[jfrancho]

I didn't read the article, but in general, I'll agree that your choices are a sensible balance between price, versatility, and image quality. But for one exception: the 50 f/1.8 II. I tested both the original, metal mount, the Mark II, and the EF 50 f/1.4. The focusing mechanism on both the f/1.8's suffered from sloppy play, and resulted in inconsistency in my AF tests. They also did not have USM, with full time MF which may not be important to the beginner, has become a must have for any lens purchases now - especially for fast primes. All that said, if you cannot afford to have a fast prime beyond that $80 range, then really, focusing issues aside, you must get the f/1.8. A fast prime opens up too many possibilities to go with out.