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Editor's picks

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  Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 II Camera Lens

  Photography (Canon)
  

  Rating (0 reviews):

  (4.5/5)

  

  Sharp, fast, inexpensive

  Once upon a time the 50 mm lens was THE standard camera lens and was THE optical benchmark by which manufacturers were judged and compared. Although the basic lens focus has now shifted (at least at the low to mid amateur level) to zooms - you can still benefit from years of research and development that went into designing the 50 mm lens and this here lens may be the best lens, dollar for dollar, that you can ever buy. The question is can you afford not to own this lens?Years of development have brought us a lens that has a fast aperture of 1.8 - far faster than any consumer zoom lens - and that is sharp as a filed tack. Be forewarned about the sharpness . . . if you are taking pictures of people, this lens is unyielding in its sharpness and may well surprise you and your subjects whose every blemish is captured. The lens has a fabulously shallow depth of field if you want to use the 1.8 aperture to blow out a background. This lens is also ridiculously inexpensive... 5/5 Richard Aubin (Dallas, Texas USA) - See all my reviews, April 10, 2005

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  Best Value in Photography!

  Wow! My theory now is that Canon doesn't put this baby as their kit lens because many people would decide that they DONT NEED ANOTHER ONE! And many of them would be right!Like others, I bought the Rebel XT and the 28-135 IS lens. The 28-135 is heavy and priced like a gold brick. I guess it does OK, and I do keep it mounted most of the time.And like others, I stumbled on this lens somehow, read the raving reviews, and for the price figured, "What the heck?"This lens in tack sharp. It shows the fire in the colors you photograph. The wide aperture means candles can be excellent lights for portraits. Its narrow field is great.There are pitfalls though. I snapped a pic of my face at arm's length using autofocus a while back and (1) the focus locked on the tip of my nose and my face was already blurring (2) the lens was so sharp that I saw blackheads clearly on my nose tip I can't really see in the mirror (doh!). I've read that dSLR images are... 5/5 Paul Lehmann (Dallas) - See all my reviews, December 28, 2005

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  Excellent Value

  I've had the 50mm f1.8 for about three months now, so I wanted to put in my two cents worth after a little field use. What originally attracted me to this lens was, obviously, the price. It is very, very inexpensive. This is likely due to the fact that the housing is, unlike its predecessor the Mark I, entirely plastic. That initially put me off, but after seeing some images posted that had been taken with this lens (and after seeing the prices of the f1.4 and the used mark I)I decided that I really had nothing to lose. There are, as with most lenses good and bad elements to this lens. Lets start with the bad.Keep in mind that if you are shooting a canon DSLR (as I am) this 50mm lens actually behaves as an 80mm lens, so it isn't that terribly wide. The fact that it is functionally 80mm can make framing shots a bit difficult. This is definitely a secondary lens and really isn't that appropriate for a "walking around lens." At least it isn't for me, as I tend to... 4/5 Ryan Davis (Jersey City, NJ) - See all my reviews, December 30, 2005

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  List Price: $125.00
  

  Measures 2.7 inches in diameter; 1-year warranty

  Traditional Gauss-type optical design is extremely sharp

  50mm standard lens with f/1.8 maximum aperture

  Focuses as close as 18 inches for extreme close-ups,Autofocus: Yes

  Ideal for natural-looking shots; excellent color balance

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  Canon EF-S 55-250mm f/4.0-5.6 IS II Telephoto Zoom Lens for Canon Digital SLR Cameras

  Photography (Canon)
  

  Rating (847 reviews):

  (4.6/5)

  

  I Love It For IS and Zoom Range at this Price, Not Pure Performance

  I was determined to love this lens based on the specs and price point alone. Canon really needed to come out with this lens at this price because Nikon offers a very decent Vibration Reduction lens at roughly the same range for the same price, leaving me to make apologies for Canon and their neglect to all my Nikon friends.The IS can be switched off to save battery life but I haven't noticed a difference in battery performance with it. The IS is only activiated when you press the shutter halfway for auto focus. Although it FEELS like there is a small lag for the IS to start, I don't think I've had any photos messed up because of it.You can HEAR the IS. A little bizarre after using point and shoots that have IS that is silent, but it doesn't seem to affect performancePro: Great price for an image stabilized zoom lens. I paid 299 and am very pleased even though Amazon is selling it for 280 a week later. ALso arrive 2 months sooner than Amazon... 5/5 J. Kirlin (Bangor, Maine USA) - See all my reviews, March 18, 2008

