Canon RF 50mm f/1.2L USM Review

The Canon RF 50mm f/1.2L USM shown on the Canon EOS R6

First Impressions of the Canon RF 50mm f/1.2L on the Canon EOS R6 and EOS R5

It is getting increasingly difficult to pick which camera system to go with these days. I have spent some time this year trying to decipher the differences between three full-frame cameras from Sony, Canon, and Nikon.

It is a dizzying affair as each system has pros and cons. While many of the lenses may look similar, some will always stick out and may grab your attention.

Often your favorite camera system may be decided by which lenses you favor. In the case of the Canon RF 50mm f/1.2L USM, we are looking at a lens that easily could lure you into the Canon world due to its strong appeal. That is if you can stomach the $2,299.00 price tag.

Personally, having a great 50mm lens in the lens lineup can be a deal-breaker. Sony, Nikon, and Canon all have f/1.2 versions, and while I haven’t tried the Sony and Nikon versions let’s quickly compare prices and metrics.

Canon RF 50mm f/1.2L USM

Price: $2,299.00
Weight: 2.09 lb / 950 g
Size: 3.54 x 4.25" / 89.8 x 108 mm
Filter size: 77 mm

Sony FE 50mm f/1.2 GM

Price: $1,998.00
Weight: 1.7 lb / 778 g
Size: 3.4 x 4.3" / 87 x 108 mm
Filter size: 72 mm

Nikon Z 50mm f/1.2 S

Price $2,096.95
Weight: 2.4 lb / 1090 g
Size: 3.5 x 5.9" / 89.5 x 150 mm
Filter size: 82 mm

The trees in Queen Elizabeth Park, Vancouver. Sample image from a Canon RF 50mm f/1.2L USM — Queen Elizabeth Park, Vancouver. Canon EOS R6, RF 50mm f/1.2L USM @ f/1.4

While similarly priced, the Canon RF 50mm f/1.2L USM is the most expensive and lands in the middle of the pack for size and weight.

I briefly handled the Nikon Z 50mm f/1.2 S and it is a monster of a lens, too big for my liking compared to the body size of the Nikon Z7 II or Z6 II. I do find the Sony FE 50mm f/1.2 GM interesting due to the smaller size, weight, and fact that it has a dedicated aperture ring.

The Canon RF 50mm f/1.2L does have a customizable control ring which can be designated as an aperture ring.

Fall colors showing on the trees in Queen Elizabeth Park in Vancouver, BC, Canada. Sample image from a Canon RF 50mm f/1.2L USM — Queen Elizabeth Park, Vancouver. Canon EOS R6, RF 50mm f/1.2L USM @ f/1.2

Canon RF 50mm f/1.2L USM - Handling, Specs, and Build Quality

I find the design of the Canon RF 50mm f/1.2L USM rather striking and it looks fantastic on either the Canon EOS R6 or EOS R5. The balance on either camera is surprisingly good despite the weight of two pounds.

It is not as long in the barrel as the Nikon Z version and this makes for a good camera/lens balance ratio. Both EOS R6 and R5 have superb grips which also may benefit in this regard.

The RF 50mm f/1.2L has one UD element and one aspherical element which promises to reduce chromatic and spherical aberrations.

The view of Vancouver as seen from Queen Elizabeth Park. Sample image from a Canon RF 50mm f/1.2L USM — Queen Elizabeth Park, Vancouver. Canon EOS R6, RF 50mm f/1.2L USM @ f/8

The 10 rounded diaphragm blades should ensure excellent bokeh and from what I see, this statement surely holds true.

I did not get a chance to try the configurable control ring but it’s cool to know that it is customizable so that you can control parameters such as ISO, aperture, or exposure compensation.

I love having a good exposure compensation dial but use the rear dial on the body for this which is in line with former Canon 5D cameras that I have used.

It is good to know the RF 50mm f/1.2L is weather-resistant. I took it out in the rain and had no issues.

