Canon EF 50/1.2 L USM

Description

The EF 50mm f/1.2L USM features

• Latest Ultrasonic Motor (USM) for fast and near silent auto focus
• Full-time manual focus override
• Super Spectra coatings and optimised lens element shaping to suppress flare and ghosting
• Environmental seals providing dust and moisture resistance
• Circular aperture diaphragm for beautifully even background bokeh and ‘removal’ of distracting backgrounds
• Distance information passed back to the new E-TTL II flash algorithm of all current model digital EOS cameras
• Minimum focus distance 45cm
• Lens hood and pouch included in the box.

Low light shooting

At f/1.2, the lens shares the maximum aperture of any lens in Canon’s current range. As such, it is ideal for shooting indoors using available light – a typical requirement of photojournalists and wedding photographers not wishing to disturb or influence a scene with flash.

Fast auto focus

Canon’s latest Ring-type Ultrasonic Motor USM (USM), high speed CPU and improved AF algorithms combine to ensure rapid, highly responsive auto focus. Canon’s Ring-type USM holds the lens with precision and accuracy, the instant it arrives at the correct focus and without overshoot, and features full-time manual focus override.

Portrait photography

The combination of an almost circular aperture diaphragm for attractive bokeh (evenly graduated blurring of out-of-focus areas) and the extremely narrow depth of field at its widest aperture combine to make this an ideal portraiture and studio lens. The f/1.2 aperture can be used to bring tension to a shot by keeping the focus sharp on the subject’s eyes while blurring other facial features.

L-series construction

The L-series is Canon’s elite professional lens range, designed and built to meet the needs of the most demanding professional photographers. To match the weather resistance afforded by EOS-1 series camera bodies, seals and gaskets and a lens mount O-ring prevent the ingress of dust and moisture to keep pros shooting in inclement conditions.

Aspheric element

To combat the softening caused by spherical aberration in conventional wide aperture lenses, a large aspherical lens element with precise variable curvature is incorporated into the 8 lens, 6 group construction. The aspheric element ensures high sharpness and contrast throughout the focus and aperture range.

Super Spectra coatings

In addition to optimised lens shapings to reduce reflections and the use of anti-reflective material inside the lens barrel, the EF 50mm f/1.2L USM employs Canon’s patented Super Spectra lens element coatings. These suppress flare and ghosting – more prone to occur with digital cameras due to reflection off the image sensor. By increasing light absorption, coatings reduce reflections off lens element surfaces to deliver crisp, undistorted images with natural colour balance.