This Canon 50mm f/1.8 prime is now under £100 – and it’s a must-have lens

If there’s one lens every photographer should own, it’s a fast fifty – and right now the Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 STM is an absolute bargain.

As part of the Amazon Spring Deal Days event, this classic prime has dropped to just £99, down from £129.99, saving you a tidy £30.99. For less than the price of many camera accessories, you’re getting one of the most useful lenses you can add to your kit.

The EF 50mm f/1.8 STM has long been considered one of the best-value DSLR lenses Canon has ever produced. Often affectionately called the “nifty fifty”, it delivers sharp images, a bright aperture, and a lightweight design in a package that punches well above its price point - and it can be adapted to RF mount cameras too!

For £99, it’s genuinely hard to think of a better investment in your photography. A fast prime lens instantly opens up creative possibilities that standard kit lenses simply can’t match. The f/1.8 aperture allows you to shoot comfortably in low light, while also creating that beautifully soft background blur that makes portraits and detail shots really stand out.

The beauty of a 50mm lens is its versatility. On a full-frame camera, it closely matches the natural field of view of the human eye, making it ideal for everyday photography, street photography, portraits, and travel photography. On APS-C DSLR cameras, it becomes a short telephoto, with an effective focal length of 80mm, which actually makes it even better for portraits and isolating subjects.

Canon’s STM focusing motor also makes the lens quiet and smooth, particularly useful for video shooters or anyone using live view autofocus. It’s compact, lightweight, and easy to carry, meaning it often becomes the lens that lives permanently on your camera.

At £99, the Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 STM isn’t just a good deal – it’s one of the smartest upgrades a photographer can make. Whether you’re just starting or adding another classic prime to your collection, this little lens proves that some of the best photographic tools don’t have to cost a fortune.

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For nearly two decades Sebastian's work has been published internationally. Originally specializing in Equestrianism, his visuals have been used by the leading names in the equestrian industry such as The Fédération Equestre Internationale (FEI), The Jockey Club, Horse & Hound, and many more for various advertising campaigns, books, and pre/post-event highlights.

He is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts, holds a Foundation Degree in Equitation Science, and holds a Master of Arts in Publishing. He is a member of Nikon NPS and has been a Nikon user since his film days using a Nikon F5. He saw the digital transition with Nikon's D series cameras and is still, to this day, the youngest member to be elected into BEWA, the British Equestrian Writers' Association.

He is familiar with and shows great interest in 35mm, medium, and large-format photography, using products by Leica, Phase One, Hasselblad, Alpa, and Sinar. Sebastian has also used many cinema cameras from Sony, RED, ARRI, and everything in between. He now spends his spare time using his trusted Leica M-E or Leica M2, shooting Street/Documentary photography as he sees it, usually in Black and White.

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