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Canon EF 50mm f/1.2L USM · Photo source
Canon · EF
EF 50mm f/1.2L USM
A 50 mm f/1.2 L-series standard prime for Canon EF cameras, with ring USM autofocus and a circular eight-blade diaphragm.
- Mount
- Canon EF
- Focal length
- 50 mm
- Max aperture
- f/1.2
- Stabilisation
- No
- Weight
- 580 g
What reviewers say
Both tests praise the construction and shallow-focus rendering, but question sharpness for the price and note strong wide-open shading and fringing. The Digital Picture finds usable f/1.2 sharpness and excellent background blur; Photozone finds weak full-frame borders and sometimes nervous edge blur. Photozone rates autofocus fast, while The Digital Picture finds it slower than Canon's best rear-focusing lenses.
From the-digital-picture.com, photozone.de, photozone.de and photozone.de
Specifications
Report a wrong or missing specOptics
- Lens type
- Prime
- Focal length
- 50 mm
- Maximum aperture
- f/1.2
- Minimum aperture
- f/16
- Optical construction
- Eight elements in six groups
- Special elements
- Large-diameter, high-precision aspherical glass element according to Canon's manual and Camera Museum
- Coatings
- Super Spectra coating according to Canon UK's store
- Diaphragm
- Eight circular blades according to Canon Camera Museum
- Angle of view
- 46° diagonal, 40° horizontal and 27° vertical
Mount and compatibility
- Mounts
- Canon EF
- Image circle
- Full frame
- Compatibility
- Canon EF full-frame and APS-C cameras
- Teleconverter support
- EF 1.4X II and EF 2X II cannot be used according to Canon's manual
Focus and stabilisation
- Autofocus
- Yes
- Minimum focus distance
- 0.45 m
- Maximum magnification
- 0.15×
- Optical stabilisation
- No
- Autofocus detail
- Ring USM with mechanical full-time manual focus; Canon's manual permits adjustment after One Shot AF while holding the shutter button halfway
- Magnification detail
- EF12 II extension tube gives 0.24–0.39×; EF25 II gives 0.53–0.67×; Canon recommends manual focus with extension tubes
Design
- Dust and moisture resistant
- Yes
- Filter diameter
- 72 mm
- Maximum diameter
- 85.8 mm
- Length
- 65.5 mm
- Weight
- 580 g
- Controls
- AF/MF switch, focusing ring, distance scale, depth-of-field scale and infrared index according to Canon's manual
- Weather resistance
- Canon's manual requires a separately sold 72 mm Canon PROTECT filter for dust and water resistance because the front element moves when focusing; without the filter it is not dust or water resistant
- Dimensions detail
- 85.8 mm diameter × 65.5 mm length according to Canon UK; manual measures length from the mount surface to the front, with caps adding 21.5 mm; Canon USA instead lists 85.4 mm diameter
- Weight detail
- Canon UK's specification page lists 580 g; its store, Canon Camera Museum and the manual list 590 g, while Canon USA lists 545 g lens-only; the manual states its weight excludes accessories
- Lens hood
- Supplied ES-78 hood; reversible for storage according to Canon's manual
- In the box
- Lens, E-72U cap, Lens Dust Cap E, ES-78 hood, LP1214 case and user manual according to Canon UK's store
- Release detail
- Canon Camera Museum and Canon's 2021 retrospective record January 2007 release; the August 2006 Japanese announcement initially planned late November 2006
Pros and cons
Pros
- f/1.2 maximum aperture
- Full-time manual focus
- Supplied hood and pouch
Cons
- No image stabilisation
- Protective filter needed for dust and water resistance
Closest rivals
Model | Mount | Focal length | Max aperture | Stabilisation | Weight | Released |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Canon EF | 50 mm | f/1.8 | – | 160 g | May 2015 | |
| Canon EF | 85 mm | f/1.2 | No | 1,025 g | Mar 2006 | |
| Canon EF | 50 mm | f/1.4 | No | 290 g | Jun 1993 |
Sources
- canon.co.uk/lenses/ef-50mm-f-1-2l-usm-lens/specification.html
- global.canon/en/c-museum/product/ef392.html
- canon.co.uk/store/canon-ef-50mm-f-1-2l-usm-lens/1257B005
- media.the-digital-picture.com/Owners-Manuals/Canon-EF-50mm-f-1.2-L-USM-Lens.pdf
- usa.canon.com/shop/p/ef-50mm-f-1-2l-usm
- global.canon/en/news/2021/20211215.html
- canon.jp/corporate/newsrelease/2006/2006-08/pr-ef50f12l
Photo: i1.adis.ws
- Canon EF 50mm f/1.2L USM, three-quarter view: Canon; official Photo Library archive member smt-50-12l-usm.jpg