lens!

Excellent Portrait Lens 2008-09-30

Great for the price! Excellent for Portraits and artsy photography. Made of plastic, no zoom feature. You also have to stand back further than you would think due to it being 50mm.

Great image quality; acceptable build quality 2008-09-26

Very sharp lens. Fun to play with. Makes an excellent portrait lens on a cropped-frame sensor. However, it's plastic, and it shows. The focus is loud and not too fast, but for $70 you'd be hard-pressed to find something better.

Very good for the price 2008-09-25

As a novice, I've taken some really nice shots at a wedding with this. Performed well in low light. Sharpness was good.

If definitely has a 'cheaper' feel to it, but it did a great job with my Digital Rebel XTi. And I'm sure it will perform even better as I figure out how to really use the features of my camera and get farther from my poin-and-shoot roots.

amazing beginner lens 2008-09-25

if you're like me and have just made your leap from point and shoot to SLR, this lens is the absolute perfect choice for you. it is such a step up from the 18-55mm USM lens included in my XTi package, and VERY easy to use. i've been shooting manually with this lens and producing tons of great images! and for such cheap price, i don't see any reason why you shouldn't get this lens. it's just amazing.

Worth every penny! 2008-09-25

Best bang for your buck, for sure! I was going for the f/1.4 but am glad I settled for this. Creates beautiful images for a low cost. Perfect for portraits. Yes, it's true, it's not built very strong, but every Canon owner should have this one in their camera bag!!!!

Catastrophic breakage after only the 2d shot! 2008-09-24

Ok, so I should have listened to the other reviews that talk about this being a cheap lens, but now MY 40D NEEDS 200$ IN REPAIRS because the rear lens of the 50mm broke loose and lodged itself in the mirror box.
I received the lens from Amazon and it appeared to be in good shape when I placed it on my 40D body. However, when autofocusing (only the 2d shot) it made this really loud motor sound and the front lens assembly SHOT OFF about a foot!! Some plastic pieces were broken on the front lens assembly (inside) so it must've been fairly significant force. Anyways, the kicker is that I CAN'T get the lens off the body....it's stuck.
Canon says they don't cover this under their warranty. The Tech at the Canon service shop says "there are signs of impact", implying it was dropped, which it wasn't! So, to get this fixed I am going to have to fork out 200$'s!!!! I could've just bought the f/1.4! Unbelievable. Don't, I repeat, DON"T BUY THIS LENS!!.....it's not worth the risk. Absolute junk.

Follow up (9/24/2008): Canon finally said they will do a "courtesy repair" on the camera body since it is only a few months old....but I'll be waiting for a few weeks to get it back. Still doesn't change my opinion about the lens (buyer beware).

Slow down and think 2008-09-20

I bought the Canon EF 50mm as an exercise in "getting back to basics". Because it lacks any zoom, it forces me to think through compositions and what I'm doing. The up side of digital photography is that it doesn't cost any more to take another shot (as it did with film). The down side is that digital photography encourages the AK-47 approach to shooting ... shoot a lot and look for the pictures later. The consequence is that I noticed my "keeper" ratio dropped significantly. A prime lens is my counter-measure because it slows me down and forces me to examine a photo opportunity from a number of angles ... moving myself to find different angles rather than zooming through the possibilities.

The optics are crisp and simple compared to tons of glass grouped to accommodate multiple focal lengths. F/1.8 is quite fast, yielding more latitude in low light situations. Canon makes an f1.4 50mm with a metal housing (rather than the f/1.8's plastic construction) that is marginally better but at between 3 and 4 times the cost with a minimal gain in lens speed. In that I don't do combat photography, I anticipate the plastic construction will work out just fine.

Auto-focus is Canon quiet - I have a couple Tamron lenses who's auto-focus sounds like a rather large truck shifted into reverse by comparison.

If you're looking for a good prime lens at a very affordable price, the Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 is a great bargain - but keep in mind that with the "less than full frame" dig-it-all cameras, it functions like a 80mm telephoto ... a really great portrait lens.

poorly constructed lens 2008-09-19

I bought an exact same lens in December of last year from AMAZON.com (I never got asked to review that lens) while purchasing a Canon DSLR(from DELL). While I was on a field trip,the lens fell apart physically in to two segments. I had to replace it right away and I rushed to buy another of the same kind as I felt it could have been a freak problem with one lens.
Apart from its being a cheap and lite it was an okay lens.
I wonder if I would get it repaired if it falls physically apart again, as Canon seemed to disown any responsibility for its doing so spontaneously!
As an experienced photographer for over 45 years, I have never seen a lens that came apart when used in an acceptable manner and I've my doubts as to physical stability of Canon lenses.

Great lens, very reasonably priced 2008-09-18

I've taken some great pictures with this lens. But the most attractive attribute is its low price. The quality of the materials in this lens are on the cheap side, but as long as the lens functions well, it doesn't bother me!

A very nice lens 2008-09-17

Pros: Very sharp, very fast, very compact, nice color saturation, very cheap.

Cons: feels cheap because all plastic; noisy because no USM.

I'd get another if this one somehow became unusable.

