So, you finally got yourself a Canon camera? Great! We can assure you that you are going to enjoy the experience.
You want to keep in mind that a camera lens has a lot to do with the result of your shooting efforts. We want to introduce you to the best 50mm lens for your Canon that will turn your photography experience into something bigger and better.
Stay put to find out how to choose the best lens.
Top-Rated 50mm Canon Lenses: Comparison Table
We’d like to help you cut to the chase. And for that, we have the following table for your perusal.
| Ranking | Product Name | Compatible Mountings | Lens Type |
| 1 | Canon EF 50mm STM Lens f/1.8 | Canon EF | Standard |
| 2 | Canon EF f/1.2L USM 50mm Lens | Canon EF | Standard |
| 3 | YONGNUO YN50mm F1.8 Auto Focus Lens | Canon EF,Canon EF-S, Canon EF | Fixed |
| 4 | Sigma 50mm F1.4 DG HSM Lens | Canon EF | Standard |
| 5 | Canon EF 50mm f/1.4 USM Lens | Canon EF | Telephoto |
| 6 | Pentax SMC FA 50mm f/1.4 Lens | Pentax KAF | Standard |
| 7 | Canon EF STM f/1.8 Lens | Canon EF | Standard |
| 8 | Sigma 50mm f/2.8 EX DG Macro Lens | Nikon FX | Standard |
| 9 | Sigma f/1.4 EX DG HSM 50mm Lens | Canon EF | Standard |
| 10 | Zeiss Milvus 1.4/50mm ZE Lens | Canon EF | Standard |
1. Canon EF 50mm STM Lens f/1.8
How can you make your photos and videos stand out? Try the Canon EF 50mm STM lens with a circular 7-blade design that is alleged to blur background for that outstanding shot.
This is an f/1.8 aperture lens that is claimed to work well in poorly lit environments, resulting in sharp and gorgeous images. As such, the lens seems like a good one for nighttime photography.
Key Features
The lens is of minimal weight for easy carriage. Moreover, it is small in size, which is an advantage when you need to maneuver around people or move so often.
This lens has a stepping motor technology that is responsible for the near-silent performance when shooting. With this technology, you are likely to record videos with clear audios.
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The redesigning of this lens’ exterior while improving the placement of the focus ring is a good thing. This modification has made manual focusing simpler and better.
This lens has autofocus which is useful for the split moment shots. However, some customers feel that the autofocus is somehow slow and they would wish for improvement.
Pros
- Good center sharpness
- Minimal weight
- Suitable for night shooting
- Rugged metal mount
Cons
- Slow autofocus
2. Canon EF f/1.2L USM 50mm Lens
Does the weather affect your lens each time you are outdoors shooting? This lens from Canon may be what you need as it is alleged to be weather-sealed for outside photography.
Fixed lenses are apparently faster than zoom lenses. This Canon EF f/1.2 is a fixed lens so we expect it to have a high shutter speed that works well in low light environments.
Key Features
When using a fixed lens, subject isolation is possible. The lens is alleged to blur the distracting background light resulting in quality images.
The size of this lens seems convenient for your movement as you can easily fit it into the carry bag. However, the lens is said to weigh slightly more than the other 50mm lenses from Canon.
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This lens is always on manual focus and it also has fast autofocus. As such, you are likely to achieve the accuracy required for excellent shots.
The ultra sonic motor (USM) used with this lens is responsible for the near-silent performance when you move your lens. This USM is alleged to also hold the lens in position when you are taking shots.
Pros
- Ultra sonic motor
- Fast autofocus
- Smooth background blur
- Weather-resistant
Cons
- Slightly heavy
3. YONGNUO YN50mm F1.8 Auto Focus Lens
It is time you avoided corrosion when using metal contacts with your lens. Get this Yougnuo YN50mm lens supports the use of gold plating whenever you have to use metal contacts so that corrosion is unlikely to occur.
The external structure of this lens is made of plastic. This may be the reason the camera has minimal weight for easy portability.
Key Features
You can use the APS-C and full-frame format cameras with this lens. As such, it seems like a good choice since you are not limited when it comes to camera options.
