Canon EF 50mm f/1.4 USM Standard and Medium Telephoto Lens for Canon SLR Cameras, Fixed

At this point, this lens has such a strong backing that I'm just another voice in the wind. *If you want this lens, GET IT. You will NOT regret it if you want a fast, sharp, well-built investment in glass.* Keep in mind that when shooting with APS-C cameras (7D, 4/5/60D, T1/2/3/4/5i, SLi) this is a wonderful PORTRAIT lens, that gives you a head-and-shoulders frame at five feet, while on a full-frame camera (5D1/2/3, 6D, 1D3/4/5/X/C) it is a stunning STANDARD lens, with a full-body frame at five feet. It is well-built: the body is made up of a solid plastic that has survived a few bangs and falls already. I have it insured, so I have the peace of mind of not worrying about little things, but remember to put a cheap UV filter on it. *A scratched filter costs a LOT less to replace than a scratched lens. Buy a filter with this lens!* It is FAST: The USM is quick and snappy. It is the older version of Canon's USM, so it will 'hunt' in low light if you place a single AF point onto a black background or surface. Get around that by focusing on a lit subject and then recomposing, using either single shot AF or AF-lock. It is BRIGHT: or 'fast', but I didn't want to get confused between AF and aperture. If you are upgrading from a zoom lens, whether it's your kit 18-55 or your professional 24-70 F/2.8, you will INSTANTLY notice how bright and clean 1.4 is. It GOBBLES light at nighttime and indoors, and coupled with the high-ISO performance of almost every Canon DSLR right now, you can get stunning shots with this lens in the toughest of conditions without a flash. And, because of how fast it is, the depth of field (amount of your subject in focus) is razor-thin. You will find that someone's nose pores will be visible while their eyes will be blurry, which might ruin a shot for you: always confirm that what you want to be in focus, is. This is a VERY powerful tool for creative or portrait photography. It is SHARP: focus, movement, light, camera shake, and shutter speed all can alter the sharpness of your photo, which is the most important facet, but the fact is that this lens will not hold you back if you're looking for the sharpest photo possible. It is RAZOR sharp when stopped down, and center sharpness is stunning all the way to F/1.4. Anything from F/2 and up will be sharp all around, at at F/5.6 the entire frame is sharper than a lot of L lenses. The only reason people pay five times as much for the Canon 50mm F/1.2L is because they either need the build quality, aperture speed, or consistent sharpness. You can easily get equally stunning results from this lens, at 1/5th the price of its niche L brother. And, for creative photos and especially video, it creates wonderful creamy BOKEH. If you're looking at this lens you probably know what 'bokeh' means: all it references is the quality of the out-of-focus areas of your photo. Your subject, whether a face or a sign or a car or a person, will be sharp and in focus, while at F/1.4 the area from a few inches in front of and behind the subject become a wonderfully pleasing blur. Now, as far as competition goes, this lens competes with the Sigma 50mm F/1.4 and Canon's own 50mm F/1.8. The Canon 50mm macro lens doesn't count as a 'fast fifty', as at F/2.5 it is an entire stop slower than the other 50's. The Sigma is a better and newer lens than the Canon 50mm F/1.4, with better sharpness wide open and barely better bokeh. However, it costs slightly more, and it doesn't have the support of Canon software, hardware, and editing plugins. Their results are nearly identical, and bokeh is a personal preference. You will be perfectly content with either lens, though Canon's autofocus has been reported as being superior to Sigma's, with quality control issues and failing AF on early models of Sigma's 50mm's. The 50mm F/1.8 is well-known for its optical quality and fantastic value. However, it is also made up of plastic, and as such, it WILL break. The focus ring is also miserably bad for video. So, if you have the extra $200 to spend, GET THE 1.4. The build quality, USM focusing, and proper focus ring will last you years, wheras the 'nifty fifty' will last you until you drop it, or the cheap AF dies. Now, always remember that your lens is a creative tool: this one is a fantastic and versatile tool, but you still can't expect it to do anything it's not built to do. For example, while F/1.4 is a wonderful tool, you will find yourself missing focus at times. Stop down to F/2.8 not only for more accurate DOF and focus, but better sharpness. And, if you want stunning detail, or you're in bright sunlight, stop down to F/5.6 for nearly perfect sharpness for when you have a lot of light, a flash, or are set up to do portraits. And, when you need stunning bokeh or fast shutter speeds, crank it open. So, in conclusion: this is a wonderful lens that is sharp, fast, well built, and has excellent optical qualities when used right. If you think you want it, get it, and you won't be disappointed.

