I am looking at buying a standard prime on a very tight budget. Has anyone ever used a Canon 28mm 2.8? Is it any good?

It is amazingly good. Wide open, it vignettes quite a lot, but this lens draws it's images oh so well. Focuses kind of slow and loud, but sharp sharp... can't be beat for the price.
I will use it in place of my 17-40L or 24-70L at 28mm any day of the week.

*steve

F2.8 image left, f8 image right - shot yesterday. Full view and crops.

Thanks. Are you using a digital SLR? I had assumed vignetting would have been less of a problem with an aps-c sensor.

I went for a used 28mm f1.8, but I needed speed so that was my primary concern. I'm very happy with it on a crop body.

it's not bad, much better than the 24mm 1.4 L. So it's a bargain.

These were shot on my 1dsmark2 and actually for my aesthetic, I like the vignette

*steve

I like the vignette a lot. I almost always add some vignette in my raw processing, especially for portraits and location work. It helps frame the photo and place visual emphasis on the subject. (Back in the last millennium we used to do something called "burning the corners." Ah, the memories.)

For landscapes and stitching, of course, the vignetting is a pain in the neck. But it's usually removable in processing, and you won't see it at f/8 or f/11 anyway.

BTW I am a big fan of the 24/1.4, but only when shot wide open or close to it. If you're shooting at f/8, there's no reason to carry it or spend all that money. I also like the 28/1.8, with the same proviso.