Camera shooting modes like the P, A, M and S mode are useable with this lens. The aperture information can then be displayed as EXIF data.
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The lenses are multi-coated for better clarity. Once the subject is visible, focusing is likely to be easier which results in splendid shots.
Some customers have reported that the lens works well on manual focus. But when you switch to autofocus, there is noise, which is disappointing.
Pros
- Multi-coated lenses
- Light in weight
- Large aperture
- Improved signal conductivity
Cons
- Noisy autofocus
4. Sigma 50mm F1.4 DG HSM Lens
Have you been searching for a lens that can produce amazing images? Well, try out the 50mm F1.4 DG HSM lens from sigma, designed with the floating system feature and said to maximize quality by allowing lenses to move independently.
This lens is compatible with the Sigma USB Dock. The software developed by sigma is alleged to be able to make updates on the lens firmware for automatic adjustments on parameters, like focus.
Key Features
You may be able to achieve accurate and smooth autofocus with this lens. The reason is the lens uses a hyper sonic motor.
For close-up photos, this seems like an ideal lens. The 13 elements in 8 groups are likely to enhance the lens’ performance, considering the minimum focus distance is 40cm.
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There is a lens hood included, protecting your lens against impacts, scratches or fingerprints. Moreover, the lens hood can keep out stray light for a better view.
This lens is a wide aperture as stated by Sigma so the shutter speed is supposed to be high. However, some customers have reported that the lens is defective and fails to focus as expected.
Pros
- Hyper sonic motor
- Low dispersion elements
- Floating system feature
- Large diameter design
Cons
- Defective lens
5. Canon EF 50mm f/1.4 USM Lens
Looking for a lens to use for distant shots? Canon EF 50mm f/1.4 USM seems to fit the description as it is a telephoto lens designed to capture distant images.
Get the best shots of the instant moments using the lens ultrasonic motor that is claimed to be fast. In addition, the motor is also silent.
Key Features
Are astigmatism and the resulting differences a bother in your photography? This f/1.4 USM lens from Canon is designed with two high refraction lens elements plus the new Gaussian optics that is alleged to prevent astigmatism.
Since this is a large aperture lens, it is likely to enhance peripheral brightness. As such, the lens is likely to work well in low light surroundings.
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Digital cameras apparently have flare and ghosting. This lens is multi-layer coated to deal with the common flare and ghosting problem.
This seems like a suitable lens for your photography work but the lens is said to be faulty. Some customers have reported that the focus is inaccurate.
Pros
- High refraction lens
- Fast autofocus
- Hypersonic motor
- Multi-layer coating
Cons
- Faulty lens
6. Pentax SMC FA 50mm f/1.4 Lens
Pentax has designed their lens with a fully automatic diaphragm. As such, the brightness of your image through the viewfinder is adjusted automatically while the aperture remains open.
You can use this lens with all Pentax (r) plus digital SLR cameras. This seems like a lens worth having due to the compatibility feature, which is likely to reduce the number of lenses you have to purchase.
Key Features
A large aperture lens is said to have fast shutter speeds. This can come in handy when taking shots of objects that are moving fast.
Controlling your depth of field when you are using this lens is possible since it is a large-aperture lens. Therefore, you can easily determine how shallow or deep the contrast of your subjects appear.
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You can carry your lens everywhere as it is claimed to be light. Furthermore, the minimal weight makes it effortless to use for hand-held shooting.
One drawback is that the manufacturer does not include a lens hood. This means you are unable to protect your lens from accidental impacts or scratches.
Pros
- Automatic diaphragm
- Light and portable
- Super multi-coating
- Fast shutter speed
Cons
- No lens hood
7. Canon EF STM f/1.8 Lens
Purchase this lens from Canon that comes with other accessories to make your experience better. This seems like a good lens, especially for those new to photography as most of the items included are useful.
For moving around while shooting, this EF STM f/1.8 lens comes in handy. The lens is said to be light which means less baggage on your hands and the size is just right.
Key Features
This lens exterior design has been updated with the focus ring being relocated and a metal lens mount included. These changes are meant to make the lens perform better.