I bought this lens after reading several reviews and trying to decide if the 1.8 vs the 1.4. I also decided to borrow a 1.8 and almost immediately I could see the difference. Using an aperture of 2.0 is clearly the best for sharp pictures. I have almost started to use this lens exclusively. I have taken some pictures that amaze me when reviewing on the computer. This lens is an absolute must for anyone armature or professional. This lens should be the first purchase when upgrading to new lenses. The essential addition to your kit. Pro: - Blohke is amazing. The aperture blades make wonderful octagons out of light and makes blurred water look incredible. - Sharp Focus is best at F2.0 but awesome at most f-stops. I cannot complain but I definitely keep it at 2.0 more often than not. - Quiet autofocus. This does not seem like much until you change out to another lens. Holy cow is it quiet. This can be a major advantage while taking video with your DSLR. - Cost (Pro and Con) is low for what you get. The quality of this lens from build to optics is definitely worth the price. It just feels solid compared to the 1.8. If you think that 300 is high for a lens then you will view this as a con but if you think of a lens as a long term investment into your profession or hobby then the 300 will pay off end dividends. Cons: - Autofocus can be touchy at lower f-stops and may require very very minor manual adjustments. It can be agrivating if you do not pay attention to where you want the focus but you should be able to adjust easily. - Cost but if this is a con for you then you are not investing in your photography. Overall: This lense is surpassed by none and should be in your camera bag. It's going to last you far beyond your normal lenses. It is going to be more reliable and better quality than any stock lens. Also remember that this is an EF lens and will be able to go from camera to camera unlike the EF-S lenses. If you ever move to a full frame from a cropped frame camera you will be able to use the lens and long lose your investment.

As someone approaching this lens from a newbie’s perspective, the Canon EF 50mm f/1.4 USM feels like a big step up and a confidence booster right away. It’s the kind of lens that makes you feel like you’re finally getting “real camera” results. ——— What I Like The first thing I noticed is how fast this lens is. The f/1.4 aperture makes a huge difference compared to a kit lens. Photos come out bright even indoors, and the background blur is beautiful—subjects really stand out, especially for portraits. Faces look sharp and flattering, and the overall image quality feels professional without much effort. Autofocus is quick and accurate, which is reassuring for a beginner who’s still learning how to frame and focus properly. The lens also feels well-built and solid in hand, so it doesn’t feel fragile or cheap. It’s lightweight enough to carry around easily, and the 50mm focal length is very natural, making it great for everyday shooting and learning composition. ——— What Could Be Better For a beginner, shooting wide open at f/1.4 can be tricky. The depth of field is very shallow, so it’s easy to miss focus at first. I also noticed that images can look a bit soft when fully wide open, which may surprise new users expecting perfect sharpness all the time. Stopping down slightly helps a lot, but that takes some practice and understanding of aperture. The lens design feels a bit old, and it doesn’t have modern features like image stabilization or weather sealing. The focus ring works fine, but it could feel smoother and more refined, especially for someone trying manual focus. ——— Final Thoughts Overall, the Canon EF 50mm f/1.4 USM is an excellent lens for beginners who want to move beyond their kit lens and start taking more creative photos. It’s fast, sharp, and produces stunning portraits with beautiful background blur. While it does require some practice to master, that learning process is part of what makes this lens so rewarding. For anyone new to photography and looking to level up, this lens is a fantastic choice.

