Canon EF 50mm f2.5 Compact Macro USM review 

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Lenses Canon EF / EF-S
User rating
4.4
out of 5
Editor's rating
1.0
out of 5
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Reviewed by:
Editor
Wednesday, 19 December 2007
Average user rating: 4.4 
26 User reviews
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Lens Summary
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Overview


Lightweight and compact macro lens for close-ups up to 0.5x. Floating system for superior delineation at all focusing distances. With a large f/2.5 aperture, true and beautiful background Blur is possible. Multi-purpose lens for portraiture and other applications besides macro photography.


Lens Specifications

Generic Lens Specifications
Lens Type: Prime
Lens Special Features: Macro
IS / VR / OS: None
Min Focal length (mm): 50
Max Focal Length (mm): 50
Number of Elements: 9
Element Groups: 8
Max Aperture: 2.5
Minimum Aperture: 32
Diaphragm Blades: 7
Closest Focus Distance (m): 0.23
Maximum Magnification: 0.5
Filter Type: Screw In
Filter Diameter (mm): 52
Diameter at widest (mm): 67
Lens Length (mm): 63
Weight (g): 280
Release Date: December 1987

Details





Depth of field Data



 

















Depth-of-Field Data for EF50mm f/2.5 Compact Macro
[unit:m]
































































































































































































































































































D F2.5 2.8 4 5.6 8 11 16 22 32
ND FD ND FD ND FD ND FD ND FD ND FD ND FD ND FD ND FD
Inf. 28.59 Inf. 25.70 Inf. 18.20 Inf. 12.90 Inf. 9.148 Inf. 6.498 Inf. 4.624 Inf. 3.299 Inf. 2.363 Inf.
3 2.728 3.334 2.701 3.377 2.594 3.563 2.458 3.867 2.288 4.399 2.087 5.474 1.857 8.413 1.611 3.689 1.361 Inf.
1.5 1.433 1.575 1.425 1.584 1.397 1.621 1.358 1.678 1.308 1.765 1.243 1.908 1.162 2.156 1.066 2.651 0.9577 3.973
1 0.9713 1.031 0.9681 1.034 0.9556 1.049 0.9385 1.071 0.9154 1.104 0.8849 1.155 0.8454 1.236 0.7960 1.375 0.7364 1.642
0.8 0.7823 0.8186 0.7804 0.8208 0.7726 0.8298 0.7619 0.8428 0.7473 0.8622 0.7277 0.8913 0.7020 0.9366 0.6691 1.010 0.6282 1.140
0.6 0.5908 0.6096 0.5898 0.6107 0.5857 0.6152 0.5800 0.6218 0.5721 0.6314 0.5615 0.6456 0.5473 0.6671 0.5286 0.7006 0.5047 0.7554
0.5 0.4940 0.5062 0.4934 0.5069 0.4907 0.5098 0.4870 0.5140 0.4818 0.5200 0.4748 0.5290 0.4653 0.5423 0.4526 0.5626 0.4362 0.5948
0.4 0.3966 0.4035 0.3962 0.4039 0.3947 0.4055 0.3925 0.4079 0.3896 0.4112 0.3855 0.4162 0.3799 0.4234 0.3723 0.4342 0.3624 0.4509
0.316 0.3142 0.3178 0.3140 0.3180 0.3133 0.3188 0.3121 0.3200 0.3106 0.3217 0.3084 0.3242 0.3054 0.3278 0.3014 0.3331 0.2959 0.3411
0.27 0.2689 0.2711 0.2688 0.2712 0.2683 0.2717 0.2677 0.2724 0.2667 0.2734 0.2654 0.2749 0.2636 0.2770 0.2611 0.2801 0.2577 0.2847
0.249 0.2482 0.2498 0.2481 0.2499 0.2478 0.2502 0.2473 0.2508 0.2466 0.2515 0.2456 0.2526 0.2443 0.2541 0.2424 0.2564 0.2398 0.2597
0.228 0.2275 0.2285 0.2274 0.2286 0.2272 0.2288 0.2268 0.2292 0.2264 0.2297 0.2257 0.2304 0.2248 0.2314 0.2235 0.2329 0.2218 0.2351