A must-have lens for still photography 2008-09-16

I use this lens for close-up photography (with a close-up filter set) on a regular basis. The focal range of f/1.8 to f/32 is impressive, and it's sharp throughout. I've used it to take flower pics that blow up flawlessly to 16x20 prints as well as mouthwatering food shots for my brochure. It works great both on my old Canon EOS A2E film camera and my Canon Digital Rebel XT. For the price, it can't be beat.

must buy 2008-09-16

this is an excellent lens in terms of image quality , and certainly has the best performance to price ratio of any lens canon produces if the build quality was better (its not that great) it would be one of the greatest lens canon produces as it is its till is one of the greatest lens they make extremely sharp and colours are wonderfull without barrel distortion.it also allows for available light photography and wonderfull depth of field photos.

as for build quality do u really plan to drop and kick ure lenses.. i didnt think so, and at this price u cant loose

Nifty Fifty 2008-09-15

Build quality is about what I expected, plasticky but not flimsy. IQ is very good from f4.5 and smaller. Sharp and clear.

Needed in every camera bag in my opinion.

Awesome lens but cheaply made 2008-09-10

LOVE this lens. I believe I bought me lens for here for an awesome price. Sadly I broke it and because I loved it I bought another one. And sadly again because its cheaply made my lens broke the 2nd day I bought it! I plan on buying another one just because of the price but that's just it its under $100 for a reason. If you buy this lens be VERY careful with it. Even the lightest thing can brake the lens. If you drop it its pretty much gone. I still recommend this lens to those that don't have the $500+ to spend.

Canon 50mm f/1.8 2008-09-10

This lens is just what I need for low light and easy to take when I don't need a zoom. I had wanted the f/1.4, but it was sold out everywhere. For a third of the price, this does what I hoped. I am just starting with it, but am very pleased for the price!

great deal 2008-09-08

Not only is this lens fast and sharp but it's also affordable! It rarely is off my camera these days.

Great lens for portraits! 2008-09-08

If you are looking for a lens to take excellent portraits, this is great for this purpose. Keep in mind that there is no zoom with this lens.

Great Lens For The Price 2008-09-05

I purchased this lens for low light shooting and shallow DOF. The lens works great for these types of pictures. It has a less than ideal AF, but once you shoot with it a bit you will love the lens.

Best Value Of Any Lens, Period. 2008-09-04

This lens is hands down the best value of any lens you will ever buy. It's the perfect focal length for most portraiture, with either full frame cameras, or APS-C cameras that use the 1.5/1.6 multiplier, making this effectively a 75/85mm lens. The f/1.8 max aperture is so much fun to play with, and a great way to learn about Depth of Field. It makes it hard not to take EVERY photo at that fast aperture. The SINGLE tick mark against the lens I have is it's focus is not 100% perfect - sometimes I get images that are ever so slighty out of focus. But it's an $80, $90 lens, so I can't even count that against it, so much so that I gave it the full 5 stars. If I could give 1/2 star increments, I would have given it 4.5, but forced to choose, I like it enough that it earned the full 5 stars. But beware, buying this lens will just lead you to want the 1.4, or 1.2L....at least, that is what it has done to me.

Super Value 2008-09-03

Read quite a few reviews on this lens. So many stated the lens construction was not up to par-that it broke with repeated use---well it all depends how you treat it. I treat this lens just as I do my more expensive ones. So far, I have nothing but good to say about it. I do a lot of photos at gymnastic events where flash is TABOO. This little " piece of plastic " performs VERY well. Would recommend to anyone wanting an affordable lens with beautiful results.

Very good canon lens 2008-09-03

i absolutly love to capture images with this lens. The absense of zoom is more of an artistic additive. It takes extremmly clear and crisp photo. I did't notice any noise during focusing at all. I also bought the tiffin filter along with it.

You get what you pay for 2008-09-02

I purchased this as an addition for my d40 equipment. I returned it the next day. The price should have been a tip off. It hunted in low light about 80% of the time and 20% in good light. It miss focused badly in more than have the 50 test exposures I took. The build quality is definitely Canon's low end; feeling very plastic. It was also surprisingly noisy for such a small lens. I'll stick with the higher end Canon lenses like the 24-105L (which I love!)

Great value 2008-09-01

For those who are into photography enough to own an SLR but not so much that you're willing to invest $1000s on it, this is the perfect lens. The quality compared to the cheap zoom that comes with most new Canons is marked--no one could mistake the image upgrade from a shot with a cheap zoom and a shot with this lens. And its so cheap!

Fabulous! 2008-09-01

This is a great lens - does everything it claims and more. Takes lovely shots even without manual settings. I love it.

best for the $ but slower focusing than the f1.4 2008-08-31

Just buy it already, you will love it.
If you want the fast focusing of a USM ultrasonic motor then look elsewhere. All my other canon lenses have it so putting this lens on makes it painfully obvious how slow focusing "regular" lenses are. At least the wide aperture makes it easier for your camera to autofocus.

TOTALLY worth it 2008-08-31

bough this on a hunch. wanted something that could take pics w/ low light and no flash. i have the 28-135 IS lens and it really stinks indoors (mostly because my XSi has a 12 mpxl sensor - the more megapixels u have, the less sensitive the sensor is to light - megapixels DON'T matter)

at any rate, i posted a pic in the billions of other pics up here. it's the one with all the tomatoes and peppers in a glass bowl.

i love it!

