Optics, accuracy

noisy AF

This lens more than surprised me. It proves that you don't have to have all the latest technology in a lens for it to be good. the optics are excellent, AF is fast enough for landscapes, portraits and macro work...and very accurate. I have used it on my 5D mk II, and the excellent optics complements the 21.1 MP perfectly.

Customer Service

N/A

Similar Products Used:

EF 50mm f/1.8 II, EFS 60mm f/2.8 macro

Price Sharpness Contrast light weight

Is it a true Macro if it doesn't focus down to 1:1 ?

What a plesently surprising little lens. It is tack sharp with fabulous contrast even wide open and at any focusing distance. Granted, it doesn't focus as quickly as the USM macros but at half the price of the nearest USM lens who cares. I mean where will you need superfast focusing with macro anyway, unless you're shooting an uncooperative bug or hummingbird and even then small focusing adjustments are done reasonably quickly. To be honest the only thing I didn't like about it is that it doesn't go down to a true 1:1. 1:2 instead, but this can be helped by the use of close up lenses. For the money this lens is one Canon's underated gems. Get one and go bug hunting... you won't regret it.

Customer Service

Non needed yet

Similar Products Used:

Nikon AF Micro-Nikkor 60mm F:2.8D Sigma 50mm Macro F:2.8 MF

Decent sharpness Build in hood

Dreadful AF Washed out colors

I bought this lens after reading the very positive reviews in this site. I was very disappointed and returned it after a couple of days of shooting, and got a 50/1.4 instead. This lens is exactly what it looks like - an old compact macro. It is suitable for close range macro. As a general lens it is not really usable - it misses focus in *many* situations. There are no complaints about sharpness. However colors are somewhat washed out, and bokeh is not great. For shooting people, there is no comparison between this one and the 50/1.4 - the latter wins hands down. Get this lens only if the macro feature is its main intended use. If you want the full prime quality go for the 50/1.4 and you will not be sorry.

Similar Products Used:

Canon 50mm f/1.4

Sharpness all across the lens! No distortion at all! Built in lens hood, lens is recessed, with no flare! I haven't used its Macro feature much since I have other Marco lenses. Very good build quality for this price range.

None

This baby is SHARP!!! I use it mainly as a standard lens. I shot some pictures at Antietem Battlefield and the shots of the fields show every blade of grass in the field crystal clear. I shot an old brick church and noticed no distortion at all and again the sharpness of the lens just slaps you in the face! Its build quality is very good and it auto focus also is very good -- although it is not USM AF. Hey, I knew it didn't have USM when I purchased it, I just wanted it for its SHARPNESS and lack of distortion. So when I purchased this lens I bought it with an attitude 'that it better be sharp' AND IT IS! An excellent purchase!

Customer Service

None

Similar Products Used:

Canon EF 20mm, EF 24mm TS, EF 28mm f/2.8, EF 35mm f/2, EF 90mm TS, 70-200mm f/4 L, EF 300mm f/4 L

size, weight, cost, sharpness

build quality (but what do you expect for this price?) and AF is a little slow (not really a problem for me)

All around great performer and excellent value for the money. This lens sees a lot of use from me because it is small, sharp, light and works very well with extension tubes. I waited a long time to finally buy this lens because I kept reading reviews saying that 50mm didn’t give enough working distance for wildlife. I have not found the working distance to be a problem at all. This is one of my all time favorite lenses.

Customer Service

This lens is too inexpensive to have fixed. I dropped my first one and broke the aperture. The estimated cost of repair was $200.

Similar Products Used:

EF 100mm f/2.8 macro USM EF 180mm f/3.5L macro USM EF MP-E 65mm f/2.8 macro

An almost unnaturally sharp lens. You can see its inherent sharpness with any film, even supposedly low-resolution ones. Works fine as a macro, and equally well as a normal lens. Good sharpness wide open. "Bokeh" blur is not as good as, say, the 35/2, having slight but not excessive "double line" qualities with high-contrast subject matter. But it's not objectionable and does not call attention to itself, and will probably not interfere with anyone's enjoyment of the results of this lens. Overall a superb all-purpose lens if you don't need a large maximum aperture and are looking for the very best optical quality.

Similar Products Used:

AF-Micro-Nikkor 60/2.8, Zeiss Makro-Planar 60/2.8 C, Olympus 50/3.5 Macro, Olympus 50/2 Macro.

Compact, lightweight. Very sharp and can stop down to f/32. No venette experience.

Slow af motor.

Good standard lense. Extra f stop of 32 yields plenty depth of field. Lightweight and compact size. Wide open f/2.5 a little slow for available light photographers out there, but very sharp wide open. Who uses f/1.4 anyway

Customer Service

n/a

Similar Products Used:

None

Tack sharp lense, very light, easy to handhold.

slow autofocus, definitely for macro use primarily.

Good value for the money, would have liked the EF 100 macro but was not available at the time and I needed a macro the next day.

Customer Service

never had to service any of my canon products

Similar Products Used:

EF 135 f2.8, EF 28-80 f3.5-5.6 USM, EF 70-200 f2.8L USM, Tamron 28-200 f3.8-5.6, EOS A2, EOS 1-V HS

Light weight
Sharp as a cactus needle
Small size

Slowish focus but for my purposes I don't care.

Beats the tar out of those stackable diopter filters for a standard lens. I have rec'd multiple compliments on the macro work and its sharpness and depth. Ease of use is a delight

Customer Service

NA

Similar Products Used:

First 35mm macro lens