The EF 50mm f/1.2L USM is a peerless new standard lens featuring an ultra-large aperture for a narrow Depth of field and soft background Blur so loved by photographers everywhere. The EF 50mm f/1.2L USM is suitable for any shooting situation; its lens Coating and construction are optimized to minimize the ghosting and flare that frequently occurs when lenses are used with digital cameras. This high-performance, weather-resistant lens delivers all the superb image Resolution and Contrast you expect in a Canon L Series Lens.
EF50mm F1.2L USM is an ultra-large aperture standard lens ideally
suited for portrait photography. In addition to offering a shallow
depth of field with a maximum aperture of F1.2, the lens enables the
use of fast shutter speeds to reduce motion blur and support shooting
in low light. Employing a large, high-precision Aspherical lens element
made of highly refractive glass to minimize aberrations during
focusing, the EF50mm F1.2L USM lens maintains the superior image
quality throughout the shooting range for which Canon’s L-series lenses
are renowned. Additionally, the lens’s ring-type USM (Ultrasonic
Motor), high-speed CPU, and optimized AF (AutoFocus) algorithm enable
silent and extremely accurate autofocus operation. Designed to meet the
diverse needs of professional and advanced amateur photographers, the
bright lens features Full-time manual focusing, which enables users to
focus by hand in the AF mode, and a dust- and moisture-proof
construction, ensuring unfailing performance even under harsh
conditions. Ideal for photographers who shoot portraits and weddings,
Canon’s EF50mm F1.2L USM lens features a round aperture that achieves
excellent background blur.
This month's Technical Report introduces
two L-series lenses, the EF50mm f/1.2L USM and EF70-200mm f/4L IS USM
lenses, released together with the EOS Kiss Digital X.
Photo 1 : EF50mm f/1.2L USM
Concept of development
With the increasing popularity of digital SLR cameras, calls for large
aperture single-focal length lenses with excellent image quality and
pleasing bokeh (blur effects) for portraits have increased. To meet
this demand, the EF85mm f/1.2L II USM was released in March 2006, and
now the EF50mm f/1.2L USM (Photo 1), developed to further improve the
L-series lineup of ultralarge aperture single-focal length lenses, is
available.
The key development concepts are as follows:
• Ultralarge maximum aperture of f/1.2
• Superb image quality over the entire shooting area
• Dust - and moisture - resistant construction
• Digital camera compatibility
Feature 1: Ultralarge f/1.2 maximum aperture
The optical system of the EF50mm f/1.2L USM is completely new. It uses
a Gauss type optical system with 8 elements in 6 groups and unit
focusing (Fig. 1).
The ultralarge aperture of f/1.2 and high definition throughout the entire shooting area befitting an L-series lens.
Fig. 1 : EF50mm f/1.2L USM Optical System
Feature 2: Superb image quality over the entire shooting area
The 8th element is a large aperture precision aspherical lens, which
helps minimize aberrations that occur during focusing giving a large
f/1.2 maximum aperture with high definition befitting of an L-series
lens throughout the entire shooting area (Fig. 2).
Thick lines: 10 lines/mm; thin lines: 30 lines/mm. The darker black
lines represent the MTF characteristics at maximum aperture; the blue
lines at f/8. The solid lines trace the radical S (sagittal) curve,
while the broken lines trace the tangential M (meridional) curve.
Fig. 2 : MTF Characteristic Chart of EF50mm f/1.2L USM
Feature 3: Excellent dust- and moisture-resistant construction
By utilizing dust- and moisture-resistant construction (Fig. 3) in the
lens mount, switch panel and focusing ring to prevent dust and water
from reaching the interior, the lens can be used in harsh environments.
*This applies when the lens is used with a dust- and moisture-resistant
EOS body and a filter is attached to the front of the lens.
Fig. 3 : The Dust- and Moisture-resistant construction of the EF50mm f/1.2L USM
Feature 4: Lens coating optimized for use with digital SLR cameras
The EF50mm f/1.2L USM has element curvature and coating optimized for
use with digital SLR cameras. It successfully realizes both good color
balance and minimization of ghost and flare attributable to surface
reflections from the digital imaging element.
