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Luisifer
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Registered: Jul 20, 2007
Location: Czech Republic
Posts: 75
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Review Date: Aug 31, 2007
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Recommend? yes |
Price paid: $110.00
| Rating: 9
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Pros:
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superb lens per price, image quality, low CA, good and nice bokeh
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Cons:
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nothing (because price exclude cons)
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Perfect lens for everithing. :-D
(you can experiment so much with this lens ... no mather whats happend because the new one is "for a kiss") :-)
I have very good experiences with lens + 68 mm extension tubes. It's funny work. :-) (you can have one's fling with it to much)
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 Aug 31, 2007
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Povilas
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Registered: Aug 23, 2007
Location: Lithuania
Posts: 2
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Review Date: Aug 23, 2007
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Recommend? yes |
Price paid: $115.00
| Rating: 10
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Pros:
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Good colours, f1.8, price, small&light
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Cons:
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CA at 1.8, focus sometimes, 50mm on crop - a bit too long
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If you are considering this lens, you have to buy it!
It is basically the same price as the 18-55 kit lens but is a completely different league.
First, it has aperture of 1.8, which in practice means that you can easily shoot indoor without any flash at ISO100! And this is accomplished buy having and aperture of 2.2, 2.8. In darker rooms you can use ISO 200/2.2-1.8 settings and still not need a flash.
Second, it has NICE colours. The colours are deep and the contrast is good.
Third, it is so cheap that no one would expect it to be a good lens. But it is.
Fourth, it is so small and light that you will love it from the firt time you touch it.
I have noticed only a couple of negative aspects of this lens. It has a noticable CA at aperture of 1.8. However, one rarely requires 1.8 and when one does he/she usually shoots in low light conditions, where CA is much less noticable.
Second is that if you shoot against the sun, it sometimes finds hard time to find a focus on a subject with AF. Sometimes you even can not focus with AF, need to use manual. But I have founs this problem only when I was experimenting on purpose. In regular shooting - never.
The last one is rather my choice then a problem, but it is obvious that on crop DSLR it it a little bit too long for indoor shooting. It is perfect for portraits though, but sometimes you need to include more than just faces and shoulders. In outdoor conditions it is again - perfect.
I can not do anything else that to put a clear 10 for this lens, because it is unbelievable what Canon has achieved for 115$.
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Aug 23, 2007
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Peter Chung
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Registered: Dec 31, 2006
Location: United States
Posts: 1
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Review Date: Aug 18, 2007
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Recommend? yes |
Price paid: $70.00
| Rating: 9
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Pros:
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Image quality, price, compact.
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Cons:
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A bit too long for indoors.
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Was my first lens. Sharp and easy to carry. Image quality is excellent. Also useful in low light 
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Aug 18, 2007
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Nick Muellerle
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Registered: Aug 13, 2007
Location: United States
Posts: 0
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Review Date: Aug 13, 2007
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Recommend? yes |
Price paid: $100.00
| Rating: 8
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Pros:
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price, bokeh, speed. (if you want to shoot sports indoors, f/ 1.8 is perfect.)
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Cons:
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build quality, feel, AF speed, minimum focus distance is a bit far.
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I am in a love-hate relationship with this lens. I love the ability to shoot fast-moving things indoors without having to resort to using the flash. I love the bokeh my lens produces. as far as taking photos is concerned, it's amazing.
but living with it is a struggle sometimes. I am not excessively hard with my lenses, I will admit that I live with them. they are going to get jostled, knocked around a little bit, and they are going to get used.
People will say this lens feels cheap. well, its 100 dollars, it IS cheap. and it shows. The plastic feels very low quality, and is prone to rattling. I've only had the lens 6 months, and the manual focus feels grainy and constrained, as though there were sand inside it. I honestly think the lens may in fact be falling apart. I know somehow, something has affixed itself to one of the inside elements, and it bothers me to look at it.
I know this lens is better than the kit lens. I know I'll get more use out of it, and I know I'll be able to use it in more places. but when I hold it, I think. this thing is a toy. it's a bit of a joke. it feels about as solid as a sushi roll.
by all means, buy the lens. it will never disappoint. but if you're like me, and want it for longer than a few years, buy an upgrade. I know I plan to.
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Aug 13, 2007
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bergie
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Registered: Aug 12, 2007
Location: United States
Posts: 2
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Review Date: Aug 12, 2007
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Recommend? yes |
Price paid: $80.00
| Rating: 9
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Pros:
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Not expensive
Good image results
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Cons:
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Cheap build (but expected)
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Since I've spent a lot of money between acquiring my 30D and the excellent 10-22, I couldn't afford the 70-200 I want (would prefer to wait until I can afford an IS version), so I decided to buy this for $80 and for the money, I can't see how I could be happier.
Yes, it's cheaply built, but at least I have something I can shoot in low light and stop action with. Plus with my 1.6 crop body, it's essentially an 80mm prime!
