You are, for a RUclips reviewer, one of a kind. You go your own way in terms of explanation, objectivity and straight to point conclusions. My hat off!
Thank you so very much for your amazing review! You shared so much detail and your images are fabulous! I am beyond grateful for your professional work in reviewing this lens!
Thank you for such a professional review and also so pleasant to watch at the same time. I bought the Sony Zeiss 50 1.4 after your review and I am going to buy this lens as well. Look forward to other RF lenses reviews such as the 85 1.2! Thank you again! By the way, I think both the 2 part and the 3 part reviews are very good! 2 parts are more brief and 3 parts are more detailed!
Interesting. I wish I had a better source for getting Voigt loaners. I don't have any relationship with the company itself, so I have to retail source Voigtlander products.
Thank you for this excellent review. Glad to see you were using the R and RF50 1.2L to shoot your video. What f-stop did you shoot the portion of your video where you are sitting at the table?
Nice review of the RF50L. I just purchased it. You mentioned that you were waiting for a better platform for this lens and I believe the R5 or R6ii or R3 would fulfil that requirement, so I was wondering if you would do a 3rd part?
Good review as always, Dustin. There are two things you may want to consider (1 & 2, 3 is informative only). 1) In order to really see what the RF50 is capable of, you need Capture One. Lightroom isn't able to show all the fine details and micro-contrast that this lens captures. 2) I'm using the RF50 since Canon launched it (got one of the first units in Europe) and I never ever noticed any kind of aberrations in real life situations. Not sure how you managed to get these in the video. 3) The weather sealing and anti-shock capabilities are beyond exceptional. It can easily withstand a quite serious amount of abuse. Point 1 is very important. Get your hands on C1 and drop the ancient LR - it belongs to the past. Hope now you see what I was talking about before, when said the Zony 50/1.4 is blind, when compared to the RF50. :) I'm gonna put the RF50 against my Leica APO Summicron ($7.5k) and I'm somehow convinced the RF will be the winner. It is this good. No room for Sony here in this league. One more thing - the RF85 is even better with its BR glass. Give it a try. Cheers.
Alexander, I do have the new Capture One 20 (I'll be reviewing it in late January). I'll reserve judgment until I've spent some time with it, though in times past I've not found any tangible difference between it and Lightroom. I do find it ironic that you refer to LR as "ancient" considering that A) it is the industry standard and B) it receives constant updates and is a better executed piece of software than any of the alternates I've reviewed and used (which is more than most people by a wide margin). Interesting how that I showed a marginally better result over the "Zony" and you call it night and day. The hyperbole against Sony is a little ridiculous, as currently there is not Canon sensor that is even close to a7RIII or IV in performance. I hope/believe that will change in 2020, but at the moment that statement is somewhat nonsensical. The Sigma 35mm F1.2 for Sony is every bit as sharp as the RF50L, so.... P.S. I'm expecting the RF85 in a week or two.
@@DustinAbbottTWI, no irony in my post. LR is far from being the industry standard - it is exactly the opposite. Most of the serious (top) brands are even requesting from the photographers to use C1 exclusively and this is not by accident. There are many technical advantages and much better algorithms, which I'm not going to cover in here. C1 also receives monthly and sometimes - even weekly updates. I see a tremendous difference between the latest C1 and LR on my Eizo and Apple displays. Most pros do. Some doesn't see any difference. The EOS-R sensor is more than good enough for the real life and you know it. What matters are the lenses, not the body. This defines the image. Not to say Sony is suffering as hell from serious bugs and lacks on the ergonomics and software sides. It just don't brings any joy and fun using it. Been there a whole year and I don't remember any camera in the last 20 years that gave me so much out-of-focus shots when used with flash (even native triggers). The Sony just freaks out when used with OCF and their "solution" to not open up the aperture for focusing with most of their flagship lenses was totally wrong (even my 30 y SLRs are opening the aperture to acquire focus). This ended up with a ratio of more than 50% out of focus shots in the dark studios. On the contrary - the EOS-R AF system is ridiculously reliable and can focus in complete darkness with their f/1.2 lenses (down to -6EV, compared to -3EV on the Sonys). The reliability and the fact that I can really count on the Canon eliminate completely the better sensor in any Sony. The better sensor alone doesn't mean a better system. Re Sigma - I am not interested in off-brands. "As sharp as"... doesn't mean it is a good lens. It only means it has decent resolution. I appreciate far more the beautiful rendering, character, art, depth perception and micro-contrast (read - tonal gradations) and don't care much about sharpness. You can have the sharpest and most flat, sterile and clinical looking image. Is it worth it? No, it doesn't. Leica lenses might not the sharpest ones wide open (except APO 50 Cron and their newest Lux 35/1.4), but deliver super micro-contrast, very juicy, rich and very "lifelike" photos. This is what I'm after, not the sharpness alone. I also had the Sony Planar 50/1.4 for a full year, together with their complete GM series and the difference with the RF L lenses is really night and day - Canon is in another league with the RF lenses. I'm comparing the RF L lenses to my Leica glass, not to the Sony. With the above being said, you have all my deepest respect for the decent reviews, energy and passion you put into this. I absolutely love your channel. But times are changing and we also have to follow the change. This is why I mentioned that you need C1 in order to be able to see what the new gear is capable of. The old LR algorithms won't be able to pull what you want from the newest cameras and great lenses. Cheers.
Dustin, how quiet is the focus motor on the RF 50? Is it quieter than the 24-105 L, or louder, or completely silent. It's the one thing I was hoping to hear about.
I have my eye very very close on the RF system Being an ex Canon shooter - the 5D Mark three and what I last shot with when are used to photograph weddings. After leaving the wedding industry to travel I decided to jump to the Fuji system for light weight. I love my Fuji but I’m always feeling that it lacks something. Lightroom has been an issue too when processing the RAW files. I’m pretty sure one day when Canon releases a body with a joystick and perhaps IBIS then I will return back to Canon. As for now thought it’s the XT3
Fantastic review once again Dustin. Just purchased the R and so far using all my ef mount lenses via adaptor. I’ve been contemplating which first RF lens to get. I know this lens is in a “specialty” arena being a prime and even then its in a class in its own.
