Overview of CANON LENS EF 50mm 1: 1.8 (MKI)

According provided by CANON LENS EF 50mm 1: 1.8 lens is huge thanks to the store www.fotika.com.uawhere you can find a huge number of different used photographic equipment, including similar lenses for Canon cameras.

CANON LENS EF 50mm 1: 1.8 (MKI)

CANON LENS EF 50mm 1: 1.8 (MKI) (enlarge image)

In short

CANON LENS EF 50mm 1: 1.8 (MKI) - the first 50mm lens (lens with XNUMXmm focal length) with autofocus for cameras Canon EOS. It was introduced in March 1987 when the Canon system switched to the new Canon EF mount. In general, CANON LENS EF 50mm 1: 1.8 is one of the oldest autofocus lenses for Canon.

The lens itself is not bad.. Nowadays, it is quite rare, since it was produced only 3 years. Structurally, much better than replacing it in the face MKII version.

There is already an overview on Radozhiv Canon Lens EF 50mm 1: 1.8 II Canon INC. Made in malaysiaTherefore, in this review I will limit myself to a detailed discussion of the difference between the first and second versions of the lenses.

CANON LENS EF 50mm 1: 1.8 (MKI)

CANON LENS EF 50mm 1: 1.8 (MKI)

 

Differences between MKI and MKII

  1. The MKI version was released from March 1987 to December 1990. Version MKII It was produced from December 1990 to May 2015. Further version MKII has been replaced by a similar lens with the same optical design - Canon EF Lens 50mm 1: 1.8 STM.
  2. All lenses in the MKI version were produced exclusively in Japan and bear the inscription 'Canon Lens Made in Japan' on their bodies. First version lenses MKII were also produced in Japan and have the same inscription 'Canon Lens Made in Japan'. Over time production version MKII was transferred to Malaysia and most of these lenses are labeled 'Canon INC. Made in malaysia'.
  3. The MKI version weighs 60 grams more. Version MKII is one of the lightest fixed lenses and weighs just 130 grams.
  4. The MKI version uses a metal mount. Version MKII Uses plastic bayonet mount.
  5. The MKI version has a window with a focus distance scale, a depth of field scale for F / 11 and F / 22, and a mark (red dot) for photographing in the infrared spectrum. Version MKII devoid of these utilities.
  6. Versions differ in the different arrangement of the focus ring.
  7. The focus ring of the MKI version does not rotate during auto focus, it can be touched. The version MKII The focus ring rotates during auto focus and cannot be touched.
  8. Focus ring version MKII rotates only 45 degrees, the MKI version rotates 180 degrees.
  9. The MKI version has a hard stop for quick focus on infinity. The version MKII there is no such hard stop.
  10. Focus Speed ​​Version MKII about 2 times higher than the MKI version (this is the only major advantage of the version MKII) Most likely, an increase in speed was achieved by shortening the pitch of the focus ring.
  11. It is believed that the enlightenment of optics in the MKI version is worse.
  12. The versions differ in the design of the case. Version MKII became slightly wider (68.2 mm vs 67.4 mm) and slightly shorter (41 mm vs 42.5 mm).
  13. The case of the MKI version is made of carbon, the case of the version MKII made of plastic.

Compared to the original Canon Lens EF 50mm 1: 1.8 new version MKII It turned out to be slightly cropped. In all other respects, especially in the quality of the image, I did not find any difference.

It's important: optical version I, II и III - Is same lens.

CANON LENS EF 50mm 1: 1.8 (MKI)

CANON LENS EF 50mm 1: 1.8 (MKI)

Prices

CANON LENS EF 50mm 1: 1.8 (MKI) cannot be found new. Usually its value in the secondary market is 50% higher compared to MKII version. Version MKII in our time, the same, less and less found on sale. Now the third version is in trend - Canon EF Lens 50mm 1: 1.8 STM.

