Who Makes the Best 50mm Lens, Canon or Sony?

Perhaps no lens has a wider price range than the 50mm, which can cost anywhere from under $100 to well over $2,000 depending on the sort of performance and image quality you are after. Two options at the top end are the Canon RF 50mm f/1.2L USM and Sony FE 50mm f/1.2 GM, and this great video review takes a look at both and which edges out the other. 

Coming to you from Alex Barrera, this excellent video review compares the Canon RF 50mm f/1.2L USM and Sony FE 50mm f/1.2 GM lenses. A high-quality 50mm lens can be one of the most useful in a photographer's bag, offering a versatile focal length suitable for anything from portraits to events, paired with a wide aperture that can help you tackle low-light situations and isolate your subjects with a narrow depth of field. And despite those extreme apertures, manufacturers have made a ton of progress in producing sharp images even when these lenses are used wide open, making them all the more versatile, and it looks like the latest from Canon and Sony produce awfully impressive results. Check out the video above for Barrera's full thoughts on both lenses. 

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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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13 Comments

Neither! The Sigma ART is better than both.

That would mean that the Nikon is alot better than the Canon and Sony. But I know that (1), the Nikon and Canon are very close and (2) the Nikon blows the Sigma out of the water. So you claim does not add up.

Funny. I do like the flare of the Canon, although it's not as pronounced as the flaring of the old FD 85/1.2 L lens (which is really difficult to control in such situations, even if you love flares). Even my Leica Summilux 50/1.4 ASPH doesn't render the light as clinically as the Sony 50/1.2, but well, Sony did a great job technically.

This is a very one dimensional review. If the only thing you care about is flare, which is an edge case, then OK. But......

A good question could be "Who makes the best OUT of 50mm lenses? " the answer would change the paradigm and surely the art of the one behind that 50mm.

Answer: NIKKOR Z 50mm f/1.2 S 😜

Another nonsensical biased article promoting mass market brands for the gullible masses....

All I know is that I've been using Canon Since I've started so I'm just gonna say Canon foes. That's that

Sometimes it feels like these questions are being regurgitated from past post' that we've already heard of and dealt with before

I have the Sony version and I really would like some unique lens flare. In the end it’s all about what kind of look your after and I’m really digging the new Sony a7 IV color science paired with this lens.

Neither. The Voigtlander 50mm f/2 apo lens is superior to either. Sigma, Nikon, and Lumix are also all superior.

I'm not sure why we keep seeing the same content again and again and again. There are other things to talk about in the world of photography. Come on guys use some imagination.

$300 IS BUBKUS. SO IS THE REVIEW. If you shoot Sony, buy the Sony. If you shoot Canon, buy the Canon. And this Canon is so much better than the EF one that they cannot be compared.