One Review

1. Will

   14|Oct|2008 8:02 pm 1
   • Features
   • Performance
   • Value
   • Overall Rating

   I’ve found the EF 50mm f/1.4 to be great fun to use. My other prime lens is a 100mm macro which doesn’t get much use nowadays, but I love how fixed focal length lenses make the whole photographic process more simple.

   If all you’ve ever used is zoom lenses then framing with a fixed length lens can be a new and seemingly limiting experience, but I find it opens up new possibilities as your mind has to work differently and it’s like discovering a whole new side to photography.

   The lens itself is uncomplicated, with just a focus ring and an autofocus switch. No IS modes here!

   The optical quality is very good and images are sharp especially when stopped down from wide open.

   The f/1.4 maximum aperture results in lovely background blur as the depth of field is reduced to a sliver with close subjects. For example, taking a head and shoulders portrait wide open can result in the eyes (or even just one eye) being in focus, but the ears and nose out of focus. Great for isolating a subject from an otherwise distracting background.

   It costs about 3 times as much as the f/1.8 Nifty Fifty, but it’s still very good value.