CANON LENS EF 50mm 1: 1.8 (MKI)

CANON LENS EF 50mm 1: 1.8 (MKI)

My experience

If someone chooses a used lens, then I definitely recommend the first version of CANON LENS EF 50mm 1: 1.8 for purchase. It so happened historically that the first and, in fact, the older version in the secondary market is more expensive than the newer MKII version.

A fifty-kopeck piece is often a must-have in the backpack of any photographer. Recently, I still consider Chinese to be the best budget fifty dollar YONGNUO LENS EF 50mm 1: 1.8. Often, a fifty dollars is bought to just 'play around' with aperture optics. YONGNUO LENS EF 50mm 1: 1.8 for 'games' with F / 1.8 will be enough for the eyes. If you need fifty dollars for work, more serious things than amateur photography, then the Canon system has several other solutions.

World! Work! China!

CANON LENS EF 50mm 1: 1.8 (MKI)

CANON LENS EF 50mm 1: 1.8 (MKI)

Alternatives

Below is a list of fifty-fifty lenses and lenses that are very close in their focal length to 50 mm, which support auto focus and are suitable for full-frame cameras Canon EOS.

Canon:

Canon Lens EF 50mm 1:1.8, version with a focusing distance window and metal mount March 1987 View price

Canon Lens EF 50mm 1:1.8 II, the second version without a window of focusing distances and a plastic bayonet mount.

This lens exists in two subversions:

  1. Canon Lens EF 50mm 1:1.8 II Made In Malaysia
  2. Canon Lens EF 50mm 1:1.8 II Made In Japan
Subversion fundamentally no different
December 1990 View price
Canon EF Lens 50mm 1:1.8 STM May 2015 View price
Canon EF Lens 50mm 1:1.4 Ultrasonic July 1993 View price
Canon EF Lens 50mm 1:1.2 USM Ultrasonic January 2007 View price
Canon EF Lens 50mm 1:1.0 l Ultrasonic September 1989 View price
Canon Compact macro Lens EF 50mm 1:2.5 December 1987 View price
Canon lens RF 50 mm F1.2 L USM September 2018 View price

Tamron:

Tamron SP 45mm F /1.8 Di VC USD F013 September 2015 View price

Sigma:

Sigma 50mm 1:1.4 DG HSM EX, this lens exists in two versions with a different type of body coating March 2008 View price
Sigma 50mm 1:1.4 DG HSM A (Art) January 2014 View price
Sigma 50mm 1:2.8 Macro 1990 View price

Sigma 50mm 1:2.8 Macro EX, there was a copy of this lens under the name Quantaray 50mm 1:2.8 Macro

1998 View price
Sigma 50mm 1:2.8 DG Macro EX June 2004 View price

Tokina:

Tokina Opera 50mm F1.4 FF February 2018 View price

Yongnuo:

Yongnuo Lens EF 50mm 1:1.8

There are several sub-versions with different spelling of the name near the front lens

  • YN50mm F1.8 YONGNUO Ø52mm
  • YONGNUO LENS EF 50mm 1: 1.8 YONGNUO Ø52mm
  • YONGNUO LENS EF 50mm 1: 1.8 YONGNUO INC. Ø52mm

Subversion fundamentally no different

December 2014 View price

Yongnuo Lens YN50mm F1.8 II

There are two options, depending on the color of the case: the black or white

May 2018 View price
Yongnuo Lens 50mm 1:1.4there was another prototype Yongnuo Lens EF 50mm 1:1.4 May 2018 View price
CANON LENS EF 50mm 1: 1.8 (MKI)

CANON LENS EF 50mm 1: 1.8 (MKI)

Sample Photos

All pictures in the gallery were taken using Canon EOS Digital Rebel XSi, images shown without processing, normal camera format JPEG. Everything was removed from the hands.

You can download the original 'jpeg' photos at this link.

