Canon EF 50mm f1.4 USM Standard & Medium Telephoto Lens for Canon SLR Cameras
by Canon
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Digital Cameras Photo Reviews of Canon EF 50mm f1.4 USM Standard & Medium Telephoto Lens for Canon SLR Cameras
Customer Review: Loved this lens, until it stopped working!
Summary: 5 Stars
UPDATE:
This used to be my favorite lens for all the reasons that other reviewers have stated. Basically it takes sharp, professional-quality photos, and is very handy in low-light situations.
Unfortunately, the autofocus (AF) failure issue is all too real. I pulled it out of my bag after a couple months of non-use (I hadn't needed a low light lens), and the AF immediately failed. Manual focus still works, but that is little consolation.
I've done some research, and this problem is very, very common, to the point where it seems like Canon should just issue a product recall. And of the people who paid Canon to fix it, a high percentage report a repeat failure within months of getting the lens back!
I love my Canon 40D and my other Canon lenses, but the fact that Canon continues to sell this lens with an inherently flawed design that nearly guarantees a predictable failure, often with minimal use, is very disappointing.
OLD REVIEW:
PROS: Super sharp images, great in almost any lighting condition, fast, sturdy build. 50mm focal length is a good compromise for most intimate shooting situations.
CONS: 50mm too close for some situations, need to aim carefully (difficult to autofocus correctly without careful targeting).
Customer Review: Stunning Lens!!!
Summary: 5 Stars
This EF 50mm f 1.4 USM Canon lens is absolutely stunning! The pictures are razor sharp and color saturation is excellent. There is no noticeable distortion in the top corners. I owned several excellent Olympus lenses over the years and only recently switched to Canon digital with advise from several professionals. I wanted to start with a non "L" lens to see what Canon cameras were like and I chose a Rebel XTi. I've shown my pictures to friends and family and now they want to switch to Canon to get the same sharpness in their pictures. Unfortunately, they keep forgetting that it's not a point and shoot digital camera. I thought about the cheaper f1.8 but after hours of looking at reviews all over the internet, everyone steers you towards the 1.4 (1.2 is too expensive for what it is) and it was well worth it.
If you get only one thing from reading this, know that I did a ton of research and if you have a limited budget, don't get the stock lens, get a better quality lens (it doesn't have to be a "L" series either). And if you're looking for a great and affordable portrait and scenary lens, this does a really nice job. Keep in mind, however, that with the less expensive SLR's, it's not equal to a 50mm film lens but rather closer to a 80mm.
Good luck.
Customer Review: Perfect for indoors and portaits
Summary: 5 Stars
I was so reluctant about getting this lens at first, I have a friend that owns the 50mm F1.8 and at first I thought there wouldn't be much of a difference between the quality of either, guess I was wrong for the following reasons...
1-This one is made of metal and glass...not like the F1.8 version, on my first week, I SMASHED my lens into a black wall in the dark and guess what...I scratched the wall big time (Note: I had a Canon UV filter that helped in this situation) but my point is, others complained of how flimsy the f1.8 is, and yeah...that f.14 lens is really sturdy.
2-The blurr of the images is a bit better, you can compare the quality and see the difference. (I posted about 7 pictures online, check them out)
3-USM...very nice, instead of being noisy with every single focusing in or out, the silence makes a difference.
4-It's been mounted on my camera since the day I bought it, it's hard to get rid of it you know...:D
5-Very good for indoor pictures, when you don't want to use a flash, this is the lens to use...very good quality pictures.
6-Portaits are awesome when taken with this lens, the blurr in the back is outstanding.
7-The only Con I see is...I don't think this is the sharpest focusing lens out there...but overall..A+++
Customer Review: Why spend $250 for 2/3 more stop?
Summary: 5 Stars
If you are looking at these reviews, chances are you are debating between Canon 50mm 1.8 and 1.4. No doubt each is capable of sharp images, so why spend $250 more for this 1.4? Well, if you are using one of newer Canon DSLRs for HD video, then I will save you some research time by simply telling you that 1.4 is definately the right choice. The reasons are three:
a. With DSLR HD video you will need to tweek the focus ALL the time while videoing, as none of DSLR cams has auto follow focus which is not offered in the near future. The skinny and loose focus ring on 1.8f makes it near impossible to adjust precisely all the time.
b. The auto-focus override on 1.4f means that you can grab the focus ring and adjust the focus anytime while you are shooting the video; with 1.8f you have to toggle the focus to manual before you do that, which means you have to stop the video if you realize you left the 1.8f in autofocus.
c. In video, your shutter speed is limited by the frame rate. In low light situations, 1.4f's extra 2/3 stop certainly gives you more range when speed choice is limited.
So, in the end if you are using this lens for video then don't look further, just get this and be done with. If you are using for photos only, a 1.8f may just work fine.
Customer Review: Fantastic lens, but not without its quirks.
Summary: 5 Stars
This lens will give you a half-stop above the f1.8 version, as well as a metal mount, somewhat more solid construction, full-time manual focusing, and a distance scale. The color and sharpness are excellent and, as tests available on the web reveal, beat the f1.8 version, particularly at the corners.
The lens is somewhat soft wide open, though you do get the use of f1.4, which will get you shots you might otherwise miss. It does well at f2, but needs to be stopped down a minimum of two stops (to f2.8) before its true sharpness is revealed. By f4-5.6 it's blindingly sharp, enough to serve as a measure for all other lenses.
This lens does not use a true USM ring motor, instead using a slightly noisier, slower, and less accurate micro motor with a full-time manual clutch. People with 10Ds (such as myself) have reported focus problems, and mine seems to miss focus under certain conditions more often than my more solidly constructed lenses. Apparently, 1-series cameras with superior focus systems work much more pleasingly with the 50/1.4.
Despite these issues, the 50/1.4 is an excellent lens. On a camera with a 1.6x crop factor (10D, D60), this makes a wonderful portrait lens. One just needs to keep these quirks in mind.