Comments about Canon Canon EF 50mm f/2.5 Compact Macro Standard AutoFocus Lens - USA:

Works great right out of the box. I photograph the jewlery that my wife and I create in our shop, with this lens sharp clear pictures are no problem.

Comments about Canon Canon EF 50mm f/2.5 Compact Macro Standard AutoFocus Lens - USA:

I do a lot of outdoor photography and find this lens to give clear sharp photos every time. The focus is sufficiently fast when in auto mode but can be a bit slow in manual. Like all macro lenses the depth of field is shallow but this is no problem if attention is paid to the focal plain.

Comments about Canon Canon EF 50mm f/2.5 Compact Macro Standard AutoFocus Lens - USA:

This lens is a good, dependable lens. If you want a basic macro lens, this will do just great. However, it is not a "distance macro" lens- that is, if you want to shoot skittish insects from a few feet away this is not the lens. But even with only 1.5X magnification this lens does very well at close distances. To give you an idea, at its closest focal distance (9" or so?), the frame on my 50D is filled width-wise by approximately 1.8 quarters (25 cent coins). That is, it can fill a frame with less than 2 US quarter coins worth of width- not too shabby for a lens at this price. The image quality is great. AF is somewhat slow and noisy. Overall I am quite satisfied by this lens.

PROs:
•Great image quality
•Fills a frame with less than two US quarter coins worth of space
•Good price

CONs:
•Have to be pretty close to subjects to get macro
•Slow AF

Comments about Canon Canon EF 50mm f/2.5 Compact Macro Standard AutoFocus Lens - USA:

I've had this lens for a few weeks now, and for less than 300 dollars its an amazing lens. Weighs hardly anything, has great image quality, and is compact, and decently rugged for the size and price. The only problem are the sloowwww auto focusing. Other than that, this is an excellent, sharp, good quality Canon lens. I highly recommend it.

Comments about Canon Canon EF 50mm f/2.5 Compact Macro Standard AutoFocus Lens - USA:

A lot of folks on forums will tell you not to get this lens, get the 100f2.8, no get the 100L IS. Well, if this the the only macro you can afford, the get it and discover a whole new world. Sure, it is only 1:2, but on an APS sensor, it doesn't matter that much. I love mine, and use if for a general walkaround fast lens sometimes too.

Comments about Canon Canon EF 50mm f/2.5 Compact Macro Standard AutoFocus Lens - USA:

I use this as a general purpose lens and for macro work

Comments about Canon Canon EF 50mm f/2.5 Compact Macro Standard AutoFocus Lens - USA:

I have had the opportunity to use this lens and Canon's 60 mm Macro for a week and while the 50mm is OK I was not impressed. Because it has an extending front element, and uses Canon's standard autofocus system, it takes an age to focus, whining all the way. Most disappointing was that I had understood that this was a 1:1 macro, and in fact the markings on the front lens barrel indicate this. What I didn't know was that you had to come up with another $250 for a lens extender (with optics) to do this. I would seriously look at spending just an additional $100 in the first place and buy the Canon 60mm 2.8 Macro, which has interior focussing optics, and focusses instantly and silently with Canon's ultrasonic focussing right down to a true 1:1. The additional focal length is also a plus, and it is one of the highest rated Canon lenses with a 9.4 Bob Atkins rating (compared to 9.0 for the 50mm.

Comments about Canon Canon EF 50mm f/2.5 Compact Macro Standard AutoFocus Lens - USA:

I bought the lens as a gift for my wife, she love the close up shots, flower, rocks etc. I now love this lens as well. great for portraits and close ups. It easy to use.. I think the auto focus is a bit slow, but I can find no real fault with the lens. It does every thing I expected it to do and more.. I great addition to my lens case

Comments about Canon Canon EF 50mm f/2.5 Compact Macro Standard AutoFocus Lens - USA:

It didn't take long before I was getting great results from this lens. It has met my expectations. Good value for the money.

Comments about Canon Canon EF 50mm f/2.5 Compact Macro Standard AutoFocus Lens - USA:

It's a good walk around lens and very practical for portraits in a cropped sensor camera (Canon 40D)

Comments about Canon Canon EF 50mm f/2.5 Compact Macro Standard AutoFocus Lens - USA:

I use this lens to shoot artwork 2-d and3-d and get small details.
I like how quickly it focuses and the sharpness of the glass.
It could be faster but for the price it is very good.

Comments about Canon Canon EF 50mm f/2.5 Compact Macro Standard AutoFocus Lens - USA:

I write and photograph "How To" books on a myraid of subjects. Everything from Automotive Electrical Repairs to Cookbooks. I've used it on one Annual Report to shoot the company's products and executives. I'm very satisfied with this lens. I use manual focus about 75% of the time in the studio and only use AF on portraits.

It allows you to shoot mundane things and make them beautiful!

Comments about Canon Canon EF 50mm f/2.5 Compact Macro Standard AutoFocus Lens - USA:

Doing "How-To" articles and books, plus instruction sheets and guides for manufactures, requires really close-up photography. This is the perfect lens for me. On my Rebel XT the 50MM becomes 80MM which is perfect. I also love it for portraits.

Comments about Canon Canon EF 50mm f/2.5 Compact Macro Standard AutoFocus Lens - USA:

I've learned already in my Nikon times with a real keeper Micro Nikkor 55mm f2.8, how smart to have a compact micro lens.I bought this as a replacement since I'm a Canonian. Small package, high performance, many ways to use at a low price. Probably based on the good old, simple and ever succesful Tessar lens design. A good backup for several lenses, more versatile than a normal lens, so I have no need for those for 28 years. On the crop camera it's a great portrait lens. I use it very succesfully for product, nature or any close up situation and even for architectural or fine art. Tack sharp, great contrast and color, easy to focus even manually, although it's not a USM and the focusing ring is a bit small for bigger hands. The integrated lens shade makes cleaning a bit difficult, but effectively protects the lens from damage or dirt and eliminates the need of additional lens hood until you don't need filters. An extention tube and good quality tele converter can make it a real outstanding performer. Hard to imagine a better glass in that size and price. If you like basics, this is one great budget lens you can't be without.

Comments about Canon Canon EF 50mm f/2.5 Compact Macro Standard AutoFocus Lens - USA:

This is a very sharp lens for most everything. But.. It requires an additional "Life Size" adapter for shooting 1:1 reproduction, which doesn't allow focusing to infinity. You find yourself having to remove the adapter to shoot larger objects such as butterflies, then remounting it to shoot other insects. It's focus is archaic, making it slow for other uses. If you're into shooting insects, keep looking. The adapter is more expensive than the lens, and you could purchase a "true" 1:1 macro lens for less.

Comments about Canon Canon EF 50mm f/2.5 Compact Macro Standard AutoFocus Lens - USA:

I bought this to get started in Macro photography. Quickly learned that depth of field can be you best friend, or your enemy. I discovered this lens works very well for a portrait lens. I've been spoiled with the USM lenses, so the focus seems very slow on this one.

Comments about Canon Canon EF 50mm f/2.5 Compact Macro Standard AutoFocus Lens - USA:

Use mostly for personal work.

Comments about Canon Canon EF 50mm f/2.5 Compact Macro Standard AutoFocus Lens - USA:

This is a great lens for the price. Sharp pics and with large f/stop that captures great low light pics. A real good lens for the price.