EF 50mm 1.8 II

nkg · Posted: Thu 01 Dec, 2005 12:06 pm Subject: EF 50mm 1.8 II

The 50mm 1.8 mark II is the successor to the original EF 50mm 1.8, and is basically a cheaper version of the lens with the same optics but inferior everything else.

So, although it still offers nice sharp contrasty images, it is a bit less fun to use as it lacks a distance scale, has a plastic versus steel lens mount, has a less convenient filter mount and is a bit more fragile.

Whether this matters or not depends of course on your priorities. Since the long-discontinued mark I is more desirable it actually commands a higher price used than its current mark II brother. But both types of lens can be used to take great photos, and both are excellent for low-light photography. The 50mm focal length is also just long enough to be a convenient portrait lens when used on a 1.6x crop factor digital SLR. (similar field of view to an 80mm lens)

If you can't afford a fancy pro lens but want to improve the quality of your pictures you should definitely invest in one of these lenses. They may be less convenient than a zoom lens, but they offer excellent picture quality.

spluurfg · Joined: 21 Nov 2006 Posts: 107 Location: London

What can I say? It's sharp, light, compact, cheap, and at f1.8 on a high ISO it can practically see in the dark.

At $75 though, the build quality sucks. It feels worse than the kit lens.

Unless you have a faster prime in a similar zoom range, you might as well buy one -- it'll come in handy one day when it's dark.

Nick Roberts · Joined: 28 Nov 2006 Posts: 13

My first one of these fell apart when trying to take a shot of a timber rattlesnake in the White Mountains. The excitement was too much for it! I managed to repair it as manual-focus only, and it still works now. My second I bought second-hand, and despite being the worst-built lens I have ever owned, still functions perfectly. AF is noisy, but it's respectably sharp and frankly a bargain for the money. I don't use mine any more - I've added the f1.4 and f2.5 Compact Macro - but it's still recommended.

eos4all · Joined: 23 Sep 2005 Posts: 5 Location: Idaho

The build quality is a product of the cost of the lens - give me a plastic mount and lesser build quality all day if you can get me into an optically superior lens for under $100 - and that is what Canon has done. If this lens cost $350 then you could whine and moan about the build quality.

It's the GLASS inside that matter folks and that is where the Mk II shines!