



Yes, absolutely.




  • The differences between the two lenses tested is less than the range of variation that can be found within different examples of each of those lens models. For all practical purposes they perform the same at f/1.8. – Michael C Nov 12 '20 at 19:39


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  • I would actually have to disagree here. 70-200, especially at f/2.8, is so expensive that one should definitely get the 50/1.8 first. – juhist Jul 23 '19 at 8:17



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Yes, it's utterly worth it to have a fast prime in the bag, but... No, it's not worth it to get the EF 50mm f/1.8 II for four reasons, all of them relatively new lens releases as of the time of this writing (2015):

Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 STM

This is an updated version of the 50mm f/1.8 II. The price (~US$125) and optics are mostly identical. But the addition of the STM focus motor, a much-better designed manual focus ring, and having a metal mount plate and barrel, rather than being all-plastic construction makes this much better value for the money, if you're purchasing new. The 50mm f1.8 II's plastic mount plate in particular did lead to well-known problems such as the lens getting stuck on the camera. And it's cheaper than a used 50mm f/1.8 MkI.

Canon EF-S 24mm f/2.8 STM

50mm is great as a portrait length on an APS-C camera, mimicking the field of view of an 85mm lens on full frame. It is, however, a little long/narrow in FoV for more general purpose shooting, such as landscape, street, or social shooting. The 24mm f/2.8 STM, while slower, more expensive, and possibly less useful for available light shooting than a 50/1.8, mimics the field of view of a 35mm lens on full frame--a focal length that's just slightly wider than normal (similar to cellphone camera lenses), and can be suitable for portraits, landscapes, street, and shoots close enough to do near macros. There's a reason a lot of the large-sensor compacts with fixed lenses have a 35/2 equivalent. In addition, this lens is a "pancake" lens--super compact, very tiny. You can think of it more like a body cap you can shoot with. It's discreet and very easy to pack and take with you when you need to travel light. The EF 40mm f/2.8 STM is the full-frame version of this lens, but again, will be longer than "normal" on a crop body.

Yongnuo YN 50mm f/1.8

But, I hear you say--I could buy a used EF 50mm f/1.8 II for a lot less cash. And you could. But if you really need to go supercheap and don't mind all-plastic iffy-construction and possible conditions issues of a used lens, then there's the super-thrifty fifty Yongnuo clone, the YN 50mm f/1.8. Amazon is currently listing it for US$60 (with Prime).

Yongnuo YN 35mm f/2

A bit more expensive than their 50/1.8II clone (~$110), this lens, however, is a clone of the discontinued Canon EF 35mm f/2 (which has since been replaced by the $600 EF 35mm f/2 IS USM). And it's "normal on a crop"; that is the field of view mimics that of a 50mm lens on a full frame camera, and can pretty much be used the way a 50mm prime was used for decades on film. And f/2 is only a third of a stop slower than f/1.8.

  • I've got the YN 35mm f/2. It's not a clone of the old EF 35mm f/2. It's a clone of the mechanics/housing design of the EF 50mm f/1.8 II, other than that the rim of the front of the barrel that is the "focus ring" is a piece of soft rubber that falls off frequently, rather than hard plastic like the 50/1.8 II, with optics (not identical to the EF 35/2) that give a 35mm FoV. It's not nearly as sharp wide open as the EF 35mm f/2, and the AF isn't terribly accurate. It's much better stopped down to f/8, but then so is any kit lens with 35mm in the focal length range. – Michael C Nov 12 '20 at 19:51
  • And, after playing around with it a bit today I've discovered that the aperture no longer stops down, though it does make a noise and reports to the camera that it was at the aperture selected using the camera's controls. That explains why my flash was firing so hot last week! This after only using it a handful of times over less than two years. – Michael C Nov 12 '20 at 22:57

I love my 50mm. It's a whole other level of clarity, vividness and sharpness compared to my variable zoom 18-135mm kit lens. I would highly recommend getting the 50mm. Undoubtedly in my case it made me fall more in love with photography.

A lovely silhouette from my 50mm

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