Here's a pic of my son in action taken with this lens:
http://www.pbase.com/bbergquist/image/83112092
Although I've not shot with the 1.4 version, the only difference I can tell between the two besides build quality and price is that it has better bokeh. Some may find the blur on this one to be more harsh, and it is, but I don't think it's so bad it stands out or ruins the picture. I'd rather save the $200 to go towards my 70-200 tele...
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Aug 12, 2007
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slang20034
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Registered: Jun 30, 2006
Location: Canada
Posts: 4
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Review Date: Aug 7, 2007
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Recommend? yes |
Price paid: Not Indicated
| Rating: 9
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Pros:
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Price, picture quality, size, weight
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Cons:
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Build quality
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I only have one thing to say regarding my thoughts on this lens. Two weeks ago I was in Banff, AB on a vacation. A quick slip and a trip, and my lens was in 10 pieces on the ground. Oops.
Within an 2 hours I had a brand new one in my hands, because this lens is a no brainer for the price and for the quality of shots that I get at my amature level.
Anyone starting out in photography needs to buy this lens. It is a great learning tool and can show you what you are capable of. My first priority after smashing it to bits was to get another one in my hands ASAP. It is almost disposable for the price. I also learned a great and cheap lesson on how not to treat lenses.
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Aug 7, 2007
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Perry Ge
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Registered: Jul 30, 2007
Location: N/A
Posts: 9
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Review Date: Jul 30, 2007
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Recommend? yes |
Price paid: $80.00
| Rating: 9
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Pros:
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Price! Sharp, light, fast.
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Cons:
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Build quality, noisy AF hunts in low light.
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There is no excuse not to own this lens (unless you have the 50mm f/1.4 or f/1.2L). I love it to death!
Fantastic image quality for this price, fast, light and sharp. On a 1.6x cropped sensor, focal length is 80mm (35mm equiv), making it an excellent portrait lens, particularly at f/1.8. Stop it down a bit and it's incredibly sharp.
Build quality is crap, and the AF is quite loud and hunts a little bit in low light, but what did you expect for this price?
Even at twice the price, this lens is still worth it. Unless you have money to blow on a 50mm with better build quality, this lens is a must-have.
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Jul 30, 2007
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nico_p
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Registered: Jul 15, 2007
Location: Angola
Posts: 67
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Review Date: Jul 16, 2007
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Recommend? yes |
Price paid: $75.00
| Rating: 9
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Pros:
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Affordable fast lens, lightweight, sharp, excellent portrait lens on a crop body (85mm equivalent).
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Cons:
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Build quality, slow AF, AF/MF switch looks fragile.
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I had never owned a prime and this cheap little thing made it possible.
It obviously looks very fragile, but on the other hand it's lightweight enough to be with you all the time. With a xT or xTi you end up with a great set up to shoot portraits. No bulk, no weight.
I have no experience with primes, so I was obviously blown away with the followings:
- fastness (1.8 allows for handeld shots in very, very, very low light with no flash)
- sharpness : close it down a bit and it's really sharp.
- creative possibilities : selective focus with back and foreground blur.
This is really an excellent starting point for one who is curious about photography but does not want to spend a lot of money on his first prime.
The AF obviously tends to hunt in low light, and the lens looks very fragile, but the prixe and image quality compensate for that in my opinion - at least for a beginner like me.
I think it's the ideal beginner "real lens". I think that zooms make you lazy and may inhibate your creativity. This lens will open up a new world and not only in low light conditions. On a 1.6 crop body this lens becomes a 85mm 1.8, which is ideal for portraits.
Obviously if you have money you'd better take a look at the 1.4 or 1.2 L, but for a beginner or a student this will work fine, and with a little care this lens should last for a little while.
I rate build quality at 1/10, price at 10/10 and overall rating is 9.
Here is one of the first portrait I shot with it:
http://www.gobages.net/gallery/3/grandfatherBW.jpg
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Jul 16, 2007
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stefan captijn
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Registered: Jul 11, 2007
Location: Netherlands
Posts: 40
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Review Date: Jul 11, 2007
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Recommend? yes |
Price paid: Not Indicated
| Rating: 9
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Pros:
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Great aparture, small and light. Easy for travel. Great portrait lens. For the price it is a no brainer!
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Cons:
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Some say the build quality is bad but honoustly, i have experienced this as a problem. Just treat it the way you would treat an expensive lens :-)
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At first i was a bit hesitant to go with a prime lens but when i came accross this puppy i decided to buy it right away. The price is very low, every Canon DSLR owner should have it.
I had to get used to not being able to zoom but now I find it even better, it forces you to really think about the result you want. It is a cool lens for indoor shooting and portraits.
Here is a shot i took last week, only thing i did to it is some cropping and greyscale conversion...
http://robincaptijn.web-log.nl/senna_piraat_grayscale_clean.jpg
You really need to have this lens!