Feature 5: Superb operability
• Circular aperture for attractive bokeh effects
Thanks to the electromagnetic diaphragm's (EMD) circular aperture, the lens provides attractive bokeh (blur effects).
• Silent , High-speed AF
The ring-type ultrasonic motor (USM), high-speed CPU and optimized AF algorithm contribute to silent, speedy autofocus.
• Manual focusing - even in AF mode
The
EF50mm f/1.2L USM has full-time mechanical manual focusing that allows
manual focus after one-shot AF operation without leaving AF mode.
• Switch design that prevents unintended switching
The focus mode switch is designed to prevent unintended switching during shooting or while being carried.
• Non-rotating filter ring
Since the EF50mm f/1.2L USM does not change in length and the filter
does not rotate or move while focusing, it allows smooth operation of
accessories including circular polarizing (PL) filters.
• Dedicated large cylindrical hood with superb light blocking
The ES-78, a large cylindrical hood dedicated to the EF50mm f/1.2L USM,
has superior antireflection flocking on the inner surface. It is very
effective in keeping unwanted light out of the lens (Photo 2).
Photo 2 : ES-78 dedicated hood for EF50mm f/1.2L USM
• Distance information for improving flash exposure precision
Distance
information is sent to the camera during AF, making the EF50mm f/1.2L
USM compatible with the E-TTL II autoflash system for optimal flash
exposure.
Feature 6: Environmentally friendly design
The optical system contains only environmentally friendly lead-free
glasses.
Furthermore, EU (European Union) restricts the use of certain hazardous
substances in the electrical and electronic equipment according to the
''EU's Restrictions on Hazardous Substances (RoHS) Directive''. The
EF50mm f/1.2L USM meets Canon's own standard to comply with the RoHS
Directive.
*The 6 substances: lead, mercury, cadmium, hexavalent
chromium, bromine flame retardant PBB (polybrominated biphenyl) and
PBDE (polybrominated diphenyl ether).
Outstanding lens that sits on my 5D Mark II most o, Monday, 28 June 2010
Overall rating (weighted)
5.0
Sharpness
5.0
Build Quality
5.0
AF Speed
5.0
Value for Money
5.0
This was a lot of change to spend on a 50mm lens but I do not regret it at all. This lens at F1.2 can take great pictures in low light with amazing bokeh. The richness of the color and contrast exceeds greatly the 50mm lens I sold when upgrading. The downside - it's heavy! And, with the lens hood attached it's longer than you would expect a 50mm to be. This lens has become the lens that I leave on the camera 90% of the time due to the low F-stop, great sharpness and color depth it provides. Is it worth the price? That's relative but it certainly provides much more impressive product than any non-L series lens I have used including the 50mm non-L option.
I was looking for an 'all around lens' to go with my new Canon 5d Mk II. (If i needed other specialized lenses for specific jobs, i would rent them). I initially went for the slightly more expensive 85mm 1.2. The shot was too tight and better for portraits, but that's not all I wnt to shoot. So I gladly exchanged it for this 50mm1.2 and i haven't looked back. Amazing in low light conditions, see's better than your eyes. I have to give the 5d some credit for this attribute as well though. It creates great bokeh due to its 1.2 aperture . Its great with both portraits and landscape shots. Not as heavy as the 85mm, but solid in its construction. Silent. Come with a nice hood so its easy on the eyes. Its not as bulky as some other lenses in its caliber, so it can be a little Bit more 'incognito' when you don't want everyone to know you're walking around with $1500 worth of lens. Wow, i just relized that my camera and lens together could feed a bunch of families for a few years. Impressive camera lens altogether. worth the money if you're serious about recording moments.
