eosslr
21st of April 2007 (Sat), 15:21
Full review with crops, MTF50 charts and samples here:
http://slrlensreview.com/content/view/60/56/
Introduction
Canon EF 50mm f/1.2L USM, first released in mid 2006, is the fastest lens in Canon's arsenal. With the exception of Leica's Noctilux-M f/1.0 (which is not even available in SLR format) and Canon EF 50mm f/1.0L, which has been discontinued some time ago, Canon EF 50mm f/1.2L USM is the fastest 50mm production lens on the market. At about US$1,400 (as of April 2007), the lens is not the most expensive lens I've seen, but probably is not going to be the first choice for amateur and prosumer photographers.
The lens construction consists of 8 elements in 6 groups, including a single aspherical glass element. Conon EF 50mm f/1.2L USM is not the most compact or light 50mm lens - kudos to its ultra-wide aperture, the lens weighs 545g (19.2oz) and measures 85x85mm (3.4x3.4in). The minimum focusing distance is 45cm (1.48ft), giving a maximum magnification of 1:6.7. The lens accepts 72mm filters and has USM-type AF with full-time manual focusing. On APS-C type cameras with 1.6x crop sensors, the lens has field of view equivalent to that of an 80mm lens on a full-frame camera. And thanks to its ultra-wide aperture, the lens makes an excellent choice for portrait type work and low-light photography.
As expected from an L lens, the build quality is superb. The lens looks and feels very solid, with no wobbling inside whatsoever. The focus ring was smooth but the ring itself was slightly displaced, resulting in a minor shake during manual focusing - not sure if this is a common issue with this lens or a problem with the sample I tested. According to Canon's site, the lens has a special coating that minimizes ghosting and flare which could be quite pronounced with such wide aperture lenses (I can't confirm at this moment whether the coating is really different from one used on other L lenses or this is just another shtick to promote the lens).
The factory box includes Canon EF 50mm f/1.2L USM lens, front and rear lens caps, ES-78 lens hood, manual and registration card.
http://slrlensreview.com/content/view/60/56/
Introduction
Canon EF 50mm f/1.2L USM, first released in mid 2006, is the fastest lens in Canon's arsenal. With the exception of Leica's Noctilux-M f/1.0 (which is not even available in SLR format) and Canon EF 50mm f/1.0L, which has been discontinued some time ago, Canon EF 50mm f/1.2L USM is the fastest 50mm production lens on the market. At about US$1,400 (as of April 2007), the lens is not the most expensive lens I've seen, but probably is not going to be the first choice for amateur and prosumer photographers.
The lens construction consists of 8 elements in 6 groups, including a single aspherical glass element. Conon EF 50mm f/1.2L USM is not the most compact or light 50mm lens - kudos to its ultra-wide aperture, the lens weighs 545g (19.2oz) and measures 85x85mm (3.4x3.4in). The minimum focusing distance is 45cm (1.48ft), giving a maximum magnification of 1:6.7. The lens accepts 72mm filters and has USM-type AF with full-time manual focusing. On APS-C type cameras with 1.6x crop sensors, the lens has field of view equivalent to that of an 80mm lens on a full-frame camera. And thanks to its ultra-wide aperture, the lens makes an excellent choice for portrait type work and low-light photography.
As expected from an L lens, the build quality is superb. The lens looks and feels very solid, with no wobbling inside whatsoever. The focus ring was smooth but the ring itself was slightly displaced, resulting in a minor shake during manual focusing - not sure if this is a common issue with this lens or a problem with the sample I tested. According to Canon's site, the lens has a special coating that minimizes ghosting and flare which could be quite pronounced with such wide aperture lenses (I can't confirm at this moment whether the coating is really different from one used on other L lenses or this is just another shtick to promote the lens).
The factory box includes Canon EF 50mm f/1.2L USM lens, front and rear lens caps, ES-78 lens hood, manual and registration card.