Review | Canon 50mm f1.2 L

I’ve mentioned it many times in the past, that one of the most useful and versatile focal lengths available is a 50mm prime. Fast, small, and usually inexpensive, the 50mm is a lens I would recommend to any photographer.

Notice how I said usually inexpensive. There are a couple of exceptions to the rule; first the Leica Notctilux 50mm f0.95, a feat of engineering and an apocalypse on the wallet at a cool £10,000. The second, is the bargain-in-comparison-but-still-not-cheap Canon EF 50mm f1.2 L. And it this lens that you’re here to read about.

The Canon EF 50mm f1.2 L is one of my most used, if not the most used lens I own. It is without doubt the best autofocus 50mm prime lens you can buy today. There are aspects of it that are far from perfect, but they are easily overshadowed by this lens overall versatility and unique image quality characteristics.

For me, it always a genuinely difficult decision when I have to choose between the Canon 35mm f1.4 L and 50mm f1.2 L to put in my bag. Both very similar lenses, but also very different in use. The 35mm f1.4 is my favourite focal length by far, but still the 50mm probably gets used more. I’m not sure why.

There is plenty to love about the Canon 50mm f1.2L. It’s the biggest and toughest built 50mm prime you can buy, and as far as I’m aware it is the only weather sealed 50mm lens available right now. That on its own maybe worth the price to you. The autofocus is super-fast and super-accurate, as any Canon L lens should be. It has a good weight and size, and it handles really well on larger bodies like the Canon 5DMK III and the Canon 6D.

In fact, I absolutely love using the Canon 50mm f1.2 on the Canon 6D. The interchangeable super-precision focusing screen on the 6D allows you to actually see through the viewfinder at f1.2. It takes using this lens to a whole other level. The major downside is the 6D’s maximum shutter speed of 1/4000th of a second. Good luck trying to shoot at f1.2 on a sunny day.

The biggest feature of this lens by miles is it’s obscenely wide aperture. I mean, it’s a f1.2. That’s eff-one-point-two! The Canon 50mm f1.2 is capable of producing absolutely stunning bokeh. It’s hard to explain, it’s not just the quantity of blur, it’s also the sublime quality.

This little lens produces the smoothest, softest most aesthetically pleasing bokeh I have ever seen. Better than the Nikon 85mm f1.4, better than the Canon 135mm f2.0. The Canon 50mm f1.2 just chews up backgrounds and spews out creamy soft goodness instead. If your photographic style encourage the use of extreme depth of field and a soft and dreamy look, then this lens will be your absolute best friend for life. It’s outstanding as a creative tool.

Trying to see past all of that mushy bokeh, it’s very easy to overlook the problems with this lens. It vignettes a lot wide open, and honestly, it isn’t even that sharp at f1.2. In fact until about f1.8, it’s probably the softest prime lens I’ve ever owned. My old £250 Nikkor 50mm f1.4 is a whole bunch more sharp than the Canon 50mm f1.2L at any aperture. Sorry, but it’s true. If you are looking for absolute sharpness look elsewhere.

Also, don’t confuse sharpness with clarity. This lens has real “bite”, in the form of unique tonal contrast and great colour tones, even wide open. This lens produces fantastic looking images, even if it isn’t considered technically “sharp”.

On the other hand, there is also no getting away from the fact that this 50mm is not a good value purchase. The 1.2’s smaller, slower cousin the EF 50mm f1.4 is probably 90% of the lens for 20% of the cost. The only things the bigger, pricier L does better is being weather sealed and…oh shooting at f1.2.

Ok, that old chestnut again. The ultra-wide aperture is like the ultimate top trump. If you need to shoot at f1.2, then everything else is a bit superfluous. This lens is the one to get. Who cares about anything else, right?

A quick note if you are deliberating between the 50mm f1.2 and the “legendary” Canon85mm f1.2. I used both before I made my purchase, and I went with the 50mm. The Canon 85mm is huge, heavy and slow to autofocus, and just a general pain to use. The 50mm f1.2L is in comparison, cheaper, smaller, lighter, faster to focus and easier to use. Also, you could buy the 50mm f1.2, 85mm f1.8 and 135mm f2 for a little more money than just the 85mm f1.2 on its own and have more versatility for portraits.

I said at the beginning of this review, that I wasn’t sure why I use the 50mm more than the 35mm, even though I like 35mm focal length more. Thinking about it a bit more, I suspect it all comes down to comfort (and possibly lazyness)

The 35mm focal length can be tricky, it is like no other when it works, but sometimes that semi-wide perspective just doesn’t work when you want it to. To use it consistently, you have to work for it. The 50mm focal length, whether it be 1.8, 1.4 or 1.2 is so easy to chuck on the camera and go out and shoot. And the Canon 50mm f1.2 is by far the best, toughest and bokeh-iest 50mm out there.

Compared to my favourite 35mm prime lens, I know the Canon 50mm f1.2 is not as sharp, I know it’s not as interesting or challenging to use. But what the 50mm f1.2 does, is provide me with a) f1.2. and b) consistently amazing, and most of all easy results. The Canon 50mm f1.2 is an easy lens to love.