I hope I can add something meaningful...I am by no means a professional or even advanced amateur (bought my first DSLR a few months ago). Pros: Solid Quiet Fast Auto Focus Full Time Manual Focus Beautiful Bokeh Amazing colors Sharp Cons: More expensive than 1.8 (how much does full-time manual focusing, construction, quiet auto-focus matter to you?) Lacks IS (I know it is not a huge deal but I think it could be helpful) Should include a free lens hood This is my first lens besides the kits lens that comes with the T2i so I hope this review might be helpful to those deciding to branch out beyond the kit lens. The lens is amazing just not perfect... maybe I had too high of expectations (or more likely I am just an ignorant novice photographer). Nevertheless, as soon as I took this thing out of the box I told my wife, "I am never using the kits lens again". (I have had this lens for a couple of months and did put the kit lens on once to take an indoor group picture because there just wasn't enough room at 50mm... however as soon as the picture was taken this lens was back on my camera.) 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. I don't do a ton of videography but like taking an occasional video and was hoping the quiet auto-focus would eliminate the annoying sound picked up by the internal mic when focusing... it doesn't (it might be slightly less but still just as annoying). Nevertheless the silent auto-focus is very nice and makes the kit lens sound like a semi (that might be too drastic but you get the point). Before this lens I was still familiarizing myself with the camera and only shot in the basic modes. If you have no intention of branching out beyond the basic modes you may want to hold off on purchasing this lens since most of the benefits come with learning the manual modes and using a low aperture. Expect a little bit of frustration as you try to learn the advanced modes and get non blurry photos that are completely in focus. It can be frustrating but well worth the learning curve. When this thing hits the photos are beautiful the bokeh is awesome, the colors pop, and everything is perfectly sharp. I thought the full time manual mode would be incredible no longer having to flip a switch on/off. I was wrong... maybe I am stupid but searching the web I found other people would try to manually focus in AI Servo. Don't be an idiot like me and others. AI Servo focuses continually so you have to change modes to manually focus (unless you want to grind against the gears). Maybe it is just me but it would be nice if the camera could tell you were manually focusing and disable the auto-focus regardless of what mode you are in. Don't get me wrong the manual focus is nice just not as perfect as I thought it might/could be. The low aperture although very helpful will not do miracles... I find myself desperately longing for a flash (I hate the on board flash) in some lighting conditions. The low aperture helps a lot but is only one piece of the puzzle. The low aperture does more for bokeh than it does in eliminating the need for light. If your primary concern is crappy lighting ... get a flash. If your primary concern is crappy quality (sharpness, bokeh, color) get this lens. Or get both (which I plan to do shortly). Some people state they no longer need a flash with this lens which may be true for some but I find in my horrible lit apartment it is almost impossible to get decent pictures without using one even when the lens is stopped down to 1.4. Part of me really wished this lens had IS (except for the increase in price that would go along with it) it really would make this great lens incredible. The kits lens although having far worse image quality and color is a little more forgiving with the IS. I think this may be why some people complain about non sharp photos. I have found the camera can take amazingly sharp photos even when wide open at 1.4 but it requires a lot more skill (steady hands or a tripod and spot on auto focus). A random tip I found helpful when taking pictures of my daughter was to use AI Servo but to track her movement for a second or two before taking a picture. It gives the auto-focus time to properly track her constant movement and results in a ton more sharp pictures than taking a picture immediately after focusing. I also purchased a filter (included for free with purchase) and a lens hood. The filter is close to a waste of money and I could only see myself using it if I was in a harsh environment and seriously worried about particles getting into the lens since it destroyed image quality. The lens hood is amazing (I bought one of the non name brand hoods)... I could be wrong but I think it helps the lens auto-focus quicker in some lighting conditions. Additionally, it looks good and provides a decent level of protection without loss of photo quality (pick one up). Purchase Price: $346.00 Brand New

First I must say that the my review is from a hobbyist photographer as I my living is not tied to taking pictures. I would start by saying that for the price of this lens it is worth a buy. For 300 $ you should not have any complains from this lens. On holding in your hand it feels very well built (not cheap feeling kit lenses, although not so great as L-Type lenses quality). I had a lot of thought before bying this lens and am not regreatting my decision. GOOD IN LOW LIGHT CONDITION, yes this is a very fast kens with f 1.4 for such a great price. I can attest that one can take good pictures in low light situations even without a flash. SHARPNESS. It is very sharp at the f value of between 2 and 2.8. Yes there is some loss of light at that aperture. Even at 1.4 there is acceptable level of sharpness for a non professional photographer like me. It's a Prime lens so better than most expensive zoom lens in comparison, I must say. GREAT BOKAH. Especially with the aperture dialed down to F 1.4. Makes the pictures look professional appearing. SHOULD I BUY canon 50mm 1.8 (100$ range) vs this Lens: This was the dilemma that I was in before buying this lens. I had already used Canon 50 mm F 1.8 before I bought this lens and for the of that lens it is a good lens. I had just read the reviews on this lens. I can now say that if you can dishout 200 additional $ its totally worth the price. Way better than the Canon 50mm f 1.8 (which by the way do not take me wrong is a noce lens for its price point). So anyone facing the same situation, I will say go for this lens.

