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Canon EF 50mm f/1.2 L USM vs Canon EF 50mm f/1.4 USM

Product Comparison: Canon EF 50mm f/1.2 L USM vs Canon EF 50mm f/1.4 USM

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Canon EF 50mm f/1.2 L USM Lens for Digital SLR Cameras

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Canon EF 50mm f/1.4 USM Lens for Canon DSLRs

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General Specifications

Brand

Canon

Model

EF 50mm f/1.2 L USM

EF 50mm f/1.4 USM

Origin

Japan

About the Product

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.

It’s often said that a face can tell a thousand stories. And the real beauty of portrait photography is that every shot is as individual as the person in it. Capturing a face can be one of the most satisfying and rewarding types of photography. And, with a good lens and the right technique, it’s easy to get the results you want.

Key Specs

Mount Type

Canon EF

Maximum Aperture

1.2 /f

1.4 /f

Minimum Focal Length

50 millimeters

Maximum Focal Length

50 millimeters

Lens Type

Fixed

What customers say about "Key Specs"

Canon EF 50mm f/1.2 L USM Lens for Digital SLR Cameras

Excellent overall image/video quality; easy to focus
Lens has great construction. Photos are super sharp. Worth all the money spent.
This is by far my favorite lens. Its totally worth the price and takes really great pictures.
Canons best lens hands down in my opinion This is my go to lens!!!!!!
This lens is great for portraits as well as wider shots. Resolution and clarity is amazing.

Canon EF 50mm f/1.4 USM Lens for Canon DSLRs

Another reason that I preferred this lens was the metal mount, though I believe the f/1.8 II transitioned to a metal mount as well.
The mounting is plastic and the front focus ring feels like an after thought.
Additionally, it doesn't really have a good mount for a hood. Finally, the focus ring is very touchy - the full motion of the focus is only about a quarter of a turn, so you have very little room for fine tuning.
Beyond the angle of view though, it's most commendable quality is the super-bright f1.4 aperture.
Really though, I think the number one reason that I love this lens is because it is such a versatile focal length with a fast aperture, and great performance in low light.

Size & Weight

Height

3.4 in.

2.9 in.

Width

3.4 in.

2.9 in.

Depth

2.8 in.

2 in.

Weight

20.8 oz.

10.2 oz.

What customers say about "Size & Weight"

Canon EF 50mm f/1.2 L USM Lens for Digital SLR Cameras

This lens is worth it's weight in gold. I highly recommend it to any photographer ready to step their game up!
This lens looks small, but it's really heavy. Also, pretty expensive.
The small change in depth from nose to face below f/2.0 can have that big of an impact, so AF is not a problem, it needs to be managed.

Canon EF 50mm f/1.4 USM Lens for Canon DSLRs

Well-built. It's a fairly small lens that has tight tolerances and an appropriate weight for the size.
It is just the right size and weight. Most lenses are just too big, bulky, and heavy for general purpose use.
The lens has more weight and has a real hood attachment, and photos just come out better than the f/1.8 - better focus and more saturation and contrast.
First off this lens is amazingly solid (makes the plastic kit lens feel like a toy). I swear it doubles the weight of my camera (not in a bad way)... I now understand the reviews which said that the T2i feels cheap.
It has some weight to it, so it feels like great quality.

Imaging

Minimum Focus Distance

17.7 in.

Field Of View

46°

Zoom Type

Manual

Focus

Auto Focus, Manual Focus

Optical Stabilization

What customers say about "Imaging"

Canon EF 50mm f/1.2 L USM Lens for Digital SLR Cameras

Shallow depth of field. Good bokeh. Focus can miss in low light.
This lens was a great addition to our photography collection! Wonderful for portrait photos. Depth of field is amazing!
Great lens for portraits. The 1.2 really gives you great depth of field.
It blurs out the background scenery and keeps your target in focus to guve the image nice clarity and focus.
I love the softness of the background. I shoot a 6D and did not face focus issues.

Canon EF 50mm f/1.4 USM Lens for Canon DSLRs

The focus and recompose method will not suffice most of the time. If you've have microadjust, put that to use.
It doesn't zoom, it just does bokeh and does it well. Sharp enough for my general purpose.
It's not a zoom lens so get ready to move those feet :) This is a very nice prime lens and if you are a beginner like me, this lens should definitely be in your collection.
Though technically not a macro lens since the minimum focal length is 18 inches, you can still achieve some very nice close-up images.
Crisp focus with zero adjustment needed and AI servo through 10 frame run and all spot on in focus.

Features

Brand Compatibility

Canon

Sensor Type Compatibility

Full-Frame

Lens Groups and Elements

8 Elements in 6 Groups

7 Elements in 6 Groups

Number of Aperture Blades

Filter Diameter

72 millimeters

58 millimeters

Extras

Ultrasonic autofocus motor (USM), Polaroid Optics 72mm 4 Piece Filter Set (UV, CPL, FLD, WARMING), Polaroid 5 Piece Camera Cleaning Kit, Bower Lens Pouch 4.5-Inch Basic, Polaroid Studio Series 72mm Snap Mount Lens Cap & Lens Cap Strap

Ultrasonic autofocus motor (USM), The ultimate mixture of versatility and image quality, Super Spectra coating, Smooth background blur

What customers say about "Features"

Canon EF 50mm f/1.2 L USM Lens for Digital SLR Cameras

This is a very well made lens and is a good walk around lens because it's not to heavy
They call this lens the Nifty Fifty and it is definitely one of my go-to lens.
I love this lens. It takes amazing portrait images and works well in pretty much any light.
I have been saving up for this beauty. One of Canon’s best prime lenses. Beautiful portrait lens.
This is a high-quality lens that definitely deserves the "L" series designation from Canon.

Canon EF 50mm f/1.4 USM Lens for Canon DSLRs

Great product. If you are rocking a cropped sensor also consider the 35mm f/2. Both great for the money, the 35mm on the cropped sensor will look a lot like this lens on a full.
This lens is a lot of fun to play around with. It takes excellent pictures and the 1.4 aperture creates jaw-dropping pictures in dark scenarios. For an amateur photographer, this is a really cool feature.
The prime focus is very very sharp. I think that is my favorite feature about the lens.
Now the canon 50mm 1.4 I bought brand new in amazon some time ago and take very special care with because I know the USM motor is very sensitive and gets damaged with any little bump and if you twist to hard on a filter you can damage as well .
The front element is recessed well and serves like a hood. Fully focused to infinity, the front barrel is completely flush. However, if you add on a filter, that filter ring will jutt out a little. I happened to have dropped the lens once on the filter.

Warranty / Certifications

Manufacturer Warranty

1 year(s)

Certifications

Other Information

Manufacturer

Link

Manual

Download