If you don't need autofocus, this is the Canon fifty to get.

Although I have a stable of competent autofocus L-glass (16-35 f4, 70-200 f2.8 II), when it came to a fast prime I wasn't all that impressed by what Canon had to offer. The 50/1.4 has a USM motor with the structural integrity of cheese, and the 50/1.2, while offering superb results at times, is...

the best lens in my bag

I should have bought it 2 years fantastic

Zeiss Milvus 1.4/50 Review

The Zeiss Milvus 1.4/50 ($1,199) is an update to the older Planar T* 1,4/50, which the company now considers part of its Classic lens series. The Milvus is larger, heavier, and more expensive, but it also delivers notably crisper images, especially at f/1.4, and a design that prevents dust and splashes from entering the lens and camera body. It's a strong performer, and worth a look if you're in want of a fast 50mm with an old school manual focus design. DesignLike other Milvus lenses, the 1.4/50 features a metal barrel with a focus ring that's partially covered in smooth rubber. It measures 3.7 by 3.3 inches (HD), weighs 1.9 pounds, and supports 67mm front filters. That's noticeably larger than the Classic version of the lens, which weighs in at 13.4 ounces and measures 2.8 by 2.8 inches. A lens hood is included. It's made of the same matte black metal as the lens, can be reversed for storage, and has a felt interior to minimize reflections. Zeiss offers its Milvus lines for ...

The Zeiss Milvus 1.4/50 will make fans of mechanical manual focus lenses happy. It's extremely well built and captures crisp images, even at f/1.4.

Shoots sharp images, even at f/1.4; Solid build quality; Protected from dust and splashes; Available for Canon and Nikon SLRs

Some barrel distortion; Dim corners at wide apertures; Pricey; Manual focus isn't for everyone