Canon 50mm F/1.8 II

Hey all,

I have been eyeing this lens since I got my XT. I've read all the reviews positive about it, but would like to hear some user reviews. I searched for it but not much came up.

How would people compare it to the kit lens? (18-55mm)

i guess the mk1 is worth the money.

it's got a metal mount and a proper focusing ring.

Tons better than the kit.

It's too cheap and too awesome not to own. Buy it NOW.

You can find it used for ~70 bucks on the classified forums here or FM...it will be a nice intro to primes for you...it was for me! I fell in love with them and just bought my second a few days ago, the 85mm 1.8. Also a great lens!

Hopefully you'll pick it up soon and post some first shots with it!

i love it. my fave lens to date

Totally worth it. It stays on my personal camera permanently.

I guess I am in the minority that didn't love it. Mine had to be stopped down some before it was sharp. Throw in the cheap build, spotty AF, and ugly bokeh and I sold mine. Of course for the money, you won't find a faster lens. I can't compare it to the kit, as I have never owned it. It's so cheap, though, it won't cost you much to try it. If you don't like it, you can sell it here without much loss.

Ah, the nifty fifty? Ha, I bought this lens before I even bought a camera!

Great deal, and it's a perfect bang-for-the-buck to be introduced to the world of primes lenses.

Not to be a jerk but I don't see how you searched and couldn't find anything on this lens.

Really sharp but harsh bokeh... feels like a toy. I tried it for a day and mailed it back. The 1.4 looks rather tempting to me though.

I use it a lot on the 5D, on the XT it is a bit narrow for my liking, but still good for portraits, and some macro work (not close macro, but 45cm working distance).

Why dont you set your kit lens to 50mm and try using that for a day or 2 and see if you'd like to have that focal length in a prime lens. If it works for you, then you'll like the 50mm 1.8 focal length. Bokeh is a bit harsh as others have already mentioned.

The lack of a distance scale is a bit annoying, but I made my own, and it works pretty well.
I got that advise here:
http://www.adidap.com …he-canon-ef-50mm-18-mkii/

Andrew

Great pictures, agree about the shap bokeh, not the best build quality, but it`s not expensive, get one !! Regards Damian.

50mm f1.8 II is just like a walk in the park

have it, use it, love it

the bokeh IS harsh, but sometimes....sometimes
thats not the worst thing

tmonatr wrote in post #6097658
I guess I am in the minority that didn't love it. Mine had to be stopped down some before it was sharp. Throw in the cheap build, spotty AF, and ugly bokeh and I sold mine. Of course for the money, you won't find a faster lens. I can't compare it to the kit, as I have never owned it. It's so cheap, though, it won't cost you much to try it. If you don't like it, you can sell it here without much loss.

EF 50mm 1.8 II @ 1.8

Cheap, good images (esp B&W), fast aperture. I like the bokeh on it. Okay the build quality & lens mount are plastic and the AF is noisey, but I want it for image quality not for listing to the focus motor or playing ping-pong. If you're a pro the latter may be a factor, if not don't worry. The other option is the Canon or Sigma 50 1.4s, but they have their own problems and cost 4 or 5x as much.

Great to use with extension tubes for macro too!