It is a specialist lens, for sure. Probably a good starting point if you don't have something similar is to grab a lens like the 24-70 or 24-105 depending on your priorities (and what EF lenses you already have).
I've just ordered this lens for £1300 (around $1700 US). I love the 50mm focal length and have been using the EF 1.4 on my 6D since day one with some great results. I've only had my EOS-R for a couple of weeks and this was always going to be my first prime to go with the 24-70 & 70-200 I picked up at the same time as the body. I can't wait to get my hands on it!!!!
RF 28-70mm f2 or rf 50mm 1.2. I really love 50mm focal lenght, but I think that would be "duplicated" along with 28-70. Would you choose rf50mm 1.2 or rf85mm 1.2 ? Considering 28-70mm
In full disclosure - I've never reviewed the 28-70mm, so I can't give you an informed response. I really did like the 50mm F1.2, and you would be getting almost a stop and a half more light with the 50, but obviously the zoom does give you more flexibility for framing...though at the cost of additional size, weight, and expense.
I'm afraid not. This lens has already gone back to Canon (it was a loaner).
4 года назад
I have noticed that, my Sony A7iii really overcompensates and blows out the corners of my images when using the in-camera compensation for vignetting. So I always turn-off the in-camera auto-correction for vignetting and also as you said in most cases you can actually use it as a feature and part of the lens character. Would be really interesting to see if it's better to auto-correct images in post or in-camera, because I'm certain that correcting in post might be a better option, at least for Sony.
Thanks for the great review. Very professional... I have an R5 and currently using an adapted Ef 50 f1.4... I hate the CA on this lens and it's not sharp at f1.4. I'm planning on buying this RF lens... any update in this lens with an R5?
Nice thoughtful Review Dustin! Thank you for keep going with written versions as well, always a pleasure to read. Surely a pricey lens in comparison to EF lenses especially on the used market. Basically a combo of 50mm and 85mm RFs worth 10 ef pro grade lenses (canon l, Zeiss classic, Voigtlander SL). Personally I see two main strengths of a new design : strong performance wide open and new weather sealing. So let's say most tempting for Pros. As a enthusiast photographer I wouldn't switch from my EF kit to these new RF design not only because of price (by the way I don't think it is overpriced), but because of a "freedom" you get with EF lenses. I can shoot film with canon SLR, I can use same lens on canon eos r, and if necessary it is easy to adapt ef lenses on most mirorles systems from the competition even Fuji GFX with larger sensor.
For some reason DXO really penalizes Canon lenses and favors Sony/Nikon. While I enjoy the (seeming) empirical nature of their data, their system seems flawed. As someone who owns the Sony/Zeiss lens, I can safely say that the Canon is better.
The scores reflect the sensor used in the test. The high scoring lenses are tested on the 5DSR, D800e, and the A7RII which are high resolution sensors that don't have anti-aliasing filters which makes the lenses tested on those seem sharper. You can see there's great emphasis on sharpness on the final score. The Canon RF 50mm does well on all other categories.
You see this video and the difference between the a7riii vs canon r? Thats why the zeiss get so much more point on resolution. It's not fair to use the sensor to give more or less point for a lens but at the same time it make sense because only on sony you can use that resolution
DXO makes a score based mainly at 2.8. It is a nonsense for a 1.2 like this one... The RF 1.2 is better at 1.2 than the Art 1.4 at 1.4. You don’t buy 1.2 lenses to shoot at f4.
@@patlezinc DXO Mark explicitly states which F-stop is used for their score. For the RF 50mm F1.2, it's at F2. You can then delve into finer details about F1.2. Please don't spread misinformation. @Light Yagami, just choose a different camera for the lenses. They test multiple cameras.
Hi Dustin I’m a long time follower of your channel and greatly respect your opinions. Currently I’m a canon 5d mK iv user with an array of EF L lenses. I have 2 questions. First, by using an adaptor and using EF L glass onto the r body is there any change in image quality as compared with RF glass? Second, i shoot quite a bit of action ( sports, wildlife) and I recently tried the eos r with a 70-200mm f2.8 to see how it compares with the 5d mark iv and I was disappointed It could not match the 5d mark iv performance. Did you observe this as well? I obtained a lot of blurry images that otherwise the 5d would have captured.
The EOS R is not a great sports body though it does have superior tracking ability. The AF system is limited by the burst rate. Your first question isn't really possible to answer. RF glass is not a definitive thing - it varies from lens to lens just like EF lenses. I think you are asking if EF glass' IQ is limited by the adapter, and the answer is no - the adapter has no elements in it and the optical performance of the lens is unaffected.
Dustin Abbott Hi Dustin. What I was inquiring about is whether there is a difference in image quality if shoot with the RF lens vs EF L lens with adaptor. 2nd is there a difference in image quality if you compare images taken with eos R with RF lens vs EF L lens with 5D mark iv
Thanks Dustin! I'd love to know what you make of this and the RF 85mm f/1.2 with the EOS R5's pixel count, autofocus and video capabilities; and how they play with IBIS... I'm also curious what you make of that sensor and engine with top-notch glass like these in terms of lattitude and low light noise for both stills and C-Log 3 video. Cheers!
I personally like the rendering a lot better. The 50mm ART is very sharp but wasn't particularly special to my eye as a portrait lens. This lens has nicer bokeh, color, and more 3 dimensional pop
Serious question: would you trade in the A9 and your 50 1.4 for that lens including an r5 if price didn't matter? What's your opinion compared to the Sony 50 1.4?
Thanks for the great review ! Personally preferred the render of the EF 50mm f/1,2L. The classical low element count lens render. Meanwhile, I would need a adapter (with control ring) !
