50mm f/2.5 Macro. Unexpected finding!

[cguaimare]

Hi friends: I am thinking about buying a Canon XTi. Looking thru old drawers I

found my old 50mm f/2.5 Macro. I wonder if this lens works ok with the XTi?.

And can this lens go to focus 1:1 ? Can I use it for non macro pictures?

Thanks for your help.

[leopoldstotch]

Yes, no, and yes. It works fine with the XTi, but only focuses to 1:2 (1:1 with EF life size adaptor), and its great for non macro too. You're lucky, I only wish I had found one just lying around:(

[tommyinca]

If you want 1:1, get an "used" EF life adapter made for this lens. They normally go for $80-$100. Not much demand, you can get great quailty however.

[beauh44]

Hi Carlos, It may not do 1:1 macros without an adapter but that's one of Canon's sharpest lenses. It's practically distortion free and quite sharp, even wide open. Yes, it's long in the tooth in terms of autofocus and it'll be ~80mm Full Frame FOV equivalent on your XTi, but it'll work fine and is optically excellent. You don't have to use it as a macro lens - it's a pretty darn good all-around lens if the slower autofocus isn't a problem. I've used mine for portraits with 10D's and 20D's. Try some shots with it using a tripod, around f/5.6, then do a little pixel-peeping and you'll see what I mean. ;-)<P>

 

<center><img src="http://d6d2h4gfvy8t8.cloudfront.net/3605826-md.jpg"></center><P>

 

<center> Canon 50mm f/2.5 Compact Macro, I think on a 20D</center>

[PuppyDigs]

The EF 50 2.5 CM is among my sharpest and oft used optics.

[robin_sibson1]

Nice find indeed! It'll work perfectly on any EOS body. Not quite as convenient in use as the 60/2.8 if you are using a 1.6-factor body, but perfectly acceptable and optically very much on a par. Don't forget that in terms of the proportion of the frame that your subject fills, a magnification of x0.5 when used on a 1.6-factor body gives a similar result to a magnification of x0.8 on FF, so even without the LSC (which, incidentally works extremely well) you have quite a versatile macro lens as well as a very good general-purpose lens. It's a particularly good choice if you need to do any copying work.

[fourfa]

this lens has wonderful bokeh. not a huge amount of it given the moderate aperture for a 50mm lens. but where most 50s (double gauss) are a little wiry and busy in the backgrounds (especially stopped to f2.5), this lens is creamy and smooth. extra surprising for a macro lens, which are usually the worst offenders.

[jim_simon6]

I have to chime in as well. Got the 50/2.5 after rebates for about the same price as the 1.8 version. I use it on my 20d and couldn't be happier with the results.

 

Jim