canon 50mm 1.8
 

Got the 50mm 1.8 today and used it on the T2i...really nice lens at a super low price. Got it for $94./ free shipping. It's a nice option to have in the bag if the lighting is really low.It's also very sharp...not used to the non-zoom though...I keep feeling for the ring.
I'd say pick one up...especially for the money.
Craig

At that price there's really no reason not to have one.

Ditto. Best 95 bucks spent.

Hi Craig,

I've owned the 50 1.8 "plastic fantastic" and it is a bargain. Its light and sharp. I like the image quality and build quality of older manual focus 50mm f1.4 lenses from Pentax, Oympus and Nikon too They are can be cheaper and faster and have smoother, wider focus rings. Also, I find the manual iris to be as easy to use as body controls. The one drawback that I've dealt with is that the focus directions are reversed with non-Canon lenses. Lots inexpensive options and the lens adapters are $10-$20 each.

50mm f1.4 on ebay:
http://tinyurl.com/2b6zwmu

It was the first lens I bought after I got the T2 - it's a total no-brainer. Amazing quality of image for the price.

It's just too bad they don't have something similar in a wide angle lens.

Just out of interest can you guys tell me if i filmed a scene with my T2i/550D say a country view with this lens how can this 50mm 1.8 look better sharper than with my Tamron 28-300/10-24 or the 18-50 mm kit lens, i ask because we are talking about video here, i dont know how much much resolution these DSLRs can give in video mode and am interested if the lens you mention can increase it, or are we talking solely about the ease of use in manual mode this lens gives.

Outdoors and for video, 50mm 1.8 has no advantage over kit lens 18-55 IS. The kit lens not only has better range but IS too, which is important for video. I would take the kit lens over the 50 f1.8 outside on any day.

Thank you,i am a little confused though, i guess we are talking stills and manual use then.

I am going to respectfully disagree with Lee, the 50mm 1.8 has a distinct advantage over the kit 18-55.

The kit lens is a 3.5-5.6 variable, while the 50mm 1.8 is, well, a 1.8. Sure, it's not stabilized, but with an ND filter, shooting wide open, there's no way the kit lens can match it. Of course you probably shouldn't go handheld for these shots... :)

so are you saying for video the image is better shooting an identical scene[in daylight] as i asked compared to the lenses i own,sorry i have asked the same question but i am just as confused.

Bryan, I think Lee Ying was talking outdoor (daylight) and (outdoor) video (in daylight). As long as one doesn't get in a situation where the f2.8 to f1.8 range of the 50mm he is correct. Indoors, or when the lighting levels get marginal, the 50mm may be the better choice.

Depends on what you're doing.

Well sure, all settings being equal the IS in the kit lens gives it an advantage. I'm not saying that either lens is better or worse, just that they are better at different things... If you want IS, will be shooting higher f-stops in bright light without ND for deep DOF (shooting landscapes, etc), and/or want to run around hand-held, the kit lens wins. If you want shallow DOF and use ND & sticks, the 50 1.8 wins.

Different shots, different tools! It absolutely depends on what you're doing.

DOF has much more to do with focal distance of the lens than the aperture setting of the lens. With 55mm f5.6 lens, if you are filming a subject 8 feet away, the DOF is only 1.36 ft (you can calculate that). I know some people who crave shallow DOF are not happy with 1.36ft, and would go to extra distance like putting an ND filter on to cut it down to 1.1 ft. But to me, the hassle of switching a filter and missing the zoom and IS are just not worth gaining that extra shallow DOF, which is already very shallow to start with. Just my personal preference though.

Best lens for the money you can get, hands down. If you're just beginning to put your lens kit together, start with the 50mm f/1.8.

I'm using mine like a maniac and I absolutely love it.

The 85mm f/1.8 can give you some awesome results too. It has a minimum 3 ft. focus distance which is a bit of a drawback, but on a 1.6x crop factor camera that 85mm is the equivalent of a 135mm lens, and you'd be hard pressed to find a 135mm lens with an f/1.8 aperture for $300.

I use it for extreme closeups when I film and it makes everything pop.

It's not really a matter of "better or worse". The prime will have a different look than the Tamron zoom, which is created by a combination of multiple technical factors and technique.

With enough light in the scene it would become an esthetic choice. Borrow/rent one and see if you like the way it shoots (or even if you can spot the differences).