EOS Professional John Scott is a massive fan of trying out new gears and exploring new pieces of tech. This time, he is testing out the Canon EF50mm f/1.2L USM and sharing with us this thoughts! Now one thing to get straight here is: I am no way a technical photographer, I am the opposite. If I see a bit of chromatic aberration in my highlights, so what. If there is some softening of the corners, whatever. So I hope you read my review as a source of reaffirmation that there is more to photography than testing charts and clinical sharpness across the frame. EOS 800D | f/1.2 | ISO 2000 | 1/125s First Things First – The EF50mm Focal Length Experts claim that the 50mm focal length is closest to how our eyes see the world naturally. Now I don’t propose you strap 2 x 50mms on your eyes and start walking around but hey, thats what the experts say. For me personally, I have found over the past 17 years or so, that this is a focal length that is just right for me. Not too wide, not too telephoto. This focal length lets me shoot comfortably for a wide variety of situations. The other consideration is the aperture. I can shoot wide open, day or night. EOS 800D | EF50mm f/1.2L USM | f/1.2 | ISO 2000 | 1/125s I have shot and own a lot of 50mm lenses. But the EF50mm f/1.2L USM holds a special place in my kit.

Night Vision(Not The Goggles)Capabilities

Okay, so everyone knows the 50mm red ring king can see in the dark. That super wide open f/1.2 epic-ness is just awesome. Yeah I realise that I am not getting superior tack sharp shots but I don’t care. I am getting so much more, I am getting low ISO, super creamy bokeh and a decent autofocus speed. Say good bye to that flash, you don’t need it when you have the EF50mm f/1.2L USM in your kit. EOS 800D | EF50mm f/1.2L USM | f/1.2 | ISO 2500 | 1/125s Where I find this particularly useful is at wedding or journalistic shoots. There are some scenarios where you just not allowed or you want to keep quiet about your photography.

It is Built Like a Tank

If Arnold Schwarzenegger were a lens, then he would be the EF50mm f/1.2L USM. EOS 800D | f/1.2 | ISO 2000 | 1/125s Built like a tank but efficient in delivering sharp, but creamy images – the EF50mm f/1.2L USM is a quality optic. Constructed not out of metal but high grade plastics, my arm appreciated the weight saving. The 50mm balanced nicely on the EOS 800D or EOS 6D Mark II or the bigger brother – EOS 5D Mark IV. Am I dreaming…no, that’s the bokeh.

The Bokeh Effect

This lens renders the most beautiful bokeh of any lens. Yeah, I know that’s a big claim, but I really feel this is true. Now the good old experts say you should stop down a bit to shoot at the lens optimum sharpness, but lets be clear. When I have a lens that can open up to f/1.2, I want to shoot at f/1.2. EOS 800D | EF50mm f/1.2L USM | f/1.2 | ISO 200 | 1/125s

Here Are A Few Scenarios

Subject 1: My little baby. EOS 800D |EF50mm f/1.2L USM | f/1.2 | ISO 200 | 1/125s He resides in a play pen with toys, tissues and all manner of multicoloured ephemera. Generally, these toys look nice but they definitely clutter the scene. What am I to do? Clean the toys and risk missing the shot. No problem, I have a 50mm f/1.2 lens that opens right up. That aperture not only creates a beautiful isolation of the subject, but creatively blurs any unwanted background guff. Subject 2: My eldest boy aka. Mr unlimited energy EOS 800D |EF50mm f/1.2L USM | f/1.2 | ISO 200 | 1/125s He is now at an age where the only time he stops is when he is a sleep. So the task of taking a portrait of him was extra challenging. Now the 2nd benefit of a lens like this is shutter speed. Shooting wide open, combined with a high ISO, I can easily achieve a shutter speed of 1/250s or more. Easily enough to freeze my son mid pose. Admittedly this did take a few shots to get a sharp shot but I challenge any lens to nail focus perfect 100% of the time. Dreaming of 50 So there you have it. My unscientific, brief review shooting with my favourite lens of all time. Small, light(ish), all seeing lens. The EF50mm f/1.2L USM is the king of Bokeh for a reason. Combine this with the EF85mm f/1.2L USM and you have the king and queen of Bokeh for all your journalistic low light shooting scenarios. EOS 5D Mark IV| EF50mm f/1.2L USM | f/1.2 | ISO 1000 | 1/125s Yeah this lens don’t zoom, but you can use your legs and move closer or further away. But not all lenses can see in the dark though ? Remember to follow my Instagram page for more shots and adventures: https://www.instagram.com/hotshotstudio01/ #Canon EF50mm f/1.2L USM #Canon EF85mm f/1.2L USM #Canon EOS 5D Mark IV #Canon EOS 6D Mark II #Canon EOS 800D