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.
22Ultra-large aperture for a narrow depth of field and beautiful soft background blur
Lens coating and construction are optimized to minimize ghosting and flare
High-performance, weather-resistant lens
AF with full-time manual
Summary of Customer Ratings & Reviews
Pros
Superior build quality(14)
Fast auto-focus(9)
Super-sharp images(8)
bokeh(4)
creamy smooth bokeh(2)
accurate color(1)
beautiful bokeh(1)
excellent af at middle distance and to infinity(1)
Pros: great contrast, beautiful bokeh, superb build quality
Cons: expensive, may be slow to focus for some
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.
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.
This lens has performed well. Photos in low and in available light have been outstanding, and substantially lower to free of the noise I have encountered with slower lenses (e.g., f/3.5). Photos of city streets and scenes at night are finely captured. No AF issues to report. Rendering of out-of-focus areas is as expected--excellent.
Slow focus, annoying front focusing issue (on 5D MkII and 60D). better built than 1.4, but in terms of images no different than 1.4. will try another copy.
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.
Feedback
Cameras
Product Advisories
Where To Buy
Find a Retail Store
