The Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 II Autofocus Lens is a lightweight lens at a mere 4.6 oz (113.5 g). This compact and high-performance, standard lens features Gaussian optics that provide sharp delineation from near to far focusing distances. The color balance is excellent for a standard lens.
| Performance | |
|---|---|
| Focal Length | 50 mm |
| Aperture |
Maximum: f/1.8 Minimum: f/22 |
| Camera Mount Type | Canon EF |
| Format Compatibility |
35mm Film / Full-Frame Digital Sensor Canon (APS-C) |
| Angle of View | 46° |
| Minimum Focus Distance | 1.5' (45 cm) |
| Magnification | 0.15x |
| Maximum Reproduction Ratio | 1:6.6 |
| Groups/Elements | 5/6 |
| Diaphragm Blades | 5 |
| Features | |
|---|---|
| Image Stabilization | No |
| Autofocus | Yes |
| Tripod Collar | No |
| Physical | |
|---|---|
| Filter Thread | 52 mm |
| Dimensions (DxL) | Approx. 2.7 x 1.6" (6.86 x 4.06 cm) |
| Weight | 4.6 oz (130 g) |
REVIEW SNAPSHOT®
by PowerReviewsPros
Cons
Best Uses
Most Liked Positive Review
Must buy for all beginners
Recently bought a T3i that came with the 18-55mm kit lens. I read a lot of reviews and decided I needed a nifty Fifty. it was well worth it. I use my 50mm...Read complete review
Recently bought a T3i that came with the 18-55mm kit lens. I read a lot of reviews and decided I needed a nifty Fifty. it was well worth it. I use my 50mm now more than the kit lens. the bokeh(background blur) is amazing, and the speed of this thing is awesome.At f/1.8 you won't miss a shot again.This lens is incredibly fast compared to the kit lens. I never knew what I was missing till I bought this.And for around 100 bucks it's a nice addition to your lens collection. It's almost a necessity, almost ever photographer owns a nifty fifty.Be aware when buying this, you will not be able to zoom at all, I own both kit lens,the 18-55mm as well as the 55-250mm telephoto. But out of those, the 50mm is on my camera 90% of the time. The photos are that great! It takes excellent portraits.Some of the more professionals around here may complain about this lens, fair enough. but if your just starting out, and like me, came from a point & shoot to this, you will find this lens more than adequate. I review my shots and see nothing wrong with them, in fact family and friends have asked me to get some prints for them.As for the plastic casing, I don't find it all that bad, after all, aren't most of our cameras made of plastic? I'm not taking photos with it in a warzone, so as long as you treat it properly it will be fine.It's a worthy investment,you'll love the photos you get with it, so buy it now!
VS
Most Liked Negative Review
Hit 'n' miss
I'm gonna average my rating between the 2 lenses that I got. I know that it's a QC issue, but hey, that's what the average star rating is for.The first one has serious front...Read complete review
I'm gonna average my rating between the 2 lenses that I got. I know that it's a QC issue, but hey, that's what the average star rating is for.The first one has serious front element play, and that makes AF totally unusable (think 9/10 shots out of focus at f/2.8).Returned that one. The 2nd one I got was amazing. On a 600D crop body, sharpness is consistently good from edge to edge. Pentagonal bokeh is not very nice, but the wide aperture allows for custom-shaped bokeh, so not really an issue.The real problem is the almost unusable manual focus ring. Even though this lens doesn't have the front-element play anymore, AF is spotty at wide aperture. Forget about focus-recompose. Your best bet is to use live view, zoom in, then AF.Not the best-built lens out there, but hey, for $ you get high-quality glass. If you're thinking of upgrading from the 18-55 kit lens, besides a longer tele-zoom, this is seriously to be considered. If you're on a tight budget but want to upgrade from kit lens, no reason not to get this one.
REVIEWS
Reviewed by 4049 customers
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Pros
Cons
Best Uses
Comments about Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 II Autofocus Lens:
So happy with this purchase. Went with this lens instead of a kit lens and am very pleased. It is light, its very fast and gives you a lot of flexibility. And at a great price.
Pros
Cons
Best Uses
Comments about Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 II Autofocus Lens:
I have used in recently in doing team shoots as well as seniors..small and light. It is slower than some of my other lens..but for the price you can't beat it and the images are awesome.
Pros
Cons
Best Uses
Comments about Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 II Autofocus Lens:
I like this lense. I am a beginner and I love it. I like the awesome depth of field. The only thing I am trying to get used to is the fact that I cant zoom in and sometimes it has trouble focusing if you are too close and there is too much going on. I am sure is because I am a beginner. I like how my photos have turned out =)
Pros
Cons
Best Uses
Comments about Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 II Autofocus Lens:
I took pictures at a birthday party with this lens and really thought it did a good job. I was outside at 8 p.m. and had no trouble at all.