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  Which lens to get

  I have a 18mm-55mm lens, and was in search for a telephoto, I read so many reviews that were so complex I didn't know what I was reading. I bought the 55mm-250mm lens and now understand some of the reviews.To break it down in simply terms:55mm (the lowest setting on the 55mm-250mm) you can not stand right on top of a subject, the lens makes you too close everything won't fit in the frame. That is Not what the lens is for & might be were some of the bad reviews come from. (Buy the 18-55mm for those close up shots)It takes time for the auto focus, it still Fast but not as fast as my 18mm-55mm. Still your not going to miss taking a picture of a bird sitting in a tree far away. But at baseball game of a kid catching a 50mph ball I missed some shots (why I gave 4 stars). Not the lens fault more mine I should have used manual focus!!On auto focus, after all it has a LOT of setting to go through 55 to 250mm settings. No duh the 18-55mm auto... 4/5 mom to 3 boys (usa) - See all my reviews Amazon Verified Purchase(What's this?) This review is from: Canon EF-S 55-250mm f/4.0-5.6 IS II Telephoto Zoom Lens for Canon Digital SLR Cameras (Camera) I have a 18mm-55mm lens, and was in search for a telephoto, I read so many reviews that were so complex I didn't know what I was reading. I bought the 55mm-250mm lens and now understand some of the reviews.To break it down in simply terms:55mm (the lowest setting on the 55mm-250mm) you can not stand right on top of a subject, the lens makes you too close everything won't fit in the frame. That is Not what the lens is for & might be were some of the bad reviews come from. (Buy the 18-55mm for those close up shots)It takes time for the auto focus, it still Fast but not as fast as my 18mm-55mm. Still your not going to miss taking a picture of a bird sitting in a tree far away. But at baseball game of a kid catching a 50mph ball I missed some shots (why I gave 4 stars). Not the lens fault more mine I should have used manual focus!!On auto focus, after all it has a LOT of setting to go through 55 to 250mm settings. No duh the 18-55mm auto... Read more Help other customers find the most helpful reviews  Was this review helpful to you? , June 15, 2009

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  Great telephoto lens to complement your kit lens

  This is the first lens that I've purchased and kept outside my kit lens (18-55). I mentioned kept because believe it or not, I bought the 70-200 F4L non-IS. I won't be giving any technical review about this lens as that is pretty much covered by the other reviewers here. I'll just share my story to help out other beginners who are having a hard time as well contemplating on what lens to get to complement their kit lens.At first, I definitely wanted to buy a telephoto lens so I can shoot objects from a distance and I really like to try the lens out in a zoo. I then narrowed my choices between EF 70-300 IS USM and 70-200 F4L non-IS (didn't want 55-250 then because I didn't like the plastic mount). Since the latter would end up costing almost the same or even less (comes with hood and pouch plus the free filter amazon offers), I went for it without even thinking. Before the package arrived, I already had second thoughts and tried to cancel the item. Since I tried out the... 5/5 ale (Chicago, IL USA) - See all my reviews, February 5, 2009

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  List Price: $299.00
  

  Closest Focusing Distance: 3.6 Ft./1.1m

  Focal Length & Maximum Aperture: 55-250mm F/4-5.6

  Focus Adjustment: DC Motor, Gear-driven(front Focusing Design)

  12 Elements In 10 Groups, Including One UD-glass Element

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• 

  Canon EF 50mm f/1.4 USM Standard & Medium Telephoto Lens for Canon SLR Cameras

  Photography (Canon)
  

  Rating (776 reviews):

  (4.5/5)

  

  Why spend more?

  With the 50mm f1.8 lens available for less than a hundred dollars, why spend so much more to get the f1.4? The answer is, you may not need to. It all depends on your seriousness, budget, and how long you need your lens to last.If you want a "starter lens" for shooting at 50mm (or with prime lenses in general), the f1.8 would be a great buy. 50mm is a very useful and intuitive focal length to spend some time with, because it will portray the world through the viewfinder at about the same distance as your naked eye on all of Canon's consumer-priced dSLRs with the 1.6x crop factor*. (*Updated after extensive discussion in the comments.) So you could buy the f1.8 cheaply, regard it as a "play with it" lens, and get a nice introduction to "prime lens quality." The f1.8 will seem like a substantial step up from kit lenses and most consumer-priced zooms, and amazing bang for few bucks.So if the f1.8 is such a great bargain, why would the f1.4 be among Canon's... 5/5 Careful Critic (Lexington) - See all my reviews This review is from: Canon EF 50mm f/1.4 USM Standard & Medium Telephoto Lens for Canon SLR Cameras (Camera) With the 50mm f1.8 lens available for less than a hundred dollars, why spend so much more to get the f1.4? The answer is, you may not need to. It all depends on your seriousness, budget, and how long you need your lens to last.If you want a "starter lens" for shooting at 50mm (or with prime lenses in general), the f1.8 would be a great buy. 50mm is a very useful and intuitive focal length to spend some time with, because it will portray the world through the viewfinder at about the same distance as your naked eye on all of Canon's consumer-priced dSLRs with the 1.6x crop factor*. (*Updated after extensive discussion in the comments.) So you could buy the f1.8 cheaply, regard it as a "play with it" lens, and get a nice introduction to "prime lens quality." The f1.8 will seem like a substantial step up from kit lenses and most consumer-priced zooms, and amazing bang for few bucks.So if the f1.8 is such a great bargain, why would the f1.4 be among Canon's... Read more Help other customers find the most helpful reviews  Was this review helpful to you? , March 15, 2005

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  A review for parents

  I bought this lens to take indoor portraits of my nine-month-old daughter using available light. I was tired of the harsh photos produced by the built-in flash on the Canon 20D or Digital Rebel. A bounce flash improves matters great deal, but I wanted to see what could be done with a fast lens.The Canon 50mm 1.4 gobbles light. It opens up a world of indoor photography that is not possible with a 4.0 lens. The 50mm focal length combined with available light produces natural-looking results. It is exactly what your eye sees. Shadows and highlights are intact. It is a revelation if you're used to the harsh drop shadows and evenly-lit faces produced by flashes. This is a jarring step up in quality from snapshot to "wow"As noted, focus is soft at /1.4 and begins to sharpen at /2.0 to /2.8. Not a bad thing, though. Some of my favorite pictures have been produced with the aperture wide open. The depth of field is so narrow at this point, that the subject's face is... 4/5 Matthew Davidson (Cambridge MA) - See all my reviews, August 23, 2006

