lens advice

I have the XS-i and the kit lens. I wanted to get a prime, was looking at the 50. I thought e-bay might be the way to get a decent used one at a decent price. I got a bit over whelmed at how many popped up. How would I narrow my search? Is the 50 a good all puprpose lens? Who are the good vendors? Which matches my camera?....ahhh!!!!
Paralysis by analysis.....
Oh...can it be done for under $150, US?

Thanks for your help.

Any Canon EF or EF-S lens will fit your camera, as well as third-party lenses manufactured by Sigma, Tamron, Tokina, etc. (as long as they're designated as Canon-mount lenses).

The EF 50 1.8 retails for right around $100 new, so it can easily be done.

http://www.bhphotovide​o.com …Normal_EF_50mm_​f_1_8.html

Unless you have a specific reason for the 50, I'm a bit puzzled.
I think the kit lens is already an 18-55.
I wonder if something along an 85 or 100 might be something to consider.
They're going to be a little more pricey, but, not that much.

Skul wrote in post #13708098
Unless you have a specific reason for the 50, I'm a bit puzzled.
I think the kit lens is already an 18-55.
I wonder if something along an 85 or 100 might be something to consider.
They're going to be a little more pricey, but, not that much.

That from reading on here, people seem to love the 'nifty 50' so I figured it was a place to start. Open to suggestions on what fills in best.

The 50 1.8 is the best place to start imo, at least to see if you like using primes before you start looking at the 50 1.5, 85 1.8 and so on which do get a lot more expensive

Chances are you'll love the image quality and then you can go from there, but def need to know if you like primes

If you can swing the extra money take a look at the 85 1.8. Great lens for indoor (no flash) shots and tack sharp.

Broadway53 wrote in post #13725742
If you can swing the extra money take a look at the 85 1.8. Great lens for indoor (no flash) shots and tack sharp.

I agree fully. Had Nifty 50 and didn't like it. The IQ is great when and if you nail focus, the problem is it doesn't like to focus in dim light, and even in great light the focus is a bit slow. And the bokeh is nothing to write home about. Got the 85 and I love it, as sharp but much better focusing & bokeh.

Broadway53 wrote in post #13725742
If you can swing the extra money take a look at the 85 1.8. Great lens for indoor (no flash) shots and tack sharp.

the 85 on a crop body is not a good indoor prime, unless you want headshots.

the 50 is just pushing it. that said the 85 is a fantastic lens, unless you have tons of room you wont use it much.

you can get the nifty 50 try it out and sell it if you want a different length, i just sold one for $94 shipped on ebay, so you won be losing much if you plan to upgrade.

i wouldn't buy the 50mm off of ebay, unless you are buying used...even then you could probably get a better deal on the sell forum here...buy it from amazon, B&H, adorama...it'll probably set you back the same amount, and you'd have a warranty

Skul wrote in post #13708098
Unless you have a specific reason for the 50, I'm a bit puzzled.
I think the kit lens is already an 18-55.

50mm f1.8, and 50mm f5.6 is a huge difference...

Acetoolguy wrote in post #13707278
How would I narrow my search?

You have the 18-55, use it to see what focal length you would like to have as a prime.

Usually for "all purpose" you would want a lens with a focal length that is the normal focal length for the camera. This is where the focal length is approximately equal to the diagonal dimension of the image sensor. For an XSi, this is 28mm. Your kit lens has a dot on the focal length scale for this point. See if you like using this setting for most things. 50mm might be too zoomed in for you. Try it and see.

B&H, Adorama, Craigslist.

Your camera can use any Canon EF or EF-S lens.

For this price you can definitely get a Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 II. If you shop carefully, you can probably find a Canon EF 28mm f/2.8 for around $150 or slightly more. The 28/2.8 is Canon's second cheapest prime.

Given that the EF-S 18-55mm IS is f/4 at 28mm and f/4.5 at 29mm, the EF 28mm f/2.8 will let in more than twice as much light as the kit lens. The 18-55 is f/5.6 at 50mm so the 50mm f/1.8 II can let in 10x as much light. In both of those cases, you will gain some flexibility in picture taking to be able to trade off some depth of field for a faster shutter speed, or lower noise depending on your needs.

I would suggest a used Tamron 17-50 nonVC. You can get one for a good price, it will give you a nice wide range, and its a sharp lens. But if you're really trying to keep it under $150, then just get a 50 1.8 new for @$100.
Put your kit lens at @50mm, use gaffers tape (or and NON-residue leaving method such as a wide rubber band) to keep it at 50mm for a day or two to make sure you actually find the 50mm FL on a prime likeable. On crop bodies, it is a bit long.