| Customer Reviews Collected from usa.canon.com |
Canon - EF 50mm f/1.2L USM Standard Lens - Black
Average Customer Rating:
4.5
Rating breakdown 81 reviews
5 Stars
65
4 Stars
4
3 Stars
2
2 Stars
6
1 Star
4
84%of customers recommend this product.
(
62 out of
74)
Customer Reviews for Canon - EF 50mm f/1.2L USM Standard Lens - Black
Posted by: MissX2m1
from Northern New Jersey, USA
Verified Purchase:Yes
It's a lovely portrait lens that can also be used as a prime "normal" lens.
I would recommend this to a friend!
Written by a customer while visiting usa.canon.com
Customer Rating
5
Not for the faint of heart
on December 12, 2011
Posted by: ABQ.Joe
from Albuquerque, NM
I purchased the Canon EF 50mm f/1.2L to use on a 7D body for events where a flash is considered intrusive, but I find myself trying to use this lens anywhere I can now. This lens makes me money.
On a crop body, the 80mm range is makes it very similar to the 85mm f/1.2L on a full frame body, except the focusing is at least twice as fast and far more accurate. It's a great (almost perfect) portrait lens.
To say that the Canon EF 50mm f/1.2L's background blur is amazing is a ridiculous understatement. Even better still, the quality of that blur (bokeh) is without peer. BUTTERY CREAMY SMOOTH BOKEH! Mmm-mm yummy!
IMPORTANT: a 1.2 lens wide open has a VERY narrow DOF. SUPER narrow. If you don't choose your focus point very carefully, your image is fuzz, game over. I highly recommend using a single AF point when composing, to make sure you're selecting your EXACT focal point; there's no 'almosts' with this lens when it's wide open.
You need to consider your uses and your skill level very carefully before you drop the sizable chunk of cash this lens demands; if you're up to it, so is the 50mm 1.2L: it is a superstar in the glass arena.
Regardless of what some say, this lens outperforms the 50mm f/1.4 hands down. It’s got almost perfect color rendition and contrast --I own the 1.4, and it doesn't. Its color reproduction is flat, and the contrast is lacking too. The 1.2 at least as sharp as the 1.4 at f/1.4 and maybe even at 1.2. The 50mm f/1.4 is a dull, boring lens that collected dust in my bag; the 1.2 is a lens I find ways to make fit in a shot.
If you're skilled and want the ultimate in low light performance and stunningly beautiful narrow DOF, have low light needs and just love beautiful bokeh, you will love this lens.
Pros: low light superstar, perfect bokeh, fast focusing, Superior build quality, accurate color, good contrast
Cons: expensive
I would recommend this to a friend!
Written by a customer while visiting usa.canon.com
Posted by: Ron of GLO
from OKC, OK
Verified Purchase:Yes
Incredible bokeh. Lovely portrait glass. I waited to long to purchase this lens.
I would recommend this to a friend!
Written by a customer while visiting usa.canon.com
Customer Rating
5
Best overall lens?
on April 11, 2016
Posted by: JJohansson
from Sweden
This is a very good piece of lens! It weigh quite a bit and its quite thick, but no problem there. Compared to other lenses I've tried, this one feels really stable, well built and massive. It screams quality all the way!
The 1.2 aperture of course allows for really soft bokeh and amazingly dramatic images. I use this one for portraits as well as environment photography and would definitely describe it as one of the best overall lenses out there!
The negative things is... that the auto focus is quite slow and I often feel that it has a quite hard time to get the focus, even with clear motives. Another thing that I experienced by using the 5DsR (and NOT with the 5D MKII) is that in some lights, with some settings, the lens gives a hideous chromatic aberration. But if you know how to handle it, it shouldn't be a problem.
The 1.2 aperture of course allows for really soft bokeh and amazingly dramatic images. I use this one for portraits as well as environment photography and would definitely describe it as one of the best overall lenses out there!
The negative things is... that the auto focus is quite slow and I often feel that it has a quite hard time to get the focus, even with clear motives. Another thing that I experienced by using the 5DsR (and NOT with the 5D MKII) is that in some lights, with some settings, the lens gives a hideous chromatic aberration. But if you know how to handle it, it shouldn't be a problem.
I would recommend this to a friend!
Written by a customer while visiting usa.canon.com
Customer Rating
5
My favorite lens, bar none.
on March 29, 2012
Posted by: e-d0uble
from Newtown, CT
This lens is often maligned as extremely fast glass sometimes is. I feel it absolutely does not deserve this reputation. When used (and possibly configured) properly this lens produces gorgeous results. I never leave this lens behind.
If you're shooting a portrait wide open from 1.5 meters away the depth of field is so shallow that while the subject's eye is in focus the tip of her nose certainly won't be. If the photographer isn't aware of this behavior she probably should stop down and use a flash. That being said, if you do stop down this lens behaves like a high quality slower normal (50mm!) should. It's sharp as heck. I've shot some (unexpected) landscapes and even some action shots with it, despite its heft. AI servo isn't explicitly recommended with this lens, but I've gotten away with it.