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Jul 11, 2007
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Brian Mitchell
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Registered: Jun 7, 2007
Location: United States
Posts: 0
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Review Date: Jul 3, 2007
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Recommend? yes |
Price paid: $75.00
| Rating: 8
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Pros:
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Inexpensive, fast, good prime to start
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Cons:
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None for the price
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For an entry level 50mm lens, and selling for about $79 on Amazon, this lens can't be beat. Some representative pictures that I've taken:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/62641147@N00/sets/72157600394476350/
The key aspect of this lens is its flexibility. Flexible because it is light, so you'll take it everywhere in your bag, always ready to throw it on the camera when needed. And flexible because you can take pictures in very low light without a flash.. With the ISO turned up you can almost take pictures in the dark. You will see what I mean if you look at some of the above-linked pictures. Some of my best shots are there, and that is because this was the right lens at the right time.
If you already shoot with prime lenses, and are comfortable paying more, go for the f/1.4. I rented it once, and was impressed. It sells for under $300. But if you want to try out a great and almost equivalent lens, start out here. You need this lens.
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Jul 3, 2007
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Jim Gieber
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Registered: Jun 28, 2007
Location: Canada
Posts: 0
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Review Date: Jun 28, 2007
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Recommend? yes |
Price paid: Not Indicated
| Rating: 7
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Pros:
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Inexpensive, tack sharp above f5.6.
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Cons:
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AF is absolutely horrid in medium to low light, banging noise when in a hunting cycle feels like the poor little thing is about to explode.
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This lens is NOT fast and sharp, wide open it's way to soft for crops. Above f5.6 it's sharp as a tack, but it ain't so fast anymore!!! Medium and low light the AF is almost unuseable, and am considering keeping it on MF, when this poor little thing hunts...it feels like it's gonna tear itself apart!! IQ is awesome (stopped down several times). For the price, I really shouldn't complain...I enjoy the fact that I can finally take some decent night shots, these I really don't mind being soft.
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Jun 28, 2007
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StewartChao
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Registered: Apr 12, 2007
Location: Canada
Posts: 0
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Review Date: Jun 26, 2007
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Recommend? yes |
Price paid: $100.00
| Rating: 9
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Pros:
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Great IQ. Low cost. Excellent for portraits on 1.6X crop.
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Cons:
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Slow AF. Hunts in low-light. Not sharp wide open.
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Jun 26, 2007
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Chris J
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Registered: Jun 21, 2007
Location: United States
Posts: 0
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Review Date: Jun 21, 2007
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Recommend? yes |
Price paid: $79.95
| Rating: 10
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Pros:
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price, image quality
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Cons:
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concerned about durabilty
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Based on several recommendations here and elsewhere, passed on the kit lens for my new XTi, bought the 1.8 and borrowed a 70-300 from my brother in law while I figured out how to use us the Canon (my first "good" camera).
Couldn't be more pleased with the images from this little gem. Images seem sharp and color appears accurate.
Best of all, it makes the XTi in full auto about as simple to use as our old point & shoots so my wife does not get frustrated trying to catch a moment with the kids during the day while I'm at the office. Taught her to use the "foot zoom" (step forward or back) and & she's snapping good stuff all the time. Well worth it.
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Jun 21, 2007
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martinsmith
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Registered: May 17, 2007
Location: United Kingdom
Posts: 3
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Review Date: Jun 21, 2007
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Recommend? yes |
Price paid: Not Indicated
| Rating: 9
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Pros:
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Price, image quality, bokeh
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Cons:
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Only that there aren't more versions with different focal lengths
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I bought this lens shortly after my 70-200 L F/4, so I had high expectations from this lens. I wasn't disapointed.
The image quality is fantastic and very close to my L lens. My version is sharp even wide open. AF speed & noise which some have commented on are really not that bad. Yes it's built from plastic but as it's so light, this won't be an issue for me. If you throw the thing around it may break, but if you look after it I can't see this being an issue.
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Jun 21, 2007
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tom s
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Registered: Jun 3, 2007
Location: Croatia
Posts: 158
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Review Date: Jun 18, 2007
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Recommend? yes |
Price paid: Not Indicated
| Rating: 10
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Pros:
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sharp, inexpensive, nice bokeh between f/1.8 and f/2, good colour and contrast, it focuses close (40cm)
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Cons:
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no USM, hunts in low light/contrast situations, average bokeh between f/2.2 and f/5.6, plain looks
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Jun 18, 2007
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tightwadhill
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Registered: Jun 13, 2007
Location: United States
Posts: 1
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Review Date: Jun 15, 2007
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Recommend? yes |
Price paid: $70.00
| Rating: 9
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Pros:
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Price to performance ratio is tough to beat. This little guy takes great pictures, and is a good stepping stone lens for new photographers.
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Cons:
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Cheap build, but I'll take it if it means I can get this lens for a mere $70.
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There's no excuse to *not* own this lens. Unless perhaps you've stepped up to the 1.4 or 1.2. This one's great fun to play with and, for those of us new to the art, to learn with. It has its flaws, but for $70, you can't ask for TOO much!
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Jun 15, 2007
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Reviews
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Views
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Date of last review
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344
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517887
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Apr 17, 2013
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Recommended By
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Average Price
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94% of reviewers
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$128.35
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Build Quality Rating
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Price Rating
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Overall Rating
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5.89
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9.55
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8.6
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