An Afternoon with the Canon EF 50mm f1.8 Mark I

Picked up a used Canon T2i (550D) for Dillon, for another slight upgrade from the XSi.  It's ridiculous how cheap used digital SLRs have become.  I wonder if it even makes sense to buy new cameras at all, as lower end digital SLRs retain their value at about 30% of the original price.  Before getting rid of the XSi, I thought I would use it a bit, as my Canon lenses have not been getting much love lately.  I shot with the 100mm f2.8L macro the other day, so today I used the EF 50mm f1.8 Mark I, the metal mount version.

Although the 50mm f1.8 Mark I uses a lot of plastic, its built is much better than the Plastic Fantastic (version II).  I owned version II for a while, before upgraded to the 50mm f1.4.  Both versions of the 50mm f1.8 focuses very noisily, if you are used to the silent USM lenses, but the Mark I feels more like a lens than a toy.  Both lenses are optically similar, but version II has newer lens coating.  I actually prefer Mark I which I think is sharper at the corner in large apertures.  Overall, it's a nice little lens that despite the age, performs really well.  If you don't care about the 2/3 of a stop slower, there is little advantage to upgrade to the 50mm f1.4 USM.

A note on the XSi body.  Though it's a Rebel, the focus is very quick and quite accurate, very similar to the Canon 30D I had.  However, the file shows its age compared to the Sony NEX-5N.  Even at low ISO, the Sony images are cleaner.  But, it's better than the T2i.  Yes, the older XSi has better low ISO image quality the newer T2i. A shame, really.

Startled Birds - Canon Rebel XSi & EF 50mm f1.8 Mark I @ f2.8. Click for larger.

Playground - Canon Rebel XSi & EF 50mm f1.8 Mark I @ f2.8. Click for larger.

Cyclist - Canon Rebel XSi & EF 50mm f1.8 Mark I @ f1.8. 

Bridgepoint Hospital in Distance - Canon Rebel XSi & EF 50mm f1.8 @ f4.0

Flash Back on the Old Love

Megan -- Canon 1Ds & EF 50mm f1.8 Mark I

Going through some of my old pictures and found this one above that I took more than 3 years ago for testing the 50mm f1.8 version I (metal mount) on the original, very old 1Ds.  For some reason, I LOVE the colour from the 1Ds and its image quality at low ISO is still one of the best.  If not for the abysmal LCD screen, very slow operation and the one level of image magnification on playback, I would have kept this beautifully made full frame camera.  I really took this camera everywhere I went since it was my only camera at the time, and I am really glad that I did.

By the way, the 50mm f1.8 Mark I is really nice.  If Canon can upgrade the Arc-Form Drive motor to Ultra Sonic Motor (USM), it will sell like hot cakes if priced under $200.  But then again, Canon wants you to buy the 50mm f1.4 or 50mm f1.2L.