The Canon RF 50mm f/1.2 USM is weather-resistant as seen here on the Canon EOS R5 — Taking the RF 50mm f/1.2L USM out in the rain it’s good to know it is weather-resistant.

The Canon RF 50mm f/1.2L USM in Action

I tried the Canon RF 50mm f/1.2L USM at two different Canon Road Show events. Once with the Canon EOS R6 and the second time with the Canon EOS R5. I was equally impressed with the lens on either camera with more than sufficient autofocus speed. Autofocus is silent and precise. I did not venture into autofocus tracking.

With the lens hood attached the lens looks huge on the smaller R6 and R5 bodies but overall I found the lens a joy to use.

50mm is one of my favorite focal lengths and I feel right at home. Being able to shoot this lens confidently wide open at f/1.2 creates wonderful images with a shallow depth of field and plenty of separation for your topic at hand.

The applications for such a lens are virtually limitless. From portraits to street photography, still life, weddings, travel, or documentary.

The Canon RF 50mm f/1.2 USM shown on the Canon EOS R6. Canon RF 50mm f/1.2 review. — The Canon RF 50mm f/1.2L USM shown on the Canon EOS R6

Canon RF 50mm f/1.2L US - Image Quality

The above-mentioned bokeh and the RF 50mm f/1.2L’s ability to render images with a very shallow depth of field separating your topic is what sets this lens apart, and it does it really well.

There is a certain character that comes across when using the RF 50mm f/1.2L. Combine this with excellent sharpness and color and you have a pretty convincing package.

As a creative tool, I tend to favor this type of lens as you are able to create a mood more so with a wider range of apertures. It makes low-light shooting easier and I have to mention the creamy bokeh one more time.

Here are a couple of examples with the RF 50mm f/1.2L on the Canon EOS R6 shot wide open at slightly different distances. Notice how pronounced the bokeh is even as you move further away from your topic.

Below are four photos from the RF 50mm f/1.2L on the Canon EOS R5 at various f-stops. The first photo is at f/1.2, then f/2, f/2.8, and f/4.

Please see more sample images below.

Final Thoughts

If I was entering the Canon R ecosystem, I would be looking for pennies stored away somewhere in order to start out with the Canon RF 50mm f/1.2L USM. This focal length has become essential for my style of shooting and I would imagine there are many photographers out there with the same wants and wishes.

With that said, the price of $2,299.00 could also render the project a non-starter as this is a considerable chunk of change added to the cost of one of the two cameras mentioned in this review.

For years Canon was criticized for having a somewhat wonky lineup of 50mm lenses. They had the almost excellent EF 50mm f/1.2L priced high, and the EF 50mm f/1.8 II and later EF 50mm f/1.8 STM as budget options.

In the middle range they had, and still have, I think, the EF 50mm f/1.4 USM. This lens is from 1993 and for the longest time Canon shooters cried out for Canon to update it, but they never did.

Two women, with umbrellas, walk along the pathway by the Burrard Bridge in Vancouver, BC, Canada. Sample image from a Canon RF 50mm f/1.2L USM — Queen Elizabeth Park, Vancouver. Canon EOS R5, RF 50mm f/1.2L USM @ f/1.2

Canon seems to be repeating this pattern although I get a better feeling from this RF 50mm f/1.2L than I did from the EF 50mm f/1.2L version. It is also pricier by a hefty margin.

Canon has a budget-minded 50mm lens in the RF 50mm f/1.8 STM at $199.99 and it looks to be an okay lens but, of course, it will not match the f/1.2L version in overall quality and feel.

What I am trying to get through here is; Why not make an up-to-date RF 50mm f/1.4L USM? The jump in price from $199.99 to $2,299.00 is so steep and many photographers have a hard time justifying it.

Most of us probably won’t need the extra speed of the f/1.2 and surely we can find lots to spend the savings on.

Price / Availability

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