My favourite lenses: Canon EF 50 mm f/1.2l

Updated 2023-04-30

I was thinking the other day, what is my favourite lens and why? I have some 6 different lenses hanging around, some you use more, another ones less. I have been a full frame Canon shooter since years.

Lenses are really important, the camera much less. The rest is just composition, light and time to get it right. I am usually a spontaneous photographer so most things coming out are not that special. Good photography takes time and I usually don't have enough of that.

The Canon EF 40 mm f/2.8 prime pancake lens I use in cities in the streets when I am lazy. It is on the wider side but still excellent for shooting people, architecture and landscapes. It focuses close (40 cm) so you can take pictures of flowers etc. Thanks to f/2.8 works well in the night and dark spaces. This lens is very light and cheap, about >100 USD. Sharpness is excellent and bokeh decent. This is an excellent lens for the price and usefulness.

Another one that I use quite a lot is EF 24-105 mm f/4 zoom. The constant f makes this one very practical. This kind of lens is maybe 800 USD new. It is a very good lens.

The Canon 50 mm f/1.2l is a different kind of beast. The lens is a bit soft, autofocus can be problematic, fringing and slow. There are actually all kinds of distortions that pixel peepers hate but it is still one of Canons most expensive 50 mm lense, maybe 1200 USD. This lens weights around 600 grams so it is a lot of xpensive glass to carry around. This lens divides reviewers.

This lens renders the picture in in unique ways and I like the result. The colours are usually just gorgeous. It is many times surprising afterwards what you find when you look carefully. It enhances pictures and have soul. Pictures came alive and are many time more like impressionist paintings. There is a strong artistic element that other lenses are not able to deliver. Thanks to the low f you can achieve strong subject isolation.

The lens works better than ever on a Canon RF 6 mk ii with ring adaptor. I have not lost a single image due to out of focus, just very accurate now. I do not see a reason to invest in the new 50mm.

85 mm is considered optimal for portraits but if you like compressed faces then e.g. 130 mm is good. 50 mm is excellent for portraits and here are a few head shots.

The depth of field is only a few centimeters at f/1.2 so one must very careful with focus. This lens is famous for focus issues.

Landscape

All pictures above are raw and unaltered. The very old EF 50 mm f/1.2l lens has unique qualities that I like. It captures light and people in unique ways and paints beautifully as few other lenses.

This lens is a commitment due to imperfections and today you can find better options, however, this 50 mm remains unique in expression. I can recommend this lens but not as the first one. Pickup an old and used. You will not be disappointed.