Lens review: Canon EF 50mm f/1.2L

Hi readers! Today I'll be doing another lens review on my 50mm f/1.2L, otherwise known as a 'nifty fifty'.

The 50mm prime has always been a popular fixed focal length lens for photographers just starting out, or professional. For the beginners, their next step up from their kit lenses are normally the 50mm f/1.8.

I used a 50mm f/1.8 for 3 years and of course, it's definitely a LOT bigger than the 1.2L - it weighs nearly 600g instead of 130g which is a super huge jump in weight when I pick up my camera now. It also has a much bigger filter size of 72mm instead of 52mm.

I wanted to see what kind of results I'd get shooting completely wide open at f/1.2.

Captured on Canon 7D on f/1.2, ISO400 at 1/6400

f/1.2, ISO400, 1/8000

50mm at f/1.2 ISO200, Canon 7D (crop sensor)

50mm at f/1.2, ISO200, Canon 6D (full frame)

Going right in at f/1.2 has the most crazy falloff but of course, focused areas are still tact sharp.

f/1.2, ISO400, 1/1600

Though it is a nice aperture to be shooting at because of the bokeh, I wouldn't risk shooting something that requires lots of movement or something spontaneous. I mostly would use it for some types of portraiture and things that will keep still for a fair amount of time.

As for portraiture, the soft focus on f/1.2 is really elegant. The image below has some awesome bokeh and it was still awesome to get some bubbles tact sharp as well.

With a widest-currently-available f/1.2 aperture, this 50 allows extremely fine control over DOF - allowing the primary subject to pop. An 8-blade circular aperture delivers best-in-class out of focus blur, even when stopped down. This lens allows handholding and action-stopping shutter speeds at very low light conditions. This lens is sure to be a favourite of wedding and portrait photographers, as well as photojournalists. 

f/1.2, ISO400, 1/2500

In a nutshell, the f/1.2 aperture blur is fantastic as you'd expect, especially lower than f/2.8. It focuses on subjects super quickly. But in return, shooting wide open at f/1.2 will leave you with very little in focus, resulting in some shots being softer/more out of focus than expected.

Amateur Professionals, or Professional Amateurs?

A picture is worth a thousand words - an old adage which is growing in increasing relevance in the age of social media. With the growth of Facebook, Twitter and even YouTube has come an increased desire for sharper images - images that require the average person to wield expensive professional grade equipment. It's this flow on effect that has the professional photography industry in a spin - on one hand, there is less need for their services; on the other, the everyday person now believes they too can make money out of their new toys.

Since this facilitates an increase in questionable pseudo-professionals, are the real professional photographers at risk of receiving less and less work over the years? Even with the upsrise of Instagram, anyone from a beginner to professional level standard is able to not only post photos simply snapped from their mobile phone - high resolution images can also be uploaded to their own profiles if they wanted to promote their work in a socially trendy and high quality way.

There are three tiers of cameras that the typical person is drawn to these days and while they do overlap each other's capacities to some degree, each tier gives a clear indiciation of the person's knowledge and intent.


Canon G12/P6000 (Nikon) buyers are those who know what they are doing and want a capable but small alternative to carring their full kit around all the time. As I've been told, it holds the proficiency of a DSLR but at the size of a point and shoot - small things can pack a punch sometimes.

Mirrorless is the average person who wants the increased visual capacity but have no desire to lug the full bulk of a DSLR.

All of the social media sharing and adhoc professional proliferation has allowed for a growing but glaring misconception of photographers  - that equipment is king. There are those out there who will have you believe that simply having a 5D MkIII with an L series lens is the instantaneous key to visual brilliance, neglecting the need for practice and skill.

These self appointed 'professionals' have their belief cemented by a few friends and relatives hitting 'like' on any and every image they choose to upload.
While some of this cohort do make an effort to learn, they continue to base the bulk of their confidence and professionalism on the equipment afforded to them by a good pay check or high credit limit. What does this mean for us? Do you feel that our profession is at risk by these factors?