Simply Amazing! 2008-08-29

This is one amazing product that I bought for my camera. At first I was so hesitant to buy this lens but it's all worth it. The picture came out nice and crisp.

Great lens for portraiture 2008-08-29

There are several aspects of this lens that I love and really only one that I don't like - I've shared my views of the cons and pros below:

Pros -

-The lens is extremely quick with a maximum f-number of 1.8 this allows for the use of very fast shutter speeds under lower ISO (meaning lower noise) conditions. Another primary advantage of this is that the large aperture creates a very shallow depth of field - a desirable quality for portraits. This is also a great advantage for anyone that wants to shot their kids or pets playing around in their backyard. Note that canon does make a "big brother" for this lens in the form of the 50mm f/1.4 USM (USM indicates the incorporation of Canon's ultra sonic motor).

-The sharpness on the lens is great even when shooting wide open, especially since the lens costs under 100 dollars. Sure it's not an L lens but it's also not 1000 dollars.

-The cost in general is very nice, you're not going to find another lens of this quality at the 100 dollar price point.

-Weight - the lens weighs very little and isn't very long which is nice because it won't be straining you.

Cons -

-As several other reviewers have noted, the build quality on the lens seems sub-par. The body is made out of plastic and it feels cheap. However, if you take care of your lens, especially when removing it from and mounting it to your camera, you'll be fine. But don't expect this lens to be able to take a beating because it won't be able to.

One of the first lenses you should add. 2008-08-27

Yes. It really is an awesome lens. I have moved up to an intermediate photography for-hire level because of the work this lens has allowed me to accomplish. I have read books and reviews recommending this lens. Everyone said the same: that it is a fast, crisp glass, giving a pro appearance. So I bought one.

Right away, I could tell the difference from the basic lens that came with my Canon EOS XTi. I could finally shoot indoors on "A" without camera shake. What I didn't expect was the difference between my favorite travel lens the Canon EF-S 28-135 Zoom and the 50mm. Although the glass on my travel lens is great, the glass on this sub-hundred dollar lens was better. I mean better by "more depth."

True, it is a composite housing, but for under a hundred bucks don't listen to feedback that complains that the quality is not good.

Using this lens has given me more confidence to get the money shot. Use it for fast portrait shots. Because it is a prime lens, you will find yourself moving around a bit more. The reward is a beautiful, professional looking shots.

Great camera shots, breaks easily 2008-08-25

I have bought two of these lenses and both have broken in the same way after a few months of use. However, there is a reason I bought it again even after it broke the first time - it takes amazing shots with beautiful focus and a tight depth of field. This is a great 'first' lens, but now that I've had two I'm ready to move on to a metal lens. It's unbelievably inexpensive for the quality of the shots, but it makes up for the price in how cheaply it's built. It might as well have came free with a couple proof-of-purchase-es of Fruit Loops cereal.

All I gotta say is WOW 2008-08-24

This is the best bang for your buck period. This low priced lens should be in every portrait photographers collection. This bad boy is fast and takes beautifull , professional looking pictures. The only thing I dont like about this lens is that its made out of plastic. But since it seems like its built to last , Im not worried about it. Great lens. Great price.

Great Lens For The Price 2008-08-23

I had this lens for almost 5 months now. It's cheap BUT don't let the price fool you. Image quality is superb, especially in low light condition. Excellent for potrait shot. Why need to spend 3 times more when the picture quality of this lens is as close as the expensive one. For 80 or 90 bucks, you can affort to make your own assesment.

Performs like a much more expensive lens! 2008-08-21

Got this lens about a month ago from Amazon. Flawless service from them as always. Thank you.

The lens itself is outstanding. True: the construction could be better, but for its price, the quality of the photos are great. Even more. If you have a Canon, and can't afford or simply do not wish to spend more (quality of the more expensive EF 50mm/1.4 is a bit better) - get this lens. It will make you happy. ;-)

Great Lens! 2008-08-20

Don't let the price or the plastic body fool you-- this is a great lens that takes great shots. I am still learning the ins and outs of shooting with a DSLR and this lens makes my shots look like a pro. The only complaint is having to zoom with you feet, so it's not as handy when taking group photos, but if you've got the patience to compose your subjects without the ability to zoom easily it's not an impossible feat. Worth every penny.

Great lens for the price! 2008-08-20

I literatly just got this lens about an hour ago delivered to my work, I shot a couple pics and couldn't believe the quality considering my kit lens that came with my Canon Rebel XTi is junk. For the price this lens is a definitly good purchase. I've read that it falls apart after normal use but totally worth it if you can get a couple months of nice pictures.

Excellent lens 2008-08-16

As usual, Canon puts out an excellent product. The vendor shipped the lens out to me on schedule and I had it when they said I would

Thanks.

It's alright... 2008-08-16

I don't really care for this lens. The build doesn't bother me, it just doesn't seem like it was all the everyone raved about. I've used it at weddings and portrait sessions and again...no big deal.

Insane Quality, Low Price, Everyone should own one 2008-08-15

I am a college student and an emerging photographer, which is a terrible combination. As many of you know photography can be an expensive hobby/art and college prices are rising. So what to do? Research lenses, save up money, and hope you aren't disappointed.

