Canon 50mm Lens Review: Canon 50mm Shootout - f/1.8 vs f/1.4 vs f/1.2L

Matt Granger with 'ThatNikonGuy' brings you a fantastic Canon 50mm lens comparison between the f/1.8 , f/1.4 and the f/1.2L . Clearly there is a big difference in price between all of these, so how do they compare in terms of Bokeh, focus speed, vignetting, image quality and build quality? Check out the clip below to see how they all fair.

Enjoy:
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Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 II

Lightweight and affordable, the Canon EF 50mm lens--which offers a fast f/1.8 aperture --is an excellent lens for people who prefer a fixed focal length. Canon's lightest EF lens at a mere 4.6 ounces, the lens boasts a traditional Gauss-type optical design that delivers a sharp performance even when wide open. As a result, the lens provides an image that's extremely close to how your eye perceives a subject, making it excellent for portraits and images that require a natural depth of field. In addition, the lens focuses as close as 18 inches, helping you take extreme close-ups. Finally, the lens offers an excellent color balance. As with all Canon lenses, the lens carries a one-year warranty.

• Focal length: 50mm
• Maximum aperture: 1:1.8
• Lens construction: 6 elements in 5 groups
• Diagonal angle of view: 46 degrees
• Focus adjustment: Overall linear extension system with Micromotor
• Closest focusing distance: 1.5 feet
• Filter size: 52mm
• Dimensions: 2.7 inches in diameter, 1.6 inches long
• Weight: 4.6 ounces

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Canon EF 50mm f/1.4 USM

The 50mm f/1.4 standard lens is a terrific choice for both casual and professional photographers . The lens is outfitted with two high-refraction lens elements and new Gaussian optics, which combine to eliminate astigmatism and suppress astigmatic difference. As a result, the lens obtains crisp images with little flare even at the maximum aperture. The lens's f/1.4 speed , meanwhile, is perfect for available-light shooting. And as a bonus, this lens is the only lens in the EF system to offer an extra-small Micro Ultra Sonic Motor (USM) while still providing a full-time manual focusing option. Other features include a close focusing distance of 1.5 feet, a 58mm filter size, and a one-year warranty.

• Focal length: 50mm
• Maximum aperture: f/1.4L
• Lens construction: 7 elements in 6 groups
• Angle of view: 46 degrees
• Focus adjustment: Overall linear extension system with USM
• Closest focusing distance: 1.5 feet
• Filter size: 58mm
• Dimensions: 2.9 inches in diameter and 2 inches long
• Weight: 10.2 ounces
• Warranty: 1 year

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Canon EF 50mm f/1.2 L USM Lens

The Canon EF 50mm f/1.2L USM lens is a peerless standard lens for Canon digital SLR cameras. The lens is suitable for any shooting situation, with a lens coating and construction type that are optimized to minimize the ghosting and flare that frequently occurs when lenses are used with digital cameras. The lens also offers an ultra-large aperture that produces a narrow depth of field and the type of soft background blur so loved by photographers everywhere. The high-performance, weather-resistant lens delivers all the superb image resolution and contrast you expect in a Canon L Series lens.

• Focal length: 50mm
• Maximum aperture: f/1.2
• Lens construction: 8 elements in 6 groups
• Diagonal angle of view: 46 degrees (with full-frame cameras)
• Focus adjustment: AF with full-time manual
• Closest focusing distance: 1.48 feet
• Filter size: 72mm
• Dimensions: 3.4 inches in diameter and 2.6 inches long
• Weight: 19.2 ounces
• Warranty: 1 year

Recommended Cleaning Supplies:

• Nikon Lens Pen Cleaning System
• Zeiss Pre-Moistened Lens Cloths Wipes
• Canon Optical Digital Camera and Lens Cleaning Kit
• Giottos AA1900 Rocket Air Blaster Large
• Microfiber Lens Cleaning Cloth
• Giottos CL1001 Large Cleaning Kit with Small Rocket Blaster
• Hoodman Lens Cleanse Natural Cleaning Kit

Good video, surprised they put the lenses on the grass like that

The 50mm f/1.2 is the way to go if you can afford it!

Probably the sharpest imaging you can achieve with *any* lens is the 50mm f/1.8 at f/5.6 to f/8 aperture setting. This lens with 6 elements in 5 groups is the classic Carl Zeiss "double-gauss" symmetric design using only spherical lens surfaces which was widely copied after their 50 year patent expired in the 50's. At f/5.6 the radial and tangential MTF resolving capability would be the only way to put your dozen or more sensor's megapixels to the true test!

Great review by Matt. I am in the process of getting a 50mm and watch this review time and again. As the 1.2 is well beyond my reach at the moment I will be getting a 1.8.

On a different note, all of Matt Granger's videos are great. I like his 'no ifs no buts' style and Tina is a bit of a hottie too

All the best,

Brian.

I have always preferred my FD series 50mm f/1.2. So I guess I'll save up for the 1.2l for my EOS T3I. I got lucky and placed 2nd in the Del Mar Art Show in 1985 and 73rd and 78th with 2 other entries out of 4500. I was using 64 speed film, and camera was hand held , so you get what you pay for on lenses , So do not scrimp when it comes to your most used lens , the lens is your money maker for that important shot , a good body makes it easier to take the shot , but where is that focus point at , and did you have enough f-stop in light to have a sharp enough image. I still use my FD lenses , with an EOS adapter to use my specialty lenses in manual mode only. I started switching to digital , because it is so much cheaper to store my pics on a hard drive than on slides/ prints.

Over all , you do get what you pay for ? Robert Kraft