Canon EF 50mm f/1.2L USM

I bought this for my EF-mount Canon DSLR camera. With the right adapters, this can be used on the Sony A1, A9II, A7C, etc. You can also use EF-mount lenses like this on the Canon RF-mount cameras with an adapter. The operation on the Sony and RF Canon cameras is flawless and no loss in quality because the flange distance is shorter on mirrorless cameras and all you need is to allow for the proper distance of the lens to the sensor.

I've owned this lens for four+ years now and used it on two bodies and it's remained my favorite.My other lenses:-Rokinon 14mm f/2.8-Canon 16-35mm f/2.8-Canon 24mm f/1.4-Canon 70-200 IS f/4.0-Canon 100mm IS f/2.8 macro-Canon 400mm f/5.6Because you will be wanting to shoot at f/1.2 a lot, I suggest buying an ND filter (think of it like sunglasses for your lens), which will let you open up to f/1.2 to get your nice bokeh, which after all came at a high price, so you want to use/abuse it when you can. If you don't shoot with a ND filter, for instance, your camera will complain that its shutter speed isn't fast enough. There's just too much damned light in the scene. Now, that's usually a good thing with cameras, but not when you want to shoot wide open at f/1.2 in broad daylight.Advantages:-bokehlicious-very fast lens, even in near-dark conditions. Bloody great, and corny as it sounds, it puts a smile on my face (almost) every time I'm in difficult lighting conditions.-great big aperture for astrophotography, though the focal length is a bit weird for that application (not too telephoto for closeups, not wide enough for big Milky Way shots)-low profile, not big enough to attract much attention. One of the reasons this is my favorite.-USM ultrasonic motor (also on f/1.4 version). My biggest gripe with the f/1.8, other than the gorgeous shots it was capable of achieving, was the noisy autofocus. That doesn't work well if you're trying to photograph animals or trying to remain inconspicuous. An upgrade to the f/1.4 or this f/1.2 model will fix that, since you'll get the fast and quiet USM focus.Disadvantages:-heavy. This is definitely heavier than my 70-200 f/4.0 and 100mm f/2.8 macro-expensive. 16x more expensive than the f/1.8 I upgraded from, but I've never once regretted it.-not paired well with some cameras, though this is more of a gripe with the camera and not the lens. Open wide at f/1.2 on my older Canon 7D, I had focusing issues which required me to guesstimate microadjustments I had to select in the settings of the camera (based upon the distance between the camera and the subject). This was especially difficult with off-center focus points, which seemed more touchy. I got pretty good at guesstimating the microadjustments needed for each shot, but when I changed distance between me and my subject I had to reset it again, which was annoying. All of these problems went away when I moved to the Canon 5D Mark III, where a greater percentage of my shots now come out in-focus, even off-center focus points. That being said, most of my favorite shots that DID come out well with my Canon 7D are gorgeous - it was just much more difficult to achieve.-because you paid more, you will want to justify your purchase by always shooting at f/1.2. Don't do that. For instance, this lens is great for food photography, but you'll want to go to around f/2.8 for that usually. On the plus side, the f/2.8 on this lens will be sharper than on the cheaper models.-lots of shots end up out of focus full open at f/1.2, at least on the Canon 7D. I have had a MUCH better success rate with the Canon 5D Mark III. Also, a quick tip for portraits: focus on the person's eyes, not their nose. Select your autofocus points. At f/1.2 it matters a lot.

This is a really beautiful piece of kit. I read the reviews here and on the various web fora and was obviously worried about the oft mentioned "back focusing" issue, but went ahead and bought one back in October 2009. My thinking was that I simply loved my Canon EF 50mm f/1.4 USM and, as it was the lens that was most often on my camera, I really wanted the best possible in this class, especially as I do like to shoot wide open around the home and indoors using natural light rather than flash.Needless to say, the lens is a bit of a beast in terms of size and weight when compared to the other 50mm lenses Canon makes (I have owned the 1.8, 2.5 and 1.4 at some stage over the last few years). But I love the stability that weight gives to you when you hold it in your hands. Shooting wide open does take a lot of getting used to given the razor thin DoF, and I have made sure to use the centre point on my 5DMkII and 50D for best results. The results in portraits can be beautiful though with a slightly soft dreamy effect wide open (which has been improved with practice). The lens gets nicely sharp around 2.0 and tack sharp at 2.8. However, the whole deal with sharpness to me is second to the ability to be able to get the shot in the first place. That's where the 1.2 excels.Regarding the "back focus issue" I went through the process of microadjusting all my lenses using this relatively easy yet effective method explained here: [...]. It turned out my 50mm 1.4 was focusing much more than my 1.2. I think the 50mm 1.4 was something like -15 and the 50mm 1.2 was -3. It seemed to be a consistent issue with my primes (though to varying degrees). My zooms were all pretty much spot-on. Simply must be to do with the wide apertures of the primes as DoF becomes thinner and thinner. 1.2 is as wide as it gets these days.For sample images, please feel free to check out these pics: h[...]The biggest caveat with this lens is, of course, the price. For that reason, I would say the best deal in terms of picture quality, low light ability, etc. is the Canon EF 50mm 1.4 USM. I still love that lens and have kept it for back-up and for whenever I need to travel. It really is a great piece of glass for the price. The 1.2 L is just that bit better though and, for my business, that's what I need to have.Pros:Great low-light ability at lower ISOsFast focusAmazing build qualityContrast and colours are beautifulBokeh is gorgeous even when stopped down (with nicely rounded aperture blades)Feels nice and solid in your hands when shooting in low light without tripod1/2 stop faster than the Canon EF 50mm 1.4 USMCons:HeavyExpensiveTakes some time to master using wide openCanon EF 50mm f/1.4 USM offers comparable image quality (though half a stop slower and less well built).