This lens did not disappoint. I was skeptical at first thinking that an inexpensive lens would mean terrible quality, unreliable build, and overall crappy pictures. BUT, on the advice of a friend I spent the small amount. I haven't taken the lens off my camera since. You will not find a higher clarity lens for this amount of money. I recommend it to everyone. This lens will always hold a special place in my heart because with it I discovered what the art of photography really is. Unfortunately now I am looking for a zoom lens with the same quality (I have been spoiled with this one) and the prices are outrageous. So buy the 50mm. Everyone should own one.

For the money...I can't complain 2008-08-13

I am new to the DSLR group but I understand the technical babel when it comes to good lenses, I know that there are better lenses out there, without a doubt, but when I got this for around $80 I just cant complain when I look at my pictures. They are very sharp, the color is not perfect but I just post process that anyway. Eventually I will get the more expensive 1.4 lens, but for now this is plenty of lens for my portraits. I would recommend this lens in a heart beat.

Pros:

Good color reproduction
Good picture quality
inexpensive
light
Sharp
Does exactly what you by it for

Cons:

No zoom capability
Build quality is ok
Color could be better

Simply WoW 2008-08-06

I just receive this lens when I was at work, I put it on my camera and GIVE ME A BREAK!!! Well I had to give myself a break...
This lens is Awesome and for this price WOW.
I love it for portraits the detail and color are just amazing, I was skeptical because of the price thought it was a plastic lens but it looks solid. It does makes lots of noise while focusing but if you have your headphones on you wont hear a thing :)
Now time to go and see how it looks in different subjects - hmmm the city???

good value for the price 2008-08-06

agreed, poor build quality. but why do u need to see the quality when it can shoot decent pictures? not 50 mm f1.4 grade, but hey....its damn cheap. u can use it for a few months and then discard when u upgrade. good for ppl on a tight budget/learners (like me :-(). anywayz, its so fast...never missed an expression on my kid's face...and works very well indoors/poor lighting. but i think i will never buy a thing from adorama again, took a month to get this lens, customer service sucks..they told me they shipped it so now its not their responsibility...had to wait in line for an hour at my local post office to get this lens. emailed them twice after that..no response...not even an apology!! adorama lost 1 customer for life.

Excellent for the price 2008-08-06

I bought this because every single camera site I've been to said to buy it. And for $80 (which was what I'd paid for it), how can I lose. Now, I've had it for a few months, and what can I say except that it's excellent. Razor-shape images, fast-fast f.18 aperture, and on my 1.6x sensor, roughly 80mm shots--which are perfect for portraits. I don't understand why people say it's built crappily, but again, it's $80, and unless you're a photojournalist who abuses her equipment, why worry about its build quality?

A warning, however: 50mm on a cropped-sensor camera, again, will translate into a 80mm focal length, which might be too narrow for most close-up shots outside of portraits. If you want to take any sort of street shot, I'd suggest getting a fast zoom or something like the Tamron 17-50mm.

Canon 50mm Lens f/1.8 2008-08-05

really good lens. it works really good especially if you want to blur out the background. thats the reason why i got it. Really cheap too but the only thing is its always up close so its a macro kind of lens.

Canon lens 2008-08-04

Canon 50mm lens
I should have paid more close attention when ordering since this lens is so limited as to be rather useless. I can take closeups of flowers but little else.

Love this lens 2008-08-04

I absolutely love this lens. For $90 you can't go wrong and the pictures are just what I wanted. Nice and clear with the required depth of field and nice blurring in the background.

so happy 2008-07-31

I am so happy I finally bought this lense. I had been researching this lens and the 1.4 and finally got this. Its worth every cent and you definitly won't be disappointed. If you are someone debating on those 2 lenses, just get this one to star with because it will familarize yourself with prime lenses as well. I reccomend this lense to anyone

A go to lens. 2008-07-29

This lens is such a good bargain. At f1.8 it is great for low light work. I go to this lens anytime I do family events or get togethers inside and at night. At under $100 everyone needs to have one.

Very very pleased 2008-07-29

The lens is great. I used it to test my Xsi as I was having focusing problems and it revealed it clearly. I sent my camera on warranty repair and came back perfect. The low f-stop allows you to see the screen marking in low light. The only drawback is the build which OK for my use. Sharpness wise its great.

Amazing little lens 2008-07-29

I love this lens. Its so cheap yet it offers breathtaking photos with y 40D.
I'm not even sure I will ever use my kit lens, 28-135mm IS. It also is a great lens but the 50 is so light and compact.

Value lens 2008-07-22

I dun have money to buy a better lens so i should stick with this.... I like this with this price. Good quality lens. You should buy this if your budget limited.

Highly recommended

Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 II Camera Lens 2008-07-20

This is a wonderful bargain lens. You can't go wrong with this one. It is plastic but the glass is superb! I love it and use it a lot. I is great for low light.

Great for portraits 2008-07-19

While I am not a professional by any stretch of the imagination, this lens is an excellently priced for an excellent portrait lens. Used with my Rebel XT, results are great. Although prime lenses aren't for everyone, this is a great addition to an amateur's collection.

I like this lens. 2008-07-17

This is a fun lens. Definitely good for shooting portraits. Was only disappointed with shipping as it was through another company but I was not informed when it would arrive so I ended up with extra charges. Don't know how that can be improved. Still a good lens to buy!

