Canon 50mm f/1.4 USM


50 mm
autofocus prime lens
f/1.4
Canon USM Built in focus motor


Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars by 1,041 users at B&H Photo Video

"Great lens in low light conditions and an excellent choice for portraits too."

"Excellent in low light, good glass and pin sharp from 2.0, very light and good value for money"

"The only drawback to this lens is its lack of macro capability."

Full frame

This lens is compatible with Full frame cameras such as the Canon 6D, Canon 5D Mark III and Canon 1D X.

horizontal angle of view
39.6°
50mm
35mm equivalent focal length

APS-C (1.6x crop factor)

This lens is compatible with APS-C (1.6x crop factor) cameras such as the Canon T3i, Canon 60D and Canon T4i.

horizontal angle of view
25.1°
80.5mm
35mm equivalent focal length

The Canon 50mm f/1.4 USM vs other Canon EF (Full-frame) lenses

	Prime lens
	Typically very sharp

	Quite short
	51 mm

	Silent focus motor
	Silent and fast

	Very light
	290 g

	Wide aperture
	f/1.4

	Great wide angle lens
	50 mm

The Canon 50mm f/1.4 USM vs other Canon EF (Full-frame) low light lenses

	Supports autofocus
	Easier to use

	Small diameter
	74 mm

The Canon 50mm f/1.4 USM vs other Canon EF (Full-frame) lenses

	Poor macro
	1:6.7 (0.2x)

	No image stabilization
	Risk of blur

	Poor telephoto lens
	50 mm

General

	Min focal length	50 mm
	Max focal length	50 mm	below average
	Zoom range	1x	below average
	Magnification	1:6.7 (0.2x)	below average
Aperture

	Wide minimum	f/1.4	unique
	Wide maximum	f/22
	Tele minimum	f/1.4	above average
	Tele maximum	f/22
Features

	Auto focus	Yes
	Focus motor	Canon USM	above average
	Image stabilization	None
	Fisheye	No
	Tilt-shift	No
Form factor

	Lens mount	Canon EF (Full-frame)
	Length	51 mm	above average
	Diameter	74 mm
	Filter size	58 mm
	Weight	290 g
Angle of view

	Wide horizontal	39.6°
	Telephoto horizontal	39.6°
	Wide vertical	27°
	Telephoto vertical	27°
	Wide diagonal	46.8°
	Telephoto diagonal	46.8°
Angle of view (On Canon EF-S APS-C 1.5x crop cameras)

	Wide horizontal	26.6°	below average
	Telephoto horizontal	26.6°
	Wide vertical	18°	below average
	Telephoto vertical	18°
	Wide diagonal	31.7°	below average
	Telephoto diagonal	31.7°

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Showing 5 comments

Christian

(8:23 PM, February 26, 2013)

I have a Canon 60D DSLR that I shoot short films with. Would this be a good lens for that? I hear that the "Nifty Fifty" is the way to go and have heard great things regarding this lens.

Asafe!

(8:33 PM, July 26, 2011)

Yes, a prime lens is exactly what i'm looking for. I have an 18-55 and a 55-250 but their aperture are too narrow. Gonna get this one so. Thanks alot, God bless!

lenshero

(7:22 PM, July 26, 2011)

Hi Asafe, yes definitely a great lens for the Canon T2i. If you haven't used a prime lens before you might find the lack of zoom limiting, but the wide aperture will make it possible to get faster shutter speeds in low light avoiding blur, and shooting at f/1.4 can create great blurred backgrounds!

Asafe!

(7:10 PM, July 26, 2011)

I have a Canon T2i and would like to know if it worths buying this lens to an entry-level DSLR. Help?

Phil Larson

(2:46 AM, December 30, 2010)

This lens is a war horse - takes the damage and keeps on plowing through work. I've found it works best at dark dance halls or concerts - you can capture some really great stuff without a flash! Just be sure to aim properly - 1.4 is razor thin and you're likely to miss your target. AF speed is acceptable, I'm learning to grab on to the ring for critical shots.

Bokeh is the best in class, probably the best you can get for under $1000. And the colours! Duke, the colours! Best non-L colours, I think.

Be wary of using on Crop cameras though - this lens, on crop, is more of a competitor for the 85mm 1.2L on full-frame. Consider the 28mm 1.8, 24mm 1.4L or 35mm 1.4L first. And donate the 50mm 1.8 to a children's toy drive, it's not worth it.

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Canon 50mm f/1.4 USM

reviewswhat are people saying

compatibilitywith digital cameras

Full frame

APS-C (1.6x crop factor)

Pros

The Canon 50mm f/1.4 USM vs other Canon EF (Full-frame) lenses

The Canon 50mm f/1.4 USM vs other Canon EF (Full-frame) low light lenses

Cons

The Canon 50mm f/1.4 USM vs other Canon EF (Full-frame) lenses

Specifications

General

Aperture

Features

Form factor

Angle of view

Angle of view (On Canon EF-S APS-C 1.5x crop cameras)

DiscussionWhat do you think about the Canon 50mm f/1.4 USM lens?

Showing 5 comments