Canon 50mm 1.4 Lens

A fast 50mm lens shares the same field of view as the human eye, hence delivering low amounts of aberrations. Canon 50mm lenses are available in f/1.8 and f/1.4 versions, although there are the more f/1.2 lenses that can be used in extremely low lights.

Main Features

Canon 50mm 1.4 lens is a small and lightweight glass almost equal to the size of a baseball, with the dimensions of 2.9 inches length and a diameter of 2 inches. Holding such small dimensions, the lens weighs as light as 290g, owing to its construction from plastic and glass as well as a metal mount ring, making it perfect for travelling. One of the best things about the Canon 50mm 1.4 lens is its Full-Time Manual Focus, that allows you to override the autofocus and set the focus manually from the autofocus point.

Low-Light Indoor Photography

Being small, light and very convenient to carry around in your bag or on your camera, this lens allows you to shoot at high shutter speeds even in bad lighting conditions. Whenever you don't need a flash or feel that the scene doesn't require additional lighting, you can use the Canon 50mm 1.4 lens for great low-light indoor photography such as low lit dinner on the roof or a wedding photo-shoot at the church. 

Portraiture & Landscapes

Apart from being great for night time shots, this lens is great for portraits since it delivers a nice bokeh. Its ability to deliver awesome results with low-light photography makes it a must-have lens in a professional photographer's bag. The Canon 50mm 1.4 lens is an excellent option for shooting portraits and landscapes at wider apertures. 

Compatibility

The Canon 50mm f/1.4 lens is compatible with both full-frame and crop sensor cameras and when used with a crop sensor, the focal length of 50mm lens becomes equivalent to an 80mm lens making it the ideal focal distance for portraiture.

Built-in Ultrasonic Motor

The lens features a built-in Ultrasonic Motor (USM) that allows you to focus very quickly and quietly whenever there is an adequate contrast. While USM lenses are more professional-grade and better for shooting photos, the STM lenses are targeted towards the amateur audience and are better for videos. USM lenses are considered “almost silent”, though you can still set the focusing sound on the camera's microphone while shooting videos.

Performance

The colour and contrast achieved with the Canon 50mm 1.4 lens are pretty impressive. Though the lens gives a dreamy bokeh effect, you might notice some chromatic aberrations, which is a common aspect of lenses with this wide an aperture.