Wow 2008-07-17

I'm by no means a professional photographer, but this lense makes some of my photos look professional. If I were you, I would not hesitate a second adding this one to my camera bag.

Great lense for the Price 2008-07-12

For the Price you can't go wrong. I recently graduated from an Olympus PAS camera to the greatest photo-box ever, the Canon 40D. The camera came in a kit with the 28-135 zoom lens which is very good. However, I love to take portait pictures and the 50mm had gotten great reviews so I went for it. Let me tell you that I have not been disappointed and neither will you when you see the great pictures that you will be taking with this lens. Note that the lens may appear inexpensive, but if you take good care of it, as I know most photo lovers do their equipment, it should last you a long time. Good luck and great "clicking"

Thanks to Canon for such good price 2008-07-12

Amazingly sharp and an outstanding f-stop. It feels like somewhat plastic but don't let the looks and the price mislead you. I shot pictures with this lens on using my new 40D one late afternoon. Results were astonishing! I have never had such sharp images with Canon 24-85mm zoom. If you own a Canon, you must buy this lens and use it. Fight the temptation to use a zoom for the time being. You will appreciate the light weight and the sharpness, as well as the brightness (F1.8).

Remember, a fixed focal-length lens has MUCH LESS COMPLICATED optical elements than a zoom, therefore SHARPER & LIGHTER by nature. Many great sreet photographers of our time did not use a zoom. In fact, when I was a photography major in college in early 70s, I did not even dream of using a zoom. A zoom lens was for amateurs with dough, never for serious photography students.

A sharp lens at less than $90? I believe this is one way for Canon to say "Thanks" to their camera buyers.

It's great for the price 2008-07-11

I got this over 3 weeks ago and I am mostly happy with it. Like the others said there is a problem with focusing. In low light it can be a hit or miss. But it delivers the most incredible macro shots - photos are sharp and the bokeh is unbelievable. I'm really glad I got this!

gotta have it! 2008-07-10

Amazing! i bought my camera not too long ago.. and dont know much about camera yet, but with this lense, you get uber duber good quality pciture!

Great things come in small packages! 2008-07-10

I am so happy with this lens & you will be too. This little devil is amazing in low-light situations with my Rebel XTi. It's fast and the pictures are very crisp, it will definitely make you look like a pro. Most people comment that the quality of the casing isn't all that great; seeing as it's plastic, but if you take care of your equipment, you shouldn't have a problem. It's an amazing lens at a great price.

Worth the money 2008-07-10

This little lens is worth its weight in gold. With a f stop of 1.8 you can really do some fun shots that just cannot be done on other lenses. The focal length is great for portraits as well as landscapes and is a good all around lenses if you are looking to empty out your camera bag a little big. This lens is not a rugged as other canon lenses, I know because this one is my second, but at this price if you drop it and break the motor, not a good day for me, you can easily replace it compared to the 1.4 or 1.2 models that canon produces. I think this lens is a must for any photographer who enjoys experimenting with portraits or other small depth of field applications.

Definitely Mk1 or just buy the f1.4 2008-07-10

For two months I've been searching for a 50mm on eBay for a decent price. I let go quite a couple of good deal on Mk II and f1.4 ( outbid in an auction that end up less than $200 for a brand new one! still regretting it!). Until today! Yes, I was able to get my dream lens for 75. I haven't try the f1.8 Mk II so I can't tell how poor-built it is, but the Mk1 is absolutely rock solid. The picture is very sharp, the lens is fast and dead-on focus. I like the ring thing that the Mk II seems to be lack of. If the Mk II is as light and cheaply-feeling as my kit lens EF-S 18-55, then the feeling of the Mk1 in the hand is totally different. When the barrell is fully retracted, it's the same length and weight as the 28mm prime. Very nice. I'm an amateur, but I do know the different between quality, so if you're lucky like me and are able to grasp a mk1, don't hesitate. Or just go ahead and get the f1.4 or the macro 2.5.
Another thing I notice that many of Canon lenses were made better in their previous version. I have the 28-80 USM mk1 with metal mount, old 100-300 USM... found cheap and in excellent condition on auction site (you know where!). The build quality, material... are all better. Even the plastic to contruct the barrel feels better too!

The BEST First lens you can buy 2008-07-08

As far as your first lens, this is the best choice. With an aperture of 1.8 you'll be able to take low light shots with a lot of success. This lens is very sharp, so if your shots look blurry it's probably you, not the lens. The focal length may seem a little narrow. However, you'll quickly learn what your next lens should be. Do you want to be closer to the action? Get a longer lens. Do you find yourself backing up? Get a wide angle.

While this lens will not be the last one you buy, it should be your first. In my opinion, it's the best training lens.

a true value 2008-07-06

I like values. I don't like things that are cheap. I like things that are good values. I truly believe that this lens is a great value. Good image qualities in the photos I have taken. Great price. It is a must own if you cannot afford the f1.4.

Very Sharp 2008-07-01

Very very sharp lens for such a low amount of money,cheaply build but worth every penny :-)

Become a better photographer 2008-07-01

You can't get better pictures for the money. This lens is on my camera at all times, (Rebel XTI) with the exception of when I want to take some landscape shots, in which case I switch out to the kit 18-55mm lens.