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  EXCELLENT - At a price

  This 50mm is amazing. I truly love it. I debated a long time between the 1.8 and the 1.4. In the end, I figured I'd never replace it again so get the 1.4. I love it - the images it makes are staggering. Still - it's pricy compared to the 1.8 - but not to L series lenses. I think it's worth it. I read online it had barrel distortion wide open - and it does if you really study the image - but that's perfectly OK with me for the 1.4 shallow depth of field. Normal people will never see that at all. One drawback you may not think of is that beautiful wide open 1.4 aperture is not available to you if there is much light. It's so fast it's easy to overexpose - even with 1/4000th of a second shutter. It takes awesome portraits - awesome landscapes. This is a must have lens in every EOS owner's bag. Don't get the 1.8 and wish you got this one. Get this one and start taking great photos. 5/5 S. Rose - See all my reviews, November 10, 2004

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  List Price: $399.00
  

  Delivers crisp images with little flare at the maximum aperture

  Measures 2.9 inches in diameter and 2 inches long; 1-year warranty

  50mm standard lens with f/1.4 maximum aperture for Canon SLR cameras

  Extra-small Micro USM focus adjustment and full-time manual focusing

  2 high-refraction lens elements and Gaussian optics help eliminate astigmatism

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  Canon EF 40mm f/2.8 STM Lens

  Photography (Canon)
  

  Rating (243 reviews):

  (4.7/5)

  

  At long last, a Canon pancake lens for SLRs.

  "Pancake" lenses have always had an appeal to SLR shooters. Their dimunitive size and weight, as well as overall simplicity, make them ideal as walkaround lenses, and many find the focal length of 40mm (give or take a few mm) much to their liking for general photography. Contax, Pentax, Nikon and other manufacturers have produced their offerings throughout the modern photographic era. Panasonic and Olympus have pancake lenses for their micro 4/3 lenses. For some mysterious reason, Canon has remained silent on the issue since 1965, when it produced the FLP 38/2.8 for a limited time. Until now. Let the celebration begin.I had the pleasure of owning the Pentax and Contax Zeiss lenses in the days of film. I loved them both, and they were never far from reach. When I bought Canon dSLRs, due to lack of any Canon pancake lens being available, I adapted both the Contax Zeiss and the Pentax pancakes to work on my 5D, 5D2 and 40D. Of course, this arrangement has serious limitations,... 5/5 Rick "lensman" (USA) - See all my reviews This review is from: Canon EF 40mm f/2.8 STM Lens (Electronics) "Pancake" lenses have always had an appeal to SLR shooters. Their dimunitive size and weight, as well as overall simplicity, make them ideal as walkaround lenses, and many find the focal length of 40mm (give or take a few mm) much to their liking for general photography. Contax, Pentax, Nikon and other manufacturers have produced their offerings throughout the modern photographic era. Panasonic and Olympus have pancake lenses for their micro 4/3 lenses. For some mysterious reason, Canon has remained silent on the issue since 1965, when it produced the FLP 38/2.8 for a limited time. Until now. Let the celebration begin.I had the pleasure of owning the Pentax and Contax Zeiss lenses in the days of film. I loved them both, and they were never far from reach. When I bought Canon dSLRs, due to lack of any Canon pancake lens being available, I adapted both the Contax Zeiss and the Pentax pancakes to work on my 5D, 5D2 and 40D. Of course, this arrangement has serious limitations,... Read more Help other customers find the most helpful reviews  Was this review helpful to you? , June 21, 2012

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  Great Lens (Even Greater for Full-Frame Cameras)

  Before going into the details of my review, I'd like to start off by saying...if you have the money on hand, you should immediately buy this lens. I am extremely pleased so far - this is a lightweight, yet solidly built, and extremely affordable performer. While two hundred bucks doesn't seem "affordable" at first, it delivers very solid results that you could expect from lenses that cost several times as much.To give some background: I do shoot professionally, but got this lens mostly for personal use - I simply prefer the versatility of a zoom lens for professional work, although seeing the impressive results I might incorporate it for future assignments. I currently own two bodies, a 5D Mark II and a 7D. While my main lenses are high-end (the 24-105L, 70-200L 2.8 IS II, and 100mm Macro), since I started off with a Rebel series body I also am familiar with a lot of the cheaper lenses Canon sells, including the 50mm f/1.8. I really liked the 50 f/1.8 because of its... 5/5 G. Argov - See all my reviews, June 25, 2012

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  Small in size but great in features and quality