Four yeas ago I bought this lens for Canon T2i, and it has held up quite well despite some slight abuses. The plastic body of course doesn't has the sophistication or full-on tank brute-ish-ness of the L lenses, but it is well-built and stable. On a crop body, this lens is fantastic for portraits. On a full frame, this is the definition of a walk-around lens. Open it up to 1.4 and just watch the background become ice cream sundae smooth. Wide open, there is quite a bit of vignetting, and you will most certainly need to use your focus points. The focus and recompose method will not suffice most of the time. If you've have microadjust, put that to use. Otherwise, good eyesight and some manual focusing might be necessary to get the most out of this lens. Stop it down to 1.8 or 2.0, and this lens becomes pretty sharp. Stop it down to 4.0, and it is razor sharp. There are 8 blades to the aperture and you can create some fantastic looking eight-pointed stars on light sources. The focusing wheel does have some play to it, which leads me to a downside of this lens: the focusing motor. It's not the full-blown ring USM/HSM business that's on other lenses. The micro-USM focuses fast, but the reliability is more of a concern. 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. The lens was not scratched because the filter bit the dust and cracked. However, the trauma messed up the motor so it couldn't focus anymore. I sent the lens off to canon to get fixed, and they told me this is a common problem for the lens. After I got the lens back, I noticed that the focus ring was less stiff and easier to turn. Since then, I've been more careful with this lens, and it as worked well so far. Even though I am largely to blame for the len's short comings, I do think it's about time that Canon gave this lens an update (rather than constantly tweeking their L range behemoths). This lens was introduced in 1993. 20 years is more than past time to refresh this. Still, this lens sales by the loads, and I suppose that's why they aren't. Compared to the baby f/1.8 50mm, this lens is much better built. I've used the f/1.8 and it does feel rather gimmicky. The mounting is plastic and the front focus ring feels like an after thought. Image quality wise, the f/1.4 stopped down to f/1.8 feels a tad sharper than the f/1.8 wide open. Additionally, because the f/1.8 has only five blades on the aperture, the out of focus highlights aren't as pretty to look at as the f/1.4 (pentagonal highlights just don't look as cool as the octagon ones in my opinion). Compared to the beastly f/1.2 50mm L, this lens is a much, much better deal. Yes, the L lens feels like it can be thrown on the floor and cause more damage to the concrete than it. But for >$1K, I can't just justify can extra 1/3 of a stop for that. I do notice that the straight-out-of-camera images from the L lens is a bit more saturated. And when you really start stopping down both lenses, the highlights from the L lens is more 'rounded' octagon rather than those of the f/1.4. The bokeh does seem to be fancier and even smoother on the f/1.2, though that is to be expected for a lens costing nearly four times as much. The L lens focusing ring is indeed much better built. Still, canon does have other lenses like the f/1.8 85mm prime which shows that you don't have to pay a fortune to get a reliable and sturdy ring USM rather than a microUSM. All in all, this is an excellent lens. I do wish Canon would give us an update with a better USM. For now though, at least within the canon range, this is still the one to get. You can shop around for a used copy and that should knock the price below 300. However, the main drawback will the the warranty support.

