Too under-rated!!!

This is the must have lens! We probably all started our photo career with a 50mm on an old body at some point in time. And there is good reason for that. The fact that this lens is the closest in perspective as your eyes is a major plus. Major plus, in fact. If you can see it and frame it, you should be able to take it! This lens is so cheap that you can probably buy it with change. It is also, in my opinion, a very sharp lens. I do all of my environmental portraits with this lens. People come out beautifully because you do not exaggerate or flatten them too much. It is also very light. Instead of carrying a point and shoot, I often bring this lens with a 8008s and some fast film so I don't have to use flash. The lens is fast enough that you can get away with a lot of bad lighting situations.

I have absolutely no problem with the lens. If you are starting out in photography, don't buy any other lens. Use this lens for a year and you will be great at framing your shots. Zooms are for lazy people. Walk until you find the perfect spot to take the picture.

By the way, buy the rubber hood for this lens. It helps.