How do you consider using this lens in a street photography environment? It's not discrete at all, but does the autofocus speed nail fast subject? Thanks in advance
Really helpful and I formative review. Thank you. As an amateur it is difficult to justify the spend, but I will certainly try! The lens is significantly cheaper as a grey import here in the UK.....
That's what I did and a few forum members when I lived there. Kerso on ebay, digital rev, forgot the other sellers... saved a few hundred quids every time...
Well, we know how much snow you need for it to be a RUclips compression nightmare now. Canon are really making me lust after their cameras because of these lenses. Sony's cameras still perform the way I need them to, but these lenses just look _so good._
Dustin Abbott Do you still have this 50mm Dustin? If yes, would you mind give a look here please? www.dpreview.com/forums/thread/4514626 I don’t find anyone being able to do the same test. It seems to be a firmware issue but... a test on another copy would be great 👍🏻. If I focus manually at x15 magnification (center position), and then I use the AF, I see the little focus shift, as if the sensor doesn’t get that all is already fine...
Dustin, if you like this, you'll love the new RF 85 f/1.2 as well :) I switched from EF L zooms to RF L primes and the new firmware eye-AF has certainly "unlocked" a lot of their potential, as you note!
Does it still produce the unique quality characteristics image of that the EF version? Optically is this 50 RF lens can compete with the 85 f1.2 RF?. Thanks for an awesome review of all the lens so far.
@@DustinAbbottTWI You can always buy it and find it unsatisfactory. I can relieve you of what you don't need ;-) Just kidding. Your reviews are superb. If you had to choose between 50 1.2 or the 85 1.2 - which one would you prefer? 30% portraits - 70% landscape (small areas / patterns, textures kind).
I always seem to have the dilemma of walking around with the RF50mm or the RF 15-35mm. Extremely happy with both lenses. I think most people will have a hard time deciding between buying the RF 50mm or the RF85mm first or worse....if you could only have 1? 🤔
This is the challenge with bigger lenses; you often do feel like you can only pick one lens to go out with. I haven't tested the 85mm yet, but if you were considering buying the 15-35mm as the other lens, you might want to go with the 85mm to give you more diversity in focal lengths.
@@DustinAbbottTWI Picked the 50mm up when the 85 wasn't available yet. I have no regrets, but the 85 or 85 DS are awesome lenses that will be on my wishlist after the next economic recession I think. 😅
@@DustinAbbottTWI I would use it adaptive since the only RF lens I own is the 24-105 RF L lens and all the rest are EF mounts from Sigma, Tamron and IRIX. I was kick around the idea using a Space Cat lens on it fro deep space/lunar images and take advantage of the higher megapixels and the crop factor that would in theory cut out some of the vignetting.My Great Nephew uses the Tamron 45mm f1.8 on his M50 with good results for portraiture shots and that is where I got the idea but what do you think?
Agree completely. RF is amazing glass. 85mm 1.2 is great too. It’s just fat. It is expensive but it performs and gives a better image. Bokeh is artful. Sigma needs to give up the art after their glass because Otus and RF are a lot more artful
Hi Dustin. I notice that some of your images have « halfed » bokeh. It is common in some situations with the R. It comes from the semi-silent mode 1 or mode 2. Past 1/1600th of sec, your bokeh is partially destroyed, like cut in half. To solve that you have to go with fully mechanical shutter or fully silent mode (I do this as often as possible). Or stay under 1/1600th but not always possible at 1.2. :) Thanks for the review! It is a fantastic lens, and your will love the 85 RF too I guess (I own both of them) PS : i made a thread with examples here : www.dpreview.com/forums/thread/4389515
Hi Patrick, I've heard something like that before. That's a serious liability, as the silent shutter doesn't work with flashes and the fully mechanical shutter will introduce more vibration.
Dustin Abbott My wife uses mode 1 or 2 with studio flashes, she is not going over 1/160 anyway but I understand what you mean. On the other hand, I did not hear that the shock is very bad with the mechanical shutter (other brands are worse from what I read). With my practice I don’t have any issue really. I do a lot of portraits, landscape, and not moving too fast poeple and I mostly use the fully silent mode. It is a heartbreaker to see this beautiful bokeh broken after 1/1600th :( I think 100% of the images we see in your review can be taken in full silent mode :) Just try it during some time and you will see by yourself if it is a limitation or not. If fact, it is just adapting a bit the mode according the situation. (For artificial light, staying under 1/100th prevent light banding on my side in full silent mode, just as a note.)
Hello this comment is very interesting. My english is Not so good what is now the Solution That the bokeh is Not Broken ? I hate this cateyes this looks realy not good. Thank you very much for your help :-)
Though I shifted to sony several years ago I still have an interest in the canon system and their strategy with mirrorless which seems to be to bring in certain kinds of speciality ultra fast lenses- naturally at a price and a weight. I think its one thing to go out in the snow and make a review and another to use it on a more regular level! Its also a question of whether one really likes the ultra shallow depth of field look. The fact that the canon body has a huge crop in 4k & no stabilization cripples the usage of the lens. The voigtlander for sony & leica/panasonic is lightweight (under 500gms) & at half the price - though manual focus. On a high resolution sensor any good quality lens 1.4 lens will give the extra detail & stabilization allows slower shutter speeds for the same light intake.
@@DustinAbbottTWI From your review it appears to be very good optically - and I value your expertise. I also do not think from a pure optical perspective that the voigtlander would match the canon. There is the strategy of heavy lenses - lots of glass -optically very strong (sigma , zeissetc) and on the other lightweight lenses that really take advantage of the mirrorless form factor. The voigtlander would come under the category of a special rendering but a pleasure to use but not at that optical level. . I can see the can lens having great cinematic qualities - only that with the crop factor the body does not match the lens potential. Hence the wry irony. On the other hand the art of visual imaging depends on several factors - the sensor-lens-processor- body combine. If the sensor-processor has a very high resolving power calibrated lenses may get a high degree of detail & not need to be so heavy - the fact that cameras are so much better now in low light & have stabilization allows smaller aperture openings - making it possible to have greater DOF. The ultra shallow depth of field is more part of a certain look & at that level a 12 bladed bokeh from the voigtlander may render another kind of artistry. I also think that the ways one composes with a heavy lens on a tripod is different from a small lightweight combination. Likewise in a very controlled environment as opposed to the inverse. Its a long nuanced discussion that one woud ideally wish to have in front of a fireplace! Meanwhile my apologies for the wry take which was more directed at the attitude of crippling that canon has often been taking. I come more from the generation where canon kept evolving from cameras to lens design and now does not seem to effectively build a cohesive foundation
This is unavoidable - it is due to the mechanical vignetting. The lemons disappear completely at around f/2, turning into perfect circles - very few lenses are capable of delivering so perfect circular shape at around f/2 even in the extreme ends of the frame. Just saying.