Fantastic lens, but a steep learning curve., Monday, 03 May 2010
Overall rating (weighted)
4.8
Sharpness
5.0
Build Quality
5.0
AF Speed
5.0
Value for Money
4.0
This lens receives a ton of negative reviews, mostly dealing with focus problems such as back focus or focus shift. However, this lens has been locked on my 5D for over a year and I have NEVER experienced any of these problems. I haven't shot a brick wall or a test chart with this thing; nonetheless, I'm very picky with my real world shots and have just been blown away by the results.
Every lens is designed for specific purposes and the 50mm f/1.2 is certainly no exception. Consequently, the negative aspects of this lens should be expected if you are familiar with ultra-fast 50mm's: 1. Significant Chromatic aberration wide open. Easily fixed in post-processing. 2. Lots of Vignetting wide open. No surprise here. It's beautiful for some shots, is fixable in PP for other shots. 3. Hard to focus wide open. The numerous reports of back focusing probably has to do with the limited skills of most users (myself included) or slight variations in lens/body combinations. I've never experienced this problem. The special Canon focusing screens (optimized for fast lenses) certainly help in this regard. 4. If you shoot mainly above 2.8, the much less expensive 50mm f/1.4 will likely give you great results as well. Even below 2.8, the 50mm f/1.4 is quite good.
Now, the pros: 1. If you live below f/2.8 and especially f/2.0, this lens is astounding. That's why I use prime lenses. 2. If you can nail the focus, this lens is sharp at f/1.2. I can see individual eyelashes when I nail the focus. 3. The lens is even more sharp starting f/1.4 and above. 4. Sharpness isn't everything. This lens produces out of focus areas that look like paintings. Much, much better bokeh than the 50mm f/1.4. 5. Colors are out of this world. Just a lot of work with... Post-processing becomes much easier, your results are of a higher quality.
If you are a skilled photographer who needs this lens, just go ahead and get it. The limitations are greatly exaggerated and don't inhibit the creative process much at all.
This is a really beautiful piece of kit. I read the reviews here and on the various web fora and was obviously worried about the oft mentioned "back focusing" issue, but went ahead and bought one back in October 2009. My thinking was that I simply loved my Canon EF 50mm f/1.4 USM and, as it was the lens that was most often on my camera, I really wanted the best possible in this class, especially as I do like to shoot wide open around the home and indoors using natural light rather than flash.
Needless to say, the lens is a bit of a beast in terms of size and weight when compared to the other 50mm lenses Canon makes (I have owned the 1.8, 2.5 and 1.4 at some stage over the last few years). But I love the stability that weight gives to you when you hold it in your hands. Shooting wide open does take a lot of getting used to given the razor thin DoF, and I have made sure to use the centre point on my 5DMkII and 50D for best results. The results in portraits can be beautiful though with a slightly soft dreamy effect wide open (which has been improved with practice). The lens gets nicely sharp around 2.0 and tack sharp at 2.8. However, the whole deal with sharpness to me is second to the ability to be able to get the shot in the first place. That's where the 1.2 excels.
Regarding the "back focus issue" I went through the process of microadjusting all my lenses using this relatively easy yet effective method explained here: [...]. It turned out my 50mm 1.4 was focusing much more than my 1.2. I think the 50mm 1.4 was something like -15 and the 50mm 1.2 was -3. It seemed to be a consistent issue with my primes (though to varying degrees). My zooms were all pretty much spot-on. Simply must be to do with the wide apertures of the primes as DoF becomes thinner and thinner. 1.2 is as wide as it gets these days.
For sample images, please feel free to check out these pics: h[...]
The biggest caveat with this lens is, of course, the price. For that reason, I would say the best deal in terms of picture quality, low light ability, etc. is the Canon EF 50mm 1.4 USM. I still love that lens and have kept it for back-up and for whenever I need to travel. It really is a great piece of glass for the price. The 1.2 L is just that bit better though and, for my business, that's what I need to have.
