Camera Labs

Alright, so this is my first prime lens. On my Xti body it is an equivalent of 80mm.

The first thing I discovered with prime is optical quality. It produces images so sharp and really capture the right colors.

Sure, it's not easy to attend a car show - you have to be at 20 feet from the car.. but the image quality is absolutely stunning.

Construction: 3/5

Plastic feel. Seems fragile. Tiny Manual Focus Ring.

Features: 3.5/5

Well it's a prime lens. Struck at 80mm. Good for portraits and low light, but not easy to use as an all-around lens

Image Quality: 5/5

Amazing! Really sharp, and the colors are really great.

Ease Of Use: 4/5

Easy to use, but sometimes requires to be at 10-15-20 feet from the subject.

Value For Money: 5/5

Worth every penny and more, the image quality is amazing.

Thanks Cr4zYH3aD! Have you used it much in low light conditions?

Gordon

Is it possible to get a sample shot on different apertures? How is the bokeh wide open?

This would be my first lens if I went Canon.

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Minolta primes: 2.8/20 2.8/24 1.7/50 2.8/135
Minolta zooms: 28-135 35-70 70-210(beercan) kit
Minolta cameras: Dynax 5D 7000
M42: Pentax Asahi S-M-C Takumar 1.4/50 and 2.8/105 Carl Zeiss Jena Flektogon 2.4/35 Industar-61L/Z Kiron 2.8/105 Macro

here's some pictures that I took with it









Details and sharpness !!!!:

what would be more interesting is a comparison like the ones Gordon has.. two different lenses at the same settings.
in this case, since you have reviewed and have access to both the kit lens[ 18-55] and this prime lens.
can you set up a picture such that the kit lens is zoomed in to 50mm focus and both set at the same aperture? [ except where in applicable .the kit cant go to 2.8 ]
also what is the best range ? i find that the kit lens is best at around an F stop of between 5-8 and zoomed into about 30 mm.

I absolutely dislike the small plasticy focus ring on the kit lens.. not comfortable at all.

Hi Gordon, have you had any experience with this lens?

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Canon EOS 400D, Canon EOS 30V, EF 17-40mm f/4L USM, EF 50mm f/1.4 USM, EF 70-200mm f/4L USM, Speedlite 430EX, Kenko & Cokin filters

Yep, I've used it for some resolution tests in the 10 Mpixel group test. It was pretty good quality, and the f1.8 aperture is really useful in low light. It's a handy lens to have and the only affordable one with a fast aperture!

Gordon

Nothing elegant here but just a aperture comparison. All shots at ISO 100, WB - Shade, with the 50/1.8 on a tripod. I didn't use mirror lockup which would have helped IQ a bit. I'm always forgetting something.


f/1.8 1/4000"


f/2.8 1/1600"


f/4 1/800"


f/5.6 1/400"


f/8 1/200"


f/11 1/100"

I don't have the 18-55 kit lens, I bought my XT body only and got the 18-55IS but here is a lens comparison between the 50/1.8 and the 18-55 IS

Shot settings pretty much the same : ISO 100, WB - shade. I turned IS off since it was on a tripod and left mirror lock up off since I didn't use it with the 50/1.8


18-55IS @ f5.6


50/1.8 @ f5.6


18-55IS @ f8


50/1.8 @ f8


18-55IS @ f11


50/1.8 @ f11

Looks like the 18-55IS was set to 48mm. I eyeballed it so its not exactly 50mm

Not a bad lens, no 'real' focusing ring, you'll need to upgrade to the f/1.4 for a proper focusing ring.

A bit plasticky.

Some great results though:





More @ http://www.flickr.com/alexander_ward

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Kit: Canon EOS 400D + Canon EF 28-135mm f/3.5-5.6 IS USM + Canon EF-S 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 + Canon EF 50mm f/1.8

Wishlist: Canon EF-S 10-22mm f/3.5-4.5 USM (26%)

Flickr

Personally for the cost I love this lens. It feels like a toy, honestly, and at f/1.8 it's quite soft (stop it up to f/2.0+ and its sharpness greatly increases, as seen in the example photos) in comparison to its potential sharpness. Because it's such cheap construction I feel a lot more secure about it on my body in case it gets bumped around it's easily replaced. $80 dollars is petty cash compared to the other 50s.

I haven't tried the f/1.4 or the f/1.2. From what I've heard they're spectacular. But from what I've seen from this lens, besides the bokeh not being completely circular (because of the lower number of aperture blades), I have very few complains. The focusing system is loud and sometimes inaccurate, but because it's a prime it's relatively easy just to switch it to manual and focus.

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Canon XTi, 28-105mm 3.5-4.5 USM, 50mm f/1.8, 580II EX

Thanks for review. I'm about to pick up this lens with D300.