The STM motor used with this lens is said to support the Movie Servo AF mode for particular DSLR cameras. As such, it seems like an ideal lens to use for video recording due to the near-silent focus.
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There is a lens hood included, which you can use to protect your lens. In addition, the hood can help you to keep out unwanted light from distorting your image quality.
Some customers have reported that the autofocus speed on this lens is low. This is a limiting factor when it comes to capturing moving subjects as the lens is supposed to adjust fast to capture all the details.
Pros
- Easily portable
- Silent autofocus
- Center sharpness
- Lens hood included
Cons
- Low-speed autofocus
8. Sigma 50mm f/2.8 EX DG Macro Lens
Did you know you can get to standard size your image when taking shots? This is possible with a macro lens like the Sigma 50mm f/2.8 EX DG that has a magnification ratio 1:1, resulting in the same size of the image in the sensor as the subject.
This is a macro lens which is suitable for close-up shots. You can get more details of your subjects and the images are clear.
Key Features
The floating focus system integrated into this lens helps to make adjustments during focus. As such, the image details are captures with sharpness.
Using a minimum aperture means a greater depth of field. This has a direct impact on the quality of your images in terms of color contrast and the important details you intend to bring out.
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The screw-in lens hood included allows you to make adjustments, like attaching the polarizing filters. Besides that, you can choose to have the hood on or work without it as it is easy to remove and fix.
According to some customers, the lens is noisy when on autofocus. As such, they ended up using the manual focus to avoid the distraction.
Pros
- Small and light
- Floating focus system
- Sharp focus
- Super multi-coating
Cons
- Noisy autofocus
9. Sigma f/1.4 EX DG HSM 50mm Lens
Are you concerned about the bokeh of your photographs? Well, why not try out this Sigma f/1.4 Ex DG HSM lens with 9 blades in the diaphragm, alleged to produce the best bokeh.
Being a large aperture lens, you are likely to get quality images even in dim lighting. This is because the amount of light getting into the lens is larger, which affects the blur on the final shot.
Key Features
The shutter speed of this lens is high. You can use the lens for moving objects to capture the minor details that slow shutter is likely to miss.
To eliminate flare and ghosting, Sigma multi-layer coated the lens. The result is an amazing image without the dark blurs due to uneven light distribution on the lens.
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The lens caps included help to keep your lens from scratches which may affect its clarity. In addition, the lens hood prevents direct impact on your lens in case of accidental knocks or the camera falling.
Even though this seems like a good lens, some customers have reported that its focus is inaccurate. As such, what you focus on tends to vary from the final image.
Pros
- Large aperture
- Front and rear caps included
- Fast shutter speed
- Sharp images
Cons
- Inaccurate focus
10. Zeiss Milvus 1.4/50mm ZE Lens
Zeiss has constructed their lens to last and withstand harsh conditions. The lens hood is metallic to keep the lens safe in case of accidental impact.
Their rear and front lens caps are also included. You can use this to cover your lens and prevent scratches that may affect the clarity of focus.
Key Features
Fast shutter speed enables you to have your moving subjects within focus before taking the shot. This makes the camera seem like a good choice for video recording since there is a lot of movement.
This lens captures a wide-angle since it is an f/1.4 aperture which allows more light into the viewfinder. A wider angle means more details of your subject.
More Details
Dim light should not be a problem when you are taking shots. This lens is designed to work well in poorly lit environments since the aperture is 1.4.
The lens is alleged to be heavier which may be as a result of the metallic material. As such, carrying it around can be tiresome, especially for hand-held shooting.
Pros
- Lens caps included
- Durable construction
- Sharp imaging
- Fast shutter speed
Cons
- Heavier than average
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How to Choose a 50mm Lens for Canon
It is important to consider a few factors before purchasing your 50mm lens. Here are some of those factors.
Focal length
This simply refers to the length of your lens or the distance between the central point of your camera’s sensor to the optical center of your lens.
The focal length of your lens is what determines how much your subject can be magnified when shooting.
