Yongnuo are a Chinese camera accessory manufacturer, better known for their flash units, which are compatible with most of the major SLR camera systems. With this 50mm f/1.8 lens for Canon EOS cameras, it seems they’ve branched out into making clones of camera lenses too. This Yongnuo 50mm can be picked up for between £40 and £50, which is cheaper than Canon’s own 50mm f/1.8. In this review, we’ll take a look at how it performs.

Yongnuo 50mm f/1.8 Handling and Features

Weighing only 120g, this lens is very lightweight, being 10g lighter than the lens it owes its design to. Just like with the Canon version, the lens barrel is constructed almost entirely from lightweight black plastic, as is the bayonet. It all feels a bit brittle and probably won't cope with much abuse. The light weight and compact size makes for a nice combination with the Canon EOS 5D MkIII body used for testing.

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Autofocus is reasonably quick, although it is not especially accurate with the sample tested. As is the case with the Canon 50mm f/1.8, the autofocus motor is engaged with the ring, which rotates as the lens focuses. There is no way to disengage the manual focus ring during autofocus, so care needs to be taken to keep fingers clear of the ring as it rotates back and forth. In manual focus mode, there is no damping applied to the focus ring, which can make applying fine adjustment tricky.

Focusing isn't performed internally, but the 52mm filter thread does not rotate, making this lens ideal for use with polarising and graduated filters. Just like with the Canon lens, the filter thread is 52mm in diameter, so those wishing to use their standard 58mm or 77mm filters on this lens may do well to invest in a step-down ring. The minimum focus distance of 45cm is typical for lenses of this focal length and aperture. Overall, this lens is so close in design and handling to the Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 II that there is nothing between the two lenses in this respect.