Pros
Cons
Best Uses
Comments about Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 II Autofocus Lens:
Once I started using this lens, I never took it off my DSLR. It's fantastic in low light; I rarely need to use a flash except for fill-flash, and I get beautiful, crystal-clear pictures. I've borrowed L lenses from pro friends, and when I'm using this one, I feel like I've got professional glass on my camera. Yet it's affordable.Indoors sometimes you have to back up to get everything in the frame, but that's just how a 50mm fixed lens works. I've always been able to work around it.The lens isn't indestructible -- I'm on my third, but that's only because the first two broke when my camera fell from significant heights. (We have a toddler...) But it's pretty sturdy, and so good I'll keep buying them as long as I have to.
Pros
Cons
Best Uses
Comments about Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 II Autofocus Lens:
Great
Pros
Cons
Best Uses
Comments about Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 II Autofocus Lens:
I am not a professional, but this lens is excellent! I have heard more seasoned photographers express concern about slow and noisy AF, but in my experience it focuses just fine. I do notice it is a bit louder when focusing compared to the other lens I have, overall the noise is not an issue. My wife and I recently had a baby, so it does great to capture details. By far, my favorite part about this lens is its unbelievable ability to take sharp pictures in low light without the need for a flash. Last and certainly not least, the price point on this lens through B&H is unbeatable.
Pros
Cons
Best Uses
Comments about Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 II Autofocus Lens:
For weddings and casual small and Nice. Plasticy
Pros
Cons
Best Uses
Comments about Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 II Autofocus Lens:
This lens is a perfect little lens for many uses! With my Canon T2i, it makes a fabulous portrait lens. The shallow depth of field also makes it wonderful for closeups of flowers. It also forces the photographer to carefully frame out the shot by moving into position instead of depending on the zoom. In my opinion, this lens should be in every camera bag. I use it all the time.
Pros
Cons
Best Uses
Comments about Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 II Autofocus Lens:
The photos look very crisp. The lens is incredibly light.
Pros
Cons
Best Uses
Comments about Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 II Autofocus Lens:
Use this with a Canon T3i for videography. Obviously this is no L lens but for what it costs it's an incredible value. The optics aren't as bad as you might think, it's mainly the build quality that makes this so cheap. Fast lens, pretty sharp (around f 5.6 is the sharpest), and twentieth the price of some of Canon's nicer lenses.
Pros
Cons
Best Uses
Comments about Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 II Autofocus Lens:
Haven't used a 50 mm in years. Great little lens that forces me to move-to-compose rather than zoom back and forth 18-55. Makes me invest more in the shot. Love it.
Pros
Cons
Best Uses
Comments about Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 II Autofocus Lens:
This is already my favorite lens for weddings, it is actually quite versatile. It lets in a lot of light and gives that beautiful blurred background that brides love.
I only wish I could could get an even lower F stop.
Pros
Cons
Best Uses
Comments about Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 II Autofocus Lens:
I LOVE this lens. It is my first prime lens, and it did take me a while to get used to using a lens without zoom, but it takes great shots and is great for low light photography.
Pros
Cons
Best Uses
Comments about Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 II Autofocus Lens:
For the price, this is a great prime lens. I have a Canon 60D and just starting to learn how to really use it. Captures beautiful images in low-light. ALl of my portrait and other close-range shots come out beautiful and rich.
I'm still practicing getting a handle on the focus, which can be difficult with the 50mm. Once I master it, I may move on to a more sophisticated piece of equipment. The focus ring and the lens itself do feel a little bit fragile. But for now, its light-weight make it perfect for travel. I highly recommend for other beginners like myself, and my very experienced videographer/photographer friends are super impressed by the quality of this lens, especially for the cost.
Pros
Cons
Best Uses
Comments about Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 II Autofocus Lens:
For the price, it's a really good lens. I've found the autofocus to be slow and would not recommend this if you need to shoot moving objects. The best part of this product is the price and the worst thing is the bad autofocus. If I would be buying now, I would skip this a go for the Canon f/1.4 one with the USM autofocus. The picture quality is very good for a cheap lens if you manage to get your subject in focus.
Pros
Cons
Best Uses
Comments about Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 II Autofocus Lens:
Great portrait lens!
Pros
Cons
Best Uses
Comments about Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 II Autofocus Lens:
This is a great nice, light cheap lens. Pretty sharp, great aperture, so bright, definitely a go to for portrait and low light configuration. I shoot concerts, so it's often terrible lighting and that lens is good for that!
Indeed there is much better, for 10 times the price, if you can afford good for you go for it, but for a small budget, don't even think about it twice!