The pictures are just phenomonal. The one gripe I have is in dark situations it can take a while to focus. But the low F-stop is just fantastic. I have taken my best pictures with this lens.

are there better ones? Sure. But you will never beat this for the price. JUST BUY IT ALREADY!

Pure junk, except it takes really sharp pictures 2008-06-30

Sharp and cheap. If you only have the 18-55 kit lens, this is definitely your next lens unless you can throw down a lot more cash.

Pros:

Once you get to about f/2.8 this thing gets pretty darned sharp. The sweet-spot seems to be around f/4.0 to f/4.5 on my XTi which is where it is sharpest.

No noticeable chromatic aberration. Of course being a prime, we all should hope so.

Cons:

Everything else that makes a lens a lens is what this fails at.

It's hopelessly soft wide open. The bokeh is nasty looking. Color saturation isn't so hot. It gets softer towards the edges. In low light, auto-focus will "hunt" far more often than it should. I can deal with all those issues. What really makes this a bad lens is the auto-focus miss issue.

Focus will too often land just in front of your subject meaning that you're going to just toss the picture in the trash. Given that it tempts you to use a thin depth of focus, this will happen a lot. If you can get a good in-focus shot then all the other issues will melt away and you'll be in awe of what a great shot you can get from this thing given the number of dollars this item commands.

Great lens until it falls apart 2008-06-28

Fantastic lens for the money, but mine fell apart while in my camera bag one day. If you can afford it, get the 1.4. Otherwise, be very careful with this lens, it is not at all rugged.

A Must-Have for Amateurs! 2008-06-26

I just purchased this product several days ago and I'm already in love with the improved image quality of my 50mm shots. Shifting from my newer Canon Rebel Xti with kit lens to this is like night and day. The bokeh in images comes out like I imagine when lining up the shot, and the fixed length makes me want to keep this lens in for all walk-around shots.

Taking others' reviews into consideration before purchasing, the lens does feel rather delicate ( ~ 1/4 lb.); but please also remember, it's also < $100. No other lens of this price range (new) falls into the same category. Bottom line, get this lens if you wish to change your beginner DSLR experience from that of the kit lens. For portraits and landscapes alike, you can't go wrong with the 50mm F/1.8!

Beautiful Photos, Low-Quality 2008-06-26

I bought my first Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 II Lens at the beginning of February 2008. It is now the middle of June 2008, and I have just broken my second one.

I'm a HEAVY photographer, and this lens has BY FAR become my favorite to shoot with. However, it seems to just fall apart after a few months! HEARTBREAKING!

I'll be contacting Canon about replacing my lenses, and I might spring for the 1/4.

Newbie 2008-06-24

Probably the best value purchase I'll ever make when it comes to lenses. The lens is super fast. Great shots when I open the lens all the way and shoot with aperture priority.

The autofocus is a little noisy and slow but it's a small price to pay. Still 5 stars!

Lens 2008-06-23

The lens is great. Not sure it is a "have to have." I use my Canon EF 18-55 mm lens more often. Hopefully, I will have a chance to use to 50 mm more.

You can't get a better value 2008-06-22

The f/1.8 makes it great for portraits. AF is about as slow as you get, so don't think your going to shoot anything moving too fast. I have a quality camera bag, so durability isn't that much of an issue with it. My stuff is well protected. I can see it breaking pretty easily if you are rough on your equipment. It is light as a feather, so you don't even notice it in your bag. I did some staged shots out of a bunker on a golf course, and it worked real well for that even. The only negative to it is the slow AF, and for $80 you shouldn't be expecting a L speed AF system. Its only $80. Buy it.

Horrible experience with this lens 2008-06-20

I am an amateur photographer and have started up my own portrait business. I bought this lens in late February 2008. I used it for a portrait shoot in March and it worked great. Had a wedding a week following. Used it for about an hour at the wedding and all of a sudden while focusing the inner mechanics completely came apart from the plastic casing and popped out. I sent it in to be repaired and was charged $40+tax for the repair.

Received the lens back in April. Immediately took it out of its box, put it back on my XTi and took a few test pictures. Seemed to be ok. Placed the unit in my bag. Fast-forward 2 weeks. I went to do some more portraits. Took the camera out of my bag, snapped 3 pictures and POP. SAME PROBLEM AGAIN. While focusing (auto) it popped out of the casing again.

I sent it back to Canon under their 3 month repair warranty. They insisted that I pay the $40 repair charge AGAIN. I told them there was no way - it is showing obviously that it either wasn't repaired correctly or its a lemon. After going back and forth over the phone they finally agreed to waive the charge due to their "one time courtesy." I'm sorry but there was no courtesy there. They kept accusing me of dropping the lens, abusing it, etc.

I regret from DAY ONE that I purchased this lens instead of the 1.4. I cannot trust this lens for any of my portrait shoots anymore (once I receive it back). I should have told Canon to destroy the lens.

I have learned my lesson the hard way. If the lens price seems too good to be true - it probably is. Stick with metal and go with the 1.4. The cost of the headaches and fighting over the phone and missed work will greatly outweigh the $300 price tag on the 1.4mm.

great starting lens 2008-06-20

Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 II Camera Lens

I wanted something simple that takes really good pictures. Having always been disappointed with camera kit lenses in the past I opted to buy this prime lens mostly on the rave reviews on multiple sites.
I am happy, it does take very sharp pictures overall. Since I am an amature at creative photography it does take some getting use to in regards to the large apertures (compared with my standard lens) and the narrow depth of focus this produces. I love the bokeh effect.
I am learning a lot with this cheap lens. It is plasticy but not as bad as I thought it was going to be - it is like the standard kit lens that comes with the XTi (no metal/plasticy).
Focusing is fine for me (not too loud and quite quick).
Bottom line it takes great pictures.

