The Nifty Fifty

For any Canon Camera user, finding a new lenses is never an issue.  But finding a new lens with descent optics, and at a descent price, can be like finding a needle in a stack of hay.  That's where the nifty fifty comes into play.  The Nifty Fifty is the nickname of canon's 50mm lense.  And at $75 to $125 (depending on if you buy it new or used) it's hard to argue with the quality of the lense itself.

Side Note: (All photos of of the lens are taken with a cellphone camera)

Upon closer inspection the lens might look and feel cheap and plastic-y.  And you'd be absolutely right. It's not suppose to be the highest end lens in the world, it's meant to be for someone who has a budget to stick too, but still wants a lens that can take professional quality photos.

Now for the good and the bad about the lens:

• Good
• The lens is $75 to $125, depending on where you purchase it. 
• The lens has a huge depth-of-field range, making your subject nice and clear while keeping foreground and background out of focus.
• It's a prime lens - meaning it has a fixed focal point and doesn't zoom in or out.
• Excellent Macro mode and focal ring.
• Image quality of photos is on part with a $500+ lens, making this probably one of the best camera values out there.
• This 50mm lens has been around since the early days of photography and cinematography (I.E. - early 1900's) so it's really hard to find a "bad" 50mm to begin with.

• Bad
• Build quality is cheap, meaning that it isn't the best of ideas to make this your primary lens for too long
• It's a canon lens - meaning it will only work with Canon cameras.
• It's a prime lens - meaning you don't have your typical zoom-in/out.  This may be a problem if you need something more versatile.
• On that note, you have to get creative with your shots to get something descent.

All in all, the lens is both a great tool for any photographer trying to step up there game "&" an excellent lens for anyone looking to get into photography.  You really can't go wrong with it, it's just a descent product at a descent price.