Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 II for EOS

I bought this lens to complement the kit lens that came with the EOS400D. Having been disappointed with the image quality of the kit lens, the sharpness and clarity of images produced with the 50mm f1.8 lens is streets ahead as it should be. The large aperture of f1.8 allows low light hand held photography even at ISO100. The autofocus is very quick, responsive and more importantly its far more accurate than the kit lens. Of course, using this lens on the 400D means its equivalent focal length is around 75mm which makes it a great option for portraits.

The fastest lens I now own, affordable, great picture quality. Shame about the plastic mount, but if and when I need to replace it, it won't cost much to do so. A useful addition to the bag, everyone should get one.

Great little lens produces sharp images & fast in operation.
Ideal for head & shoulders portraits on a x1.6 digital EOS Canon camera.
Good value for your money.

Crisp images, very fast, good for action-stopping! One of the favorite!
Not as good as the EF 50mm f/1.4, but very good value for money. Light and sturdy!

My attention was drawn to this lens by a discussion thread on the Flickr photo website (a wonderful site - check it out!). Many Flickr members were enthusing about the lens and, it being remarkably cheap, I decided to give it a go.
A word of warning, don't do as I did and buy an FD lens, rather than the EF. FD is for 35mm cameras and won't fit a digital.
I managed to sell on my mistake and got it right second try. I'm very glad I persevered. This is a "prime lens", ie one of fixed focal length. This means it is a comparatively simple piece of equipment and cheap to produce. The quality of the glass and speed of the lens however are first rate. I now use this as my default lens, it is on my camera at all times unless I have specific need of something else. I am a relative newcomer to photography so won't go into the technical stuff. Suffice it to say that image quality is head and shoulders above that offered my the standard 18-55 kit lens that Canon offer and is the perfect first buy when you feel the need for a second lens.