50mm Lens Super Battle: 10 Lenses from Canon, Sigma, Samyang, Yongnuo and Zeiss!

[@HarisRustemovic]

Thank you for the review. I just bought the Canon 50mm f1,8 II, but they mistakenly shipped the 1,8 STM, and based on your review : I will just keep that one.

[@TheMetalButcher]

That would be a very very wise choice.

[@creekwalker660]

yeh....the STM is the later model and far better than the II

[@njrivetelite]

The STM is great in comparison with build quality and focusing. I love that lens so much.. even if I upgrade to the 1.4 art.. I will never sell the STM.

[@derxer614]

I have the Canon 1.8 STM! It's just great and as you mentioned the value for money is awesome!!

[@MECartersWorld]

You are seriously my go to for equipment reviews. You're very thorough and the accent doesn't hurt.

[@oblomoffood]

A lot of work! Thanks! one of the best reviews.

[@alexanderm9485]

Привет !

[@zanzanzanzan]

I'm a huge 50mm lens fan as well. My experience in order of expense: SMC Takumar 50mm f1.4 - Vintage lens that has a particular 'look.' The colours at night look weird so it didn't turn out to be a great low light beast. Canon 50mm f1.8II - glued to my beginner body for about 6 months. I initially loved it but would notice it was soft until f2-2.8 wide open while shooting high ISO, high contrast (concerts). Canon 50mm f1.4 - Probably my least favourite. Still soft wide open. My lens also broke on me with little pressure put on the front when the front element was extended out of the barrel. I repaired it myself but not before upgrading to the Art lens. Sigma 50mm f1.4 EX - loved this lens - stuck on my first full frame body for at least 6 months. Image quality was beautiful, lovely sharp while open. Bokeh coma (spherical chroma abberations?) was the only kink. Big problem though as mentioned is the AF - it would be out at either min or infinite focal if I afma for either - yes I did try to get Sigma to correct it. Apparently it's a design flaw. Sigma 50mm f1.4 Art - This is the pinnacle of image quality for me - caving to the expense after not being satisfied with everything else. AF is great this time for me. Unfortunately the biggest cost in my mind is the weight - it's no longer my go to walk around lens unless I need a low light monster without a flash. Having bought/sold/given away most of these lenses, I think my happiest compromise on image quality/size/price would be a Sigma's 50mm EX design and size with the A/S/C update and compatibility with the dock.

[@MarkoNara]

The Canon EF 50mm 1.8 STM is the right choice. I had the Canon 50 1.4 USM, and it doesn't perform well, also the AF was inaccurate, them I tried out the Sigma 50mm 1.4 HSM (old version) and the AF was even worse. Just get the Canon 50mm 1.8 STM and you will do just fine!

[@smaakjeks]

Oh, and I appreciate the hard work that went into this quite definitive 50mm lens review! Great job, Christopher!

[@MrRapala91]

Really useful video Chris. I sold my Canon 50/1.4 about a month ago and I replaced it with the Sigma 50/1.4 EX DG HSM. What a piece of glass! The sharpness, bokeh and color rendition are wonderful. When shooting at F/1.4, the Sigma smokes the Canon thanks to it's aspherical element, with much less chromatic abberation. The Canon was horrible at F/1.4

[@sunnykiri3]

Only Chris can do this fantastic review, please try 35mm and 85mm too great work

[@DistemperpK]

For 3 years I use 50 mm around 90% of the time on my 5D Mk II. I have moved from Sigma's 50 1.4 EX DG to Canons 50 1.2 L when SIgma didn't release the Art series yet. Having owned the 50L for 1.5 years I have recently sold it.. mostly because of the heavy weight of nearly 600g. In exchange for that, despite the flaws, I am now happy with - wait for it - the Zeiss Planar 50 1.4 :D I like the small size, low weight and superb build quality. Might be a keeper forever. Image quality wise: sufficient when printing 10x15 cm (4x6") for my albums PS: great reviews on your channel, kudos to you Chris

[@truthseeker8273]

Love your objectiveness, many other channels just praise the newer lenses - probably because they are paid to do so. Thanks a lot for this review!

[@PeterMatthess]

I love how you openly knock the Zeiss 50mm F1.4 Planar, it seems to be one of those lenses thats for a certain style, or for people with an appreciation for the classic feel, which is fine, but I find it funny how when you match it up against more modern sharpness levels and they all go crazy when you call it under par. Great video keep em coming!

