Canon Zoom Lenses

So, you just got your Canon SLR, and want to go beyond the kit lens. There is no better choice than the Canon 50 mm f/1.8 II. I have owned it for two years. I own higher-end lenses (70-200 f/4 L and 100 mm f/2.8 macro), but end up using this lens more often than any other. On a 1.6 crop body (like the Rebel series) the lens is a great portrait length. The lens is sharp enough that I cannot on a Rebel XS (12 mp) I go to pixelation before seeing effects of loss of sharpness from the lens on test photos.
The biggest upgrade from the kit lens is the huge gain in speed. This lens is very sharp at f/2.0 or 2.2, and with normal indoor light you will be able to shoot flashless at ISO400 comfortably. This was the lens I trusted for the birth of our first son, and I couldn't be more happy with the images it captured. Even in the low light of the hospital room I was able to catch those first eyes-open moments without a flash.
This lens is very light (maybe a little cheap feeling),... Read more

This lens has an excellent aperture (f1.8) for the price. It allows you to really control the depth of field when taking portraits and other settings where you want to have the background blurred or softened. The lens is cheap because it is made out of plastic. Even the bracket to mount to the camera is plastic. The manual focus ring is very small, about 5mm wide, or just a little wider than a polarizer filters' ring.

This lens is sharper than the standard zoom lens that comes with the Rebel series (18-55mm). So if you are on a budget it is a great buy. I knew it was made out of plastic before I bought it, so I wasn't surprised when i got it. I do not regret this purchase, because for what you get, you can't beat this price.

This lens is so cheap but it's a great introductory prime lens. I bought this with my Canon XTi and haven't taken it off! I love how beautiful the images are that come from this lens. When I have used my zoom (which was only maybe once when I first got the camera) I have been disappointed with the images in comparison to the prime lens. I just bought the Canon 28mm 1.4 and can't wait to get it. Go Prime!!!