Pros
Cons
Best Uses
Comments about Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 II Autofocus Lens:
I use this lens both for photos and videos on a Rebel T3. While most people complain about the focusing ring being too small and declare it unusable, I have used it successfully to manually focus. I would not, unlike some reviews, render manual focusing on this lens impossible, but instead as slightly tricky and annoying. It's not as luxurious and you must learn to get the hang of it.
The image quality is extremely sharp and the depth of field at the f/1.8 stop provides for fantastic photos.
The lens is very cheap, but I do not feel that the plastic mount or body will break. As long as you take care of this lens, it will be fine.
Pros
Cons
Best Uses
Comments about Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 II Autofocus Lens:
Best $I have spent in recent history. Definitely worth the money!!
REVIEW SNAPSHOT®
by PowerReviewsPros
Cons
Best Uses
Most Liked Positive Review
Must buy for all beginners
Recently bought a T3i that came with the 18-55mm kit lens. I read a lot of reviews and decided I needed a nifty Fifty. it was well worth it. I use my 50mm...Read complete review
Recently bought a T3i that came with the 18-55mm kit lens. I read a lot of reviews and decided I needed a nifty Fifty. it was well worth it. I use my 50mm now more than the kit lens. the bokeh(background blur) is amazing, and the speed of this thing is awesome.At f/1.8 you won't miss a shot again.This lens is incredibly fast compared to the kit lens. I never knew what I was missing till I bought this.And for around 100 bucks it's a nice addition to your lens collection. It's almost a necessity, almost ever photographer owns a nifty fifty.Be aware when buying this, you will not be able to zoom at all, I own both kit lens,the 18-55mm as well as the 55-250mm telephoto. But out of those, the 50mm is on my camera 90% of the time. The photos are that great! It takes excellent portraits.Some of the more professionals around here may complain about this lens, fair enough. but if your just starting out, and like me, came from a point & shoot to this, you will find this lens more than adequate. I review my shots and see nothing wrong with them, in fact family and friends have asked me to get some prints for them.As for the plastic casing, I don't find it all that bad, after all, aren't most of our cameras made of plastic? I'm not taking photos with it in a warzone, so as long as you treat it properly it will be fine.It's a worthy investment,you'll love the photos you get with it, so buy it now!
VS
Most Liked Negative Review
Hit 'n' miss
I'm gonna average my rating between the 2 lenses that I got. I know that it's a QC issue, but hey, that's what the average star rating is for.The first one has serious front...Read complete review
I'm gonna average my rating between the 2 lenses that I got. I know that it's a QC issue, but hey, that's what the average star rating is for.The first one has serious front element play, and that makes AF totally unusable (think 9/10 shots out of focus at f/2.8).Returned that one. The 2nd one I got was amazing. On a 600D crop body, sharpness is consistently good from edge to edge. Pentagonal bokeh is not very nice, but the wide aperture allows for custom-shaped bokeh, so not really an issue.The real problem is the almost unusable manual focus ring. Even though this lens doesn't have the front-element play anymore, AF is spotty at wide aperture. Forget about focus-recompose. Your best bet is to use live view, zoom in, then AF.Not the best-built lens out there, but hey, for $ you get high-quality glass. If you're thinking of upgrading from the 18-55 kit lens, besides a longer tele-zoom, this is seriously to be considered. If you're on a tight budget but want to upgrade from kit lens, no reason not to get this one.
REVIEWS
Reviewed by 4049 customers
Sort by
Displaying reviews 1-20
Previous | Next »
Pros
Cons
Best Uses
Comments about Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 II Autofocus Lens:
So happy with this purchase. Went with this lens instead of a kit lens and am very pleased. It is light, its very fast and gives you a lot of flexibility. And at a great price.
Pros
Cons
Best Uses
Comments about Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 II Autofocus Lens:
I have used in recently in doing team shoots as well as seniors..small and light. It is slower than some of my other lens..but for the price you can't beat it and the images are awesome.
Pros
Cons
Best Uses
Comments about Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 II Autofocus Lens:
I like this lense. I am a beginner and I love it. I like the awesome depth of field. The only thing I am trying to get used to is the fact that I cant zoom in and sometimes it has trouble focusing if you are too close and there is too much going on. I am sure is because I am a beginner. I like how my photos have turned out =)
Pros
Cons
Best Uses
Comments about Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 II Autofocus Lens:
I took pictures at a birthday party with this lens and really thought it did a good job. I was outside at 8 p.m. and had no trouble at all.
Pros
Cons
Best Uses
Comments about Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 II Autofocus Lens:
Once I started using this lens, I never took it off my DSLR. It's fantastic in low light; I rarely need to use a flash except for fill-flash, and I get beautiful, crystal-clear pictures. I've borrowed L lenses from pro friends, and when I'm using this one, I feel like I've got professional glass on my camera. Yet it's affordable.Indoors sometimes you have to back up to get everything in the frame, but that's just how a 50mm fixed lens works. I've always been able to work around it.The lens isn't indestructible -- I'm on my third, but that's only because the first two broke when my camera fell from significant heights. (We have a toddler...) But it's pretty sturdy, and so good I'll keep buying them as long as I have to.
