Photo: BenGrantham from Portland, OR, USA (CC BY 2.0)
Quick answer
The 1990 version of Canon's 50mm f/1.8 for EF mount: tiny and light, with a plastic mount and a basic micro motor. It fits any EF-mount body.
Pros
- Very light and small
- f/1.8 aperture
- Sharp enough once stopped down
Cons
- Plastic mount and build
- Autofocus is slow and audible
- No full-time manual focus override
Verdict
Capable optics, but the STM version replaced it with a metal mount and quieter focus. Pick the STM unless you find this one used.
About this lens
This 50mm f/1.8 fast standard prime lens from Canon fits Canon EF mount cameras. Nicknamed the "nifty fifty", this lightweight and affordable fast prime is a popular first step beyond a kit zoom for portraits and low light.
Canon EF 50mm F1.8 II specifications
- Brand
- Canon
- Mount
- Canon EF
- Focal length
- 50mm
- Maximum aperture
- f/1.8
- Lens type
- Prime
- Format coverage
- full-frame
- Released
- 1990
- Optical construction
- 6 elements in 5 groups
- Aperture blades
- 5
- Minimum focus distance
- 0.45 m
- Maximum magnification
- 0.15x
- Filter thread
- 52 mm
- Weight
- 130 g
- Length
- 41 mm
- Diameter
- 68.2 mm
Specification source: global.canon
What can you shoot with the Canon EF 50mm F1.8 II?
- Learning shallow depth of field
- Casual portraits
- Low-light snapshots
Its fast maximum aperture helps in dim light and gives good subject separation.
Full-frame equivalent and field of view
Calculated from the focal length and crop factor. Not measured.
| Sensor | Crop | Equivalent | Horizontal FOV | Diagonal FOV |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Full frame | 1.0x | 50mm | 39.6° | 46.8° |
| APS-C | 1.6x | 80mm | 25.4° | 30.3° |
Frequently asked questions
Does the Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 II work on full-frame cameras?
Yes. It covers full-frame and APS-C EF bodies, and on an APS-C body it frames like a roughly 80mm lens. It also mounts on EOS R cameras through the EF-RF adapter.
Can I manually focus while the EF 50mm f/1.8 II is in autofocus mode?
No. Unlike USM lenses, there is no full-time manual override. Switch the lens to MF first.
EF 50mm f/1.8 II vs STM: what changed?
The STM version has a metal mount, a stepping motor for quieter and smoother AF, and a rounder aperture. The optical design is broadly similar.
Alternatives for Canon EF from other brands
All Canon EF lensesSame mount, overlapping focal range, closest maximum aperture first.
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