  Please don't take the Amazon star rating too serious - every lens has its pros and cons that I wouldn't want to squeeze into a single one-dimensional figure...A quick note about me: I have been into SLR cameras and lenses for more than 20 years - as a hobby in the beginning and professionally later. Maybe because of my technical background I started testing my own lenses quite a while ago. I have a (no longer so) little test lab of my own where I do 6 different image quality tests (after taking a lens out for a while).Canon's first-ever "pancake" EF lens is a real treat. It's so small that it looks like a 20 mm extension ring rather than a lens and yet it feels solid as a rock and delivers very respectable image quality. It comes with Canon's stepping motor technology (STM) that allows continuous AF during video recording or live-view mode (when used with a hybrid CMOS AF system) and that gives the lens a fast, silent and accurate autofocus performance. The EF 40mm... 4/5 Gil De Sousa, LensTests-com (Bensheim, Germany) - See all my reviews This review is from: Canon EF 40mm f/2.8 STM Lens (Electronics) Please don't take the Amazon star rating too serious - every lens has its pros and cons that I wouldn't want to squeeze into a single one-dimensional figure...A quick note about me: I have been into SLR cameras and lenses for more than 20 years - as a hobby in the beginning and professionally later. Maybe because of my technical background I started testing my own lenses quite a while ago. I have a (no longer so) little test lab of my own where I do 6 different image quality tests (after taking a lens out for a while).Canon's first-ever "pancake" EF lens is a real treat. It's so small that it looks like a 20 mm extension ring rather than a lens and yet it feels solid as a rock and delivers very respectable image quality. It comes with Canon's stepping motor technology (STM) that allows continuous AF during video recording or live-view mode (when used with a hybrid CMOS AF system) and that gives the lens a fast, silent and accurate autofocus performance. The EF 40mm... Read more Help other customers find the most helpful reviews  Was this review helpful to you? , June 21, 2012

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  List Price: $199.00
  

  Advanced optical design enables a bright f/2.8, compact optical system at 40mm

  Optimized lens coatings ensure exceptional color balance while minimizing ghosting and flare

  Ultra-slim and lightweight design

  Aspherical lens element delivers high image quality from the center to the periphery

  Built-in stepping motor provides smooth and quiet autofocus when shooting video with Canon EOS Rebel T4i DSLR

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  Canon EF 70-300mm f/4-5.6 IS USM Lens for Canon EOS SLR Cameras

  Photography (Canon)
  

  Rating (406 reviews):

  (4.6/5)

  

  Plain review in plain terms with sample shots

  The short version:Pros:The optical quality is great, the speed is terrific, and it compares well to the 70-200mm lens that people like to say blows this out of the water (I believe they are wrong - but we will get into that later) and finally, the price cannot be beaten. Buy it.Cons:No hood, extends as it zooms, and the quality of the picture in low light situation lessens a little.The long version:I am writing this in simple terms. I found several, several reviews on this lens but they were all in technical terms and leaves you scratching your head a little. So, if you are like me maybe this review will help you.I bought this lens a couple months ago from US1Photo.com (check these guys out. They regularly have significant sales and terrific customer service). I use this lens with a Canon 40D.I take several types and styles of pictures so I needed a lens that would do the best job at several... 4/5 Gustavo E. Alfaro "Gustavo" (Kentucky, USA) - See all my reviews, May 2, 2008

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  Quite happy with the lens

  After debating between this and the 70-200 L series I decided to purchase this lens. I have been pleasantly surprised by the results. I also own the 17-85 and the 50mm 1.8 lenses and I have found that I have gotten the "most pleasing" results from this lens. The pictures have been very sharp from my 20D - even in the 200mm - 300mm range. I've also been happy with the quality of the bokeh.The primary drawback I see is that the AF tends to hunt a fair amount when confronted with low contrast images. That being said, I used it for some flying bird shooting at the wildlife refuge and was surprised to see how many of the shots were in sharp focus. However, it was a little bit of all or nothing. Several shots were also wildly out of focus. Since the lens is fairly slow to focus, you never know what you're gonna get with such a fast moving object against the distant sky.I had much more consistent results when shooting soccer, softball and football in the park... 5/5 pveman (New Jersey) - See all my reviews Amazon Verified Purchase(What's this?) This review is from: Canon EF 70-300mm f/4-5.6 IS USM Lens for Canon EOS SLR Cameras (Camera) After debating between this and the 70-200 L series I decided to purchase this lens. I have been pleasantly surprised by the results. I also own the 17-85 and the 50mm 1.8 lenses and I have found that I have gotten the "most pleasing" results from this lens. The pictures have been very sharp from my 20D - even in the 200mm - 300mm range. I've also been happy with the quality of the bokeh.The primary drawback I see is that the AF tends to hunt a fair amount when confronted with low contrast images. That being said, I used it for some flying bird shooting at the wildlife refuge and was surprised to see how many of the shots were in sharp focus. However, it was a little bit of all or nothing. Several shots were also wildly out of focus. Since the lens is fairly slow to focus, you never know what you're gonna get with such a fast moving object against the distant sky.I had much more consistent results when shooting soccer, softball and football in the park... Read more Help other customers find the most helpful reviews  Was this review helpful to you? , March 21, 2006