You need to look in to teleprompter devices. I did a quick search on Amazon & this one has good reviews: www.amazon.com/TELEPROMPTER-PAD-TeleprompterPAD-iLight-Remote/dp/B01BMIM9PM/ref=sr_1_3?crid=4DIITSGGLU4U&keywords=teleprompter&qid=1577469477&sprefix=teleprompter%2Caps%2C183&sr=8-3 I have absolutely no affiliation with any teleprompter manufacturers nor with Amazon. I just noticed you always seem to try to locate your notes out of frame/sight which causes you to look off at odd angles at times. Something like this might step up your production quality to another level, even as good as it already is. I always enjoy your reviews!
Hands down the best reviewer on RUclips. Thank you DA
Thank you very much!
I just traded my 5DMKIV in. I got a an even trade and the new firmware makes the eos R so awesome now. I want RF glass
Nice. The RF glass is where the Canon action is right now.
Shawn, can I ask where you traded it in?
@@rupedogg24 Adorama
Great review as always. I do own a Milvus 50 and 85 but the "auto focussing Otus" is indeed tempting! Waiting for your RF 85mm 1.2 review. 👍🏻
It really is tempting. I hope that the 85mm comes sooner rather than later, though I'm dependent on Canon Canada to have a loaner available for me.
You are, for a RUclips reviewer, one of a kind. You go your own way in terms of explanation, objectivity and straight to point conclusions. My hat off!
Thank you very much.
Got the RF 50mm 1.2 L last autumn. It's like a Milvus and Canon's best 85mm stuffed into a 50mm ... but 50mm. Merry Christmas and Happy New Years !!
It's an amazing bit of glass.
I would be very happy with EF version. I hope prices drop soon. Nice review Dustin.
We'll see how long term pricing works on lenses like this.
Hi Dustin, thanks for the great review as always! I can’t wait to see you r3view this lens on the new R5! Greetings!
I may not do a fresh review, but I definitely will be covering the R5 shortly.
Thank you so very much for your amazing review! You shared so much detail and your images are fabulous! I am beyond grateful for your professional work in reviewing this lens!
Thank you very much.
Thank you for such a professional review and also so pleasant to watch at the same time. I bought the Sony Zeiss 50 1.4 after your review and I am going to buy this lens as well. Look forward to other RF lenses reviews such as the 85 1.2! Thank you again! By the way, I think both the 2 part and the 3 part reviews are very good! 2 parts are more brief and 3 parts are more detailed!
Thanks for the great feedback. Enjoy your new lens...it's a special one.
The voigtlander 50APO for sony is an insane lens.
You are going to LOVE it, it's almost flawless.
Interesting. I wish I had a better source for getting Voigt loaners. I don't have any relationship with the company itself, so I have to retail source Voigtlander products.
Awesome video! Would love to see this paired with the r5 or r6 in an update for both this and the 85mm lens. 😇
I understand that, but I have so many review requests that it is very hard to go back and redo lenses.
Thank you for this excellent review. Glad to see you were using the R and RF50 1.2L to shoot your video. What f-stop did you shoot the portion of your video where you are sitting at the table?
Either F2 or 2.8; I don't recall exactly.
Nice review of the RF50L. I just purchased it. You mentioned that you were waiting for a better platform for this lens and I believe the R5 or R6ii or R3 would fulfil that requirement, so I was wondering if you would do a 3rd part?
I would like to revisit it. Canon has been a little difficult to source loaners from in recent years
Great review Dustin. Have you done a follow up review with this lens on the Canon R5?
Not yet! Getting Canon loaners can be tough. So many supply chain issues.
Thanks for doing such a great and in depth two part review!
My pleasure!
Good review as always, Dustin. There are two things you may want to consider (1 & 2, 3 is informative only).
1) In order to really see what the RF50 is capable of, you need Capture One. Lightroom isn't able to show all the fine details and micro-contrast that this lens captures.
2) I'm using the RF50 since Canon launched it (got one of the first units in Europe) and I never ever noticed any kind of aberrations in real life situations. Not sure how you managed to get these in the video.
3) The weather sealing and anti-shock capabilities are beyond exceptional. It can easily withstand a quite serious amount of abuse.
Point 1 is very important. Get your hands on C1 and drop the ancient LR - it belongs to the past.
Hope now you see what I was talking about before, when said the Zony 50/1.4 is blind, when compared to the RF50. :) I'm gonna put the RF50 against my Leica APO Summicron ($7.5k) and I'm somehow convinced the RF will be the winner. It is this good. No room for Sony here in this league.
One more thing - the RF85 is even better with its BR glass. Give it a try.
Cheers.
Alexander, I do have the new Capture One 20 (I'll be reviewing it in late January). I'll reserve judgment until I've spent some time with it, though in times past I've not found any tangible difference between it and Lightroom. I do find it ironic that you refer to LR as "ancient" considering that A) it is the industry standard and B) it receives constant updates and is a better executed piece of software than any of the alternates I've reviewed and used (which is more than most people by a wide margin). Interesting how that I showed a marginally better result over the "Zony" and you call it night and day. The hyperbole against Sony is a little ridiculous, as currently there is not Canon sensor that is even close to a7RIII or IV in performance. I hope/believe that will change in 2020, but at the moment that statement is somewhat nonsensical. The Sigma 35mm F1.2 for Sony is every bit as sharp as the RF50L, so.... P.S. I'm expecting the RF85 in a week or two.