Pros
Cons
Best Uses
Comments about Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 II Autofocus Lens:
Great
Pros
Cons
Best Uses
Comments about Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 II Autofocus Lens:
I am not a professional, but this lens is excellent! I have heard more seasoned photographers express concern about slow and noisy AF, but in my experience it focuses just fine. I do notice it is a bit louder when focusing compared to the other lens I have, overall the noise is not an issue. My wife and I recently had a baby, so it does great to capture details. By far, my favorite part about this lens is its unbelievable ability to take sharp pictures in low light without the need for a flash. Last and certainly not least, the price point on this lens through B&H is unbeatable.
Pros
Cons
Best Uses
Comments about Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 II Autofocus Lens:
For weddings and casual small and Nice. Plasticy
Pros
Cons
Best Uses
Comments about Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 II Autofocus Lens:
This lens is a perfect little lens for many uses! With my Canon T2i, it makes a fabulous portrait lens. The shallow depth of field also makes it wonderful for closeups of flowers. It also forces the photographer to carefully frame out the shot by moving into position instead of depending on the zoom. In my opinion, this lens should be in every camera bag. I use it all the time.
Pros
Cons
Best Uses
Comments about Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 II Autofocus Lens:
The photos look very crisp. The lens is incredibly light.
Pros
Cons
Best Uses
Comments about Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 II Autofocus Lens:
Use this with a Canon T3i for videography. Obviously this is no L lens but for what it costs it's an incredible value. The optics aren't as bad as you might think, it's mainly the build quality that makes this so cheap. Fast lens, pretty sharp (around f 5.6 is the sharpest), and twentieth the price of some of Canon's nicer lenses.
Pros
Cons
Best Uses
Comments about Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 II Autofocus Lens:
Haven't used a 50 mm in years. Great little lens that forces me to move-to-compose rather than zoom back and forth 18-55. Makes me invest more in the shot. Love it.
Pros
Cons
Best Uses
Comments about Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 II Autofocus Lens:
This is already my favorite lens for weddings, it is actually quite versatile. It lets in a lot of light and gives that beautiful blurred background that brides love.
I only wish I could could get an even lower F stop.
Pros
Cons
Best Uses
Comments about Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 II Autofocus Lens:
I LOVE this lens. It is my first prime lens, and it did take me a while to get used to using a lens without zoom, but it takes great shots and is great for low light photography.
Pros
Cons
Best Uses
Comments about Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 II Autofocus Lens:
For the price, this is a great prime lens. I have a Canon 60D and just starting to learn how to really use it. Captures beautiful images in low-light. ALl of my portrait and other close-range shots come out beautiful and rich.
I'm still practicing getting a handle on the focus, which can be difficult with the 50mm. Once I master it, I may move on to a more sophisticated piece of equipment. The focus ring and the lens itself do feel a little bit fragile. But for now, its light-weight make it perfect for travel. I highly recommend for other beginners like myself, and my very experienced videographer/photographer friends are super impressed by the quality of this lens, especially for the cost.
Pros
Cons
Best Uses
Comments about Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 II Autofocus Lens:
For the price, it's a really good lens. I've found the autofocus to be slow and would not recommend this if you need to shoot moving objects. The best part of this product is the price and the worst thing is the bad autofocus. If I would be buying now, I would skip this a go for the Canon f/1.4 one with the USM autofocus. The picture quality is very good for a cheap lens if you manage to get your subject in focus.
Pros
Cons
Best Uses
Comments about Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 II Autofocus Lens:
Great portrait lens!
Pros
Cons
Best Uses
Comments about Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 II Autofocus Lens:
This is a great nice, light cheap lens. Pretty sharp, great aperture, so bright, definitely a go to for portrait and low light configuration. I shoot concerts, so it's often terrible lighting and that lens is good for that!
Indeed there is much better, for 10 times the price, if you can afford good for you go for it, but for a small budget, don't even think about it twice!
Pros
Cons
Best Uses
Comments about Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 II Autofocus Lens:
I use this lens both for photos and videos on a Rebel T3. While most people complain about the focusing ring being too small and declare it unusable, I have used it successfully to manually focus. I would not, unlike some reviews, render manual focusing on this lens impossible, but instead as slightly tricky and annoying. It's not as luxurious and you must learn to get the hang of it.
The image quality is extremely sharp and the depth of field at the f/1.8 stop provides for fantastic photos.
The lens is very cheap, but I do not feel that the plastic mount or body will break. As long as you take care of this lens, it will be fine.
Pros
Cons
Best Uses
Comments about Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 II Autofocus Lens:
Best $I have spent in recent history. Definitely worth the money!!