Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 II

Opinion: This is the biggest BANG for the buck I have got in a lens. For around $100.00 It produces fantastic results. I had to give it 5 stars for the value alone and would suggest it to anyone. Is it built like a tank ?? NO but who cares for a 100 bucks I will get another one, if it breaks.

I think this shoots the best portraits for me at f2.0. Great sharp images and strong "bokeh" blur or what ever you want to name it. I love using this for portraits and the DoF is as thin as a slice of paper if you open her up.

I have also used this with landscape shots for HDR use and also for very long night time shutter speeds with excellent results. The auto focus is very fast and this lens has worked great for me in all low light situations. No this is not like using the 85mm "L" series glass but it IS $1900.00 less. This may not be a lens that is used by "the pros" but it is a wonderful lens to me and a lot of others that I know.

Opinion: Good

Opinion: For the price this lens could be considered a disposable item, but don't let the price fool you. This lens put out a sharp image. 50mm on a full fame sensor, a mild zoom lens on a crop sensor (80mm). Using this lens brings back the good old days of using my old Pentax ME Super and the 50mm I had on the front of that camera. You can't rely on a zoom lens to get the composition you want, you have to maneuver the whole camera. If you don't own a prime lens and are curious what the difference in image quality of a fixed focal length vs. a zoom lens, this is a good lens to try out. It's short size and light weight make it very easy to maneuver in for that close up.
The mount is plastic, not metal. Fine for how light this lens is, but will wear out sooner than a metal mounting ring.
The aperture is made of 5 non rounded blades, so bokeh images are not as clean as higher end lens. Out of focus highlights have a pentagon shape to them.
Also for the price, no image stability is built into this lens.

Opinion: Even though its focus speed is slow, the advantage of having an aperture of 1.8 at an affordable price makes purchasing one a no-brainer. It produces sharp images once you know how to use it.

Opinion: It takes good photos. It is an f 1.8 lens and costs under 200$ that must be something. yes the autofokus issent the fastest in the line of 50mm lenses but considering the coswts it is a fantastic lens for the $

Opinion: Owned for 2 months and I already feel I've got my monies worth with it!
It gives much sharper images than the kit lense, which I have stopped using completely now.

Any photos that require a wider angle, I look for creative alternatives.
Like moving backwards, moving subject further away, or stitching 2 or 3 photos together in a panorama.

Great in low light:
I've turned off noise reduction on my camera, and at f1.8 and ISO 3200, even the most dimly lit pub becomes bright as day! Gets a little grainy (I like the effect), and with added sharpening and contrast you can get amazing photos with no flash!

Opinion: This lens is a must for every Canon Eos user. Whether beginner or pro. This lens offers up a world of opportunity and should come with the camera over the kit lens... I believe this lens Colour and sharpness for the price is amazing... I have owned it for three years and although it does not have the feel of an expensive lens, the pictures produced are by far my preferred when viewing post shoot. The lens is not perfect, but it's character offers up many desirable effects when shooting. Prime lenses are a whole different way of experiencing photography... no zoom, so setting up a shot, more thought i believe goes into the composition of the shot. I have got many of my friends to purchase this lens (man i wish i worked for canon...), and they all agree is a wonderful lens. It gets four stars as it is not the Ultimate lens, but you will not get a better lens for the price, and it does have some CA and the Canon Lens hood is awful... why i use it i don't know. On a crop sensor, the range is i would sat almost perfect for Portraits (Head + Shoulders). On FF, is i feel a terrific range as well. Everyone has a preference and likes and dislikes when it comes to lenses, and from what said above... you get the point.

Opinion: The 50mm f1.8 II is a great, inexpensive lens which gives people who are starting out with photography or don't have a big budget a nice, fast prime lens to use for all sorts of things. I use this lens on an XSi, and on a crop sensor is mostly usable for portraits and things of that nature. It's pretty sharp in the center, even wide open, and at f2.8 it's great. If you own a FF body, I would think you could afford a better lens, but who knows? The only downside to this lens is the fact that it's all plastic, and the focus ring is made out of really cheap looking plastic. If it would've been built a little tougher, with a nicer focus ring, I wouldn't bother buying another 50mm prime unless I could afford an F1.2.

Overall, if you want a cheap prime to either get into the world of primes or because your on a budget, this will not disappoint as far as image quality is concerned. Very comparable to the 50mm f1.4 usm in that regard.

Opinion: Optically it's pretty good, corners aren't it's strong point, but as a general purpose walkabout on a 5D it's amazingly subtle, and performs as good as it needs.. As the mkII version is a little crude, it produces good images, but it's not a great user experience. It's wide aperture focusing becomes a bit of a challenge with APS-C, though the larger full frame finders prove to be fine.