@@DustinAbbottTWI, no irony in my post. LR is far from being the industry standard - it is exactly the opposite. Most of the serious (top) brands are even requesting from the photographers to use C1 exclusively and this is not by accident. There are many technical advantages and much better algorithms, which I'm not going to cover in here. C1 also receives monthly and sometimes - even weekly updates. I see a tremendous difference between the latest C1 and LR on my Eizo and Apple displays. Most pros do. Some doesn't see any difference.
The EOS-R sensor is more than good enough for the real life and you know it. What matters are the lenses, not the body. This defines the image. Not to say Sony is suffering as hell from serious bugs and lacks on the ergonomics and software sides. It just don't brings any joy and fun using it. Been there a whole year and I don't remember any camera in the last 20 years that gave me so much out-of-focus shots when used with flash (even native triggers). The Sony just freaks out when used with OCF and their "solution" to not open up the aperture for focusing with most of their flagship lenses was totally wrong (even my 30 y SLRs are opening the aperture to acquire focus). This ended up with a ratio of more than 50% out of focus shots in the dark studios. On the contrary - the EOS-R AF system is ridiculously reliable and can focus in complete darkness with their f/1.2 lenses (down to -6EV, compared to -3EV on the Sonys). The reliability and the fact that I can really count on the Canon eliminate completely the better sensor in any Sony. The better sensor alone doesn't mean a better system.
Re Sigma - I am not interested in off-brands. "As sharp as"... doesn't mean it is a good lens. It only means it has decent resolution. I appreciate far more the beautiful rendering, character, art, depth perception and micro-contrast (read - tonal gradations) and don't care much about sharpness. You can have the sharpest and most flat, sterile and clinical looking image. Is it worth it? No, it doesn't. Leica lenses might not the sharpest ones wide open (except APO 50 Cron and their newest Lux 35/1.4), but deliver super micro-contrast, very juicy, rich and very "lifelike" photos. This is what I'm after, not the sharpness alone.
I also had the Sony Planar 50/1.4 for a full year, together with their complete GM series and the difference with the RF L lenses is really night and day - Canon is in another league with the RF lenses. I'm comparing the RF L lenses to my Leica glass, not to the Sony.
With the above being said, you have all my deepest respect for the decent reviews, energy and passion you put into this. I absolutely love your channel. But times are changing and we also have to follow the change. This is why I mentioned that you need C1 in order to be able to see what the new gear is capable of. The old LR algorithms won't be able to pull what you want from the newest cameras and great lenses.
Cheers.
I’ve rented the rf 50 . And first thing I noticed is the sharpness .
It is fantastically sharp.
dxomark rates rf50 on 22 sharpness points, fairly low
@@RPalmaIbarra I trust Dustin's review over DXO
Dustin, how quiet is the focus motor on the RF 50? Is it quieter than the 24-105 L, or louder, or completely silent. It's the one thing I was hoping to hear about.
Which 24-105L? There are three different ones at this point. It is louder than the RF version, for sure.
@@DustinAbbottTWI The RF 24-105L, F4.
Then no, it won’t be as quiet
Youre the best man. Thank you for the review. I’ve been using the 50mm for some time now and I refuse to use anything else to my detriment at times
It does have addictive IQ.
I have my eye very very close on the RF system Being an ex Canon shooter - the 5D Mark three and what I last shot with when are used to photograph weddings. After leaving the wedding industry to travel I decided to jump to the Fuji system for light weight. I love my Fuji but I’m always feeling that it lacks something. Lightroom has been an issue too when processing the RAW files. I’m pretty sure one day when Canon releases a body with a joystick and perhaps IBIS then I will return back to Canon. As for now thought it’s the XT3
Here's hoping such a camera comes in 2020.
Fantastic review once again Dustin. Just purchased the R and so far using all my ef mount lenses via adaptor. I’ve been contemplating which first RF lens to get. I know this lens is in a “specialty” arena being a prime and even then its in a class in its own.
It is a specialist lens, for sure. Probably a good starting point if you don't have something similar is to grab a lens like the 24-70 or 24-105 depending on your priorities (and what EF lenses you already have).
I've just ordered this lens for £1300 (around $1700 US). I love the 50mm focal length and have been using the EF 1.4 on my 6D since day one with some great results. I've only had my EOS-R for a couple of weeks and this was always going to be my first prime to go with the 24-70 & 70-200 I picked up at the same time as the body. I can't wait to get my hands on it!!!!
That's a great price for the lens. You will have a sweet kit between those three lenses.
RF 28-70mm f2 or rf 50mm 1.2. I really love 50mm focal lenght, but I think that would be "duplicated" along with 28-70. Would you choose rf50mm 1.2 or rf85mm 1.2 ? Considering 28-70mm
In full disclosure - I've never reviewed the 28-70mm, so I can't give you an informed response. I really did like the 50mm F1.2, and you would be getting almost a stop and a half more light with the 50, but obviously the zoom does give you more flexibility for framing...though at the cost of additional size, weight, and expense.
Dustin could you compare this RF 50 1.2 to Sigma 50 1.4 Art on EOS R?
I'm afraid not. This lens has already gone back to Canon (it was a loaner).
I have noticed that, my Sony A7iii really overcompensates and blows out the corners of my images when using the in-camera compensation for vignetting. So I always turn-off the in-camera auto-correction for vignetting and also as you said in most cases you can actually use it as a feature and part of the lens character. Would be really interesting to see if it's better to auto-correct images in post or in-camera, because I'm certain that correcting in post might be a better option, at least for Sony.
If you are shooting RAW, you are already given that option, though the profile will often automatically apply and has to be manually deselected.
Using this lens on my RP for about a month now. As amazing as it is, I’d rather carry a (hopefully coming soon) RF 50mm 1.8
i guess by 2020 / 21 there'll be those 1.8 primes coming.
