Canon 2515a003

Pros: Buttery soft bokeh, fast performance in low light conditions, ultra sonic motor

Cons: Spendier than the 1.8, a little slow to focus in low light

The Bottom Line: I have to give this lens five stars because I love the pictures I get from this lens- my subjects pop while leaving the background beautifully blurred.

Review: One year ago my husband surprised me with a Canon digital Rebel XT, which completely changed the way I took photos. This past fall I upgraded to a Canon 30d, and took to heart the theory that an excellent photo has less to do with the actual camera and ...

Pros: Fast, light, great bokeh, reasonable price, lovely color, low chromatic aberration, decent build, excellent glass

Cons: Not as good quality build as L lenses, some don't like the focusing ring.

The Bottom Line: Buy this if you can afford it and have an EF compatible mount. It's so good your camera body will thank you for the rest of its life.

Review: The 50mm is a 'prime lens' so it has no zoom functionality. That means that it won't be a choice that every photographer feels comfortable with. For those on a low budget it might seem like a false economy to buy a lens which won't fill gaps in your ...

Pros: Huge light-gathering capabilities, much better build quality than the 50/1.8, crystal-clear images when stopped down.

Cons: Fuzzy in bright light when shooting wide open.

The Bottom Line: An excellent value for such a solid performer. Your photos will instantly get better.

Review: We purchased a Digital Rebel back in early 2004 to try and stave off our desires to get back into a darkroom and spend lots of money on film and chemicals. It did the trick for the most part, but I couldn't help missing my old 50/1.8 lens that I used ...

Pros: Excellent sharpness, whisper-quiet USM motor, and actually a good value.

Cons: Manual focus ring feels plasticy, loose, and cheap.

The Bottom Line: Are you buying ONE lens? Can you afford this one? Buy it. That extra stop will save your life. Budget-constrained buyers should consider the 50/1.8-1.

Review: The optical quality of this lens is amazing. It was one of the principal reasons I chose the Canon EF system. The USM function is beautifully quiet and INCREDIBLY fast on auto-focus. However, I usually use MF, which is the only drawback to this lens. The...

Pros: Fast and sharp, full time manual focusing

Cons: Expensive for a 50mm lens, micromotor drive

The Bottom Line: Expensive, but well worth the added expense.

Review: This lens is awesome, and is money well spent. This should have been the first lens I bought, but being the SLR beginner I wound up with a zoom like most people. Ever since I got this lens, it stays on the body more than 75% of the time and I leave the...

Pros: Very Sharp. Very Fast. Sturdy Enough. Excellent Brokeh. Versatile. Unlikely to outgrow as you upgrade.

Cons: Costly - I may not take it on certain adventures. Barrel-distortion in fullframe cams.

Review: Excellent sharpness at f2.8 . Fast and quiet autofocus. Sturdy feel. Excellent brokeh wide open. A great buy for Canon 300D / 10D / 20D owners as it will remain one of your best lenses even if you eventually upgrade to a 1D. The complaints regarding ...

Pros: excellent quality, with a digital SLR (at 75mm) it's perfect as a portrait lens.

Cons: It's not a zoom lens.

Review: Yes, this is an excellent lens! I have six other Canon lenses and this one is by far the best quality lens I have. (Granted I don't have tens of thousands invested in their top lenses.) It's amazingly sharp and very fast. Because I use the Canon 10D ...

Pros: FAST, FAST, FAST. Autofocus and F/1.4. Great build too.

Cons: not a zoom...can't hold that against it though!

Review: This lens is fast, light, and sharp as a tack. It is perfect for low light situations. I use it for portraits with my digital camera and as an general low light lens with film. I grew up with a 50mm lens so I've always loved the natural feel of this ...

Pros: Fast silent focus, F/1.4, Compact, good value

Cons: Needs better weather proofing

Review: If you want a sharp, small quiet and fast lens for candid work or street photography then look no further. This lens is a gem. The background blur is excellent and the sharpness is almost on a par with an L lens. It's also really contrasty at higher ...

Pros: 1. Sharpness 2. Accurate Focus 3. Build quality 4. Price (considering clarity)

Cons: 1. Softness wide open (1.4-2.0)

The Bottom Line: Excellent clarity stopped down, though not the master of large apertures. This is a great portrait lens. Purchasing it for use wide open at high ISOs without flash is disappointing.

Review: Before purchasing this lens, I did a great deal of reading about the best options for a sharp and fast (large aperture) reasonably priced lens. Everywhere I looked, people were raving about this Canon 50mm 1.4 USM lens so I decided to take the plunge. ...