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Canon EF 50mm f/1.4 USM - Full Format Review / Lab Test Report |
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Lens Reviews -
Canon EOS (Full Format)
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Page 1 of 2
Review by Klaus Schroiff, published November 2010
Introduction
The Canon EF 50mm f/1.4 USM was introduced back in June 1993. Price-wise it sits in-between the extremely
expensive EF 50mm f/1.2 USM L and the "cheap" EF 50mm f/1.8 II. There have
been calls in forums out there that the lens is outdated by now (e.g. due to the non-circular aperture)
but so far Canon had different priorities. However, the lens has received excellent scores in our APS-C
test so the situation doesn't seem to be desperate anyway. However, let's have a look whether it can convince
us on a full format body as well.
The overall build quality is very decent with a metal mount and an outer barrel made of good quality plastics.
Manual focusing feels quite smooth albeit not damped. The broad, rubberized control ring is certainly a plus
compared to the tiny focus ring on the EF 50mm f/1.8 II. The inner lens tube extends slightly (~1cm max) when
focusing towards closer distances.
The lens is a little unusual in the global Canon lens context - it features a micro-USM AF drive
including full-time manual (FTM) override in AF mode. This is a quite
unique combination because FTM is usually available on Canon's ring-type USM drives only.
The AF operation is fast and silent but slightly inferior compared to e.g. the 85mm f/1.8 USM.
| Specifications |
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| Optical construction | 7 elements in 6 groups |
| Number of aperture blades | 8 |
| min. focus distance | 0.45 m (max. magnification ratio ~1:6,6) |
| Dimensions | 74 x 41 mm |
| Weight | 290 g |
| Filter size | 58 mm (non-rotating) |
| Hood | optional, barrel-shaped |
| Other features | - |
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