I have the Canon 50mm F1.8 mkI

[Henry Low]

Hi guys,

I just aquired an mkI 50mm EF lens... and i was always being told that it is MUCH better than the mkII lens. I can see and feel that the body itself is more sturdy and the focus ring is more well placed, has anyone done any comparisons between teh two interms of optical quality and sharpness? Does anyone have a website they can refer me to with a comparison between the mki and the mkII?

Thanks in advance,
Henry

[DocFrankenstein]

I'm not a website, but I had both and used them quite a lot. In fact! 66% of my shots have been taken with either of those lenses. :)

Optically, I beleive they are 100% the same. MAYBE slightly different coatings or minor differences.

Mk 1 is noisier and somewhat slower to focus than mk2, but the build quality well more than makes up for it.

BTW: I'm selling my 50/1.8 MK1 right now.
http://photography-on-the.net/forum/showthread.php?t=50558
Good lens.

[ron chappel]

Hi
I have had the exact same experience as Doc F .The only (very subtle) difference is in the colour cast.And yes,the fist version sounds abit like a dentist drill ,lol

[Olegis]

Here is (http://194.100.88.243/petteri/pont/Reviews/g_Fifty_versus_fifty/a_Fifties_duel_--_f1.4_vs_f1.8.html) a nice review from Pettery Sulonen about 50mm f/1.8 MkI, 50mm f/1.4 and 35mm f/2.

I think that the two lenses are almost identical from the optical point of view, the differences are in build quality, metal mount (MkI) vs plastic mount (MkII) and distance scale.

[Henry Low]

Ahh icic, I think i am gonna sell my MkI to get a mkiI for real cheap. and probaly make a hundred bucks from that. That money will go towards purchasing a flash :)

[Adam Hicks]

Good idea selling your MkI and making some money. I thought about the MkI, but the II was definitely faster, and while it's cheap, they're both pretty cheap. I don't need a metal mount on a lens that weighs a few ounces. I don't plan on throwing or dripping my 20D anytime soon, and if I do, neither lens will probably survive.

I don't get the big deal on this one. Just get the mkII (or better yet, do some good and get the f1.4!) and be happy with it :)

[DocFrankenstein]

The "deal" is that the plastic on the mount gradually wears out to a point of it becoming loose.

The way I change lenses, I'd need to get a new one every 6 months or so ;)