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  Impressive lens

  I bought this lens as a replacement for the earlier 75-300mm IS lens. I was generally happy with that lens, but it had definite limitations - I needed to shoot at f8 or f11 and bump up the ISO to get a decent shutter speed.This new version seems sharp at full zoom even wide open, allowing me to use a lower ISO setting. Size is similar to older version, but the IS seems more effective - looking through the lens when it kicks in you can actually see the image become more stable and less shaky. I got this over the Canon 70-200 f4 L because of the extra reach, smaller size (slightly) and the images I've seen from both are very similar.UPDATE: There have been reports of soft images when using this lens in a verticle orientation - however I have not experienced this on my copy. I'm happy to say that after months of using this lens, I still consider it great. 5/5 Kevin F. Giannini "kevinfg" (New Hope, Pa USA) - See all my reviews This review is from: Canon EF 70-300mm f/4-5.6 IS USM Lens for Canon EOS SLR Cameras (Camera) I bought this lens as a replacement for the earlier 75-300mm IS lens. I was generally happy with that lens, but it had definite limitations - I needed to shoot at f8 or f11 and bump up the ISO to get a decent shutter speed.This new version seems sharp at full zoom even wide open, allowing me to use a lower ISO setting. Size is similar to older version, but the IS seems more effective - looking through the lens when it kicks in you can actually see the image become more stable and less shaky. I got this over the Canon 70-200 f4 L because of the extra reach, smaller size (slightly) and the images I've seen from both are very similar.UPDATE: There have been reports of soft images when using this lens in a verticle orientation - however I have not experienced this on my copy. I'm happy to say that after months of using this lens, I still consider it great. Help other customers find the most helpful reviews  Was this review helpful to you? , November 8, 2005

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  List Price: $649.00
  

  3-stop Image Stabilizer for reducing camera shake; ring-type ultra-sonic monitor (USM)

  70-300mm telephoto zoom lens with f/4.5-5.6 maximum aperture for Canon EOS SLR cameras

  Measures 3 inches in diameter and 5.6 inches long; weighs 22.2 ounces; 1-year warranty

  Electro-magnetic diaphragm (EMD) helps create attractive background at large apertures

  Super Spectra lens coating and lens element shaping suppresses flare and ghosting,Filter Thread: 58 mm

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• 

  Canon EF 75-300mm f/4-5.6 III Telephoto Zoom Lens for Canon SLR Cameras

  Photography (Canon)
  

  Rating (624 reviews):

  (4.2/5)

  

  Is this lens as bad as some people say it is?

  No it's not especially if you take into account its intended users. If you use a Canon digital SLR and are satisfied with the kit lens (18-55) then buying this lens can be the perfect next step for you. Practically speaking, you will be able to increase your zoom reach to the point where you can A) photograph birds in moderately distant trees, B) be able to zoom in on the other side of a valley and frame something of your interest. Those are just two examples. One thing you will NOT be able to do effectively with this lens, however, is to take sport shots with it. How so? Consider some of the following weakness:*At 300mm zoom range the highest aperture is limited to 5.6 (You will have to use very slow shutter speed to snap fast action shots; remember the inverse relation between aperture and shutter speed.)*The lens size/weight combination makes it hard to hold steady when attached to a camera like the Rebel XT*Slow and often inaccurate auto focus... 3/5 Abdulrahman Aljabri (Jeddah) - See all my reviews, April 8, 2006

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  Could be better, but works well within its price range

  After reading several online reviews of the Canon EF 75-300mm f/4-5.6 III USM lens, I had nearly talked myself out of even looking at one. However, thanks to a local Canon demonstration, I was able to play with several lenses, the 75-300mm f/4-5.6 among them. I got to try it out alongside the IS version (which costs just under 3x as much), the non-USM version, and some of their L-series professional lenses.That said, I found there to be less difference among the directly-comparable lenses (the non-USM, USM, and IS versions) than I'd have thought. On the test shots I took using a Canon Digital Rebel XT, I didn't find full-zoom telephoto shots to be appreciably softer in the non-IS version reviewed herein, nor were the images overly soft for my liking period.The USM focusing didn't seem to make as much of a difference as I'd expected over the non-USM model, either. Focusing was still relatively slow (as other reviewers have pointed out), although once an... 4/5 John Nolley II (Fairfax, VA United States) - See all my reviews, December 19, 2005

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  Buy the "IS" version instead

  If you're looking at this lens, you're more demanding than the average Joe who takes photos and have high expectations. This lens is not blazingly fast (f/5.6 at 300mm), and to reliably freeze camera shake, you're going to need a 1/500 sec shutter speed, which means that with ISO 100 film, you only can lose one stop of illumination under "Sunny 16" conditions before you have to decide comprimise somewhere to get your shot.Consequently, shots into the shade, or conducted under the warmer and softer lighting conditions of the morning/evening will inevitably drive you to the comprimise of a high ISO grainy film or the bulk of a tripod to make up for this lens's lack of optical speed. If you always shoot in full noon sunshine, you'll be okay.Even though its a great tool, most people don't like to carry a tripod, so the solution is to either accept grain in enlargements, not take certain photos, spend more money to go to a faster lens, or some combination of the above. I'll... 3/5 H. Huntzinger (Northeastern USA) - See all my reviews, August 30, 2001

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  List Price: $199.00
  

  Improved mechanism makes zooming smoother; front part of zoom ring sports silver ring

  Measures 2.8 inches in diameter and 4.8 inches long; weighs 16.8 ounces; 1-year warranty

  75-300mm telephoto zoom lens with f/4-5.6 maximum aperture for Canon SLR cameras

  4.9-foot closest focusing distance; 32- to 8-degree diagonal angle of view

  Image Stabilization: No

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  Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 II Standard AutoFocus Lens - Gray Market

  Photography (Canon)
  

  Rating (184 reviews):

  (4.5/5)

  

  Must have for entry level SLR owners!