It also lets you know the kind of angle of view you will get; that is a zoomed in securely cropped shoot or a wide angle where you will see large scenes.
Weather Resistance
You want to ensure that the lens you pick is weather sealed if you intend to shoot under harsh weather conditions.
Weather sealing means that the lens is impenetrable at all points of dust and water incursion to prevent these from seeping inside.
Typically, the front element is covered with a coating that will repel dirt, water, and dust. While at it, ensure that your camera is weather-sealed as well otherwise your efforts will be useless.
Why get a 50 mm Lens?
50mm lens come with a host of benefits. Here are a few that may convince you to get one for your Canon.
50mm Lenses Improve Composition
50mm lenses do not offer zooming capabilities and contrary to what many people may think, not having that can improve your composition over time instead of restricting your photography.
How so?’ you may ask. Well, with these lenses, you can go from telephoto to wide angle and zoom with your feet instead of your hands.
This way, you are able to get closer to your subject and segregate it from a busy background, which is usually abstract, shapes.
It Facilitates Low Light Shooting
Not having flash can be a source of worry for most photographers but not with 50mm lenses. These come in handy especially if you want delicate, natural light.
With these lenses, you can be able to get descent indoor images without using flash. If the aperture of your lens is faster, it will make the available shutter speed higher at any ISO.
50mm Lenses Provide Great Sharpness
50mm lenses offer much sharpness even at their maximum aperture of f/1.8. Now, think of what will happen at a smaller aperture; we are talking about razor sharp – literally!
Essentially, these lenses provide sharpness at whatever point.
It is Lightweight
50mm lenses are lighter and smaller compared to other lenses. This means you can carry them around all day without getting fatigued.
We are sure that you can appreciate the portability especially if you are travel photographer.
It is Discreet
If you have ever used a fast prime lens, you will love using a 50mm lens. Rather than stage-managing a shooting session, you can initiate a better style of capturing your subjects discreetly and inconspicuously.
Even your compact camera zoom announces your presence, because it will extend as it zooms in, making you more conspicuous.
Of course, this can be taken well or not depending on your subject. For instance, if you are a wildlife photographer, your subjects will usually run away once they notice that your attention is on them.
It Offers Versatility
The field of view of 50mm lens acts like the human eye when using a full frame camera. Look at it like this; if you have your hands like side blinders at the side of your head, the edge of your hands act as the frame limit on a 50mm lens.
What this means is that the magnification is the same. With50mm photography, what you see is what you get.
It is great for Portrait Photography
If you are a portrait photographer, you want to know that 50mm lenses are perfect for the job. With the aesthetically pleasing and shallow field depth, you can get amazing, portraits shot under natural lighting.
We dare say that they can even be compared to those professional images that are found online.
It is perfect for Landscapes
You do not always need a wide angle to take landscape shots. As such, you can use your 50mm lenses to get close-fitting framed landscapes.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
If you have any questions about what we are discussing, you may want to go through the ones we have answered below to get a clearer picture.
What is a 50mm lens good for?
50mm lenses come with a host of benefits but the biggest one is that they allow for low light shooting. Therefore, if you are looking to improve your photography skills, these lenses make the job easier.
Another thing worthy of note is that these lenses are lightweight unlike most other lenses making it easier to carry them around.
Is it better to have higher or lower aperture?
Our answer here would be higher aperture. This is because a higher aperture results to a smaller depth of field and ultimately better bokeh.
This allows for a more precise and faster auto focus because of the availability of adequate light. You get to enjoy more versatility because as more light falls on your camera’s sensor, the aperture increases your options under low light conditions.
Best Overall Choice
Our best 50mm lens for Canon is Canon EF 50mm STM lens as it is light and portable. In addition, the lens enables you to get clear images all thanks to its very wide aperture.
Final Thoughts
50mm lenses have a uniqueness to them that facilitates a seamless shooting experience that will leave you yearning for your next shooting session.
All you need to do is ensure that your lens of choice has all the right features. We hope that you are now convinced to take the dive and get your hands on the most popular lens of all time.
Whenever you are unsure, you can rely on this guide as a tool to help you out.