any opinions on Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 II Camera Lens?

[Foxtrot_01]

Hello,
it's been a while.
I was looking and I stumbled into this lens on Amazon, Im not sure I can use this lens as intended on my Canon 40D, looks very cheap for the f1.8. Anyone has any reviews, suggestions?

Amazon.com: Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 II Camera Lens: Electronics

 

[KenC]

Wonderful lens optically - just read the reviews. People complain that it's prone to breakage, but I've been using mine for three years with no problem. However, I don't tend to break things, so if you do, this might be a consideration.

 

[Light Guru]

Its a nice little lens, and for the price everyone should have one.

 

[NayLoMo6C]

a 50 mm lens should be in every SLR/DSLR users camera bag, nuff said.

 

[Dao]

I used to own that lens. Best bang for the bucks.


Pros:
- Low cost
- Light weight
- Wide aperture
- Relatively small filter (52mm) size (in general, larger diameter of the screw-in filter = higher cost)
- Your 40D center AF point works faster with wide aperture lens such as this one.
- Sharp. Not the best lens on the market nor in the 50mm category, but it's optical performance is really not bad at all. (especially stop down to around f/5.6)
- Small. Do not take up much room in your bag.

Cons:
- Very plastic feel.
- It doesn't feel very solid. But it doesn't mean it will fall apart soon. There is a youtube video showing someone try to break the lens with hammer.
- Plastic lens mount. Personally, I like metal lens mount.
- Non USM lens. AF speed is not as fast and quiet. But not slow neither.
- No Distance scale.
- Only has 5 aperture blades. Out of focus blur is not as pleasant as others such as the 50mm f/1.4 version.
- Manual focus ring position at the front of the lens. Harder to adjust the focus if needed.
- Not a full time manual focus lens like others such as the 50mm f/1.4.
- AF motor is nosier than other USM type lens. Using it in a quiet place may not be the best choice (wedding ceremony)


Although there are other lenses that perform better than this one, but they usually cost a lot more. Another option is looking for a used 1st generation of the EF 50mm f/1.8 lens. I actually own one of those before I bought the f/1.4 version. At that time, I sold my few months old EF 50mm f/1.8 II lens (bought it in 08) and bought a used one that was made in the 80's.

The version 1 is better because ..
- It has a metal mount.
- It has a distance scale.
- It has a better build.
- The manual focus ring is not at the front of the lens.

 

[redlazer]

it is a great little lens, but if you can swing it get the 50mm 1.4. I got mine used for around 350.

 

[flyin-lowe]

The nifty fifty is probably one of the most common " 2nd lense ever purchased" out there. I know if was my first 2nd lens. There isn't another lens out there that does better for cheaper.

 

[lyonsroar]

My first lens after the kit. Great sharpness. So-so build quality. If you take care of your stuff I don't think it'll break though...

 

[KmH]

For the price the nifty fifty EF 50mm f/1.8 II is a great value.

However, because of the price it has some technical issues. For me the deal breaker is that it only has 5, square edged aperture blades which makes for a finger-nails-screeching-on-the-blackboard kind of shallow DOF blurred background.

 

[vtf]

It's a great little cheap lens that takes some nice shots. Here's a review.
Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 II Lens Review

 

[Postman158]

I have this lense, and I personally LOVE it.

 

[Jarmo]

Bang for your buck, I'm telling ya.

The build quality is as bad as it gets but the image quality is way way better what you'd expect from a lense that cheap.

 

[Derrel]

It's probably the lowest-priced 50mm a major camera maker has ever released. It is also the cheapest, meaning cheeziest: plastic mount, crude, 5-bladed iris diaphragm, one fewer lens elements than most lens designers consider appropriate as a minimum, and loud, erratic (meaning unreliable) autofocusing, and no full time manual focusing override. It also flares quite badly for a lens made after World War II. It is in fact, a very crappy lens, easily bettered by MOST 50mm lenses made over the past 40 years by Nikon,Pentax,Canon,Petri,Pentax,Sony,Olympus, or any other lens maker you can name. This lens is worse than the 1970's Nikon Lens Series E (Nikon's "e"conomy, plastic-barreled, metal mount,low-cost) 50mm f/1.8. It has horrific bokeh--very,very hashy and nervous bokeh on foliage and strongly patterned things, like chain link fencing or repeating patterns like stadium seats, etc.etc. If you've never owned another prime lens, this thing might seem pretty good; once you've owned 15 or 20 other, better lenses, this lens and its huge collection of cost-cutting measures,and half-assed, numbskull lens design compromises, all become painfully apparent. Take this lens into a challenging, lower-light situation, and watch it stutter and hesitate on focus. SHoot it with the sun near the outside of the frame during the spring and summer months, or whatever months your area has when the sunlight is strong, and you can get FLARE (green,usually) galore, often across 90% of the entire image width.

 

[chelseykae]

dont trip up the stairs with it on your camera....it just well snaps and is done! at least i saved my camera body though!!

 

[iolair]

It depends on how much you have to spend, and what kind of photos you like to take. If you're on a budget, though, it's a must. The best quality images you'll get without spending several times as much.

The field of view on a crop camera like a 40D makes it a nice budget portrait lens.

If you have money to spend, though, there are better alternatives.

I own the 50mm 1.8, and in most respects find it great. The one thing that bugs me on a fairly consistent basis is how bad it is at autofocusing in low light.