Crystal clear. Solid and tough. Excellent, smooth feel. Has been through an incredible amount of stuff and still works, a great complement for tough old Canons. Comes with sunshield that stores upside-down over the lens. 2.75" long by 55mm diameter. Is in the True F-stop series- starts at F 1.4. Makes exposure math really easy when you work with vintage systems or your light meter battery dies.

Built in sunshield is incredibly awkward. No depth-of-field preview, which would be nice with an f 1.4 lens, where someone's nose may be in focus while their lips are not. Obviously, not versatile.

A first class tough lens. Nothing beats being able to go to F 1.4 for artistic control with the focus, ability to use a fine-grained low speed film in moderate to low light, and doing exposeur math. Unfortunatly, people realize this and pay what these things are worth for them, even heavily used.

Similar Products Used:

Canon FD 50mm F1.8 that came with an AE-1, Olympus Zuiko 50 mm F 1.8, minolta F 1.8.

Great sharpness,color,
and contrast.Superb build qulity.(S.S.C version).

Canon stopped making it.

One of the best lenses I have ever used.In my opinion one of the best lenses ever made.
I own two of these lenses and they could both easily last another twenty years.I use them for the majority of my 35mm photography.

Customer Service

Never had to use it.

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EOS sytem.50mm 1.4 USM
(also excellent)build
quality not as good .
Hasselblad 501CM
Zeiss lenses.(CF and CB)
Bronica PE lenses.

Speed; compact but solid; sharpness; contrast; incredibly cheap second-hand; quality and availability of FD cameras

No longer supported by Canon aftersales; no new FD cameras

Started photography with a slow zoom lens which was a mistake. But this lens, bought new in the 80s, was a revelation. Low light capability and angle of view makes it hugely versatile. Great for weddings. Heard BL version is even better.

Customer Service

n/a

Similar Products Used:

FD50mm F1.8

Extremely sharp, good contrast. Perhaps the best color rendition (neutral) of any 50mm lens. Fast enough for low light and/or slow film situtations.

The accessory lens hood (bayonets on front of lens) will eventually lose its grip on the lens and become very loose. No factory support, not that you'll need it.

As good as it gets. Here's a lens that can stand tall in any comparison. Useable with a wide variety of camera bodies from the FTb and F-1 through the A-series and the T-90. With the wide user base and near-cult status that FD equipment now enjoys, these will be around for a long time. Still very affordable and among the best values.

Customer Service

Forget it! As part of the FD line, Canon would just as soon this lens and all its brethren would go away, so we'd all have to buy new AF equipment.

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Canon 50/1.8

this lens is built of metal yet it is as light as a feather (370gr).
the 1.4 aparture makes it a great companion for low light photography.
EXCELLENT optics.
cheap, and easy to replace (if it is broken beyond repair) due to the fact that 2nd hand market is flooded with it.

none that i can think of.

first i'd like to say something about the 50mm focal length:
recently i hear more and more photographers say that the 50mm focal length is useles. that it is to long for landscape photography.
that it is to short for portrait photography.
that one zoom lens can replace it and several other lenses to.
my point of view says that any fixed focal length lens, and the 50mm in particular, can help the photographer get the most out of himself, by compelling him to look at his object more carefully. to look for more angles, for different angles. the 50mm focal length gets the most out of a photographer's creativity, thus making it perfect for begginers and open minded advanced alike.

about the specific lens- it's light, small, sturdy, fast, excelent great top notch top of the line couldn't be better optics, cheap, easy to find, has small filter diameter and NO DRAWBACKS what so ever.

a serious photographer (begginer or advanced) can't leave his house without this lens.

Similar Products Used:

various zoom lenses that include the 50mm focal length.