Canon - EF 50mm f/1.2L USM Standard Lens - Black

First let me say that if money is an issue, turn back around. I've used the 50mm f/1.4 and 50mm f/1.8 STM extensively and they are superb lenses. I actually own the 50mm f/1.8 STM if I'm just casually shooting or weight is an issue. Second, for anyone who is worried about focus issues please read AF section below. That said, if you are looking for top quality glass, Zeiss comparable glass, and money is not that important, BUY THIS BEAST. Paired on my 5D Mark IV this lens has produced some of the sharpest images I've captured to date. See sample images. Build quality is excellent, color reproduction is outstanding and its hard to say what it is exactly but this lens produces images that just look like they were straight out of a high fashion catalog. Weather sealing is really nice since I like to take my gear out in New England blizzards :). Important things to note: -This lens requires photography skill. Auto-mode (green A+ mode) should be forgotten about when using this lens. Av mode or M mode I recommend depending on what you are looking to do. -Below f/2.8 I recommend manually setting one single focus point for AF. Below f/2.0 manually setting a single AF point on your camera is absolutely crucial. Focusing on someone's nose for example by accident would cause the majority of the individual's face to be out of focus. Yes, it is that sensitive. 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. Yes, it is expensive but at f/1.2 there is a tremendous amount of high quality glass on this beast. See attached photos.

I specifically wanted to write this review for crop frame users who prefer the 50mm focal length that produces a compressed 80mm perspective on your sensor. I believe the key to using this tool is pre-visualization; and having an intricate understanding of where the “curved” plane of focus falls at apertures 1.2 – 3.2. (at various distances). If you plan / reliant on using autofocus then this lens will present a challenge to you with missed / out of focus shots. Single point AF is your friend, if you’re shooting portraiture without a tripod then I recommend AI-Servo to compensate for subject & shooter movement. The build quality of this tool, balances well on my Canon 60D. On a Rebel body it may be slightly imbalanced; but I recommend simply using your index fingers to prop up the lens at the end of the barrel / lens hood…Whitehouse principal photographer Pete Souza has a good technique that I’ve been emulating with my longer lens (eg. Canon 135mm L). I was concerned that my lack of AF microadjustment would be an issue, alas that is not the case sharp at 1.2 and crisp at 1.8 – if you do encounter this issue your local servicing dealer and or Canon is available to adjust your lens to your body (i.e Rebel series and Canon 60D). What about image quality and color rending? Compared to my previous 50mm 1.8, 50mm 1.4 and even mechanically poor Sigma 35mm 1.4 this lens is on another level; am confused on why so many reviewers and posters believe there’s some type of parity with consumer glass?!? It’s simply not there – no comparison except for focal length…from my perspective this tool produces a superior image rendering that is de-mon-stra-tive of professional image output. Conclusion & Negatives Don’t let the “L” designation, your crop-body, or the price tag scare you off!! If you demand the best image output for your photography this is the lens for you. For me this is a great companion lens with my Canon 135mm f2 L and Canon 16-35mm f2.8 L II. My only gripe is the by-product of: chromatic aberration which is easily removed with your photography editing software. The lens I received was produced in 2013 (UB 0310), and it came with the new snazzy pinch cap – get this tool while the rebate is still available.

This is an awesome lens. I've been using it as my primary walk around for a few weeks now and its great. The bokeh is great and the wide open shots get a LOT of light in, particularly in low light settings where you want to avoid using a flash (ie indoor shots). This is an awesome addition albeit with a high price. I think its important to say that this isn't a beginner lens, particularly if you are heavily (or blindly) dependent upon auto-focus as shooting wide open (f/1.2) requires regular review to ensure that your primary subject is in sharp focus. The depth of field is so shallow at f/1.2 and f/1.4 that you need to be certain that you're sharp on your subject. The lens does have a tendency to front and back focus when you are not careful. While I am by no means an expert, I've got enough of an understand of the technical aspects of shooting that this lens requires a solid grip of aperture, distance/focal-length and focus to ensure that you get the shot you want. Now if I can just improve my composition!