... 2008-06-16

Decent lens; slow focusing, however.

Packaging was minimal and definately could/should have been better. B&H much better and basically same pricing.

More Lens Less Money 2008-06-15

A prime lens for less than a hundred bucks; great low light shots with sharp detail. Use it on both of my Canon film and digital EOS. Feels and looks cheap but results are outstanding. I give it 5 stars considering the price.

Not bad at all! 2008-06-14

This is a great little lens for the price. I love the blurred background effect you can get with this lens. I'm really happy with it and glad I got it. For the price, you'll be happy with it too.

Lens that won't break your budget 2008-06-12

I bought this lens for my husband who is a budding photographer. We just upgraded our camera set up from a point and shoot to the Canon EOS 40D 10.1MP Digital SLR Camera (Body Only).
I have to say he has taken some amazing shots! I only wish I had purchased it sooner for our daughter's wedding.
This lens for the price packs a great value!

Unbelievable quality for the price 2008-06-12

You just cannot go wrong with the lens. If you own a Canon DSLR, then this is a must!

Sharper shots with Cannon EF 50 2008-06-11

I purchased the EF 50 f/1.8II because I was so unhappy with the level of focus I was getting with Cannon's kit lens. I asked around and received a lot of input on this prime lens before I purchased it. I'm very pleased with the sharp shots I'm getting now. However, this lens does not have a long focal length, so be aware that this is primarily for close-in shots and portraits. You can see some of my shots at [...]

Good lens for indoor sports 2008-06-09

I use this lens for photographing my daughters basketball games. For the price this is a great lens. I put my ISO to 1600 and my speed ranges from 300 to 400. The only thing I wished is that I could have found a wider angle lens like a 35mm with the same f-stop because sometime 50mm is too much

what a great investment 2008-06-09

I think buying this lens is one of the best investments I've made. It is very reasonably priced and a great product!!

Worth every penny....and almost costs pennies 2008-06-08

You simply can't go wrong with this lens. It is fast and sharp and the price is unbeatable. It is difficult to use indoors on a digital SLR for much else then portraiture, but that is expected with the 1.6X multiplier.

Can't be more happy... 2008-06-08

Can't be more happy with this lens.

Pros:
- Fast F1.8, takes clean and crisp pictures. Great for portraits.
- Focusing is spot on. Takes good pictures in low light (because of high f/stop)
- Is built well enough, nothing to complain about.
- Is economic making it a good investment for beginners.

Cons:
- Focal length 50mm: on a D-SLR with crop 1.6 focal length is actually 80mm (crop 1.5 = 75mm), you really have to step back when taking pictures indoors, otherwise be prepared to crop someones head or feet off :)
- is a little noisy, but that can be ignored when compared to the pictures it produces. And it is not USM, it is a regular 50mm lens.

Overall, this lens is great for the price and I would recommend this over the kit lens for beginners.

Update:
This is not a replacement for the Kit Lens, but a great lens to begin with. I added the Tamron 17-50mm lens as a replacement to the Kit lens.

no better value for beginners 2008-06-06

My initial impressions are wonderful. For the price, you cannot buy a better lens. The much hailed 50mm prime is a great alternative (esp. for dSLR beginners) to the kit zoom lenses that ship with many camera bodies. This particular lens is nice and fast, lightweight, has great depth of field, and produces some sharp images.

I'll go ahead and echo nearly every review of this lens that I've read: (1) the build quality is a bit cheap (plastic and all) but what do you expect for this price point? (2) it's a little slow to auto-focus when the contrast is poor or the light is low and (3) but if this lens were to break or get stolen, I would replace it immediately with another one of the same.

Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 II 2008-06-05

Probably the best buy in the DSLR/SLR world. The plastic housing feels a bit like a toy, but the glass says otherwise. A tiny, extremely sharp lens that is absolutely unbeatable for the price. A useful focal length that is perfect as a low-light head-and-shoulders/portrait lens (especially on an XT/XTi/XSi or 30d/40d, since the crop factor effectively makes it an 80mm lens). Between this and my EF-S 17-85mm IS I hardly ever have to use the flash. Unless you've got money to burn on the 50mm f/1.4 ($330), f/1.2 ($1300), or f/1.0 (discontinued, ~$3000), buy this lens and don't look back.

I really like mine 2008-06-05

I love this lens. Its made of plastic, including the mount- BUT, its a low cost lens. It has excellent depth of field, autofocus works good, and you can't go wrong with a large aperture if you want fast shutter speed. By the way, if you are planning to put this on a rebel xti it will function more like a 70mm lens...

Buy for the price, keep for the quality 2008-06-04

The canon 50mm 1.8 is probably the greatest deal you'll come upon in the world of digital photography. Priced at under $100 and coming with a 1.8 aperture, this lens can produce truly outstanding photo's for a truly outstanding price.

