Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 II Lens

Sure, it may be cheap looking, light and totally encased in plastic, but looks can be decieving. Very. Just look through this lens and you'll be amazed. I use it so much that I rarely take it off my camera. If you pay more than $80 you're being ripped off.

There are photo ops that come up at times where that 50mm, 1.8 lens can be a lifesaver for a photographer who needs to shoot a picture with available light. Low light and the inability to use a flash can spell doom to those flex lenses with those f4.5 apertures. The 50mm lens has been around a long time and has a "what you see is what you get" reputation.

Yes - it's got a lot of plastic, but for the money, who needs metal! Actually I was a bit concerned at first (thinking you get what you pay for) but I used it, love it and the F/1.8 has saved me on several occasions. Used this lens exclusively this past Christmas and was able to get some awesome light shots as well as great portraits in low light settings. If all your other lenses stop at 4.5...you'll love having this lens in your bag. Take your camera off program mode and have some fun!

9-2007 UPDATE
Had to shoot a track meet on a very overcast - almost rainy day and luckily had this lens in my bag. At 1.8 it allowed me to catch some excellent shots without increasing my ISO above 200. I am always concerned about noise - and try to say at 400 or below on my 'film speed'. For the price - this is a great little lens to have in your bag.

If you have the money, go with the 1.4 version. 1.8 is a good budget lens, but is noisy, slow to focus and soft at f11. Manual focus is terrible (no full time).
Agian, for the money, you can't get better...but if you looking for a best 50mm you might be looking at the wrong lens. :)