  So, you just got your Canon SLR, and want to go beyond the kit lens. There is no better choice than the Canon 50 mm f/1.8 II. I have owned it for two years. I own higher-end lenses (70-200 f/4 L and 100 mm f/2.8 macro), but end up using this lens more often than any other. On a 1.6 crop body (like the Rebel series) the lens is a great portrait length. The lens is sharp enough that I cannot on a Rebel XS (12 mp) I go to pixelation before seeing effects of loss of sharpness from the lens on test photos.The biggest upgrade from the kit lens is the huge gain in speed. This lens is very sharp at f/2.0 or 2.2, and with normal indoor light you will be able to shoot flashless at ISO400 comfortably. This was the lens I trusted for the birth of our first son, and I couldn't be more happy with the images it captured. Even in the low light of the hospital room I was able to catch those first eyes-open moments without a flash.This lens is very light (maybe a little cheap feeling),... 4/5 E. Wiest - See all my reviews, April 16, 2010

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  This is an imported item, Canon warranty does not apply

  The reason this lens is selling for less than the same item listed at http://www.amazon.com/Canon-50mm-1-8-Camera-Lens/dp/B00007E7JU/ref=sr_1_2?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1350244710&sr=1-2&keywords=canon+lensis because the item here is a direct import item (What is commonly referred to as Grey market. Meaning, it was manufactured with the intention of sale in a country other than the USA.The seller stated in an email to me:"There is no restriction on a retailer to purchase these items for sale in the US. However, manufacturer's, by way of serial number tracking, are aware of which models were intended for sale in the US, and thus often refuse warranty service on the imported model.In lieu of the manufacturer's warranty on these imported products, Unique Photo offers our own warranty to support what the manufacturer will not, so that the customer can make their decision with piece of mind. This warranty would be for a period of one year from... 4/5 Sarah Smith (New York, NY United States) - See all my reviews This review is from: Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 II Standard AutoFocus Lens - Gray Market (Electronics) The reason this lens is selling for less than the same item listed at http://www.amazon.com/Canon-50mm-1-8-Camera-Lens/dp/B00007E7JU/ref=sr_1_2?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1350244710&sr=1-2&keywords=canon+lensis because the item here is a direct import item (What is commonly referred to as Grey market. Meaning, it was manufactured with the intention of sale in a country other than the USA.The seller stated in an email to me:"There is no restriction on a retailer to purchase these items for sale in the US. However, manufacturer's, by way of serial number tracking, are aware of which models were intended for sale in the US, and thus often refuse warranty service on the imported model.In lieu of the manufacturer's warranty on these imported products, Unique Photo offers our own warranty to support what the manufacturer will not, so that the customer can make their decision with piece of mind. This warranty would be for a period of one year from... Read more Help other customers find the most helpful reviews  Was this review helpful to you? , October 15, 2012

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  Excellent optics, spare build, marginal AF

  I've used multiple copies of this lens and the 50/1.4. If you're on a severe budget with a crop body and want to take portraits, buy it. If not, buy the 50/1.4 or 85/1.8.Let's start with the good. This is a super-simple lens design. It's very sharp corner-to-corner after f/4. It's sharp at f/2.8, decent at f/2, and a little soft at f/1.8. Contrast is high. Flare and other aberrations are minimal after f/2.8. Every zoom under $1000 is worse.It's durable. The front element is recessed, so you don't need a protective filter or a hood. It's plastic with mostly plastic components. When you drop it, it bounces or falls apart, but rarely breaks. It's trivially easy to take apart and put back together. The build tolerances are lax, but it has few elements and the design doesn't require that much precision anyway. It doesn't weigh anything. The mount is plastic to no consequence.The focus throw is extremely short. Manual focus for video or otherwise is a... 4/5 D. Alexander - See all my reviews, September 23, 2012

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  List Price: $150.00
  

  f/1.8 speed makes it perfect for available-light shooting.

  Superb lens featuring superb quality and portability.

  Compact and affordable.

  Ideal lens to accompany a zoom when shooting in low-light conditions.

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  0.42X FISHEYE LENS W/ MACRO FOR CANON EOS DIGITAL REBEL [Camera]

  Photography (Digital_Innovations)
  

  Rating (216 reviews):

  (3.5/5)

  

  You get what you pay, even more

  The lens really is a pair of two lenses. Assembled both, become a semi-fisheye/wide lens what, has that circular border (as in a common door fisheye) that gives the photo some interesting effect. Also, you can have wide angle photos just changing the focal length.The second part is a real cheap macro lens that can be detached. It has some interesting features and you can get decent pictures with almost no distance at all (though, you need some light). There's a small distortion, but it can be handled easy.It comes with a couple of adapter rings (52mm and 58mm) for different cameras. I used it with a Canon Digital Rebel XT and it really gives you the idea of a wide angle lens. It may not be as some professional lenses, but the desired effect is enough.Above all that, it's insanely cheap for a wide/macro lens. And that's a good combo for less than 40 bucks. 5/5 JUAN C. INOSTROZA OLIVA "--j" (Santiago, Chile) - See all my reviews, May 15, 2007