This is a particularly good deal for people just starting in photography, as it allows them the opportunity to experiment with such a large aperture, thereby giving them a chance to play with bokeh (intentional background blur), lowlight photography, etc.

The 50mm, as a prime lens, is also a good teaching tool. Due to the fact that it has no zoom you will, as a photographer, find yourself moving around more and setting up your shots more carefully.

The downsides of this particular lens are that the build is a bit cheap (though, this is mainly why it's available for the price it is) and the AF has its moments of difficulty in certain lowlight situations (which can easily mended by either going into Manual Focus, or switching to a predetermined focal point, rather than the lens having to decide from the 7-9 points where the greatest amount of contrast lies)

I have personally found this lens to be ideal when matched with an inexpensive zoom lens and the 18-55 kit lens. Why? because the 18-55 kit gives you some relatively good wide angle, the 50mm 1.8 gives you the 1.8 aperture and the telephoto gives you the zoom. This setup has you prepared for just about any daytime activity and about all your missing is a telephoto with a wide aperture for indoor sports.

End result, the 50mm 1.8 gives you great quality for a great price and while there are better, more expensive alternatives, this particular lens is a great way to get your feet wet.

Great for under a hundred bucks! 2008-06-03

Great portrait lens - f1.8 makes it great for shooting indoors, at social events, etc.

pair it with a good flash (like the 430ex or better) for great results!

Great Starter Lens, with a Caveat 2008-06-01

I recently bought the Rebel XTi, and decided to follow prevailing wisdom by abandoning the kit lens. I bought this lens instead, and have been very happy with the results. If you are just starting out with photography (like me), you will be incredibly happy with the results. I get crystal clear images, amazing bokeh (esp. when the aperture is at its widest), and beautiful vivid colors.

The caveat is that on the XTi, the EF 50mm f/1.8 II is an excellent *portrait* lens. The XTi does not have a full-frame sensor; rather, its sensor effectively crops the shot at a factor of 1.6. That means that with the 50mm focal length, what you are really getting is an 80 mm perspective, which falls into the telephoto range. This means that this lens is a less than ideal "walking around" lens when used with crop-format bodies like the XTi. By no means does this fact reduce the value of this lens, but if you aren't aware of this from the beginning it can be a little frustrating at first. I plan on getting a lens with a shorter focal length, preferably short enough to actually give me a wide-angle perspective on the XTi body (~17mm). If you really want to use the XTi for everyday walkaround shots, you might have to make do with the kit lens, or pay more for a good lens with a wider perspective.

That being said, I *love* this lens. My portrait shots are amazing, with beautiful bokeh, extremely crisp, etc. Even the landscapes do not exactly suffer; it is simply a matter of finding the right POV. To sum it up, I definitely have no regrets with this lens - just wisdom that I would like to share :)

Nice low light lens! 2008-06-01

I use this lens mostly for low light situations and it does the job well. The only drawback that I have found is that I have to get used to the fact that it isn't a zoom or wide angle lens and it forces me to be a bit more creative in my shots (not a bad thing!). Obviously not a good lens for tight or close-in situations where you have no room to back up to fully frame your subject.

Must have lens! 2008-06-01

This Canon lens is a must have for any beginning or more serious amateur photographer. While not quite as fast as the 50mm F 1.4 or the incredible 50mm F 1.2L, it is a fast lens for less than $100. This will allow you to shoot in low light conditions without flash and get great results. Being less than $100 and being an EF lens means that you can buy it and use it forever, even if you move up to a full frame camera like the 5D. I would highly recommend this lens.

Great Lens for the price 2008-05-30

This lens is not perfect, but for under $100, what do you expect? The images are good, & the lens is lightweight. The build is cheap, the focus is slow, and it takes a while to get used to the difference if you are used to using a zoom. The 1.8 is great for low light, and the shallow depth of field and bokah are wonderful to play with. I will be moving up to the 1.4 version as soon as I have the money though.

WOW 2008-05-29

All I can say is WOW!! This lens was recommended to me when I was looking for a new lens to go with my Canon 40D. The price is what really got my attention but the amazing photo's that people were able to produce was amazing. I have used this on a number of occasions and can not seem to get enough of it. Altho I tend to forget its in my bag but when I do use the lens it blows me away.

Great lens for low lighting areas or even just walking around! If you are looking to add to your lens collection but want to save a few dollars don't wait buy this today!

Notice the common thread? 2008-05-29

Listen. I am likely to buy another one of these lenses, because they take EXCELLENT pictures. But when people talk about how flimsy the lens is, they aren't whistling dixie. I broke one of these lenses accidentally in a fluke accident that would not have damaged ANY of my other lenses. It's a problem because I'd gotten so used to using this lens it became my default. If you do happen to purchase this lens either be prepared to buy another one--and given that it is comparatively inexpensive this may not be a problem--or be prepared to really really care for it.

awesome piece of lens. 2008-05-27

this is a great lens for what its worth.

recommended... amatuer to experts.

Awesome Portrait lens 2008-05-27

This is a great prime lens by Canon as all the other reviews have pointed out. I use it mainly for portraits. Because of the low f-stop, the depth of field can be adjusted to be shallow enough to get just the right amount of background of blur. It is also great for indoor shots in low light.

My new Canon Prime Lens 2008-05-27

No cropping, no color enhancing, just straight out of the camera to the computer, photography. This is what modern photogra