Canon EF 50mm f/1.4 USM Lens

The Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 II Lens is the low end 50. It delivers very good image sharpness - especially for the extremely low price. It is even slightly sharper than the f/1.2 from f/2.8 through f/8 or so. It is very light (4.6 oz/130g) and very small (2.7" x 1.6"/68.2mm x 41.0mm - WxL). CA is minimal.

The downsides ... First, the 50mm f/1.8 lens feels like a toy (for the relative price, it is practically disposable). It has all-plastic construction including the lens mount (the optics are glass of course). A 5-blade aperture delivers a very harsh background blur quality and flare is a problem for this lens. It delivers only adequate color compared to the two other 50s. AF is noisy and the MF ring is barely useable - there is no FTM and no distance window or markings. But, it is a very sharp lens for a price that is a small fraction of the cost of the 50 f/1.4.

The Canon EF 50mm f/1.4 USM Lens falls in the middle of the three 50s I am discussing in many ways. It has the middle price, the middle build quality, the middle weight, the middle size ... It delivers the middle background blur quality - much better than the f/1.8 but not as good as the f/1.2. It shows the middle amount of CA, but often shows strong halation at f/1.4. It also shows the middle amount of flare - noticeably less than the f/1.8 and noticeably more than the f/1.2. Again, in the vignetting category, the 50 f/1.4 delivers better performance than the f/1.8 but does not perform as well as the f/1.2 (at the same aperture settings). It is slightly sharper than the 50 f/1.2 from f/2.something through f/8 or so and slightly sharper than the 50 f/1.8 at all comparable apertures (the f/1.8 wins some Full Frame corner comparisons). The 50 f/1.4 quietly focuses slightly faster than the f/1.2, but is not well damped. The f/1.4's MF ring is much more usable than the 50 f/1.8's but is not nearly as nice as the 50 f/1.2's. My 50 f/1.4 exposes 1/3 stop brighter than the other two 50s (the other two being correct). The Canon EF 50mm f/1.4 USM Lens delivers excellent image quality for the price.

The Canon EF 50mm f/1.2 L USM Lens is by far the most expensive of the three lenses. My biggest disappointment with this lens is its lack of sharpness. For the price, I would expect to see it easily beat the other two 50mm lenses in this regard. Below f/2 or so, it is the sharper lens at the same aperture settings. Beyond this, it is not. Focus speed is not faster than the f/1.4 but it does utilize Ring USM and the manual focus ring is very smooth and well damped. It does not extend during focusing. The 50 f/1.2 has better flare control with far less halation at wide apertures, but it shows the most CA wide open. The 50 f/1.2 is a far-better built lens than either of the other 50s - as you would expect for a Canon L Series Lens. It also is larger (3.4 x 2.6" / 85.4mm x 65.5mm) and weighs more (19.2 oz / 545g). The 50 f/1.2 is weather-sealed (when equiped with a filter). Unlike the other two 50mm lenses, I don't regard this lens as a great value - but it is worth the price to those who need/want its advantages.
so in asentence i should say...
A very good lens for the money but only usable for smallish prints wide open. Stopped down past f2 its as sharp as any L prime. Bokeh not as good as more expensive options. Build is not too bad but the micro-usm focus motor shows its age and is rumoured to be prone to failure. ..............................​..............................​.................

A good lens for really good price! It is small and lightweight and is a good companion for a amateur or even a pro photographer looking for a low light tool. I am a Sydney based photographer and I have shot a few weddings with this lens, my work can be seen at www.halo-photos.com

The lens is decent wide open but from F2.8, its ridiculously sharp. Recently, I have replaced this lens with a Sigma 50mm f1.4 which is slightly better in bokeh and produces more Canon L type of colours.Maybe better coating? But definitely newer optical design.

This is a great lens from canon just perfect to use for low light portraits & with a set of macro rings or tubes great for macro shots .

The lens is amazing! Such good quality and in perfect condition. So worth the money. Takes great photos with my 60D.

An absolutely superb lens, especially for that price tag. Its sharp, fast, and the glass quality is amazing, such a good purchase.