* D = Focusing Distance ND = Near Distance FD = Far Distance Inf. = Infinity


 



 



 


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Editor review : Canon EF 50mm f2.5 Compact Macro USM
Overall rating (weighted)
1.0
Sharpness
1.0
Build Quality
1.0
AF Speed
1.0
Value for Money
1.0
Editor lens review will be updated shortly.
Why should you care what I think?
My relationship with this item: Editor review
Conclusions at a glance
Would you recommend this Item: Undecided

User Lens Reviews

Average user rating from: 26 user(s)

Overall rating (weighted)
4.4
Sharpness
4.6
Build Quality
4.2
AF Speed
4.4
Value for Money
4.2
 

Add new review


0 of 0 people found the following review helpful

Macro Away., Wednesday, 15 April 2009


Overall rating (weighted)
5.0
Sharpness
5.0
Build Quality
5.0
AF Speed
5.0
Value for Money
5.0
I use the lens for close up product shots for a business that my partner runs. I also use it for shots of my work for my portfolio. It is versatile and takes very clear pics. Overall I really enjoy using it.
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0 of 0 people found the following review helpful

Nice little lens for the price., Sunday, 05 April 2009


Overall rating (weighted)
3.8
Sharpness
5.0
Build Quality
3.0
AF Speed
4.0
Value for Money
3.0
I've been looking for a reasonably priced macro lens for taking pictures of my husband's scale models, and wanted to get all of the fine details that a macro lens can find.

This is a fairly decent macro lens, I haven't fully tested the lens but what I've done so far with it I'm liking it. I'd love it if I could get even closer sharper images, and sometimes its hard to have it focus on what I want it to focus on.

If you are on a budget, this is the lens for you.
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0 of 0 people found the following review helpful

Wonderful Lens, Sunday, 11 January 2009


Overall rating (weighted)
5.0
Sharpness
5.0
Build Quality
5.0
AF Speed
5.0
Value for Money
5.0
I bought this for my adult daughter. She loves the lens and the pictures she has shown me using this lens have been awesome. I highly recommend this lens and it was great finding it here for $100 less than the link she provided.
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0 of 0 people found the following review helpful

Canon EF 50mm f/2.5 compact macro lens, Tuesday, 30 December 2008


Overall rating (weighted)
4.8
Sharpness
5.0
Build Quality
4.0
AF Speed
5.0
Value for Money
5.0
Great lens. I shoot with a Canon 5D Mark2. Great clarity from this lens for a compact macro it is very light weight. easy to carry and a great addition to my bag. Nice lens for the money.
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0 of 0 people found the following review helpful

A pleasure, Wednesday, 19 November 2008


Overall rating (weighted)
4.8
Sharpness
4.0
Build Quality
5.0
AF Speed
5.0
Value for Money
5.0
My first Macro lens on the Xti -- I am loving using it so far. The picture clarity is as sharp as can be, lovely background blur, great color. Its a simple lens for a simple job and beyond it also doubles as a pretty great portrait lens.
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0 of 0 people found the following review helpful

Excellent for macro not 1x1 and portrail, Sunday, 05 October 2008


Overall rating (weighted)
4.0
Sharpness
5.0
Build Quality
4.0
AF Speed
4.0
Value for Money
3.0
I bought it to use as macro, but be careful if you want it to use 1x1. As portrail photografy, is also excellent and very lightful.
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0 of 0 people found the following review helpful

