While it did have a bit less bokeh at f/1.8 than the other two 50’s, at least its image was not unusably soft. Surprisingly, of the 3 lenses, my second favorite was the Canon 50mm f/1.8 II. In comparison, the 50mm f/1.2L had a better and smoother bokeh rendition seen below. This was particularly noticeable when zooming in over the tree branch area.

In addition, with both the Canon 50mm f/1.8 II and the f/1.4, there was something just a bit “artificial” about their bokeh.

It almost reminds me of smearing the lens with oil or vaseline for a soft focus effect. The overall image was so soft that I would say it that the lens is not really usable at wide open, unless you are looking for that soft dreamy vibe. The problem with the Canon 50mm f/1.4’s image quality and bokeh was that it was too hazy and dreamy. Moving on to the next most expensive 50mm prime, we have the Canon 50mm f/1.4, and unfortunately, this lens left me feeling a little underwhelmed. Sadly, the 50mm f/1.4 was outperformed in sharpness by even the “nifty fifty” the Canon 50mm f/1.8 II On top of that, the 50mm f/1.2L’s image was sharp enough when wide open to actually use (unlike the 50mm f/1.4), and the color and contrast were far superior to both the other 50s as can be seen below. Of the three 50mm primes we tested, not only did the 50 f/1.2L had the most bokeh, but it also had the best aesthetic quality to the bokeh which can be seen in the samples below.

So, we are trying to distinguish differences in appearance while viewing images full screen on a Dell U2713HM 27″ IPS monitor.Īesthetically speaking, if we are looking at which lens produce the creamiest and most bokeh-licious bokeh, as well as the sharpest image at wide open aperture, then it’s easy to say that the Canon 50mm f/1.2L is the clear winner. Once again, this is a visual test of differences, not a technical test.

Let’s start from the top at their Wide Open Apertures (WOA). Image Quality of 50mm Lenses at Wide Open Apertures

Remote Trigger: Vello Shutterboss Version II Timer Remote Switch.

Tripod: MeFOTO GlobeTrotter Carbon Fiber Tripod.

Watch the 50mm Canon Prime Lens Wars Video In part two, since we are using the same zoom lens setup as in the 35mm focal range, we will briefly talk through the zooms, then compare them to the primes.įor those that are new to the SLR Lounge Canon Lens Wars series, be sure to check out the Lens Wars Teaser video, where we introduce the series and our testing methodology as well as all the other videos on each focal length.

Canon 70d bokeh video lens