[@christopherfrost]

+Peter Matthess Hehe thanks ;-)

[@andrewpolitano]

That lens DID look absolutely terrible, a big surprise. Agreed that Zeissheads are probably beside themselves, but the results speak for themselves in this case! That bokeh is just horrid..

[@JosephAlukka]

It looks seriously bad than being classy

[@jamesr6497]

I hear what your saying here; Zeiss has its classic feel for certain styles; but there is no need to get shook up when comparison to modern lenses. I own that lens for my Nikons and it works for certain application and a look I sometimes go for but more modern lenses half the price can easily blow it away in sharpness, like the Nikon 50mm 1.8 G essentially a $200.00 lens new. It is funny how some people will wrap their ego in a piece of glass and how easily shattered; forgive the pun.

[@linkedinfred]

As always, your reviews are concise and complete. I began with the Canon 50mm STM but just recently upgraded to the Sigma 50mm 1.4 Art. I have my first outdoor shoot with this lens this week. I’ve been out on the street with it already and it’s proving to be a noticed upgrade.

[@trouwfotomakerij]

It's nice to see your own choices backed up by reviews from someone who has seen a *ton* of lenses by now :-) Thanks Christopher, always a pleasure to watch your reviews!

[@Ultrarmx]

Can we see Top ten 35mm and 24mm lens like you did in this video? Ty for the reviews. You help me out which lens to buy.

[@christopherfrost]

I'd love to, but there are many I still haven't tested!

[@alexanderhugestrand]

Christopher Frost Photography, I know you've said that you'll never review the Tamron 35mm f1.8 VC (due to similarities to the 45mm), but I'd love such a review anyway, and especially a comparison between that and the Canon 35mm f2 IS. Also, something you could improve your reviews with is an analysis of the bokeh at medium to far focus distance (no closeups). Many lenses tend to perform the worst there.

[@christopherfrost]

I /might/ cover the Tamron 35mm lens one day but really, it is incredibly similar to the 45mm lens in most accounts I've heard. Yes, I agree with you about bokeh - it can be worst in transitional areas or longer distances. Nowadays, if that's been the case, I'll try to mention it in the review. All the best! :-)

[@l.e.miller1208]

Nikon and Pentax lenses mount on Canon with like a 5 dollar adapter. I recommend the 50mm 1.2 Nikkor and the 1.4 SMC Pentax

[@rightmatt]

I think that's probably your best video yet...and your other productions are brilliant.

[@arpitagrawal214]

Super comparison Chris, i personally owned the Canon 50 1.4 and was not quite happy with the performance. I have also owned the Sigma 50 1.4 non art but it struggles to autofocus in low light compared to canon 1.4.Finally i decided to invest on 50 1.2L and i just love the 3d pop look of images i get with it. I feel sometimes its about the feel of images you get with 1.2 which makes it worth the investment, i was also leaning towards sigma as i have tested it but the poor resale value and focusing issues experience i had earlier made me stick to the canon. Finally after 2 years i proudly own the 50 1.2 and the new 50 1.8 stm. I personally use the 50 1.8 stm for travels for being light, fast and snappy.Canon has just made the their nifty fifty even better with STM. One more point to consider is resale value of Canon L series lenses is considerably better than Sigma hence i opt for Canon as i can always fetch out 60-70 percent back if i want to upgrade.

[@bege4394]

I have had four copies of Sigma 50mm f1.4 EX DG HSM with several camera brands and I can confirm that it's a brilliant lens on an APS-C but not that hot on a full frame. I've never encountered AF problems though. If you are with a Canon full frame I suggest to get Canon EF 50mm f1.4 USM instead of Sigma. But with an APS-C, try Sigma and fall in love. Set the aperture to f/2 and take some amazing head/torso portraits! The sharpness is there, the backgound bokeh is the best I've seen. (the foreground bokeh can be a bit busy though) I myself am with a full frame Canon 5D (classic) and stuck with my Sigma... Maybe because of sentimental reasons lol. Maybe I'll upgrade some day.

[@smaakjeks]

I would have been surprised to see the Art lens not win. It's an *astounding* series of lenses. Whatever they are doing over there at Sigma's lens design department, it's working!