Pros:
Great low-light ability at lower ISOs Fast focus Amazing build quality Contrast and colours are beautiful Bokeh is gorgeous even when stopped down (with nicely rounded aperture blades) Feels nice and solid in your hands when shooting in low light without tripod 1/2 stop faster than the Canon EF 50mm 1.4 USM
Cons: Heavy Expensive Takes some time to master using wide open Canon EF 50mm f/1.4 USM offers comparable image quality (though half a stop slower and less well built).
If you thought the 50mm f/1.4 was good..., Friday, 12 March 2010
Overall rating (weighted)
4.8
Sharpness
5.0
Build Quality
5.0
AF Speed
5.0
Value for Money
4.0
...this will blow your mind! Its WELL worth the $ spent, but if you don't plan to shoot a lot of low light shots, save your $$ and get the f/1.4 for a fraction of the price. With the exception of the macro, I've now owned every Canon 50mm EF mount prime lens. I first started out with the f/1.8 Mark II. The build quality on that made me feel nervous. The image quality was OK, but very soft wide open and not sharp until f/5.6. So I sold it. The f/1.4 unit was better, but not good enough. The bokeh was "choppy" and "grainy". It back-focused often and it was a noisy focus. Also, the plastic construction and focus mechanism still left me nervous. So I sold that, too. After mulling it over for quite some time, I finally broke down and bought the f/1.2. Holy moly is this thing incredible! The L lens build quality is (as you know) bar-none and top-notch. The focus is quiet and accurate. The bokeh is "dreamy" and smooth. Contrast is excellent...saturation is excellent....this lens is the one! The only (and I mean only) thing about this lens that I don't like about this lens the 72mm filter size. Every one of my other lenses has 77mm filters. I wish this was a 77mm barrel so I could use my expensive B+W Kaesemann Circular Polarizer with it. I even had a surplus 77mm UV/Haze filter sitting in my bag, but its of no use on this lens. With the other 50mm primes I've owned, I never got filters for them...seemed overkill on cheaper lenses, but with the amount of moolah you fork over for this f/1.2 bad boy, you'll want to protect that forward element!
Wide-open afficionados buy this, Saturday, 23 January 2010
Overall rating (weighted)
5.0
Sharpness
5.0
Build Quality
5.0
AF Speed
5.0
Value for Money
5.0
Sean Reid [...]. rated this as the L lens worth its price tag. That was the decider for me to invest my saved pennies and few plastic ones too and buy this lens.
I read so many other reviews on the net and here on Amazon that question the value of the lens given its EF 50mm f1.4 brother. For some reason there are few pieces of glass in Canon's line-up that get bullied on the net and this is one of those lenses. Another example is Canon EF 100mm f2.
This lens clearly outperforms f1.4 in every respect and as Sean Reid points out it also outperforms Sigma and Zeiss 1.4's too.
To keep this brief I would say that - if you use 50mm often and expect reliability and longevity as well immunity from atmospheric elements (within reason) then this is the lens for you. If you live in the surreal world of below f2.8 quite often and you expect usefulness from such large aperture ventures then this is the lens for you.
Don't be sad and buy this because it is an L, buy it if you really need it :-)
Wide-open afficionados buy this, Saturday, 23 January 2010
Overall rating (weighted)
4.5
Sharpness
5.0
Build Quality
4.0
AF Speed
4.0
Value for Money
5.0
Read the full detailed review I made on [...]
Sean Reid [...]. rated this as the L lens worth its price tag. That was the decider for me to invest my saved pennies and few plastic ones too and buy this lens.
I read so many other reviews on the net and here on Amazon that question the value of the lens given its EF 50mm f1.4 brother. For some reason there are few pieces of glass in Canon's line-up that get bullied on the net and this is one of those lenses. Another example is Canon EF 100mm f2.
This lens clearly outperforms f1.4 in every respect and as Sean Reid points out it also outperforms Sigma and Zeiss 1.4's too.
To keep this brief I would say that - if you use 50mm often and expect reliability and longevity as well immunity from atmospheric elements (within reason) then this is the lens for you. If you live in the surreal world of below f2.8 quite often and you expect usefulness from such large aperture ventures then this is the lens for you.