I completely understand the sentiment. It is an amazing lens, but it's also overkill for many people in many situations.
@Fotos Y Mas = what is your reason why you prefer the other lens?
@@fallguy6558 Hi! I no longer shoot with the Canon RF system but my reasoning was that the 50 1.2 was way to big and too heavy.
@@FotosyMas. thanks for taking the time to answer. Happy shooting!
Look forward. If it mount on 50 mpix. How sharp it is. Sorry for my bad English.
I look forward to seeing it on a higher resolution body, too.
Thanks for the great review. Very professional... I have an R5 and currently using an adapted Ef 50 f1.4... I hate the CA on this lens and it's not sharp at f1.4. I'm planning on buying this RF lens... any update in this lens with an R5?
I haven't used it on the R5, but it should be even better. The EOS R was outclassed by this lens.
I bought the A7R4 but I was so close to buying the EOSR what’s your opinion on the two? Great deals can still be had on EOSR and the lenses wow!
The a7RIV is definitely the more complete package, but the prices on the EOS R are pretty stunning right now.
colours look really pleasing in the video.
Thanks. This is a beautiful lens.
Nice detailed review no. 2! I love the bokeh. Probably the best I’ve seen so far. I might switch to Canon RF system just because of this lens.
It really does have gorgeous bokeh for a 50mm lens.
Nice thoughtful Review Dustin! Thank you for keep going with written versions as well, always a pleasure to read. Surely a pricey lens in comparison to EF lenses especially on the used market. Basically a combo of 50mm and 85mm RFs worth 10 ef pro grade lenses (canon l, Zeiss classic, Voigtlander SL). Personally I see two main strengths of a new design : strong performance wide open and new weather sealing. So let's say most tempting for Pros. As a enthusiast photographer I wouldn't switch from my EF kit to these new RF design not only because of price (by the way I don't think it is overpriced), but because of a "freedom" you get with EF lenses. I can shoot film with canon SLR, I can use same lens on canon eos r, and if necessary it is easy to adapt ef lenses on most mirorles systems from the competition even Fuji GFX with larger sensor.
Some valid points. Buying RF lenses definitely means you are buying into the system as your sole (or at least primary) system.
Can I ask question: why Dox Mark gave this lens a much lower mark than the Sony Zeiss 1.4? I am not a professional photographer BTW.
For some reason DXO really penalizes Canon lenses and favors Sony/Nikon. While I enjoy the (seeming) empirical nature of their data, their system seems flawed. As someone who owns the Sony/Zeiss lens, I can safely say that the Canon is better.
The scores reflect the sensor used in the test. The high scoring lenses are tested on the 5DSR, D800e, and the A7RII which are high resolution sensors that don't have anti-aliasing filters which makes the lenses tested on those seem sharper. You can see there's great emphasis on sharpness on the final score. The Canon RF 50mm does well on all other categories.
You see this video and the difference between the a7riii vs canon r? Thats why the zeiss get so much more point on resolution. It's not fair to use the sensor to give more or less point for a lens but at the same time it make sense because only on sony you can use that resolution
DXO makes a score based mainly at 2.8. It is a nonsense for a 1.2 like this one... The RF 1.2 is better at 1.2 than the Art 1.4 at 1.4. You don’t buy 1.2 lenses to shoot at f4.
@@patlezinc DXO Mark explicitly states which F-stop is used for their score. For the RF 50mm F1.2, it's at F2. You can then delve into finer details about F1.2. Please don't spread misinformation.
@Light Yagami, just choose a different camera for the lenses. They test multiple cameras.
Hi Dustin I’m a long time follower of your channel and greatly respect your opinions. Currently I’m a canon 5d mK iv user with an array of EF L lenses. I have 2 questions. First, by using an adaptor and using EF L glass onto the r body is there any change in image quality as compared with RF glass? Second, i shoot quite a bit of action ( sports, wildlife) and I recently tried the eos r with a 70-200mm f2.8 to see how it compares with the 5d mark iv and I was disappointed It could not match the 5d mark iv performance. Did you observe this as well? I obtained a lot of blurry images that otherwise the 5d would have captured.
The EOS R is not a great sports body though it does have superior tracking ability. The AF system is limited by the burst rate. Your first question isn't really possible to answer. RF glass is not a definitive thing - it varies from lens to lens just like EF lenses. I think you are asking if EF glass' IQ is limited by the adapter, and the answer is no - the adapter has no elements in it and the optical performance of the lens is unaffected.
Dustin Abbott Hi Dustin. What I was inquiring about is whether there is a difference in image quality if shoot with the RF lens vs EF L lens with adaptor. 2nd is there a difference in image quality if you compare images taken with eos R with RF lens vs EF L lens with 5D mark iv
Would love to see you review the Panasonic S series and the s pro lenses
I'm sorry, but I just don't have time to add another system.
Thanks Dustin! I'd love to know what you make of this and the RF 85mm f/1.2 with the EOS R5's pixel count, autofocus and video capabilities; and how they play with IBIS... I'm also curious what you make of that sensor and engine with top-notch glass like these in terms of lattitude and low light noise for both stills and C-Log 3 video. Cheers!
These lenses are definitely designed for a high resolution body like the R5. They just get better with more "horsepower".
Curious how you would stack this against the Sigma 50mm 1.4 Art
I personally like the rendering a lot better. The 50mm ART is very sharp but wasn't particularly special to my eye as a portrait lens. This lens has nicer bokeh, color, and more 3 dimensional pop
In short, the Art sucks lol
Serious question: would you trade in the A9 and your 50 1.4 for that lens including an r5 if price didn't matter? What's your opinion compared to the Sony 50 1.4?
Interesting question. I would say that I would prefer the Canon combination, cost being no object.
@@DustinAbbottTWI thanks for the comment. Great video by the way. Keep the good work. I appreciate what you are doing a lot
Thanks for the great review ! Personally preferred the render of the EF 50mm f/1,2L. The classical low element count lens render. Meanwhile, I would need a adapter (with control ring) !