The 50mm is a great "walkabout" lens for a high megapixel camera with its low profile and low light abilities. A 28mm-135mm kit lens is not a substitute. Professionals do a great job explaining what you can do going from a cheaper 1.8 to a 1.4, but let me explain why I went this way. My camera: The Canon EOS 7D. Why the 50mm? Other than its the focal length field of view that is similar to human vision, I plan many indoor, low light shooting; family photos, mostly. I am not a fan of flash photography and look more for the natural, pure moments. I don't plan to invest in halogen lighting, therefore I need a fast lens to compensate. Because its a fixed focal length, its the most appropriate for "point and shoot" excursions. True, we'll use it like a camera-phone, but the images will be more fun to play with. There will be times where a wide zoom lens is too much, too bulky, and too heavy. This is perfect to snap a photo and use editing to zoom or crop. Why the Canon brand? Not planning to own many lenses, I'll be satisfied with my 28mm-135mm and a 50mm for a long while. "Compatible" brands always come with a caveat to justify the lower price. Not wanting the risk, I stuck with Canon. Why 1.4 over the 1.8? The reputation of the 1.8 build quality was enough to seriously consider the 1.4. For a little more money, we get a faster lens, but it takes considerably more to move from a 1.4 to 1.2. But the core reason is for low light. I use the Auto mode to gauge the initial settings my 7D calculates as a starting point. If you ever capture a moment using a 1.6 aperture, you'll know you went somewhere the cheaper lens could not take you. A faster lens gives you the opportunity to be more creative in portraits. Results: Read the expert's advice on aberration or distortions. I can say, with an aperture of 1.6 or 1.4 your subjects may be very soft in low light. You may see the differences in focus in a distance as short between the tip of a nose and the cheeks. (Further critique is more appropriate in a review of the camera) Final words: If you plan or had already invested considerably in photography, have fun with it. The more fun you have the more you'll learn. Get the tools that you'll have the most fun with. Push your limits. With this "simple lens", you'll need to leverage the usefulness of aperture, shutter speed, focus techniques, white balancing, and ISO. There's no more fun or effective way to learn than by pressing your right index finger: "snap".

The 50mm/f1.4 and 50mm/f1.8 are the BEST PORTRAIT LENSES that Canon offers. I own a Canon Rebel 2000 and Digital Rebel XT and have used both these lenses for several months. Pictures have been outstanding and my professional customers frequently cite the sharpness, light balance, depth of field, color reproduction, and "bokeh" (intentional blurring of background in portraits) from these lenses. Some people question the usefulness of a 50mm lens on digital SLRs with a 1.6x crop factor (i.e., 50mm lens = 80mm on a dSLR like the Digital Rebel XT)... I can vouch that the range is beautiful and relevant, focusing more closely on key subjects in portraits. WHAT DO THESE LENSES HAVE IN COMMON? They are both fast (the f1.4 is blazing fast - dSLR can hardly keep up!), details are incredibly sharp (you can see individual hair strands), virtually no chromatic (color) aberration, no dithering or shadows in the corners, focusing is rapid and quiet (thanks to Canon's patented Ultrasonic USM technology) and photo quality parallels even my professional Canon "L" lenses. These fixed aperture lenses also provide superior pictures than telephoto lenses at 50mm because of better glass and aspherical elements. HOW ARE THESE LENSES DIFFERENT? Having tested both lenses across 1500+ pictures, there are 5 key factors that make the f1.4 superior (justifying the $300+ price tag). 1) FASTER ESPECIALLY IN LOW LIGHT: Extra f-stop makes the f/1.4 better for indoor photos or low light. Great companion to the 480EX flash. I was able to take nearly 40 pics/min with flash and the fastest Sandisk 1GB Ultra II CF card 2) NO CHROMATIC ABERRATION, whereas the f/1.8 has slight yellowing of photos under certain lighting conditions or where edge definition is low 3) FULL AUTO/MANUAL FOCUSING RANGE: f/1.8 requires flipping between auto and manual using a switch, while f/1.4 can be manually "hot" focused/tweaked after auto focusing 4) SUPERIOR BUILD QUALITY: The f/1.8 is plastic and feels cheap, like it might fall apart anytime. The f/1.4 is metal, weighty, and is for the proud lens owner 5) CLEANER "BOKEH" - f/1.4 produces beautiful blurring of background in portraits ("bokeh") while the f/1.8 leaves less clean edges. Canon reviews suggest this is due to the f/1.4 having 8 lens elements vs. 5 elements for the f/1.8 WHICH LENS SHOULD YOU BUY? This is a question of utility vs. value. The f/1.4 costs over $300 while the f/1.8 can be acquired for under $75. The f/1.4 will last forever while the f/1.8 will probably break under normal use in a year. Does this justify the 4x price tag? If you are a budding photographer looking for a "play lens" then the f/1.8 will more than over-deliver. If you are a photo enthusiast who looks for "the perfect shot," you will want the f/1.4 because it surpasses every expectation (and so you're not left wondering, "what if"). If you are a photo professional, you already have the f/1.4 lens among your bag and are not reading this review. :-)