Good Macro Lens, But Leaving Me Wanting 100mm, Wednesday, 17 September 2008


Overall rating (weighted)
4.3
Sharpness
5.0
Build Quality
4.0
AF Speed
4.0
Value for Money
4.0
I bought this lens through a seller on Amazon about 6 months ago and have been very happy with it. The Canon EF 50mm Compact Macro Lens has served as a great introduction into Macro lenses and close up photography. It's been a good lens for that purpose, and I would recommend it to any amateur who might be interested in photographing the smaller things in life. However, with continued use, I'm starting to think that I should have Bit the bullet and bought the 100mm as opposed to the 50mm. The main reason being that at times, I've found myself having to get extremely close to the subject which makes capturing images of insects and animals difficult and scary at times :)
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0 of 0 people found the following review helpful

A pretty nice package., Sunday, 27 July 2008


Overall rating (weighted)
3.8
Sharpness
4.0
Build Quality
3.0
AF Speed
4.0
Value for Money
4.0
If you're looking for a 50mm lens that's sharp, built better than the Canon 50/1.8 and less expensive than the 50/1.4, this is a good choice. Although by no means the best macro lens I've ever used (Contrast could be better and its a little soft in the corners if used on full-frame), its the best $200 macro I've ever used.

The reason its going back is that about 1/3 of the time it settled on the wrong focus point. I was a little surprised, given the shallow depth of field when shooting up close. I don't see anybody else having this problem so maybe this is a fluke or one of those Canon adjustments.

But this lens got me thinking....please, Canon, make a few lenses that are this small, this light and very sharp (and please, not too much Barrel Distortion). I don't care if they are fast; I don't care if they have IS; I don't care if they are plastic; I don't even care what they cost. Instead of trying to make the ultimate 600mm f/2.8, how about the ultimate 28mm f/2.8? I know you can do it.
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0 of 0 people found the following review helpful

great macro lens for the price, Saturday, 12 July 2008


Overall rating (weighted)
4.0
Sharpness
5.0
Build Quality
5.0
AF Speed
3.0
Value for Money
3.0
Some of reservations people have in their reviews are right--the lens is slightly noisy, it does sometimes hunt a little for focus, and it is only 1:2 magnification, not 1:1. But despite that, I love it. I have found that it is a great lens, particularly for the price. It has good optics, it is a nice length for a lot of macro work (yes, you have to get closer with a relatively short lens, but depth of field in macro shots is hard enough with a lens this long, let along a longer one), and it generally focuses plenty fast enough. Some people have complained that the noise of the focus would scare off insects, etc., but I have not had that experience at all. I have gotten up close to lots of bugs, like bees and wasps, and they don't respond to the focusing at all. [...] If you are concerned about skittish critters, the issue is not the slight noise of the lens; it's how close you have to get to them with any 50mm or 60mm lens. So unless you decide you need a long macro lens or want to spend a lot more money, this may be a very good choice for you. And keep in mind that if you have a consumer-level SLR, the effective length of this lens (compared to the old 35mm standard) is about 90 mm.
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0 of 0 people found the following review helpful

A nice, fast lens, but not great for true macro wo, Thursday, 10 July 2008


Overall rating (weighted)
1.8
Sharpness
3.0
Build Quality
1.0
AF Speed
2.0
Value for Money
1.0
I bought this lens around three months ago for use with my Rebel XTI/400D. It has produced some nice shots and has great clarity and bokeh for portraits and the like. However, in this area it is really only as good as the "nifty fifty" 50mm f/1.8, which you can get on here for about $90.

For me, I like to take shots of insects and other animals that tend to be skittish. For that type of work, this lens is loud and finds it tough to focus quickly, so you need to work in manual mode. By the time you get the shot, the subject has moved out of the position you were after. Also, you don't get true 1:1 macro, so the details are not as good as if you fork out the extra for the 60mm Canon f2.8 Macro USM, which has the ultra quiet focus.