[@PeterWMurphy]

Chris, great video, thanks. I'm the very proud owner of the 50 mm Art and it's bonkers sharp. But... I haven't fallen in love with it. I find the focal length a bit flat. I'm going to check my lighteroom stats, but I'd say my 35 and 85 get more use. The 35 f/2 IS comes with me everywhere. That sigma is just so damned heavy.

[@michaelfoster2902]

I have the Sigma Art lens and it's absolutely amazing... I Have had it for about 7 months and can't say enough good things about it. worth every penny

[@ajfotofilmagem]

Many, many thanks for extensive comparison. I've had the Canon F1.4USM, and now I have the Sigma Art, and agreed to its conclusion.

[@Rationalific]

Excellent comparison. Great mini-reviews, talking about the strengths and weaknesses. I like your point system, too.

[@biscuitsalive]

Great review and selection. I have the sigma art and love it. I also agree the canon 50mm 1.8 is much better quality (in terms of lens and image) than most price snobs would expect. Def the best value by far.

[@LupeJelena]

Excellent video Chris. I've used the Sigma 50mm ART (I shoot Nikon so I have little experience with some of those other Canon 50mms) and I think it's the best 50mm I've shot in my life! And I've tried a few! I've gone through 4 Nikon ones and tried 2 Canon ones, and the Sigma ART lens is still the boss. I think it's the best value for money. Excellent professional quality, under 1000 dollars.

[@S7ANL3Y79]

1000 dollars? Jajaja

[@gs7828]

Sigma ART is very precise, but on the flat side: Nikon old lenses have better micro contrast than the new ones, although worse when facing chromatic aberrations. The 1.4 AIS version is good. Also, Voigtländer Nokton 58mm 1.4 is a gem.

[@JudoSoni]

Thanks for the informative video. My main features in any lens are: Reliability > Longevity > weather proof > AF > Bokeh > Sharpness > Max Aperture > CA /// Price (divided by £££) * resell value = choice Canon 50l takes the crown.

[@adelinogoncalves1452]

I use the 50mm 1.4 Art on a Nikon D810 , I have set the focus fine tune to +10 and it is as sharp as a knife, superb quality too.

[@MrJueKa]

Very informative video! I use the Nikkor AF 1,8/50mm D on my Nikon D700 full-frame camera for nearly 80-90 % of my photography and it does a very good job. For portraits I´m using this lense by switching the camera over into the DX format. The other lense I use is the Nikkor AF 2.8/24mm D and it`s very good as well. In addition to these lenses I use a handfull of different second-hand speedlights and wireless radio triggers. That`s all I use for my way of photography.

[@MetalSlugzMaster]

Yes, Chris. On a full frame the Sigma 50mm EX DG HSM is AMAZINGLY soft on a full frame's corners. It's such an abrupt transition, that a crop-frame's "sweetspot" completely crops it out. I returned my copy, but am planning on getting Sigma's 50mm Art lens. Hearing great things about that one.

[@timppatimo6287]

I just started using the new nifty-fifty for street portraits on an APSC sensor camera and i was surprised how good it is! It doesn't give me arty effects like some of my manual focus vintage lenses, but it's colors are good, and autofocus is great and quick. Makes it easier for a photographer, which can be bad and good depending on a viewpoint. So far lovin' it, makes a good pair with 24 mm STM. I'm not sure now if i need to upgrade to 24 mm IS USM (for that IS of course), but hoping to get a better fifty in the future, and 30 mm Sigma ART for having around 50 mm in full-frame terms lens with a good image quality.

[@bensinirbozucu]

Wow! that's a huge amount of effort put into this video. And very clear information.

[@cjpritchard]

Fantastic review, thanks Chris. I've grown up with the Canon 1.8s, now have the 1.8 STM. I was satisfied with that until I had a Sigma 1.4 Art for a day - truly amazing. Would love to see a 35mm review too. Thanks again!

[@cjt5mith]

Best review I've seen in ages. Do more like this one! I wish I'd found this when I started looking at the best 50mm lenses, as you've come up with the same conclusions, but it took me nearly a week of research.

[@patrice373]

The organization of your video is superb. 10 lenses in 10mn without getting lost is a tour de force. I particularly like the conclusion with the thumbnail.

[@bayupran]

Own 50mm stm for my traveling lens and 50mm sigma art for professional work. Your review is why I bought those two lenses. Thank you once again!

