Distinguished by its speed, the RF 50mm f/1.2 L USM from Canon is a desirable normal-length prime due to its versatile focal length and bright f/1.2 maximum aperture. This fast design excels in difficult lighting conditions and also benefits working with shallow depth of field and selective focus techniques. The optical layout incorporates one UD element and one aspherical element, which help to reduce both chromatic and spherical aberrations in order to produce greater clarity and sharpness. A rounded 10-blade diaphragm also benefits bokeh quality to suit isolating subjects with depth of field. Complementing the imaging capabilities is an apt ring-type Ultrasonic Motor, which delivers fast, near-silent autofocus and full-time manual focus override. Additionally, a unique Control Ring is integrated into the lens design for intuitive control over exposure settings from the lens itself.
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- RF-Mount Lens/Full-Frame Format
- Aperture Range: f/1.2 to f/16
- One UD Element, One Aspherical Element
- Ring-Type Ultrasonic Motor AF System
Canon RF 50mm f/1.2L USM Overview
Canon RF 50mm f/1.2L USM Specs
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Canon RF 50mm f/1.2L USM Reviews
Fantastic
This if my first RF lens, and it is incredibly fast! Photos are so sharp and amazing in low light. I did notice the image color is slightly different than when using my EF lens on my mirrorless body, but thatâs okay. This was worth the price and I look forward to using it at every shoot.
I absolutely recommend this lens.
A little contextual awareness about me, that may help inform this review. I’m a serious hobbyist photographer that’s now into year 8 of making an image every single day since I started the project back in late November 2017. To date, aside from the RF 100mm macro, I’ve gravitated towards the L-series holly trinity lenses, some of which are EF, one is RF. Given the daily image, it’s not practicable to limit myself to a particular style or subject matter of photography, so I solidly fall into that generalist bucket. The last thing I’ll throw out here before jumping into the lens itself is that I don’t make purchases like this lightly, and often find I must “prove” the value of them to myself to address the often accompanying “buyer’s remorse” of putting this kind of cash out there. I’m happy to report that in the 9-days I’ve been using the 50mm, I’m unequivocally convinced of its value, thrilled that I’ve made the purchase, and am confident in recommending it to anyone who’s considering it. Right, onto the 50mm! As mentioned above, this is my first prime lens that I’d consider to be on the more usable side of the focal length spectrum. My Canon RF 100mm is amazing, but unless you’re shooting macro, or outdoor portraiture, I haven’t found a great deal of use for it in the day-to-day. I don’t find that to be the case with the 50mm though. As part of purchasing this lens, I’ve decided to use it exclusively for the foreseeable future for my 365, which has really helped me get used to its capabilities, and more specifically its fixed focal length. I’ve had the lens for just under 2-weeks now and am starting to gain some comfort with it and its capabilities. One thing that’s blown me away is how much light that f/1.2 allows into the sensor. I’ve always been a big fan of a shallow depth of field (DOF), which was a big impetus for purchasing this lens, over say the RF 35mm, but I didn’t realize how that aperture would translate into low-light shooting capabilities – so definitely a benefit there. The prime lens sharpness and clarity expectations definitely holds true, but that said, I’ve never had one of Canon’s L-series lenses not be tac-sharp. For those not used to having to “zoom with your feet”, this lens will challenge you in ways that you’re not used to, and I’ve already found in the short time I’ve had it, make you think differently (which I consider a good thing) about your images, how you capture them, and make you consider why. Those are the key points that come to mind on this, but please don’t hesitate to reach out if you’ve got specific questions about this lens – happy to help.