CANON LENS EF 50mm 1: 1.8 (MKI)

CANON LENS EF 50mm 1: 1.8 (MKI)

Results

CANON LENS EF 50mm 1: 1.8 (MKI) - classic! Inexpensive fifty dollars with a 1: 1.8 aperture ratio. Well built, old, but quite suitable for a wide range of tasks. Optically identical to version Canon Lens EF 50mm 1: 1.8 IImechanically superior to this.

Comments on this post do not require registration. Anyone can leave a comment. Many different photographic equipment can be found on AliExpress.

Update: reviews of inexpensive analogues appeared: Yongnuo Lens EF 50mm 1: 1.8 и YONGNUO LENS YN50mm F1.8 II.

Material prepared Arkady Shapoval. Training/Consultations | Youtube | Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | Telegram

Add a comment: Sergey

 

 

Comments: 40, on the topic: CANON LENS EF 50mm 1: 1.8 review (MKI)

  • Oleg

    And the aperture blades are also 5, like the second version?

    • Arkady Shapoval

      Yes, there are as many petals, otherwise I would definitely indicate this in the list of differences.

      • Oleg

        And at that time they were already greedy

        • Alexander O

          The old, Canon FD 50mm f1.8 also had 5 petals. As far as I know, the diaphragm lipos began to be trimmed when they began to make automatic diaphragms so that the diaphragm closes easier and faster.

  • Ilyas

    Vesch!

  • AND

    Nice glass for your money. It was. Compared with the STM version, it already has no advantages. In general, the situation with fifty dollars in the EF-system is strange, of course.

    • Gordey

      you write this to Nikon. when they essentially have only budget fifty rubles and ... 58 1,4 GN with a price comparable to d610

  • Reader

    The cat is gorgeous

  • Rodion

    Beautiful lens, beautiful photos, beautiful spring)

    • anonym

      Yes, spring is really beautiful)

  • Carl Zeiss

    But the lens is quite good! And the subject, and macro shoots well. And portraits from him are quite good. And the bokeh is great! ..

    • Karen

      Portraits - I agree, but as a macro, it is not good, an increase, or rather a reduction of six.

  • Simon

    Exactly the same with me ... I did not expect from him when I bought it for only 4000 rubles. something ... but he surprised me ... this glass pleases with its simplicity, price and beauty ...

  • Oleg

    The eternal lens. Given the short duration of the release, a rather rare guest at flea markets :) His 35 mm brother just recently stopped releasing :)

  • Oleg

    And what is the lens of the young lady 24-200?

  • Maugli

    “The body of the MKI version is made of carbon.” Is that accurate? The material has a characteristic appearance and a high price tag.

    • Oleg

      I think carbon is called “carbon fiber” with carbon (graphite) fiber as reinforcement.
      Canon lenses (as well as others) use plastic "polycarbonate" without fibers and not more ...

  • Karen

    Something I doubt that it was the same lens. I had all 3, if the first 2 were very similar, the third is characterized by sharpness on the open diaphragm and increased chromatic oberization. Pay attention to the top edge of the apron

  • Karen

    And here is a picture without magnification

  • Sergey

    People, I ask without jokes. Damn, how does this Hard Stop work? Can you explain it ?. What is it for fast focusing to infinity, I read, but how is it for fast ...? What should happen? Canon EF 50mm f / 1.8 II will screw it up to infinity, too, and Mark I has nothing special, no lightning speed, usually. I did not find anything on the Internet about this, there are some devices, but this is hardly the same. If there is no answer, just write FIG knows.

    • Jury

      hard stop - the ability to quickly focus to infinity with your hands, i.e. when you focus with your hands, you turn the focusing ring all the way, towards infinity, and you get focusing to infinity. This is useful when photographing night landscapes, astrophotography, for example, when autofocus is useless and it is difficult to focus manually.

