Customer Ratings & Reviews

This lens is a great example of the 50mm prime lens. It takes gorgeous portraits with the classic sharpness to the subject, but gentle to rather stark shift to soft and fuzzy backgrounds we love based on how you set it. The focus is crisp and fast, while being near silent for those times you want to play with hd video (most are loud enough to be perceptible in the captured audio). At the end of the day it is pricey, but worth every penny of the step up from the basic kit lens because of speed and quality. I really don't want to take it off my camera.

i cant believe no one else has added a review of this lense. the price has come down so its more affordable now. this is a must have for anyone with a camera. it takes good pics and is light weight and the auto focus is good. the range of f/stops makes it good all around prime lense

Picked up this 50mm f1.4 to go along with my 85mm f1.8 and Sony 28mm f2 for my Sony A7ii. Use this lens with the MC-11 adapter. At f1.4, the bokeh is wild, sometimes even too much for portraits, depth of field is so shallow. That being said, the quality is great and pics come out great. Autofocus isn’t the best however I use the adapater which can have issues. I bet it has no issues on a canon body. Versatile and great all-round lens.

I love the 50mm prime. It gives an incredibly soft background and really accentuates your subject. The question is, why would you spend an extra $300 to get the f/1.4 rather than sticking with the f/1.8? The reason is quality. I had a problem with my f/1.8 where it became stuck to my DSLR body. I did some research on the internet, and it seems to be a common problem. The only way to get it off is to break it; the problem is, you can also risk damaging the body as well. Luckily for me I was able to dismantle the lens without any damage to the body, but I knew I wouldn't be getting the f/1.8 again. The issue seems to be the plastic ring in the inside of the lens, you can read more here: http://www.theroastedroot.net/removing-a-stuck-canon-50mm-f1-8-camera-lens/ Save yourself the trouble, get the f/1.4 instead. Plus, you can get even more light with the 1.4 and the quality of the pictures is even better. Win-win.

I've had nothing but fun with this 50mm f/1.4. I had the f/1.8 and there is a big enough difference to justify upgrading. I mainly use mine to to capture the night sky. The photos are crisper and it picks up more stars with less noise. Night landscape photos are awesome as well, pulling in great detail in the edges of the subject. It captures better bokeh than the f/1.8 too, with 7 elements 6 groups rather than 6 elements 5 groups for the f/1.8. At a glance you may not see the difference. But if you're like me you'll see it. I scrutinize my photos to no end. the f/1.8 is an awesome lens in it's own right, and is around $200.00 cheaper that the f/1.4. (I bought this on sale @ $299) If money is your biggest concern then buy the f/1.8. I'm not a pro photographer but the f/1.4 fits comfortable between the f/1.8 and f/1.2 in every way.

Great sense for the Next step in challenging my Daughter's Photography talent. Allows for wider shots and she loves that she can shoot at 1.4. Photos are crisp and clear, the depth at which the shot can be taken is much improved. Definitely a keeper!

Very good lens to begin with portrait photography. Image quality is excellent, you can get nice depth of field. Small size, light weight, Fast focusing, good for low light shooting. Cons: for videos it is not as smooth as STM lens and makes some noise. Not weather sealed but seems robust.

I see now why this thing has so many 5-star reviews! Over the years, I've upgraded to wider and wider apertures in my prime lenses as my budget has allowed, and the price for this one simply can't be beat. I'm leaving this review in case there are others out there in my situation - I'm a home portrait photographer, and I needed a lens that would perform well in low light (and/or artificial light as I try to approximate the sun with my LCD lights). This thing is IT, let me tell you. I've been using it nonstop - the images are crisp, the bokeh is lovely, and I don't need a full-on studio lighting situation to make the photos come out great! GET IT.

The Canon EF 50mm f/1.4 USM is a great lens for portraits and low-light shots. It delivers sharp images with beautiful bokeh, and the autofocus is fast. However, it can be soft at f/1.4 and sometimes struggles in low light. Overall, it's a solid upgrade from the 50mm f/1.8 and a great value for the price! ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Based on other reviews I had read, I had one concern buying this lens, but went ahead because I wanted a good quality prime lens for portraits. The main gripe I had read was that the autofocus is poor, particularly at full open aperture and using center focus area. I immediately ran some tests at f/1.4 with autofocus set to focus in the center of the field of view. Images made both in LiveView and viewfinder modes, at various subject distances, had crisp focus in the area I had selected. I have to conclude that there is not an inherent flaw in the lens design and how it interacts with the camera for focusing. Perhaps other reviewers didn't understand how aperture affects depth of field. At full aperture of f/1.4, the depth of field for focus is quite narrow (one reason I wanted the lens) enabling the user to blur out distracting backgrounds in portraits. I also like the metal camera mount (unlike the plastic used on Canon's 50mm f/1.8 lens). One minor drawback is that you can hear the USM focusing mechanism (compared to the silent STM focusing in my other lens). Not an issue unless you are shooting video and don't want to hear the lens focusing. Overall, the lens is everything I expected and does not suffer from issues I have read about in other reviews.

This 50mm lens' 1.4 f/stop allows you to shoot indoors with low light. No flash required. The background is blurred when shooting portraits indoors in low light. Resulting in professional quality shots. I am using it with the Canon 70D. It is a must have lens to carry in your camera bag. You won't be disappointed in the results!

I recently used this on a trip to Portland and just LOVED it for street shooting! The focal length is perfect, and you can get great bokeh. It lets in just enough light for you to get great indoor shots also. I could even get decently exposed shots in bars and restaurants! Considering the next level up on this lens costs > $1500, this lens is priced great and gives superb results!

Since I upgraded from a crop body to a full body, I also was upgrading my lens. The 50mm L f1.2 lens was just way out of my range for the price. This lens does just what I want it to do...CRISP, SHARP pictures. Performs extremely great in low light. This lens is a must have for photographers who cant just go in their wallets and grab out $1600+ for and L lens...must have in your bag!

Great lens! Really easy to use and the photos have a nice blurred background.

This is a great go to lens for beginning photographers. The f1.4 gives you a lot of creative flexibility and 50MM is a general prime lens focal length that can be used in most settings. Works perfect on my canon rebel t6.

First....fantastic customer service!! Had a very knowledgeable, seasonal worker, who also happened to be a professional photographer so he was able to educate me on the next appropriate lens to purchase for my daughter’s camera. The lens takes beautiful pictures allowing awesome “fades” of the subject background. It is easy to use and is a great “next step” for amateur photographers looking to up their skills. Would definitely purchase again.

I decided that I wanted to give the 50mm in a 1.4 aperture and was not disappointed. It takes a bit longer to focus than the 1.8 but the difference in quality is well worth it. Would recommend this lens to anyone looking to upgrade from the 1.8.

This lens is great for low light settings. Crisp and clear portraits. Very light weight and easy to use

Choosing between the f/1.8-f1/4 and f1/2? The f/1.4 is your best choice - there really is no need to pay the price for the f1/2 unless you are a professional photographer and even then, as a professional photographer and for what I photograph, I still do not need the f1/2. However, I highly recommend the f/1.4 vs. the f/1.8. This is an amazing lens, durable and fun to use and a must have for any level of photographer.

This lense is absolutely amazing, especially for beginning photographers. It does exactly what you want it to do for half the price of other lenses. I do look forward to buying a few more lenses to add to my collection for photography. Best Buy was also great in ensuring that I received my lens in a timely matter.