Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 II Lens

As lenses go the 50mm EF f/1.8 is built like it came out of a toy store. It rattles. It's very plasticky and it is prone to letting in dust and flecks of debris.

HOWEVER.

It is one of the lightest lenses you can buy and the cost is very reasonable for what you get from the optics. The dust does not appear to affect the actual images and I saw no sign of dust spots or other problems in my photos.
The photos themselves are excellent when given good light and are very sharp, especially when you get to f/2.8 upwards.

This lens really shines when you want a nice soft bokeh. It's also very good in low light although you will have to factor in shutter speed to make sure you don't get any shake. The biggest problem with shooting in low light is the AF which on my 450D is quite sluggish and very often gets it wrong if there is not enough contrast in the subject. Manually focusing is sometimes required to get it right.
A few times I could not get a focus lock and then the camera became unresponsive and I had to point it elsewhere and hit the shutter button to bring it back to life.

Other than these foibles this is a fun camera. Especially if the light is good.

For the price you cannot expect much but the lenses make up for poor build quality and other issues.

This lens is a must for any kitbag. The build quality does reflect the price however optically its fantastic with an aperture of 1.8 low light conditions become that bit easier. Depth of field and sharpness are also fantastic with a surprisingly good BOKEH. Advised to all.

Fitted to my Eos 400D digital camera the 50mm lens becomes a short telephoto (80mm) lens and is perfect for portraits (the reason I bought the lens). In addition, the f1.8 setting throws backgrounds out of focus emphasising the portrait further as well as being ideal for low light environments. As far as I can see, on the photos that I have taken, the lens also gives fantastic detail. All in all this lens has exceded my expectations and for the price, everyone should own one!

I can't have enough praise for this little lens. It takes extremely sharp pictures and is very fast. It's best used in close up's when sat around a table or at parties and is brill in low light. Value for money! Buy one you won't be disappointed and if you are you've only lost £60 but you won't be.

Quick to despatch item.
Very well packaged.
I could have bought exactly the same lens in the UK but it would have cost another £25 pounds.
I will use this seller again.

This is a real value for money prime lens and although very 'plasticky' it does a good job and the images are pin sharp and contrasty. Good for low light situations with its f1.8 max aperture.

I would recommend anybody to buy this lens, at 50mm it's just about what the eye sees and it is so superior to the 18-55 kit lens.

Superb lens. Can't go wrong with this - sharp and wonderful in not so great lighting conditions! Highly recommended. The 1.2 lens was a bit out of my reach and this is just a perfect compromise!

Size: 68.2mm x 41.0mm
Weight: 130g

*** Note this is a basic guide, no specific advanced info given ***

This lens is superb for especially aspiring photographers who would like to improve their low light photography. However, just because it has a maximum f stop of 1.8 doesn't mean its perfect.

One of the main cons (in my opinion) of this lens is that at f/1.8 the picture is quite blurry. So unless its (the camera) is mounted on a tripod or monopod, I personally found it reasonably to use f/2.8.

It doesn't have Image stabilization, so sharpness isn't easily obtained at a low shutter speed and at f/1.8 - f/5.6

This lens has a very plastic feel. Also the lightness of the lens is quite odd and anyway you get for what you paid for right? Material wise, probably so, however the potentiality of this lens is extraordinary.

Research photos taken with this lens and you see yourselves ;)

I suggest that with this lens, if you decide to buy a UV filter (especially that) you wouldn't resort to the very cheap ones. Why? If operated at low light, flares and other flaws would be observed at greater effect.

I also do recommend a lens hood for this lens (ES-62 Lens Hood) since it operates on low light, can eliminate unwanted extra light, however it would also darken the picture so you give it a shot.

I would suggest you try taking photos using 50mm as the focal range without changing, it can be quite irritating till you get used to it (talking from personal experience haha)

Loved it ...
The transaction between myself and the seller was easy ... as it should be ...
good communication on both sides ...
Item was as stated ...
quick prompt delivery ....FANTASTIC !!

this lens is great for portrait shots, large appeture ensures decent amount of background blur to make photos look how the human eye perceives the view. The lens isn't perfect with annoying autofocus,(only using the middle autofocus point of 11 on my canon 30d) its made of plastic and dust easily makes its way inside. For the price and the kind of photos you can take this lens is simply a must buy for the artistic causual photographer with a small budget, it is easily takes the best portrait shots for the money you spend.