That lens does has a special rendering, though I personally would take this one every day of the week as a complete package.
The review is nice, but brooo you really fight with that plant XD
I'm considering getting the 50mm F1.2L, will see if I can.
LOL
I hope the RF 50mm f/1.8 IS will be coming out soon!! That and a RF wide angle f/4 zoom.
Unfortunately I've not heard anything to indicate this is the case.
How do you consider using this lens in a street photography environment? It's not discrete at all, but does the autofocus speed nail fast subject? Thanks in advance
Autofocus would be fine, but no, it isn't discrete...or light.
@@DustinAbbottTWI thank you Dustin
Really helpful and I formative review. Thank you. As an amateur it is difficult to justify the spend, but I will certainly try! The lens is significantly cheaper as a grey import here in the UK.....
It is a very expensive lens, but if you are seriously invested in the Canon EOS R system, it will be a favorite for years to come.
That's what I did and a few forum members when I lived there. Kerso on ebay, digital rev, forgot the other sellers... saved a few hundred quids every time...
I cant afford both. 50 1.2? or 85 1.2 ? I own a 24-70 2.8 and a 70-200 2.8, (also 15-35 2.8). Considering selling the 24-70.
If you’re considering selling the 24-70, then definitely do the 50mm.
Hi sir,
Currently I owned rf 24-70 f2.8 , thinking of give up this len and change to rf50 f1.2, do you feel if it's an appropriate move?
I really can't answer that for you. You know what your shooting needs are; I don't
@@DustinAbbottTWI thx sir. Do you think that 50mm likely the same usability as of 24-70mm ?
If you are in Canada ill trade it with you!
Well, we know how much snow you need for it to be a RUclips compression nightmare now.
Canon are really making me lust after their cameras because of these lenses. Sony's cameras still perform the way I need them to, but these lenses just look _so good._
LOL - that was a lot of snow!
Could the Sigma 50mm f1.4 ART stand against this brilliant lens??
Not quite, but the Canon's advantage is more in rendering than in sharpness.
@@DustinAbbottTWI I see!! Rendering and character for me is 90% of a lens!
Hi Dustin. I am experiencing AF back focus at f1.2, in the very center (not when I focus around the center). Did you notice that too in your tests?
I don't remember seeing that.
Dustin Abbott ok, thanks. Hope it is fixable 😊
Dustin Abbott Do you still have this 50mm Dustin?
If yes, would you mind give a look here please? www.dpreview.com/forums/thread/4514626
I don’t find anyone being able to do the same test. It seems to be a firmware issue but... a test on another copy would be great 👍🏻. If I focus manually at x15 magnification (center position), and then I use the AF, I see the little focus shift, as if the sensor doesn’t get that all is already fine...
Did you ever take a second look at this lens on the eosR5 ?
No, I haven't. I'm not concerned about it, though. It's incredibly sharp.
Dustin, if you like this, you'll love the new RF 85 f/1.2 as well :) I switched from EF L zooms to RF L primes and the new firmware eye-AF has certainly "unlocked" a lot of their potential, as you note!
I should have the 85 in hand in a week or so.
Look forward to your upcoming videos! I know the 85’s focus speed alone has been a game changer for me.
This Glas is probably the Reason i'll invest again into the Canon Ecosystem
For sure
Thanks a lot
You're welcome.
Does it still produce the unique quality characteristics image of that the EF version? Optically is this 50 RF lens can compete with the 85 f1.2 RF?. Thanks for an awesome review of all the lens so far.
Yes and no. I think this lens is a better combination of sharpness and bokeh, but there is a distinct look to the EF version that isn't the same here.
Any update of this lens with the R5 body?
I haven't had a chance to look at it again, but it's a lens I would be happy to own.
@@DustinAbbottTWI You can always buy it and find it unsatisfactory. I can relieve you of what you don't need ;-) Just kidding.
Your reviews are superb.
If you had to choose between 50 1.2 or the 85 1.2 - which one would you prefer? 30% portraits - 70% landscape (small areas / patterns, textures kind).
I actually preferred the rendering from the 50mm, myself.
@@DustinAbbottTWI If it is landscape only (no portraits), 50 1.2 vs TSE 50/2.8? TSE can obviously do much more - but color rendering / aberrations ..
Fantastic lens.
Unquestionably.
I don’t know, what you mean saying no animal eye AF? Froknowsphoto and Tony and Chelsea Northrop both tested the animal eye AF
This review was before that feature was added to cameras.
I always seem to have the dilemma of walking around with the RF50mm or the RF 15-35mm. Extremely happy with both lenses. I think most people will have a hard time deciding between buying the RF 50mm or the RF85mm first or worse....if you could only have 1? 🤔
This is the challenge with bigger lenses; you often do feel like you can only pick one lens to go out with. I haven't tested the 85mm yet, but if you were considering buying the 15-35mm as the other lens, you might want to go with the 85mm to give you more diversity in focal lengths.
@@DustinAbbottTWI Picked the 50mm up when the 85 wasn't available yet. I have no regrets, but the 85 or 85 DS are awesome lenses that will be on my wishlist after the next economic recession I think. 😅
Ravencroft If you could only get one, go with the 50 first because you can use it as a walk around lens and also environmental portrait lens.
@@XDR2201 Ya I can't fault you on that. The 50 is the ideal first lens because of versatility. It may be a little large to walk around with though. :)
3 cameras . R / RP / Ra 😁👍🏻
R&RP and possibly a M6 MKII next year.
That's true. The Ra hasn't really been on my radar as it is a specialized camera.
@Thomas - are you thinking that the M6 MKII will have an RF mount?
@@DustinAbbottTWI I would use it adaptive since the only RF lens I own is the 24-105 RF L lens and all the rest are EF mounts from Sigma, Tamron and IRIX. I was kick around the idea using a Space Cat lens on it fro deep space/lunar images and take advantage of the higher megapixels and the crop factor that would in theory cut out some of the vignetting.My Great Nephew uses the Tamron 45mm f1.8 on his M50 with good results for portraiture shots and that is where I got the idea but what do you think?