A recent review I read in a prestigious magazine put this lens a distant second to the Sigma Macro 50mm f2.8 EX DG, which costs about the same as this one and offers true 1:1 macro. If I could go back and buy that one I would.
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0 of 0 people found the following review helpful

Versatile Macro Lens, Saturday, 21 June 2008


Overall rating (weighted)
4.8
Sharpness
5.0
Build Quality
4.0
AF Speed
5.0
Value for Money
5.0
Bought this lens for my Canon XTi in anticipation of a trip to Yellowstone. Obviously the telephoto was the lens of choice for most wildlife shots, but this macro lens was a great addition to bring back flowers, details of rock formations, lichen, etc. The lens functions well, has met or exceeded my expectations. Still in the process of evaluating the photographs, and learning more about using the lens, but very pleased to date.
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0 of 0 people found the following review helpful

Canon Macro Lens, Tuesday, 10 June 2008


Overall rating (weighted)
4.5
Sharpness
4.0
Build Quality
5.0
AF Speed
5.0
Value for Money
4.0
I love the lens, works great right out of the box. I took a picture of a mimosa frond and didn't even notice the ant in the center until I uploaded the photo. Great product!Canon EF 50mm f/2.5 Compact Macro Lens
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0 of 0 people found the following review helpful

excellent macro lens at a budget price, Friday, 16 May 2008


Overall rating (weighted)
4.0
Sharpness
4.0
Build Quality
3.0
AF Speed
5.0
Value for Money
4.0
The images are super sharp where you need them to be, the bokeh is beautifully difussed and the open constant aperture makes this lens a joy to use. I highly recommend this to anyone who wants to start playing with macro photography.
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0 of 0 people found the following review helpful

Search for the perfect macro lens..., Monday, 10 December 2007


Overall rating (weighted)
4.8
Sharpness
5.0
Build Quality
4.0
AF Speed
5.0
Value for Money
5.0
Looking to increase the utility of my new Canon 40D for macro-photography - I stumbled over this lens after buying a series of walk around, kit and portrait lenses.

Another arrow in my quiver so to speak. As a "semi-professional", I shoot portraits at charity events as fund raisers and have purchased both the f/1.8 50mm and 85mm for portraits, the 28-135mm IS as a walkaround lens, and inherited the kit lens and an older USM f/4 135mm telephoto from my older Digital Rebel (300D) purchase of 3 years ago. This pretty much handles the portrait side of the house and the general photography I like to do (using the 28-135mm kit lens).

This 50mm f2.5 finally meets the needs of my macro photography hobby and makes using my light box a joy. As in Internet watch forum mod, I shoot photos of 50 watches or more a year to share with our online membership. The macro capabilities of the 28-135mm weren't getting the job done and I looked through a series of Sigma and more expensive Canons in the 100-105mm range not finding anything that gave me joy. The 50mm f/2.5 is a perfect focal length for light box use - even with the partial frame 1:1.6 sensor of my 40D and 300D cameras. Enough 'f stop' and depth of field to use my light box without additional lighting for all but my largest watches.

I have two portrait lenses that are tack sharp - a walkaround lens adequate for most opportunity photography and now a dedicated macro lens with 'enough' sharpness and depth of field to make my watch photography come alive for internet and most publishing use.

Slow focus on macro photos is very desirable - manual focus for tight shots is even more desirable to 'frame' depth of field results (if only Canon had a better LCD on the 40D)... as well as a tripod and remote shutter release completes my shooting bag for macro work.

Canon continues to sell their lenses 'stripped' - without a pouch or (not needed for macro work in this case) a lens hood.

5 of 5 stars and well worth your $250 as a macro lens only. Keep this lens to macro work only and you will never regret the purchase.
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0 of 0 people found the following review helpful

Crisp, fast lens, Sunday, 11 November 2007


Overall rating (weighted)
5.0
Sharpness
5.0
Build Quality
5.0
AF Speed
5.0
Value for Money
5.0
OMG I am in LOVE with this lens... I originally bought the 50mm 1.8 and was less than thrilled with the images. The AF took so long to catch no matter how much texture I was focusing on. Then I had the opportunity to buy this one instead....

Just with the first few test shots I knew I had struck gold. For the price, this lens is an amazing buy. I consistently shoot crisp, clear, shots even with active toddlers and babies. This lens pretty much stays on my 20D at all times.

IMO this is a must have for serious hobbyists, and those looking to eventually go pro.
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