    • Arkady Shapoval

      Hard stop is when you brought the focusing ring all the way towards infinity and you have “sharp” infinity. If there is no hard stop, this means that the lens can have a slight infinity flight if you just take and bring the focusing ring all the way. This is due to the thermal expansion of materials. In the cold, for example, in the infinity position there will be infinity, and at 40 degrees of heat there will be a flight. Also, usually there is no hard stop on zoom lenses, because due to the complex optical scheme at different focal lengths and in the same position of the focusing ring, we get different focusing distances, including different “infinity”. In such cases, the camera simply focuses accurately. This is a trifle, usually only important for landscape photographers and astrophotography, for ordinary users this term and phenomenon should not be paid attention to.

    • Michael

      In manual mode, the wheel was tightened and you have infinity for sure. These lenses have no overtravel. This is true, for example, when shooting stars - autofocus is not an assistant in such matters as lifeview.

      • anonym

        This is answered)))

  • Sergey

    Well, what can you say - Thank you so much. !!!!!

  • Vladimir

    I do not know how the Chinese analogue, honestly, I do not trust, I was not too lazy to find the first release. The price compared to 1.4 was more than divine, but the Japanese who sent it to me also got a UV filter. Now, a daughter who was seriously interested in photography does not part with him.
    https://ibb.co/mqJHe6 So in our family he’s a worker, so he’s not used so often at 28mm.

  • Alexander Novice

    I bought today such a copy for 100 euros. I don’t know if it’s expensive. State 10/10. Plus 10km on the bike in the city for a purchase. I am satisfied for now. I don’t know how it will be. True, I bought thanks to this good review. Sincerely.

    • anonym

      Expensive. For 100 euros you can buy a new 50 stm.

      • Michael

        First version. It is usually sold at a price of almost 1.4. So it’s not expensive at all

        • anonym

          Look at ebee and on the local boards of Europe. The first version sells for 50 euros. Why would she sell at a price of 1.4?

          • Michael

            With the fact that it turns out that way. The lens is good and did not sell for long - hence the price. There was no talk of ebay and others like that, at local sites they don't sell cheaper than 100. Better him than a trinket of STM

            • anonym

              Optically, these are the same lenses, the af in the stm version is much faster and more accurate, the metal ring in both mk1 and stm.
              Stm has no problems with mechanics, unlike μ1 and μ2.
              The price of the MK1 version is 50 euros. If you want, you can find more expensive or bargain giving more than they ask.
              Of course, MK1 1.8 is not for sale at a price of 1.4, it's a fantasy.

              • Michael

                The same, but the 1st is better with a constructive. And for 50 you can search for yourself without foreign sites and stop talking nonsense

              • Novel

                STM is faster than Mk II unambiguously, and Mk II is faster than Mk I. It is scary to imagine how slow Mk I is in this case. Mk II I have scoured much more.

                The STM also has a metal bayonet mount, but also 7 blades of a rounded diaphragm instead of 5-angle nuts.

                It’s strange to see such sketches for a decent lens.

              • anonym

                Strange, it is clear that Michael has little understanding of the difference between the versions, and moreover he did not work with them.
                The fix options with stm at kenon are very successful and cheap, and it happens. I honestly don’t see the point in the first version at a price of stm of 100 euros, except if they give or not more than 20 euros.

              • Oleg

                In STM, the quality floats, be healthy, out of 3 that I was holding in my hands, one had normal sharpness on the open one. Still, as for me, a significant disadvantage is that without power, you cannot drive the trunk inside, because the focusing ring has no mechanical connection with the helicoid. As a result, of the significant advantages, only relatively quiet focusing for video and no looseness in comparison with the second version. About the mechanical problems of MK I, this is most likely your fantasies.

  • Yarik

    Bought MK1 over a year ago.
    It is immediately noticeable that it is very solidly assembled, despite its age it works at 100%. A very convenient focus ring when auto focus is on is not tied to the mechanics of the lens; when manual, there is a hard stop for focusing on infinity.
    What is not the first or the second is not already in the second version. Also, for me, the ring itself is much more convenient, located not so close to the glass as to accidentally get it dirty with your hands when focusing manually
    Very satisfied, did not expect it to be so good :)

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