Would it be worth it to pick up a Canon 50mm f/ 1.8 II

I just purchased a Canon 60D with a Canon EF-S 18-200mm f/ 3.4-5.6 IS. Would it be good for me to purchase a Canon 50mm 1.8 f/ 1.8 II lens? What benefits are there to having the 50mm f/ 1.8 in addition to the kit lens that I will have? It is going on Amazon for about $118 right now.

Thanks!

Yes! This will be a no guilt purchase.

cheap way of getting into fast primes and constant aperture. The 50 1.8 was my first fast prime and I liked it so much I sold all my zooms and replaced them all with primes.
The 1.8 will allow you to shoot with very shallow depth of field allowing you to be more creative in your shots. It will also allow you to shoot in lower light than what your current lenses allow you to...

Great prime lens you can't go wrong with it. $120.00 plus shipping and you will be a happy camper.

If you use that focal length often yes. I bought one and used it about twice before selling it to my friend.

It is a lens which you will be able to use in available light conditions. At a bit over a hundred bucks it is really a great value. I have the Mark-I model which has a metal mount and a distance scale. It is quite a sharp lens and the Mark-II is every bit as sharp.

To tell you the truth, I seldom use mine anymore since I got my 17-55mm f/2.8 IS lens which I like better for available light shooting...

Wow, thank you for all of the replies! I guess I will be purchasing this lens . I would try to get another lens such as a f/ 2.8 but they are all a little pricey and after purchasing the camera I need to wait for another large purchase... Could not believe that this lens is only $120. Again, thank you, I really appreciate all the input.

Any idea on which lens hood is best for this lens?

I recently purchased a nifty-fifty. Took it to the San Diego Zoo, used this lens exclusively and was quite surprised with the results. As a beginner, I say get one, I think you'll use it a lot.

I think the hood is es62

I also agree with the others, it is a very good lens in low light and cheap enough to keep even if you don't use it all that much. But when you need it, its great.

yes get it benefits razor sharp and great for low light

I believe most people will get far more benefit from a 430 EX II flash than the 50 f/1.8... But it costs a good bit more, so it isn't as easy a decision to make.

Ratjack wrote in post #14316549
Any idea on which lens hood is best for this lens?

I had the ES62 but I'm swapping it for a rubber hood. I was worried that if I ever banged it with the ES62 on, the lens would break rather than the hood. Besides which, the ES62 is 1/4 of the price of the lens (or closer to 1/3 for me as I got the lens for $100).

I guess I'll be the voice of decent. I am not a fan of the f/1.8 at all. Sure it can take a decent image and it's one of the lowest cost lenses out there, but there is a reason for that. It is built to fall apart, the AF accuracy is a crap shoot at best, and it's snail slow when it does focus. Also, in low light when you want to use it it has a tendency to hunt. I would save for at least the f/1.4

Ratjack wrote in post #14316399
I just purchased a Canon 60D with a Canon EF-S 18-200mm f/ 3.4-5.6 IS. Would it be good for me to purchase a Canon 50mm 1.8 f/ 1.8 II lens? What benefits are there to having the 50mm f/ 1.8 in addition to the kit lens that I will have? It is going on Amazon for about $118 right now.
Thanks!

the 50mm 1.8 is good for portraits and low light but indoors many prefer a wider focal length (28mm, 35mm, etc.)
get it if you don't have any other large aperture primes

I would highly recommend the lens. You can get some really great photos out of the lens.