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

The reason this lens is selling for less than the same item listed at http://www.amazon.com/Canon-50mm-1-8-Camera-Lens/dp/B00007E7JU/ref=sr_1_2?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1350244710&sr=1-2&keywords=canon+lens
is because the item here is a direct import item (What is commonly referred to as Grey market. Meaning, it was manufactured with the intention of sale in a country other than the USA.

The seller stated in an email to me:

"There is no restriction on a retailer to purchase these items for sale in the US. However, manufacturer's, by way of serial number tracking, are aware of which models were intended for sale in the US, and thus often refuse warranty service on the imported model.

In lieu of the manufacturer's warranty on these imported products, Unique Photo offers our own warranty to support what the manufacturer will not, so that the customer can make their decision with piece of mind. This warranty would be for a period of one year from... 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.