My main camera is the Canon 7D Mark II 50mm f/1.2 is the cream de la crème of lens. All of my lens are L lens and this is my first prime. If you read other reviews, the issue people talk about is how it loses focus or refocusing issues. In my experience, the lens only lose focus when attempting to take a picture from closer than 18 inches from the subject. At this distance the lens attempts to refocus itself and has a hard time focusing in on the subject. If you wants to take a picture that close, you should purchase a macro lens instead. It’s a great lens and the fast speed takes a little while to get use to because the depth of field is very shallow. Shooting below f2.8, I can focus on the subjects eyes and their noise is out of focus. If shooting outside on a sunny day at ISO 100, f/1.2 the shutter speed is set at f/4000 because of the amount of light coming through the lens. Overall, it is a very beautiful lens, well built, look impressive on any camera body, and if used correctly it performs marvelously. The bokeh is very dreamy…

In 2016 I found myself shooting a lot of weddings and then decided to switch from zooms to primes (crazy, right?). I had the Canon 50mm f/1.4 version (purchased from Best Buy) and used it for a short time until I soon figured out that for my professional work to really shine, I needed the best of the best tools to do it. There's a lot varying reviews around the internet about the Canon 50mm f/1.2 but I'm telling you, after moving from the 1.4 to the 1.2, there is a BIG difference in the sharpness and contrast in the 1.2 version. Shooting from f1.2 to f1.8 is tricky, you can't be lazy, move the focus points, manually focus if you have to, but if you're careful you can pull it off for insane DOF and creamy bokeh. Shooting at f/2.0 to f/2.5 though, IMO, is where this lens blows away all others. The f1.4 version you had to stop down to f/2.8 for sharpness. However, during the reception when the lights are low and it's dark outside, the difference between f2 and f2.8 is huge. Is it worth 4 times the price of the 1.4 version? If you're a professional, the answer is clearly yes. If you're a hobbyist, then probably not. However, I'm happy I finally bit the bullet and went with the 1.2. It is simply an incredible lens and worth every penny.

I went into this purchase understanding the incredibly thin depth of field and knowing how hard that can be to work with. I've worked with f1.4 before, which is close enough. However, the real issue with this lens lies in how prone it is to back or front focus issues, which of course, my copy had, in some cases, severely. If I was ever close to an object, it was very likely to focus behind what I was trying to focus on, well beyond the minimum focusing distance, too. Its construction is admirable and like any Canon L lens, I cannot fault it. It feels incredibly solid, though I do wish it was fully weather-sealed straight out of the box, no filter needed... At this pricepoint it amazes me that Canon can't manage that for their customers. The other main con is the price and this ultimately is what makes me unable to recommend this lens. Reviewers have shown that in some cases the far cheaper Canon 50mm f1.4 is, oddly so, sharper and has less chromatic aberration! This should not be the case, as the 1.4 is even older than the L 1.2! See Christopher Frost's comparison on YouTube for what I am talking about. Tony and Chelsea Northrup also compare this to the Sigma 50mm f1.4 Art (new lens) and it basically loses. Is, what, a third of an f stop truly worth $900 more in the case of the Canon 1.4 comparison, or $400 more in the case of the Sigma 1.4 Art comparison? You be the judge. I've made my decision and no longer own it for these reasons.

In 2016 I found myself shooting a lot of weddings and then decided to switch from zooms to primes (crazy, right?). I had the Canon 50mm f/1.4 version (purchased from Best Buy) and used it for a short time until I soon figured out that for my professional work to really shine, I needed the best of the best tools to do it. There's a lot varying reviews around the internet about the Canon 50mm f/1.2 but I'm telling you, after moving from the 1.4 to the 1.2, there is a BIG difference in the sharpness and contrast in the 1.2 version. Shooting from f1.2 to f1.8 is tricky, you can't be lazy, move the focus points, manually focus if you have to, but if you're careful you can pull it off for insane DOF and creamy bokeh. Shooting at f/2.0 to f/2.5 though, IMO, is where this lens blows away all others. The f1.4 version you had to stop down to f/2.8 for sharpness. However, during the reception when the lights are low and it's dark outside, the difference between f2 and f2.8 is huge. Is it worth 4 times the price of the 1.4 version? If you're a professional, the answer is clearly yes. If you're a hobbyist, then probably not. However, I'm happy I finally bit the bullet and went with the 1.2. It is simply an incredible lens and worth every penny.

I am not a professional photographer. This lens is going to take some serious practice to master. Shooting in 1.2 is difficult to say the least, and I'm not sure I'm good enough to do so. I would have been fine with the 1.4 and saved about $1g. It is pretty amazing how narrow a depth of field you can achieve. I took a profile picture of my wife in appeture priority with f1.2 and her ear was in focus, her nose was out of focus...that's pretty crazy! I'm looking forward to the challenge though...I will figure this thing out, it's just gonna take a few decades. One real upside, this lens does perform extremely well in low light settings as would be expected, and the quality and sharpness of the photos is outstanding!