good optical performace. full time manual override. light and compact.

AF is not as fast as my other USM lenses. I wish for a more detailed DOF scale (just f22?!). front focusing makes this lens more prone to dust sucking than lenses that have internal focusing. over priced!

after testing this lens at various situations and using it for people and landscape photography, here is my review:

Similar Products Used:

canon EF 50/f1.8 canon FD 50/f1.4 nikon 50/f1.4 D

Image quality is great! Very fast optics (f/1.4)

A little overpriced

This is my main lens. What can I say about it? the sharpness, contrast and image quality in general is superb! It is small and lightweight, USM is fast and very useful.

Customer Service

Not needed.

Similar Products Used:

none

MUCH better build quality than the EF50mm 1.8II, full-time manual focus

Noisy for a USM lens, manual focusing is a pain, overpriced.

In some ways, this is the best of the 50mm EF line-up. In other ways, it is sorely lacking for the price you pay. First and foremost, the lens is tack-sharp. The contrast is perfect and the color is dead-on (possibly a little warm, but hardly noticable). The focusing ring utilizes a servo gear-driven USM, which SUCKS. I don't know why Canon couldn't have figured out a way to incorporate their WONDERFUL ring-ultrasonic motor into this lens. Because it uses gears, there is a LOT of play when focusing manually, and subsequently, it takes longer to get to the desired focus. Big negative in that regard. The build quality is mediocre, which seems a bit odd seeing as this is Canon's flagship lens (the one they advertise mounted to their finest SLRs). Also, there are problems with some barrel distortion on this lens. I returned my first lens because I figured it was a lens flaw. Turns out it's a design flaw. You get NO barrel distortion with the EF50mm 1.8, and I don't know why they couldn't do that with the 1.4. Of course, you could buy 3 or 4 1.8II's with what one 1.4 costs, but I use my 1.4 enough to justify the added cost for its MUCH BETTER build quality (the 1.8II will break if you LOOK at it WRONG! -- I know... I had one literally fall apart on me when I attached it to my camera. If you can get a 1.8I (mark I) used, GET IT - it has a metal mounting plate and a focusing distance window.) It takes better photos than the EF50mm 1.0L, but doesn't come anywhere close to the L's build quality and low-light capabilities. So, taken with a grain of salt, this is still the best 50mm in the Canon EF line-up.

Customer Service

Mediocre. Canon isn't the worst (General Motors is WAY WORSE), but it isn't the best either.

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EF100 2.0 EF200 2.8L EF20 2.8 EF28-70 2.8L EF600 4.0L EF 1.4X Tele-extender EF 2.0X Tele-extender

Fast Good build quality SHARP, SHARP, SHARP Did I mention SHARP!! Excellent color saturation

A little pricey for a 50mm. I still love it though

Nearly three dimensional images that "pop" when looking at them. Wonderful color saturation.

Customer Service

Canon is in denial about product deficiencies: underexposure of EOS 3 and A2 control dial problems. No problems with this lens so far.

It''s a very sharp lens, It''s fast, light and easy to use. If you are a beginner, this is the lens to buy. It will give you a perfect start into the fine art of photography. This lens has no image distortion to talk about, certainly not if you compare it with a standard zoom lens.

It hunts a little bit to much i think. No hood included In the price !

I would strongly recommend this lens to anyone. That''s because of the image quality it performes. I frequently use the EF 28-70/ f2.8L USM lens for greater versatility. But when it comes down to pure quality i prefer this one.

Customer Service

Never used.

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Canon EF 28-70 f/2,8L USM Canon EF 28-105 f/3,5-4,5 USM Minolta AF 35-70 f/4

f/1.4 USM Build quality Relatively inexpensive

None significant

I purchased this lens to go with my slow 28-135IS. I chose the f/1.4 version over the f/1.8 version for its increased build quality and USM. It does it''s purpose... focusses well in low light with that gigantic f/1.4 aperture. That said, 50mm on the D30 isn''t really a focal length that''s really easy to use indoors.

Customer Service

na

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28-135IS

Sharp lens from 2.8 and on. Good build quality. Full time manual focusing. A very good lens for the price.

Autofocusing speed is not as fast as you might think.

I bought this lens after reading most of the positive reviews on it. It is a very sharpe lens, but I''am dissapointed with the autofocus and speed of the lens. My 28-105mm Canon is just as fast as this lens. For a 1.4 lens it sure seems to hunt a lot. I thought it would be slightly better than my 28-105, but its not. The speed of both lenses is about even. Sometimes when I have my Elan 7e set on single shot mode, this lens seems to be focusing like my camera is set on predictive focusing mode. Maybe this happens because it not a rear focusing lens? Overall the build quality is great, the sharpness of the lens is superb, but the autofocusing speed is not what you might think it to be. The lens is soft at 1.4 thru 2.5, but is sharp from 2.8 and on. That was more than what I had expected.

Customer Service

I had my Elan 7e serviced by Canon in Irvine, CA. They where very quick and professional.

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28-105 3.5-4.5 Usm Canon 24mm 2.8 Canon 70mm-200mmL 4 Usm Canon (Awesome!) 28-300 mm Tamron 35-80mm 3.5 Canon (Yuck!)

Sharp and crisp images are the great sound of this lens... Superb quality and portability. Excellent color balance, great bokeh for the 8 Diaphragm Blades, as well as features like micro USM with - FTM. As expected, image quality is excellent, with just a trace of barrel distortion.

I think the Ring type USM - FTM would be better than micro USM - FTM.

Canon EF 50/ f 1.4 USM I love this lens... As with any other tool, understanding the strengths and weaknesses of any lens is the key to its successful use. It takes vastly better pictures than a mid-range mid-priced zoom. This lens balances very well with my EOS 3 without grip and EOS 50e with grip...I leave this lens on my body full time. If You find it, buy it!

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Canon 50mm f/1.8

f/1.4 maximum aperture sharp compact fast AF

barrel distortion manual focusing ring loose

A 50mm lens is great for "street photography", and the f1.4 aperture is great for low light. This lens is extremely sharp, AF is fast, and it is reasonably compact. Other lenses with f/1.4 aperture all weigh more than a pound. However, I am somehow very sensitive to distortions, and this one certainly has noticeable barrel distortion. For a 50mm lens, I would expect much less of it! Also, although full time manual focus and internal focusing are both present, the manual focusing ring is quite loose and the "throw" is rather large (you have to turn a lot to change the focus a little). All in all, it is the only f/1.4 lens I have and I wouldn''t trade it in for anything, but I expected more

Customer Service

never used

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EF 50mm f/1.8 II

Very Sharp Wonderful Contrast. My favorite Lens, but not the best of the 50MM lens

At 1.4 this baby sucks Auto Focus is good but not great. Not sealed very well

This is a very good prime lens………Like all 50mm prime lens they are all good. There really is a big humongous difference between Zooms and Primes. It produces beautiful colors, its sharp and very contrasty. I have taken some very beautiful pictures in low light situations. THREE bad notes that should be considered. One is that at 1.4 this baby sucks….I have to try to keep it a 2.0. But then again all 50mm lens sitting at 1.4 aperture suck. Secondly, the auto focus is good but not great. My 28-105 performed better. Third, This lens is not sealed really well. I had particles, lint’s, inside my lens after only the first few months. Despite all that It’s my best lens. I love it. But this is not a grand Daddies lens I don’t foresee it lasting a lifetime like Leica''s.

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None