If you're shooting a portrait wide open from 1.5 meters away the depth of field is so shallow that while the subject's eye is in focus the tip of her nose certainly won't be. If the photographer isn't aware of this behavior she probably should stop down and use a flash. That being said, if you do stop down this lens behaves like a high quality slower normal (50mm!) should. It's sharp as heck. I've shot some (unexpected) landscapes and even some action shots with it, despite its heft. AI servo isn't explicitly recommended with this lens, but I've gotten away with it.
Regarding my statement about properly configuring: I found that to achieve optimal results on a full frame body (5d mark II, and now my new mark III) I had to micro-adjust the the body to the lens. This was imperative to achieve sharp shots at f/1.2-f/1.6 or so. Some also say this lens focus-shifts at approximately f/2.0-f/4.0 or so due to it not having a floating rear element. I've not noticed this behavior but this phenomenon may be real for some.
I do feel this lens is a little too spendy, but after experimenting with the 50mm f/1.4 I'm happy I bought the most expensive of the three 50s Canon produces. The build quality of this lens is fantastic, and it's definitely rugged. I've dropped my copy on a hardwood floor at least three times and it's none the worse for wear.
If you like low-light photography and shallow depth of field.. do yourself a favor and get this gem. If you're used to shooting with what used to be called normal focal length (50mm) get this gem! You'll be happy you did.
If you like low-light photography and shallow depth of field.. do yourself a favor and get this gem. If you're used to shooting with what used to be called normal focal length (50mm) get this gem! You'll be happy you did.
Pros: great contrast, beautiful bokeh, superb build quality
Cons: expensive, may be slow to focus for some
I would recommend this to a friend!
Written by a customer while visiting usa.canon.com
Customer Rating
4
Don't quibble about the 50mm f/1.2
on January 30, 2011
Posted by: RLM
from Denver, CO
I've read a lot of quibbling about this lens and very little of it makes sense. With this kind of speed (isn't that why one buys this kind of lens?) you will always get a degree of distortion. If you want near perfect rectilinearity, buy a macro or the 14mm, not a high-speed optic. Complaints about physical size and price strike me as silly and the kind of comment only a novice would make. The 50 f/1.2 is large and sturdy, necessary traits to support such an optical formula, and that kind of optics doesn't come cheap. The lens balances beautifully on my 5D Mark II. Bokeh is
sensational, but yes, you must be mindful of the very
swallow field of focus at close distances: this is
characteristic of such a lens. If a test shot reveals an error
with the AF, shoot again using the manual focus ring. This is not brain science! I love the feel and quality of this glass and wouldn't part with it.
sensational, but yes, you must be mindful of the very
swallow field of focus at close distances: this is
characteristic of such a lens. If a test shot reveals an error
with the AF, shoot again using the manual focus ring. This is not brain science! I love the feel and quality of this glass and wouldn't part with it.
Pros: Superior build quality, Super-sharp images, excellent af at middle distance and to infinity, fantastic bokeh
I would recommend this to a friend!
Written by a customer while visiting usa.canon.com
Customer Rating
5
Great lens if you know how to use it
on January 25, 2012
Posted by: Jethro
from Tucson
I bought this lens for two reasons, focal length and depth of field. I have had the lens for about 6 months now and shot a few thousand images with it. I did have some difficulty using it at first but found that it was due to my technique and not the lens. With other lenses that have a larger depth of field, or the 50mm 1.2 set to F4 or larger I can focus and recompose and get sharp images. I've found that the depth of field with this lens set lower than ~F4 requires me to compose my shot, select the nearest focal point to what I want to focus on, and then crop the image later if necessary. If I forget to do this the shots are less than 50/50 on getting a sharp photo. By selecting the focus point I want my keepers go way up and the sharpness and contrast are great.
I would recommend this to a friend!
Written by a customer while visiting usa.canon.com
Customer Rating
5
on July 14, 2011
Posted by: Digital Artwerks
from Seattle, WA
This is my absolute favorite lens. I love to shoot with it in low light conditions w/o flash. It is always attached to one of my rigs when on a shoot. It's perfect for portraits, weddings, and concert photography. The ability to shoot at f/1.2 is something you have to experience first hand.
There is definitely a big difference between the canon 50mm f/1.4 and f/1.2, I don't care what others say. That half stop creates a superior, and beautiful shallow DOF , as well as bokeh.
As good a build quality you can get from a canon lens other than the white lenses.
I live in the Pacific Northwest, where it rains a LOT. But I never worry about that, due to the weather proofing from the gasket on the mount.
When shooting models and they give me a "certain look", and I always say ... STOP!, stay just like that. Then I grab my other rig which has the 50mm f/1.2 (sometimes the 85 milly) attached, and I just start to walk all around and shoot. It seems to accentuate facial expressions, add emotion, and the isolation from the background is BUTTA!!
When I get on my computer and start grading my images, a higher percentage of my favorite shots were taken with the 50mm f/1.2 or 85mm f1.2. I would never shoot a wedding (too much work/headache), but this would be my primary lens along with a 85mm f/1.2. And I could't take a wedding/event photographer too serious without either the 50mm or 85mm in there arsenal.
Pros: Fast auto-focus, Superior build quality, Super-sharp images, bokeh, weatherproofing
I would recommend this to a friend!
Written by a customer while visiting usa.canon.com