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  Fun

  I don't write reviews but I figured I would write on this because of the mixed reviews.I have a Canon T2i (550D) and bought this lens adapter just for fun. The box contains one fisheye/wide lens with case and caps, 2 adapter rings, and instructions. This product is supposed to be screwed onto the front of your existing lens, not to replace it. I used the 58 mm adapter ring to fit the fisheye lens to the front of my 18-55 kit lens. yay have fun with fisheye/wide angle! awesome for video.Here is where to find the macro lens. So the fisheye lens is attached to your lens but the fisheye lens itself unscrews into 2 parts. The main part of the fisheye lens actually unscrews from the ring that is screwed into the adapter ring. That is the Macro lens. use manual focus and get close.The second adapter ring lets me put this fisheye lens on my 50mm 1.8 or any lens with the same diameter. It looked like crap to me so i keep it on my sigma 28-70 2.8 and make... 4/5 Audiovortex - See all my reviews Amazon Verified Purchase(What's this?) This review is from: 0.42X FISHEYE LENS W/ MACRO FOR CANON EOS DIGITAL REBEL [Camera] (Electronics) I don't write reviews but I figured I would write on this because of the mixed reviews.I have a Canon T2i (550D) and bought this lens adapter just for fun. The box contains one fisheye/wide lens with case and caps, 2 adapter rings, and instructions. This product is supposed to be screwed onto the front of your existing lens, not to replace it. I used the 58 mm adapter ring to fit the fisheye lens to the front of my 18-55 kit lens. yay have fun with fisheye/wide angle! awesome for video.Here is where to find the macro lens. So the fisheye lens is attached to your lens but the fisheye lens itself unscrews into 2 parts. The main part of the fisheye lens actually unscrews from the ring that is screwed into the adapter ring. That is the Macro lens. use manual focus and get close.The second adapter ring lets me put this fisheye lens on my 50mm 1.8 or any lens with the same diameter. It looked like crap to me so i keep it on my sigma 28-70 2.8 and make... Read more Help other customers find the most helpful reviews  Was this review helpful to you? , August 31, 2011

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  Black Barrell if you have a 58mm

  I have a canon GL2 and wanted a wide angle or fisheye. I have no real complaints about the quality of this lens, but do have a big warning. If you buy this for a 58mm camera, it comes with step up rings for you to get up to the 58mm but this creates a black barrell on the outside when you want the big wide angle shot. Though this can be a cool effect, it is probably not want you want. So be warned before buying, and get a different lens that is a true 58mm if you want to get an uncluttered fisheye effect. For the macro however since you are usually filming something way close, it isn't a problem. 3/5 Brad S. Williams - See all my reviews, September 26, 2006

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  Lens is high quality Optics

  A REAL Titanium 0.42x Extra Large Panoramic professional Fisheye lens

  8 Elements of pure Aspherical glass

  Lens is multi-coated / High Resolution Precision Optics, Day or Night

  Auto Focus / Infrared Compatible

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  Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS II USM Telephoto Zoom Lens for Canon SLR Cameras

  Photography (Canon)
  

  Rating (277 reviews):

  (4.9/5)

  

  Much sharper than the MKI

  The 1st version was my favorite zoom in my bag which had the 16-35mm 2.8L and the 24-70 2.8L because it was so much sharper than the other two. I was really happy with the 1st version and wouldn't have replaced it if this never came out. Now that the price has come down, about $130 from the original price, that should pay for a good . Don't gimp this lens with a plastic coaster from Ritz!The image stabilization improvement is noticeable! Before I sold the 1st version for $1,550 (June 2010), I compared the two indoors handheld. I couldn't believe how 1 stop of IS really improved the quality and sharpness of the photos in low light.With a crop sensor camera... 5/5 E. Cruz (South San Francisco, CA United States) - See all my reviews, July 3, 2010

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  An Incredible Lens

  Pros: Lightning fast AF, Incredible Sharpness, Build Quality, Hood Design, Excellent ISCons: Price $$$$$, a bit big, a little heavy- not too bad.WOW is all I can say. After getting over that I spent so much on a lens, this new machine is absolutely amazing. The image quality is top notch. 100% crops can be printed large and I can see every detail. I was in Miami and took some pictures of the big hotels, and was wondering what the names were. I looked at some of the pictures, zoomed in, and saw everything. Even small signs hundreds and hundreds of feet away. The IS adds a new feeling of confidence. No longer do you have to worry about shaking a tiny bit and the shot being out of focus or a bit blurry. Canon has really created an astounding piece of technology surpassing others(Nikon) in the lens market. The build quality, as expected from an L series lens, is made to withstand extreme conditions. The zoom ring is large and easy to use. The buttons for different IS and... 5/5 alexosh1234 "alexosh1234" (Florida, USA) - See all my reviews This review is from: Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS II USM Telephoto Zoom Lens for Canon SLR Cameras (Camera) Pros: Lightning fast AF, Incredible Sharpness, Build Quality, Hood Design, Excellent ISCons: Price $$$$$, a bit big, a little heavy- not too bad.WOW is all I can say. After getting over that I spent so much on a lens, this new machine is absolutely amazing. The image quality is top notch. 100% crops can be printed large and I can see every detail. I was in Miami and took some pictures of the big hotels, and was wondering what the names were. I looked at some of the pictures, zoomed in, and saw everything. Even small signs hundreds and hundreds of feet away. The IS adds a new feeling of confidence. No longer do you have to worry about shaking a tiny bit and the shot being out of focus or a bit blurry. Canon has really created an astounding piece of technology surpassing others(Nikon) in the lens market. The build quality, as expected from an L series lens, is made to withstand extreme conditions. The zoom ring is large and easy to use. The buttons for different IS and... Read more Help other customers find the most helpful reviews  Was this review helpful to you? , March 21, 2010

