2 thoughts on “Canon EF 50mm f/1.2 L USM Lens for Canon Digital SLR Cameras”

1. 511 of 537 people found the following review helpful

   
   Don’t believe the reviews!, August 29, 2007

   By 

   Mark J. Sebastian (ESSJ & New York) –

   This review is from: Canon EF 50mm f/1.2 L USM Lens for Canon Digital SLR Cameras (Camera)

   The reviews of the 50mm f/1.2L are useless. All you hear is “Spend your money on the 35L or 85L instead” or “the focusing issues make this lens unuseable”. But something makes me think that people are just writing reviews based on what other people have said without actually ever using the product.

   If you ever want to shoot snapshots of downtown without a flash at midnight WHILE walking, this is the lens to have. I’m so in love with this lens.

   Pros:
   * It’s completely silent. Quieter than the f/1.4
   * It has no problems focusing in the dark
   * It’s highly useable at f1.2
   * It’s sharper than the f/1.4
   * Colors are more saturated than the f/1.4
   * Images taken with this lens have higher contrast than the f/1.4
   * It makes the f/1.4 feel like a hunk of plastic
   * It comes with a hood

   Cons:
   * It costs 4 times more than the f/1.4
   * It costs 18 times more than the f/1.8

   Pros:
   * You can comfortably shoot under conditions that would make the f/1.4 nervous.
   * Produces a much higher yield of useable photos
   * Aesthetically, it’s the coolest looking lens I own!

   For those who are concerned about the “back focusing” issue, I will let you know that I haven’t experienced any backfocusing at all. I’ve let others shoot with it, wide open, within low-light environments and even the non-photographers were able to focus/shoot accurately.

   This is my review from my non-scientific, real-world, situational testing.

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2. 150 of 158 people found the following review helpful

   
   Don’t be scared. It is good lens., October 19, 2007

   By 

   Dong W. Kim “evil twin” (ca) –
   
     

   This review is from: Canon EF 50mm f/1.2 L USM Lens for Canon Digital SLR Cameras (Camera)

   I am not a professional photographer, or make living with taking pictures. I am just a person who loves to take pictures & enjoys good pictures. And, I know how expensive this lens is, and YES, I am very aware of “Back Focusing” issue with this lens that others worry. I have been using this lens for 3 weeks now, and have been experiencing good & bad about this lens. (I believe “back focusing” issue was way too much inflated.) I have EOS 5D, and wanted to take full advantage of FF factor, and this was why I took a plunge instead of getting acclaimed 35MM or 85MM.

   Good:
   Picture quality – from f1.2 thru f2.8, the lens works superbly. AF is fast & faster compared to 50mm 1.4. Above f2.8, the pictures become a touch soft, but it exceeded my expectation. In low light condition, this lens is virtually unbeatable.
   Weight & Feel – Anoth factor that sold me to this lens is its overall feel. Very balanced & well weighted. And, its build quality is good.

   Bad:
   Back Focus – Yes, it does back focus in very (very) close distance. Within 20 inches, you may experience back focusing more than half of the time. (Others say within 30 inches or so, but I never experienced more than 20 inches far.) I asked myself how many times (in reality), I would try taking pictures within such distance.
   Cost – Yes, this is expensive lens. 4 times more than very good 50mm 1.4.

   I love to take portraits (especially for my new born baby) , and this was my main reason that I upgraded from 50mm 1.4 to 50mm 1.2. I would recommend this lens if you are into portraits. If you want more than what I am into, you may be disappointed. Did I make a good investment? Yes, I believe I did.

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