Rating 4.2 83 reviews

The Canon EF 50mm F1.4 USM has a lot of excellent features. There are many ranges that are sophisticated. This lens first came out in 1993 and the roots of it can be traced much earlier. It is based on the manual focus FD 50mm F1.4 design. Ergonomically designed and easy to handle, it was designed with the user in mind. The dimensions of the camera are 73.8mm diameter x 50.5mm length. The focal length is 50 mm. Another feature is its ultrasonic motor.


If you are looking for a standard lens, it is the perfect option. It offers a large angle of view and there is no perspective distortion that you get with the telephoto lenses. It is perfect for taking professional quality photos. With the advent of the APS-C, it can do new things and is used as a short portrait telephoto.


This lens features a conventional design and has 7 elements divided into 6 groups. Two of the groups are made out of high-refraction glass. Focusing is done with an ultrasonic motor system. There is full-time manual override. The lens delivers a beautiful view with an excellent background. This is perfect for a fast lens that provides subject isolation. Furthermore, the lens’ colour balance is similar to the ISO recommended reference values. The result is higher quality photos. No matter the occasion, you will love using the Canon EF 50mm F1.4 USM.


The Canon EF 50mm F1.4 USM has a lot to offer and is one of the highlights in the Canon line-up. This lens offers outstanding value for the money. It is still one of the best lenses on the market. This is an excellent lens that delivers high quality photos. You can’t go wrong by owning it.


This lens has many strengths that are hard to beat. It is perfect for people looking to purchase a small lens. This allows you to obtain image quality that is not available on a zoom for the same cost. If you are looking for a high quality lens, you can’t go wrong with the Canon EF 50mm F1.4 USM.

Manufacturer: Canon
price $395.00 - $849.82
Photo answers
16 years ago

Great all purpose lens

I just love this lens on my 5D Mk II. It is lightweight and very sharp. It outperforms my two L lenses, and I am always amazed at the resolution it gives my pictures. I find myself using this more and more since it is so much lighter to carry when I want to shoot all day.
Read more on Photo answers
What Digital Camera
16 years ago

Canon EF 50mm f/1.4 USM Review

Available at a fraction of the price of its f/1.2 brother, how does this sub-£300 prime compare. Read the WDC Canon EF 50mm f/1.4 USM review to find out.
Pros:
  • Fantastic MTF figures
Cons:
  • AF is slightly unrefined
Read more on What Digital Camera
Trusted Reviews
16 years ago

Canon EF 50mm f/1.4 USM Review

Canon users are blessed with a choice of three 50mm primes offering maximum apertures of f/1.8, f/1.4 and f/1.2. The middle lens is reviewed here, but Canon also sent the f/1.2 lens so it too has been commented on in passing.
Pros:
  • Fantastic MTF figures
Cons:
  • AF is slightly unrefined
Read more on Trusted Reviews
Imaging Resource
16 years ago

Canon EF 50mm F1.4 USM Portrait Lens C21-6261-201 review

While it's not tack-sharp when used wide-open, the Canon EF 50mm ƒ/1.4 USM is still quite good, and stopped down to ƒ/4 image quality is excellent. At ƒ/8, it's as sharp as sharp gets. Used wide open however, the lens has some definite issues, and on full-frame, edge performance is remarkably poor.
Read more on Imaging Resource
photodo
16 years ago

REVIEW: Canon EF 50mm f/1.4 USM

Gary Wolstenholme takes a look at Canon's mid-range 'nifty-fifty'. Standard lenses such as this are popular due to their lightweight and bright maximum aperture.
Pros:
  • Decent resolution across the frame when stopped down
  • Good resistance to flare
  • Low vignetting at maximum aperture
Cons:
  • Barrel distortion may be noticeable in critical applications
  • Quality towards the edges doesn't really excite until stopped down to f/4
Read more on photodo
ePHOTOzine
15 years ago

Canon EF 50mm f/1.4 USM Review

A standard 50mm lens with a bright maximum aperture of f/1.4 and silent ultrasonic focusing.
Pros:
  • Performance-wise Canon's 50mm f/1.4 USM is fairly typical, showing it is capable of producing images with excellent sharpness across the frame at optimum apertures
  • For low light shooting it would have been nice to see it perform better at f/1.4, but it is still quite capable of producing a decent...
Cons:
  • Performance-wise Canon's 50mm f/1.4 USM is fairly typical, showing it is capable of producing images with excellent sharpness across the frame at optimum apertures
  • For low light shooting it would have been nice to see it perform better at f/1.4, but it is still quite capable of producing a decent...
Read more on ePHOTOzine
OneCall
15 years ago

Awesome lens; professional results

Love the low light ability, smooth bokeh, and sharp pictures. Great success with portraits, indoor shots, and landscapes. This is a great all around lens.
Pros:
  • Consistent Output
  • Lightweight
  • Nice Bokeh
  • Rugged
  • Strong Construction
Read more on OneCall
J&R
15 years ago

Great lens

It broke within a week. Returned it for a new one since it took fantastic pictures. J&R can't get their hands on one so I am getting it from another store.
Pros:
  • Consistent Output
  • Easily Interchangeable
  • Fast / accurate auto-focus
Cons:
  • Broke easily
Read more on J&R
WolfCamera.com
14 years ago

Make The Investment

If like me, you are considering this lens versus the Canon 50mm f/1.8 I would consider buying this lens if you shoot a lot indoors or low light.
Pros:
  • Excellent image quality
  • Excellent in low light
  • Fast focus
Cons:
  • Heavy
Read more on WolfCamera.com
Ritz Camera
14 years ago

Make The Investment

If like me, you are considering this lens versus the Canon 50mm f/1.8 I would consider buying this lens if you shoot a lot indoors or low light.
Pros:
  • Excellent image quality
  • Excellent in low light
  • Fast focus
Cons:
  • Heavy
Read more on Ritz Camera
4.2 from 83 reviews
5
44.0%
4
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