Want to buy a nifty fifty f/1.8...should I really be concerned with its build quality

Mine jumped out of the back seat of my truck and onto pavement... it became 2 pieces...

my friend had his mounted to his camera... camera hanging at his neck... someone walked by and tripped, momentum carried him into my friend, and in the process managed to impact the camera somehow... there didn't appear to be any problems, my friend was able to shoot, focus was ok, etc... but about an hour later, the front element part of it just fell out...

It's a good little lens, you can't do better for the $$... but gravity is a terrible enemy to have...

I've had mine for 3+ years and still going...

Mine's built like a rock. I've dropped it so many times...well, my old one. I sold it cause I didn't use it much. My new one I haven't dropped as much but yeah, surprisingly robust.

SMP_Homer wrote in post #8538709
It's a good little lens, you can't do better for the $$... but gravity is a terrible enemy to have...

That is true for any lens. At least the 50 has a mass advantage when hitting the pavement. I can't imagine the sickening thud from dropping a white L lens from a few feet.

All these 50mm breaking stories seem to have 1 thing in common, though, accidents or carelessness. That can kill even the most expensive and robust gear as well.

Should you worry? In a word, no. Should you get it? In a word, oh baby hell yea. If you can best some of the images in the nifty archive with any other lens at that price, I will personally give you one zillion dollaz.

Its awesome for colours and sharpness. It sure doesn't have the perfect feel of an expesnive lens. It also doesn't fall apart from general use (and abuse).

Put simply it won't break if you don't break it.

I think there should be some kinda archive for comments about the 50/1.8. Concerns with build quality when spending $80. should be up there. My favorite to date is: "My 50/1.8 is tack sharp wide open."

I would worry more about the softness at 1.8 and poor AF system, but theses go hand and hand with poor build and cheapness. Not bad in good light and 5.6, but so was my 55-200mm Tamron.

Mine spit in half no NO REASON after owning it for two weeks. After sending it back to Canon, it was returned with no issues at all. I love that lens.

Build quality is fine like other consumer lens. Very sharp optics

You hit the nail on the head, folks have dropped their 500 f/4 Ls from a couple of feet and destroyed a lens worth many thousands of dollars, you wont do that with the "thrifty fifty"

It is the best value lens that Canon makes

Thanks guys...just placed my order las night...I'm very careful with my things so I don't think I'll have an issue taking care of this. Now the hard part...waiting for it!

gasrocks wrote in post #8539106
I think there should be some kinda archive for comments about the 50/1.8. Concerns with build quality when spending $80. should be up there. My favorite to date is: "My 50/1.8 is tack sharp wide open."

??

The 50 f/1.8 is sharp wide open if you get a good copy

Here's mine at f/1.8, focus is on the glasses frame (this is a high ISO SOOC JPG with no sharpening on a 40D iirc, not even RAW with sharpening)

SMP_Homer wrote in post #8538709
Mine jumped out of the back seat of my truck and onto pavement... it became 2 pieces...

The good news with this lens is that it is easily fixed when it becomes two pieces. You just have to superglue the plastic hooks back, then snap the two halves back together

tkbslc wrote in post #8538961
That is true for any lens. At least the 50 has a mass advantage when hitting the pavement. I can't imagine the sickening thud from dropping a white L lens from a few feet.

I never dropped a L on anything (knock on wood)
but a friend was changing from his 24-70 to 70-200 one night, and for reasons unknown to me, he thought that she slightly sloping hood of my truck was a good place to set the 70-200. I was on the other side of the truck, didn't see any of what happened, but I heard the thump of the lens hitting the pavement. I didn't hear a 2nd noise (so possibly didn't bounce much) and didn't hear any other breaking noises. I did hear a 'oh sh!t' though. Lens is still fine. Focus, zoom, IS, all seems ok. There are a couple of battle scars on the side of the lens now though.
Even though I didn't see it, the sound that a red ring makes when hitting the pavement fills your head with images of what happened. Very quickly.