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  A Truly Remarkable Lens

  After dreaming about this lens for nearly a year, I finally got one and would love to share my thoughts. Since many reviews online are incredibly technical and complicated, I'll try keeping this as easy-to-understand as possible. If you have questions, please feel free to add comments and I'll do the best I can to answer them.OVERALL IMPRESSIONSThis lens is absolutely amazing. Ignoring its steep price, large size, and heavy weight to focus solely on the photos it produces, I am incredibly impressed. The images are remarkably sharp, have accurate color rendition, and great contrast. I'm using this primarily on a Canon Rebel T2i, and expect that the results would be even more impressive on a full-frame camera such as the 5D series or 1D/1Ds series (aside from vignetting which is apparently somewhat pronounced on full-frame). If money isn't an issue, stop reading this review and order this lens immediately!WHAT'S INCLUDEDIn the box you get the lens, a... 5/5 G. Argov - See all my reviews, January 14, 2011

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  List Price: $2,499.00
  

  112-320mm with APS-C sensor cameras,1-Year Warranty

  Effective focal length:70 - 200 mm,Tripod Collar: Yes

  Compatible with Canon EOS film and digital SLR cameras

  EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS USM II telephoto zoom lens

  70-200mm with full-frame digital or film cameras

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  Canon EF 28-135mm f/3.5-5.6 IS USM Standard Zoom Lens for Canon SLR Cameras

  Photography (Canon)
  

  Rating (334 reviews):

  (4.3/5)

  

  a great general-purpose lense

  I bought this lens four years ago and have shot around 6,000 photos with it (4000 digital, 2000 35mm). Autofocus is very fast and quiet, which is typical of the Canon USM lenses. I would not recommend a Canon lens that does not have the ultrasonic motor (USM) focusing. Optics are sharp throughout the focusing range.The lens is fairly heavy and after a few months of use, you will likely find that the weight of the glass is enough to make the lens telescope out when it's around your neck. If you want a compact lens that will let you take great pictures in a wide range of settings, this is probably the best lens you could get for a Canon camera. If you're a pro, you'll probably have a backpack full of lenses and you're not reading this anyway, so I'm not talking to you. If you want something you can sling over your shoulder and not think about when you take the kids to Disney World, get a cheaper, lighter lens.The Image Stabilizer (IS) makes the lens a lot more expensive... 5/5 T. Hladish "gecko13" (Evanston, IL USA) - See all my reviews, July 16, 2004

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  Excellent Walkabout Lens

  While I considered purchasing a Canon 10D, I also started looking for a good first lens. Most of the reviewers and Canonites on the various forums suggested this lens as a good starting point.The 28-135mm IS USM Zoom is the one I use all the time now on the Canon 10D, and that will be the case until I get over the sticker shock of the 10D/28--135mm combo and start adding other lenses to my kit.In the meantime, this lens gets the job done very well. It gives you good range for a variety of of shots, from portraits to telephotos. There is even a macro mode, which gives you the opportunity to do close-ups--not really a true macro, but okay for shots of flowers, your kitty cat's face, etc. It is the flexibility of this lens that makes it so appealing if all you have is just one lens. And remember that if you mount this lens on a digital camera, like the 10D, the range is actually extended by a factor of 1.6.The USM focuses fast, and the Image... 5/5 Andrew Simmons (Fresno, CA USA) - See all my reviews, June 20, 2003

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  THE Consumer-Grade Canon Lens to Get

  Dollar-for-dollar, this is the best consumer-grade Canon lens available. The focal-length makes it a great walk-around lens. The onboard Image Stabilization allow for crisp zoom shots without a tripod. If your hands shake a lot, this lens will help overcome that.On the flip side, I found the Macro option provides a really startling level of detail up close. I also found the combination of the f3.5 and Image Stabilization to be of great use in low-light, indoor shooting where flash is prohibited. It's a fairly fast-focusing lens, too.Even though I have upgraded to an L-series lens, the 28-135 is still a personal favorite. Considering it is 1/3 the price of an L-series lens, I cannot find a single fault with it. Anyone looking for a general-purpose lens for under $500 to compliment their Canon Digital Rebel, Rebel XT, 10D or 20D has found it here. 5/5 A. Johnston (San Francisco, CA USA) - See all my reviews, May 30, 2005

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  List Price: $479.00
  

  Close focusing distance of 20 inches; 75- to 18-degree diagonal angle of view

  Ring-type USM adjustment system for swift, silent autofocusing and full-time manual focus

  Delivers sharp, natural-looking pictures in dim lighting without requiring flash or tripod

  Close focusing distance of 20 inches; 75- to 18-degree diagonal angle of view

  Measures 3.1 inches in diameter and 3.8 inches long; weighs 18.9 ounces; 1-year warranty

  28-135mm standard zoom lens with f/3.5-5.6 maximum aperture for Canon SLR cameras

  28-135mm standard zoom lens with f/3.5-5.6 maximum aperture for Canon SLR cameras

  Measures 3.1 inches in diameter and 3.8 inches long; weighs 18.9 ounces; 1-year warranty

  Delivers sharp, natural-looking pictures in dim lighting without requiring flash or tripod

  Ring-type USM adjustment system for swift, silent autofocusing and full-time manual focus

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