Canon - EF50mm F1.8 STM Standard Prime Lens for EOS DSLR Cameras - Black

The Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 STM lens is an item every photographer needs in their camera bag. From beginner level to advanced, the nature of this lens is for all types of photographers. After receiving my Canon T6i as a gift, I was steadfast in finding the best selection of lenses to add to my lens collection. While researching favorable lenses, I noticed a common topic mentioned by multiple photography bloggers and posted articles; they all mentioned about the “nifty-fifty”. After exploring further, I discovered that this was the nickname for the 50mm f/1.8 lens. Soon enough, I decided to purchase this myself. Due to purchasing this item from the BestBuy store, I can say the customer service was impeccable. The gentlemen from Genius support who assisted me in my venture to find an additional lens for portrait photography was very informative, and he truly guided me through the process of what my camera will need for the different types of photography. After reading prior to visiting BestBuy, I already had an idea of the lens I was looking for. As an Intermediate photographer, I was focusing on Portrait style to expand my skills. And of course, to have a lens that blurs the background for me, so I can skip the most laborious step in Photoshop while editing. After purchasing the 50mm f/1.8 STM, I can write with great satisfaction that this lens is one of the best purchases I have made. The lens itself is durable and locks firmly with ease on the Canon. With an effortless lens change, I was swiftly out the door with my Golden Retriever to try it out. Almost immediately, I noticed that many invariable settings did not work with this lens. As well as lighting changes, I made metal notes on what are some need-to-know basis for prior and following the purchases of this lens. 1) Apply Manual setting when using this lens. It is encouraged to research how to adjust Manual so that is accommodates for your individual needs. 2) When photographing objects from farther away, I found that focusing on an object was more challenging than a lens that has zoom capabilities. This is a primarily for portrait use. 3) The blurred background is excellent, but if you are a professional photographer, I would highly suggest purchasing a Canon 50mm f/1.4 or even with f/1.2. This will add additional clarity to the object and obscure the background further. 4) For those who have photography as a hobby, the Canon 50mm f/1.8 is less expensive with just as exceptional quality as the f/1.4 and f/1.2. Overall, I would highly recommend this lens for purchase. It can be used by those looking for the perfect Instagram Portrait, those who have years of photography behind them and are looking for an intriguing change, and for the “just starting out” photographers who wish to expand their knowledge of photography; this lens is perfect for all craving that perfect portrait. Purchasing this lens will not only make taking photos more appealing, it will help make your final product extraordinary.

This lens, with its massive f/1.8 aperture, is quite possibly one of the best things for shooting in low light or indoors without blurring. Of course with big apertures the other thing that comes is depth-of-field, and oh boy does this ever have it. Cranked wide open, it very nicely separates the background from the subject with puffy, well-defined bokeh. For focus, it uses the Canon STM (stepper motor) drive, which is quite fast and accurate. It is a prime lens, meaning it is fixed and does not zoom. 50mm is a good focal length for portraits though, and this lens can focus on something as close as a foot away from the camera so you can get some good closeups. While the focus motor is relatively quiet, it makes a very distinct sound, which others have noted is distracting in video. It is much, much quieter than the kit lens that comes with entry-level Canon cameras though, which is the camera most likely owned by the person wanting to use this lens for video. I don't recommend this lens for video at all, as still photography is where it shines. On autofocus, it snaps right in. Press the shutter and you're practically already taking the picture, only a split second of autofocus lag. Manual focus is a little strange at first, as the ring just tells the focus motor where to turn to, but it is quick to get used to and now I really like it. The focus steps are very small so I can get an extremely sharp lock on most anything. Overall I recommend this to any budding photographer as a good first "second lens" to purchase for their brand new Canon Rebel camera. The price is right and it does great things.

Such a great little lens. I've been using with my Canon T1i and the overall image quality, colors, and sharpness is miles better than the lenses that came with my camera. The fixed 50mm focal length is great for getting you to move around and work your shots until you find that perfect angle rather than relying on zooming in or out. The 1.8f aperture is great for evening/low light shots and you can get some awesome boka and blur effects with it as well. The Autofocus works fine, but for some reason I can't seem to focus at all on manual. Thats probably just me but I was pretty good at using manual on my other lenses, might just have to practice more with this one. Its also great for taking portraits of people, but can be tricky taking photos of two or more, and especially groups. You usually have to run pretty far back to get everyone in frame. If you are a beginner photographer or are just looking to improve you photographing chops and have been looking at getting a new lens, this little guy has you covered.

A wonderful lens and my new favorite for portrait photography. The depth of field is gorgeous and the overall quality is great for well lit video too. This lens is also light enough for use on my DJI Ronin gimbal with a Canon T6i which is awesome and something I didn’t expect from this powerful lens! I even bought refurbished to save a few dollars and the lens came as good as new (minus the clutter of a box!)

I am a professional photographer. I needed a 50mm prime. Several publications said that the 50mm 1.8 STM, though the cheapest of Canon's 50mm lineup, is actually the sharpest and best, even better than the coveted 50mm 1.2L which commands $1,200. So glad I made the decision to get the STM. After several test shots, I am absolutely convinced that this lens packs a wallop for its price tag of $125. Open it up to 1.8, and it produces a glorious bokeh. Stop it down just one or two stops, and it's razor sharp. Autofocus is precise and rocket fast. Though this isn't the $330 USM (Universal Silent Motor) model, the autofocus is actually really quiet. It has full time manual override, so you can fine tune or focus manually without worrying about stripping the gears. Some publications criticized it for the "fly by wire" manual focus (the manual focus ring actuates the focus motor), and I didn't think I'd like this feature. I decided it was a small sacrifice, since I use autofocus about 99% of the time (I don't trust my 50 year old eyes). But I actually really like this feature. It actually makes for more precise manual focusing. Though this lens is very light weight, the build quality is actually quite good. The bayonet mount is metal (the older version, the 50mm 1.8 II, had a plastic mount). This lens really should be in the gear bag of every professional and serious amateur Canon shooter.