Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 II Interchangeable Lens Review

Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 II Handling and features

Weighing only 130g, this lens is very lightweight and will probably go unnoticed stowed away in a kit bag ready for when a fast aperture prime is required. The lens barrel is constructed almost entirely from lightweight black plastic, which feels brittle and probably won't cope with much abuse. The lens mount is also made of plastic, which probably saves as much in construction costs as it does weight.

When paired with the Canon EOS 5D Mark II body used for testing, it makes a decent lightweight combination.

Autofocus is reasonably quick, finding a target without hunting, even in low light conditions. When the lens is set to autofocus, the manual focus ring is engaged by the motor and should not be moved manually. There is no way to disengage the manual focus ring during autofocus, so care need to be taken to keep fingers clear of the ring as it rotates back and forth. Switching to manual focus leaves the focus ring loose, with no additional damping, which can make it a little more difficult to make fine adjustments than on more refined lens designs.

Focusing isn't performed internally, but the filter thread does not rotate, making this lens ideal for use with polarising and graduated filters. The filter thread is 52mm in diameter, so those wishing to use their standard 58mm or 77mm filters on this lens may do well to invest in a step down ring. The minimum focus distance of 45cm is typical for 50mm lenses. Although the design and features are very basic, I wouldn't normally expect any more for the price.

Add your message