Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 Mk ll lens

Author's Rating:

Pros: Sharp, light, cheap, wide aperture

Cons: Nothing of note at this price!

The Bottom Line: 
If you haven't got one, get one. It's worth it if you only use it once in 6 months but you'll use it a lot more!

Author's Review
This lens is often referred to by photographers as the 'Nifty Fifty' and is the lens EVERY SLR owner should have, in this case the Canon version.

Why? Well, it's simple: this is a 50mm 'standard' lens. Put it on a DSLR like a 400D/30D etc and it is an 80mm equivalent lens. That makes it perfect for portraits. To get that blurred background we all love for our portraits, you need to get the aperture wide open and with the f1.8 of this lens, you'll have wonderful softening right behind your main subject.

This lens is EXTREMELY light, the lightest lens Canon makes. It seems tiny when you are used to using chunky L series lenses but don't let that put you off. It is simplicity itself to use, light as a feather, lovely for low light yet is also lovely and sharp due to the fact it is a prime lens. It only has 5 elements in the entire lens so the image remains undiminished by refraction and so forth. You can use it at any aperture and expect sharp results.

The final and most obvious reason for purchase is the price: at about £65 it is so cheap it is ridiculous. It is worth sticking in a corner of your camera bag and just having it with you to use for those last few low light shots before heading home to enjoy the results of your day's shooting.