Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 II Standard & Medium Telephoto Lens

You really can't complain too much...

Strengths: Price, light weight, 1.8 f-stop, low cost, good portrait lens, great first lens for the Canon 10D

Weakness: Glass, lack of lens hood, autofocus a bit loud

You really can't complain too much about the lens given the very affordable price. Made about 1000 pictures with it. Auto focus is a bit loud, but fast. Not sharp at f1.8, but good at higher aperature. I am biased because I now own a 16-35mm L USM (> $1,200). You really get what you pay for. For less than $80, the 50mm lens is very affordable. Should be the first lens you get if you only bought...
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You really can't complain too much about the lens given the very affordable price. Made about 1000 pictures with it.

Auto focus is a bit loud, but fast. Not sharp at f1.8, but good at higher aperature. I am biased because I now own a 16-35mm L USM (> $1,200). You really get what you pay for.

For less than $80, the 50mm lens is very affordable. Should be the first lens you get if you only bought the camera body and want to start experimenting. Great portrait lens for the Canon 10D.

By ppmd - May 31, 2004

Purchased this lens for use on...

Strengths: Excellent Bang for the Buck! Prime lenses tend to be sharper by nature than zooms

Weakness: Lack of USM drive. Lightweight - I prefer my equiptment to feel more solid.

Purchased this lens for use on both a Digital Rebel (EOS 300D) and a Rebel 2000 35mm (EOS 300). With the 1.6x multiplication factor on the 300D this lens has a focal length of 80mm rather than 50. But, this is a tremendous prime lens - It's fast f/1.8 allows for fast shutter speeds or low light action. While it tends to be sharper at f/3 and up, you can't purchase many lenses even at f/3 let...
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Purchased this lens for use on both a Digital Rebel (EOS 300D) and a Rebel 2000 35mm (EOS 300). With the 1.6x multiplication factor on the 300D this lens has a focal length of 80mm rather than 50. But, this is a tremendous prime lens - It's fast f/1.8 allows for fast shutter speeds or low light action. While it tends to be sharper at f/3 and up, you can't purchase many lenses even at f/3 let along f1.8 for $70.
If you bought the kit lens with your EOS body, this is the second lens you should pick up - if you can find it! Third, take a look at a 28-105 or 28-135 to get a little longer range, then work from there. The 50mm will really work with you to focus on the subject not the equipment.

Enjoy!

By jdepew - Apr 27, 2004

This is the lens that every Canon...

Strengths: Inexpensive, actually one of the most inexpensive Canon EF lens. Becomes 80mm/1.8 on 300D, good for portrait. Big aperture. Very Sharp and Very good opotical quality. Lightweight.

Weakness: Nothing much at this price. Difficult and slow focusing in dark.

This is the lens that every Canon EOS camera user should have.
DSLR makes it even sweeter. Considering its price, it is really difficult to justify purchasing 50mm/1.4U. Yes it is not USM, which makes it not suitable for some situation, but for most situation, it is well enough. And its image quality is better than a lot of lenses much more expensive than it.

By tcollect2000 - Oct 27, 2004

The Canon 50mm f1.8 lens II...

Strengths: sharp, lightweight and inexpensive

Weakness: none

The Canon 50mm f1.8 lens II autofocus lens is one of the best values around. This inexpensive and lightweight standard lens can be used for available light photography and can capture wonderful candid shots. Although not a zoom but a fixed focal length lens, this issue is more than made up for its sharp images.

By digitalrebel - Nov 29, 2003

Best Value Lens

Strengths: Low price, great quality, light weight.

Weakness: Poor background blur, cheap construction, a bit noisy.

The Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 II is by far the best value lens available. For a cost of around $75 dollars, you get a lens that is fast and sharp. In fact, this lens is extraordinarily sharp at and beyond f/2.8. Its weaknesses include a poor foreground-background blur, a cheap construction that includes a plastic lens mount, and a noisy focusing mechanism. Overall, the quality of pictures that this...
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The Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 II is by far the best value lens available. For a cost of around $75 dollars, you get a lens that is fast and sharp. In fact, this lens is extraordinarily sharp at and beyond f/2.8.

Its weaknesses include a poor foreground-background blur, a cheap construction that includes a plastic lens mount, and a noisy focusing mechanism.

Overall, the quality of pictures that this lens is capable of producing is superb, especially for the price. This lens is so cheap that there is no excuse not to own it. In addition, the risk you take is all of $75 - a rather negligible amount compared to how much other good lenses will cost you.

By TGE - Aug 12, 2006