Canon EF 50 mm  f/ 1.8 Lens

Low price. Great optical value for the price.

Small & low weight.

When stopped down to f/2.8 it is sharp in the center, stopped down to f/5.6 increases sharpness accross the frame.

52mm filter thread, 52mm filter are cheap and very easy to find.

Weaknesses:

Mark II is all made of plastic, feels cheap in hand.

Wide open it has low contrast so not very sharp, but still usable for portaiture.

Five straight aperture blades show up pentagrams hightlights when stopped down.

No full time manual focus, focus ring is made of plastic (no rubber) not very accurate.

Suffers from focus hunting in low light condition and/or when there is not enough contrast on the subject in order to focus in automatic.

Slow and noisy focus motor.

No DOF nor distance marks on the mark II version.

Comments:

Nice lens for the price, this lens is also known as Plastic Fantastic in Spain.

Used on an APS-C camera it is a nice, cheap, light lens, very affordable for beginners.

On a full frame camera it is a very usable normal lens.

If you like the mark II lens take a look on the first version with metal bayonet, DOF and distance scale and better placed focus ring.

Sharp from f/2

Weight

Weaknesses:

Poor mechanical design

Possible back (or front?) focus

Comments:

Overall - a disgusting lens. Do not give any confidence in the result at the output. Got rid of and happy. It is often advised for beginners, but I will not. Number of problems interrupted his dignity.