Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 II

catza.net photos: Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 II

• a hobbyist's dream-come-true: the perfect second lens right after the perfect first lens
• estimated retail price 105 EUR
• in my use from 9/2004 to 7/2006
• the lens that revolutionized my view on photography and lenses

• beats the living hell out of the cheapest zooms with good image quality and large aperture
• gives more sharpness, better colors and more contrast than mid-priced zooms
• fast (f/1.8) so you'll love it indoors and it can open up new possibilities what and where to shoot without a flash
• cheap
• small
• lightweight

• harsh background blur compared to more expensive primes
• all plastic including the mount
• not usable for manual focusing due to short movement range of the focusing ring
• focusing causes noises that sounds like the lens was broken