Canon 50mm F/2.5 Ef Compact Macro Lens
This lens was one of the first lenses that Canon released with the EOS system in 1987, so it"s been in production for over 20 years. As such, this lens is rather high-quality compared to lenses designed today. It has a metal lens mount, and a very sturdy plastic body. This is a standard EF lens, meaning that it will work on any Canon EOS camera, digital or film - this includes newer digital cameras such as the Digital Rebel series, EOS 10D/20D/30D/40D, and high-end cameras such as the EOS 1D and 5D.This lens is (as the name implies) rather compact and lightweight, so it"s easy to carry around. Focusing is very reliable, but a little noisier and slower than newer EF lenses. Optics in this lens are very high-quality, and allow for beautiful photos.
The lens allows for macro focusing of objects up to a ratio of 1:2 life size. What this means is that the smallest objects that the lens can focus will be recorded on your film (or in the case of a digital camera, image sensor) at half their real-life size. This lens also allows for infinity focus, a capability that some macro lenses lack. This means that you can use this lens as a regular 50mm lens. In addition to photography of small objects, it is excellent for practically everything. Its narrow depth of field allows for a beautiful "bokeh" effect which is wonderful for portraits!
Some more expensive macro lenses can focus at "life-size", meaning that the smallest objects that can be focused will be recorded on the film or image sensor at the same size that they are in real-life. Alone, the Compact Macro lacks this capability. However, you can purchase the Canon Life-Size Converter, which will allow for you to focus up to life-size, allowing you to take even more detailed photographs of tiny objects!
Overall, the Canon 50mm f/2.5 Compact Macro lens is an unbeatable value for what you get, and an essential must-have for any Canon EOS owner that can afford it!