50mm f/1.8 II Lens

Rating:	★★★★★
Category:	Computers & Electronics
Product Type:	Digital Cameras
Manufacturer:	Canon

ALTHOUGH my 18-55mm kit lens still does its job well, I felt there were instances where I simply could not get the effect that I wanted. It was then that I decided that I needed to make my first lens purchase.

I was torn between purchasing a longer-range telephoto lens, such as the 55-250mm IS lens or the 70-300mm USM lens, both of which are relatively affordable (*When I say "affordable" to pertain to a lens, I generally mean a lens that does not cost as much or more than the entire DSLR) and purchasing the ultra-cheap 50mm lens.

Eventually, I decided that if I'm going to start buying lenses, I'd rather start cheap and basic. The Canon 50mm f/1.8 II, at only P4,700, was relatively cheap compared to its Nikon counterpart (with an aperture of 1.4) at P6,000. The risk with this strategy is that in terms of cameras, you can pretty much safely assume that quality is directly proportional to price. So buying a cheap lens can possibly be a disappointment in terms of quality.

Good thing I was wrong. The 50mm f/1.8 is a steal even at mall price. If you are a kit lens owner like me, you'd certainly appreciate how you would no longer be limited by the 4.5-5.6 aperture. The wide-open f/1.8 will give you all the artistic blurring that you need when focusing on primary subjects, especially when shooting portrait shots. In addition, the same wide-open aperture will allow you to shoot at very fast shutter speeds (such as 1/4000) while still having brightly lit pictures.

The downside: First, being a relatively diminutive lens, the appearance does not look very impressive (if such a category means something to you) but it can easily be enhanced by purchasing add-ons such as a UV filter or polarizer and an ES-62 lens hood. Since it is not a zoom lens, one has to literally walk to fit the subject/s into the viewfinder - but this is a relatively minor inconvenience.

I had fun testing the lens. Every image seems so clear, crisp and more lifelike. I now understand why even serious photographers keep this particular model in their lens collection. If you are a Canon user, it's a small price to pay for a new perspective in your photography.