Comments on: Canon EF 50mm f/1.4 USM Lens http://www.photogearuser.com/84/canon-ef-50mm-f14-usm-lens Real Photography Gear Reviews by Real Photographers Sun, 22 Nov 2009 11:59:57 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.6 hourly 1 By: Will http://www.photogearuser.com/84/canon-ef-50mm-f14-usm-lens/comment-page-1#comment-12 Will Tue, 14 Oct 2008 19:02:58 +0000 http://www.photogearuser.com/?p=84#comment-12 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. 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.

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