Canon EF 50mm f/1.0L USM
- The CanonEF 50mm f/1.0LUSM is a prime lens for Full Frame (FF) format, compatible with Canon EOS FF and APS-C cameras (and also mirrorless Canon EOS R / EOS M via adapter).
- This lens is available exclusively in the Canon EF mount.
- The lens is filterable with 72mm filters, there is not the image stabilization and the focus takes place via Ultra Sonic AF Motor (Ring-USM).
- The lens is out of production (production period: 1989 - 2002).
- Price range*: $$$$
- Equivalences**: a 50mm f/1,0 mounted on a Full Frame camera will remain so, mounted on a Canon APS-C camera it will have a field of view, a Depth of Field and a "out of focus portion" of the image roughly equivalent to that of a 81mm f/1,6 lens on Full Frame.
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*Price range - legend: $: <400$ | $$: 400$ - 1000$ | $$$: 1000$ - 2000$ | $$$$: +2000$
**Equivalences - explanation: the concepts of "equivalent focal length" and "equivalent aperture" were born with the aim of allowing similar photos to be taken (in terms of framing and Depth of Field) with two cameras with sensors of different sizes without changing the distance from the subject (otherwise the perspective would also change) and placing the Full Frame format as a reference in the equivalence. The "equivalent focal length" helps the photographer to understand what field of view it will have (i.e. what the lens + camera combination can see and capture) and consequently what is the equivalent angle of view. The "equivalent aperture" helps the photographer to understand the equivalent Depth of Field (DoF) and how much "out of focus portion" the image will have. The equivalent "mm" are obtained by multiplying the focal length by the crop factor of the camera used [CANON APS-C: 1.62x] and in a similar way the equivalent "f/" aperture is calculated. It is important to remember that a lens NEVER changes its physical characteristics, a 50mm f/1.0 always remains a 50mm f/1.0, regardless of whether it is mounted on Full Frame, APS-C, Medium Format and so on. ONLY the field of view changes. Exposure is also independent of the sensor format, so regardless of the sensor format of the camera on which the lens is mounted (as long as the lens can be mounted on multiple formats), with the same aperture, the shutter speed and ISO will also be the same.
Specifications
COMPATIBLE MOUNT
Canon EF
Focal length | Angle of view
50mm | 46°
Format
FF
Maximum aperture | Minimum aperture
f/1 | f/16
Aperture
8 blades
Minimum focusing distance
0,6 m (23.62″)
Maximum magnification | Reproduction Ratio
0,11x | RR 1:9
Image stabilizer
No
Focus
AF Motor (Ring-USM)
Filter diameter
Ø72mm
Optical construction
11 elements in 9 groups
Type
Prime lens
Weather sealing
No
Lens hood
Supplied
Tripod ring
No
Extenders
Not supported
Weight | Dimensions (diameter x length)
2.17 lb | Ø3.62″ x 3.22″
Other features
- Distance scale window
- 2 focus range limitations: 0,6m-∞ | 1m-∞ + always with the same switch you can select manual focus "M"
- Manual focus via a focus-by-wire system (similar to an STM stepper motor, but the focus motor here is a ring-type USM [ultrasonic motor]). Consequence: The manual focus lens uses the USM motor, so manual focus can only be used when the camera is turned on
- Full-time manual focus: the lens can be focused manually even when in autofocus (AF) mode [Manual focus via a focus-by-wire system, to work the camera must be turned on]. If the lens is used on a Canon EOS-1D X Mark III reflex camera or adapted to a recent mirrorless camera, remember to activate the "Electronic full-time MF" setting from the camera menu to have full-time manual focus in addition to One-Shot AF and AI Servo AF (in this case, decouple the autofocus from the shutter button and assign it, for example, to the "AF-ON" button, otherwise as soon as the shutter button is pressed the focus will return to automatic, making any manual focus correction unnecessary). However, for all other recent DSLR cameras or if you want to adapt the lens on not too recent mirrorless cameras such as (R; Ra; RP) and entry level (R100), there is no this setting and the "Lens electronic MF" setting must be activated from the camera menu, however the full-time manual focus is only available in One-Shot AF and after half-pressing the shutter button (if you also want it in AI-Servo it is possible to get around the limitation with various solutions by acting on the settings available on the camera, such as: 1] The use of the "Back-Button Focus" [e.g. AF-ON] by decoupling the AF from the shutter button, thus simply rotating the focus ring to have manual focus in any AF operating mode 2] Program a button for AF-OFF, i.e. the automatic focus lock, keep it pressed and rotate the focus ring to do manual focus 3] Program a button for a quick switch from AI-Servo AF to One-Shot AF 4] If it is physically present, temporarily set the lens selector to MF) -If you use the lens on an older DSLR, the options available may vary depending on the camera used, however some of the solutions listed above may be useful-
MTF chart
The MTF (Modulation Transfer Function) chart is useful for having an objective representation of the contrast and resolution of a lens from the center to the edges compared to an ideal system. Click on the link to view it:
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(remember that the MTF curves are calculated at full aperture, by closing the aperture basically all lenses are fine)
Video-reviews and Reviews
For obvious reasons this is just a selection of the main and most significant video reviews and reviews available online for the Canon EF 50mm f/1.0L USM.
If you are interested in this lens, I invite you to find out more by reading the reviews in full / watching the video reviews on the websites / YouTube channels of the respective creators linked here:
Review 1
(Well-structured and technical analysis, with samples, of the Canon EF 50mm f/1.0 L USM that examines many aspects: sharpness; chromatic aberration; vignetting; distortion;...)
Review 2
(In-depth and well-structured analysis with many samples of the Canon EF 50mm f/1.0 L USM)
Review 3
(Well-structured analysis with samples, even at full resolution, of the Canon EF 50mm f/1.0 L USM)
Review 4
(Well-structured analysis with samples of the Canon EF 50mm f/1.0 L USM)
Notes:
- Always view / read reviews with a critical attitude, remembering that the various evaluations must be parameterized with each other by the date the lens was tested and with which camera the lens was reviewed. A 20-year-old lens considered excellent on today's dense sensors will probably still be very good, but it is equally likely that in terms of contrast and resolution it has now been surpassed by more modern lenses.
- Reviews, although really useful for getting a general idea of a lens without ever having tried it directly, are not an exact science. If you just look at the numbers and the negatives there are some lenses that with all their flaws appear to be pure rubbish. Some are actually really poor, but for others there may be precise design choices behind them to obtain a certain rendering of the blur or performance / size ratio otherwise impossible to have if the lens were perfectly corrected for vignetting, distortion, Chromatic Aberration, Spherical Aberration, astigmatism and so on.
- The good intention is to keep all the links working, but if that is not the case I thank those who will report the broken ones. Everything on the web is by its nature not lasting. Modifications and deletions of contents are not rare and especially for the older lenses, a lot of history is being lost. Thanks for the collaboration! :)
PROS and CONS
Brief summary of the main PROS (✅) and the related CONS (❌) for the Canon EF 50mm f/1.0L USM highlighted in the various video-reviews and online reviews:
✅ PROS
f/1 with autofocus motor for Full-Frame format! Bokeh
❌ CONS
It is optically a lens full of defects (high levels of: CA [Chromatic Aberration], flare, coma,...) and its focus by wire system can represent a problem in case of breakage, making repair difficult, if not impossible (the lens cannot even be used with manual focus)