Canon EF 50mm f/1.4 USM Lens - An affordable standard prime lens with a fast aperture, suited to any field of photography.

The Canon EF 50mm f/1.4 USM is a lens that delivers impressive results at a price point accessible to most photographers. It arrived securely packaged, and the build quality feels solid without being heavy — a great balance for both casual outings and professional use.Optically, this lens produces sharp images with beautiful color rendering. The f/1.4 aperture is especially useful in low-light situations and creates a pleasing background blur for portraits. Autofocus is quick and generally accurate, though not completely silent; for video shooters, this is worth keeping in mind.What stands out most is its versatility: it works just as well for portraits as it does for street, travel, or even product photography. While it doesn’t have the weather sealing or ruggedness of higher-end Canon lenses, it more than makes up for it in performance-to-price ratio.Overall, this is an outstanding choice for anyone looking to expand their kit with a fast prime lens without breaking the bank. Highly recommended.

As a keen photography enthusiast i have decided to take a plunge and upgrade my old Sony a200 system (that i couldn't get on with) to a canon 7d - the first mistake i have made was buying expensive body and not having the funds to buy a decent lens. I love photographing people so i thouht a prime lens will be the best choice for me (this is a fixed focal lens ) 50mm lens can basically mimic the perspective seen by the human eye . i felt that this will be the best choice .Also prime lens made me more creative , as i hadn't had the opportunity to just zoom in if i wanted to.I had to move around and try viewing subject from different angles.when the lens arrived i was surprised by the toy feel - its all made of plastic (besides optics) - it felt cheap like it will brake any minute ,there iwasnt any pouch with this lens .just an instruction manual .The lens is very light ( 130g ) and small (2.7" x 1.6"/68.2mm x 41.0mm - WxL ) - it is also a canon smallest lens on the market . before i have decided to review it i thought i will use it for a bit (i have used it for over a year ) .I was a bit doubtful if constant lens change could affect plastic lens mount in any way - but it didn't .On the lens itself there is only one switch AF/MF (Auto focus and manual focus ). Autofocus is driven by a micro motor - that is pretty fast. With a minimum focus distance of 1.5' lens can deliver some good images.My first test shots look terrible , the lens flare that was on the images looked pretty bad and affected the overall quality . Lens flare is created when forming light enters the lens and subsequently hits the camera's digital sensor. I have decided then to buy lens hood and filter (to reduce glare) and try again. i would strongly recommend buying lens hood (ES-62 ) that includes the Hood adapter that threads onto the lens - the hood then attaches to the adapter by pinching two latchesWith everything in place i decided to do a few test shots again on few different light situations and f settings (aperture size are often referred as a f settings .The aperture size determines the depth of field, or zone of sharp focus, that surrounds your subject the smaller the f i.e. f/1.8 - the shallower the depth of field is ). i love the way my images came out - sharp where i wanted them to be , and colours where fantastic .focus worked well on a 4 year old who run around the park like a tornado and because lens is very light i was able to take some decent shots handheld , without the discomfort, or a lense shake..The strongest quality of this lens is sharpness - it produces fantastic pictures , i can honestly say that its sharpest at f/2.8 and beyond on f1.8 it performs also good but not as sharp if the camera is hand held .All depends what you want to shoot . i tend to shot people at f/5.6 (but this depends how much of the subject i want to stay sharp) and landscape at f/8 - as i find this my safe zone , and i know images will come out decent.Autofocus is pretty fast when shooting moving objects ,it focuses quickly witch is handy when shooting kids (that just don't sit still ... ) or fast moving objects .Lens its very good in limited light conditions ( in the house ) - but only if you shooting on wider aperture (smaller f number) .- most of portraits are shot in low light condition and all of them are shot using this lensanother good factor was the lens size and weight -it is very easy to carry around , despite being plastic it is also very robust ,and it can take some serious banging. Just imagine me trying to strap screaming 4 year old into a booster seat with camera still hanging on my neck - it usually bash straight into car paintwork (that did chip)I have grown to love this lens in fact this is the lens and i use in 98% of my images as the lens is very portable and light , so its easier to take hand-held shots without minimal camera shake.most of the new dlsr's on the market come with a standard kit lens either 18-55 or 17-85 . so if you are looking for a nice addition to your camera i can highly recommend buying this lens despite it plastic look , its a very nifty lens with fantastic price tag. , and as i mentioned earlier i would recommend purchasing lens hood and possibly a UV filter ."please bare in mind that im Polish - and English is not my strongest point but i try my best to give as honest review based on my own experience , and i know my grammar is terrible . "

Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 II LensPros: Clear, Crisp, Bokka, Light, CheapCons: Delicate, If you like Zoom this isn't for you.I've always had a passion for photography but I've never had the bank balance to back it up. I'm always the person hunting for second hand equipment to bolster my collection but always look on longingly at my close friends uber expensive toys.I then found myself with a few extra pennies one month, and rather than donating it to the family for a change, I decided to treat myself to a new gadget. I hunted around the forums and reviews for the best bang for buck that I could get from my spare cash.One things that kept popping up was the Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 II Lens or better known as the "Nifty Fifty". This Lens is a prime lens that fixes to the front of the camera and thats it. There is NO zoom functionality, it literally is one piece of stationary glass.Now when I thought about buying this, I was a little worried (naive) that I could get great pictures from a single focal length. How wrong I was.I took the plunge and very shortly after I had my brand new shiny lens. Within minutes of fixing it to the camera I was off and about relearning my photography craft and being forced to get active and frame my shots properly, rather than stand from a distance and play with a zoom.The sharpness of the pictures is incredible at the right aperture, producing some amazing portrait shots. It also allows me to produce a beautiful faded look around my subject when reaching into the wider apertures. Although be warned that if you head down to F/1.8 for portraits, you will end up with a sharp nose and faded face for example.I have also had fun exploring the world of Bokka using this lens, setting the aperture wide and taking pictures with lights in the background.With all the positives there are slight downsides as well.The main one being that for the price of the glass there are compromises. The casing of the Lens is made of plastic which from a weight perspective could be seen as a good thing. You will have to be extra careful though as it does feel like it is a lot more delicate than its metal brothers such as the EF 50mm F/1.4 for example.The only other negative is sometimes the auto focus can be a bit lethargic compared to my kit lens for example and it will sometimes auto focus on everything but the subject of the photo. And if i'm using a Tripod for long exposures I tend to use manual focus to get it just right.Overall, my experience with the Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 II Lens was positive. I really enjoy just fitting the lens and heading out for random walks and excursions to see what images I can get out of the little thing. For the money I paid, it has been extraordinary value. I just wish there were more lens like gifts out there for such a small amount of money so that us small time photography enthusiasts with the small time wages can play with new and bigger toys, But my experience with this Lens has really helped my camera craft and that is something money really cant buy.Verdict: I would highly recommend anyone with a Canon on the look out for a new lens who hasn't got one of these. BUY IT.