Thomas Kmet the M-series seem most likely to keep their mount and not switch to RF
Nose detection focusing!
LOL. Just what everyone is looking for.
Agree completely. RF is amazing glass. 85mm 1.2 is great too. It’s just fat. It is expensive but it performs and gives a better image. Bokeh is artful. Sigma needs to give up the art after their glass because Otus and RF are a lot more artful
I'm excited as Canon said they are sending me the 85mm next. I'm looking forward to that one.
Otus is more clinical, Milvus/Canon RF are more artful.
My man, why is it always snowing
Ask God. We can get snow seven months of the year where I live.
hard to believe its "better" than sony zeiss 50F1.4
Believe it. I own the Planar 1.4/50, so I definitely wasn't out to disadvantage it.
Otus with AF
Pretty much...and half the price!
Returned the 85 1.2. Too heavy. Too big. Buying this one.
That's fair, though this is no tiny lens either!
Hi Dustin.
I notice that some of your images have « halfed » bokeh. It is common in some situations with the R. It comes from the semi-silent mode 1 or mode 2. Past 1/1600th of sec, your bokeh is partially destroyed, like cut in half.
To solve that you have to go with fully mechanical shutter or fully silent mode (I do this as often as possible). Or stay under 1/1600th but not always possible at 1.2.
:)
Thanks for the review!
It is a fantastic lens, and your will love the 85 RF too I guess (I own both of them)
PS : i made a thread with examples here : www.dpreview.com/forums/thread/4389515
Hi Patrick, I've heard something like that before. That's a serious liability, as the silent shutter doesn't work with flashes and the fully mechanical shutter will introduce more vibration.
Dustin Abbott My wife uses mode 1 or 2 with studio flashes, she is not going over 1/160 anyway but I understand what you mean. On the other hand, I did not hear that the shock is very bad with the mechanical shutter (other brands are worse from what I read).
With my practice I don’t have any issue really. I do a lot of portraits, landscape, and not moving too fast poeple and I mostly use the fully silent mode.
It is a heartbreaker to see this beautiful bokeh broken after 1/1600th :(
I think 100% of the images we see in your review can be taken in full silent mode :)
Just try it during some time and you will see by yourself if it is a limitation or not.
If fact, it is just adapting a bit the mode according the situation.
(For artificial light, staying under 1/100th prevent light banding on my side in full silent mode, just as a note.)
Hello this comment is very interesting. My english is Not so good what is now the Solution That the bokeh is Not Broken ? I hate this cateyes this looks realy not good. Thank you very much for your help :-)
Kaimera just use fully silent mode if subject is not moving or slowly moving.
Or use the full mechanical mode (not the mode 1 or 2)
Though I shifted to sony several years ago I still have an interest in the canon system and their strategy with mirrorless which seems to be to bring in certain kinds of speciality ultra fast lenses- naturally at a price and a weight. I think its one thing to go out in the snow and make a review and another to use it on a more regular level! Its also a question of whether one really likes the ultra shallow depth of field look. The fact that the canon body has a huge crop in 4k & no stabilization cripples the usage of the lens. The voigtlander for sony & leica/panasonic is lightweight (under 500gms) & at half the price - though manual focus. On a high resolution sensor any good quality lens 1.4 lens will give the extra detail & stabilization allows slower shutter speeds for the same light intake.
I think you might be selling this lens a little short, as I'm skeptical that the Voigtlander matches this level of performance (almost no lens does)
@@DustinAbbottTWI From your review it appears to be very good optically - and I value your expertise. I also do not think from a pure optical perspective that the voigtlander would match the canon. There is the strategy of heavy lenses - lots of glass -optically very strong (sigma , zeissetc) and on the other lightweight lenses that really take advantage of the mirrorless form factor. The voigtlander would come under the category of a special rendering but a pleasure to use but not at that optical level. . I can see the can lens having great cinematic qualities - only that with the crop factor the body does not match the lens potential. Hence the wry irony. On the other hand the art of visual imaging depends on several factors - the sensor-lens-processor- body combine. If the sensor-processor has a very high resolving power calibrated lenses may get a high degree of detail & not need to be so heavy - the fact that cameras are so much better now in low light & have stabilization allows smaller aperture openings - making it possible to have greater DOF. The ultra shallow depth of field is more part of a certain look & at that level a 12 bladed bokeh from the voigtlander may render another kind of artistry. I also think that the ways one composes with a heavy lens on a tripod is different from a small lightweight combination. Likewise in a very controlled environment as opposed to the inverse. Its a long nuanced discussion that one woud ideally wish to have in front of a fireplace! Meanwhile my apologies for the wry take which was more directed at the attitude of crippling that canon has often been taking. I come more from the generation where canon kept evolving from cameras to lens design and now does not seem to effectively build a cohesive foundation
Why Look the bokehcircles like cateyes ?
That's very common with wide aperture lenses.
This is unavoidable - it is due to the mechanical vignetting. The lemons disappear completely at around f/2, turning into perfect circles - very few lenses are capable of delivering so perfect circular shape at around f/2 even in the extreme ends of the frame. Just saying.
You need to look in to teleprompter devices. I did a quick search on Amazon & this one has good reviews: www.amazon.com/TELEPROMPTER-PAD-TeleprompterPAD-iLight-Remote/dp/B01BMIM9PM/ref=sr_1_3?crid=4DIITSGGLU4U&keywords=teleprompter&qid=1577469477&sprefix=teleprompter%2Caps%2C183&sr=8-3
I have absolutely no affiliation with any teleprompter manufacturers nor with Amazon. I just noticed you always seem to try to locate your notes out of frame/sight which causes you to look off at odd angles at times. Something like this might step up your production quality to another level, even as good as it already is. I always enjoy your reviews!
I've considered doing something like that.
You don’t buy this lens for a camera; you buy a camera for this lens