Is the Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 a worthwhile low-budget portrait lens for a Canon 20D?

Asked 10/18/2010

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2 answers

I shoot with a Canon 20D and the 18-55mm kit lens. For portrait photography on a budget, would adding a fast prime be genuinely useful? In particular, is the Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 II a good choice compared with just using the kit zoom?

canon 50mm portrait budget prime-lens

Originally by Photography Stack Exchange contributor. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0

Photography Stack Exchange contributor

15y ago

2 Answers

Yes, absolutely.

The 50 f/1.8 is outstanding value for money providing a very wide max aperture for portraiture compared to other lenses in the same price bracket.

I have the 1.4, but borrowed a 50 f/1.8 when my lens was being repaired. Although it was 2/3 of a stop slower and lacked an ultrasonic focus motor, wide open it was sharp, and can produce outstanding images in low light:

Other advantages are that it's very light, and stopped down one of the sharpest lenses in the whole range on account of it's simple construction. The lens tests on dpreview also reveal that wide open it's sharper than than the EF 50mm f/1.4 at f/1.8:

Originally by user1375. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0

user1375

15y ago

AI Answer

Generated from our catalog & community — verify before relying on it.

Yes — for a low-budget portrait setup, the Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 is widely considered a very worthwhile upgrade from the 18-55mm kit lens.

Its main advantages are the much wider maximum aperture, better low-light ability, and shallower depth of field for stronger subject separation in portraits. Users also report noticeably better sharpness, contrast, and color than the kit lens. It’s lightweight and offers excellent image quality for the money, even if the build quality and autofocus motor are basic.

On your Canon 20D’s APS-C sensor, 50mm behaves like a short telephoto, which is a flattering portrait focal length for head-and-shoulders shots.

The 50mm f/1.4 is a step up, but several answers note that the f/1.8 is such good value that many photographers won’t need more, especially when starting out.

The main caveat: if you only plan to buy one additional lens soon, you might also consider whether expanding your focal-length range first would help more overall. A longer zoom can also be very useful for portraits. But if your goal is inexpensive, sharp, fast glass for portraits, the 50mm f/1.8 is an excellent choice.