Uncompromising Quality: A Review of the Canon RF 50mm f/1.2L USM Lens

Canon has been on a roll with its RF line of lenses, pushing the boundaries of optical design, with many reviews noting their stunning optical quality as well. This great review takes a look at one of the best of the bunch, the RF 50mm f/1.2L USM lens.

Coming to you from Ted Forbes with The Art of Photography, this helpful video review takes a look at the new Canon RF 50mm f/1.2L USM lens. I have had the EF version of this lens for a few years now, and I absolutely love its character and the way it renders subjects, but it also leaves a lot of room for improvement when it comes to wide open sharpness and control of chromatic aberration. Canon seems to have leaped forward by quite a bit in that department, as the RF version offers impressive sharpness even near maximum aperture, while still showing off the gorgeous bokeh of its EF predecessor and also showing much less chromatic aberration. On the other hand, it is pretty bulky and pricey, though it you are looking for the best of the best, it seems like quite the lens. Check out the video above for Forbes' full thoughts. 

Alex Cooke's picture

Alex Cooke is a Cleveland-based portrait, events, and landscape photographer. He holds an M.S. in Applied Mathematics and a doctorate in Music Composition. He is also an avid equestrian.

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3 Comments

Are there fast prime lenses that don't vignette wide open? I've done a number of vintage lens reviews including the FD 1.2 L and of course it had vignetting at 1.2 and also didn't go away until around F4. I thought it was more of a legacy thing, but if RF is doing it, it must be hard as heck to eliminate all together.

I personally don't mind it.

Enjoyed the video, thanks!

Fast or not, there are no lenses that don't vignette wide open.

All review of fast lenses are worthless without some astrophotography images. Astrophotography images, if provided with adequate resolution and without adjustment, tell the true story of all lens deficiencies. I bet this lens vignettes by 2+ stops wide open.