Don't be sad and buy this because it is an L, buy it if you really need it :-)
The problem with camera reviews in general is that they're much like stereo reviews - done by geeks who don't actually use the gear for the intended purpose as much as for a reason to get on the internet and spout off crap about "bokeh" (what a stupid word that I can promise you no pro has ever uttered in their lives - in fact, if you hear that word it's a dead giveaway that this is a person who is more into gear than photography. Sorta like "total harmonic distortion"...).
I digress.
I am a pro. It's all I've ever done and I never say "bokeh" so you can trust me. Typically I shoot with Hasselblad but I've returned to Canon for the video of the 5D MkII and so I had to rebuy all my lenses again. Since I shoot food on location once in a while I thought I'd try this lens. As I progress in my career I tend to avoid extreme lenses (any thing past 24 or 105) since they're typically a crutch for poor photos and I like being closer to "normal". Anyway, I've about 4 jobs with this lens and I have to say it's utterly transparent. Not the glass - the experience of it. That's really what you're looking for: a lens that doesn't intrude or get in the way. Focus is fast, quiet and accurate. It's well balanced. It's bright. Most importantly is has real good juju. That's really what you're looking for - gear that makes you want to shoot.
At 1.2 you don't get much depth of field, so if you miss the focus then you've missed the picture. I read lots of complaints about back focus and front focus and bad copies and I don't buy it. I think that most people can't focus and they blame the equipment. Google for "DOF Calculator" and run the numbers yourself to see how little room for error you have.
This lens is absolutely amazing. It's sharp, it's prime, it's 50mm, it's f/1.2, and it's not made of plastic. I broke three plastic 1.8 lenses before I bought this. I shouldn't have waited so long.
The most amazing thing is that my camera can focus in near total darkness with this lens on. It can focus on things in darkness that I can't even see. I normally shoot with f/2.8 lenses, and going to f/1.2 was an amazing transition.
The autofocus is, however, slow. I find 50mm to be a great focal length for the sporting events I attend locally, but it doesn't focus like a sporting lens should.
The only negative thing I can say about this lense is the price. But do I regret paying what I did? NO WAY. This lense is amazing. The bokeh and color satuation is amazing! I also have the 85mm/1.2L and the 35mm/1.4L.
This is by far the best lens I own. I have a very good copy and I have not noticed any backfocusing issues on my 40D. IQ simply beats all my L lenes. It is nice to shoot in low light without a flash.
Canon 50mm lens options, Tuesday, 03 November 2009
Overall rating (weighted)
4.5
Sharpness
5.0
Build Quality
5.0
AF Speed
4.0
Value for Money
4.0
If you're looking at this, then you've probably decided on a 50mm or so prime lens, likely because the kit zoom lens is both slow and not very good quality. Here are the options for Canon:
Canon 50mm f/1.8 (version 2): It's inexpensive, very fast compared to any cheap zoom and exceptionally good for the price. On the down side, it's cheap feeling, noisy in focusing, and difficult to focus manually. You should buy at least this.
Canon 50mm f/1.4: A little bit faster, but that's a less important trait these days with good digital high effective ISOs. More importantly, it's robust, easy to use, with full-time manual focusing (you can just grab the ring even when it's autofocusing), and good image quality
Sigma 50mm f/1.4: More expensive than the Canon lens, but slightly better image quality wide open. It's a tough sell since the quality change isn't huge. But if the extra money and Sigma logo don't bother you, then go for it.
Canon 50mm f/1.2L: Big money for that extra light-gathering ability. If you need this for photographing in a nightclub, then you'll buy it. If you don't need it, it's too expensive and heavy to compete with the lenses above. That said, it's an amazing piece of kit that I've been lucky to handle a few times.
Another, used, option, the original Canon 50mm f/1.8 EF lens was sturdier and better built, but they're only available used and possibly abused. I own one and am happy with it. I have shot with the Canon f/1.4 as well and that's the lens that I'd buy today.
