Right between the high-end 50mm f1.2 and the basic 50mm f1.8, it's just what you would expect - sharp, quiet, and solid. The build quality feels really good, with a weight that's just right; not too heavy. I got this lens for a Digital Rebel XTi, which has an equivalent focal length of 80mm (1.6x magnification factor). That's right in the sweet spot for portraits. Color rendition is beautiful and crisp, light falloff and vignetting appear to be very low. very good bokeh, too; its really smooth in most situations.
I added a lens hood for protection and blocking stray light, and it also adds a little to the appearance, too; it's wider than I expected. The 58mm filter thread is nice, if like myself you already have some lenses and filters of that relatively popular size. In short: very highly recommended!
Jun 26, 2008
Excellent Lens
Right between the high-end 50mm f1.2 and the basic 50mm f1.8, it's just what you would expect - sharp, quiet, and solid. The build quality feels really good, with a weight that's just right; not too heavy. I got this lens for a Digital Rebel XTi, which has an equivalent focal length of 80mm (1.6x magnification factor). That's right in the sweet spot for portraits. Color rendition is beautiful and crisp, light falloff and vignetting appear to be very low. very good bokeh, too; its really smooth in most situations.
I added a lens hood for protection and blocking stray light, and it also adds a little to the appearance, too; it's wider than I expected. The 58mm filter thread is nice, if like myself you already have some lenses and filters of that relatively popular size. In short: very highly recommended!