[@nickjaton1923]

Keep in mind if you're looking for a cheaper way to get into a 1.4 lens or a much cheaper way of getting into a 1.2 you can always adapt older nikon / m42 lenses to canon. They won't have autofocus but, most are built extremely well. I love the ones I have.

[@PegasusWynn]

Thank you Chris. As usual, I enjoy your videos. I watched a few of them more than once. : ) I am a beginner using the Canon 760D and I just bought the Canon EF50mm f/1.8 STM last week as my first prime lens. I loved it and the bokeh that it produced with the price that I paid.

[@Inkwellish]

Several years ago I owned the Canon 50 1.4, but I could never really get in to it. I always found it to be a little disappointing. I ended up selling it. Recently, I took interest in the new Canon 1.8 STM. I broke down and bought one, and I have to say that it's miles beyond the 1.4. The only thing that bothers me is that the 1.8 struggles to find focus in low light. The image quality is great though, and build quality is surprisingly good. When I mounted it on my 6D for the first time, the 1.8 really felt like a lens that should have cost somewhere between $200/$250.

[@grandegulo]

Thank you for the review, it was very interesting. I got rid of my Canons 50 mm 1.8 and 1.4, got for free as presents soviet MC Helios 44-3 and Jupiter-8 and am quite satisfied with them. :)

[@rayriley5203]

I sold my EF 50mm F/1.2 L lens an borrowed the Zeiss, I didn't like either. I went to buy the Sigma Art, however I pick up the Zeiss Milvus 50m f/2 awesome lens I love it ... The 35mm Sigma Art will be my next purchase... Great review!! Love your work.

[@ZadieBear]

I have the Canon 50 1.4, and I like the lens quite a lot on my 6D, however, below F2, the contrast is poor. I have been thinking of the Sigma 50 Art, but I just can't spend $900 on a lens, so I want to look at the new Tamron 45 when it comes out soon.

[@clivemetcalfe2304]

I have the Canon 50mm 1.2 lens. It is a superb lens with wonderful creamy bokeh. The one point you missed out on is calibrating the auto focus to your Canon camera. The Canon 50mm 1.2 is known for it's back focusing which can be corrected and memorised in camera. I would suggest checking the calibration between any lens and camera before drawing any conclusions.

[@ashleywolff2299]

same with many peoples complaints on the sigma. It can be easily resolved.

[@НиколайКурилко-ф3к]

Добрый день. Ваш комментарий о 50 1,2 дал мне повод к вопросу. Использую мой 50 1,2 с моим 1 Ds mark 3 , до диафрагмы 1,8 большой % промахов по фокусу в среднем плане и крупном плане. Подскажите , удачи Вам.

[@clivemetcalfe2304]

@@НиколайКурилко-ф3к Это довольно частое явление для этого объектива. Его нужно откалибровать с вашей камерой. Я использую этот объектив с камерой EOS 5DSr, и у него есть функция калибровки на страницах меню камеры. Если вы посмотрите это в онлайн-руководстве к вашей камере, это даст вам некоторые рекомендации. Вам также может помочь, если вы поищите калибровку для своей камеры на KZbin. Я надеюсь, что этот перевод в порядке, поскольку я использовал Google Translate.

[@mcgarnacle21]

What a fantastic video. Thank you so much for putting in the effort to make this and all of your videos. I'm just getting in to the world of DSLR's and all of your lens videos have been a huge help so thank you so much.

[@postproduction6631]

Congratulations with 200 k Subscribers Cris !!! With Love From Moldova !!!

[@dzunglv]

Thanks you so much! This kind of comparision makes everything simple! Canon users need reviews like this. Are you having plan to make Battle of 24mm-28mm, 35mm, 85-100mm, 135mm?

[@josephkerollos]

Awesome review as usual. Personally, I think that the Sigma Art is the winner here... it's the highest number of stars 23... thanks for backing up my decision!

[@gnz-art]

Great as usual, just one thing. The Yongnuo made for Canon looks and is a lot cheaper made than the Nikon version. I have both and indeed the Canon version lacks sharpness. I've used it with an 5D MII with unsatisfactory results. On the other hand, I've been using the Nikon version with the D800E and D3 and the sharpness rivals if not surpasses the F Mount f/1.8G and I am more than happy to own and use it. As you can see in your review, the Yongnuo EF 50mm f1/.4 beats the Canon version and is way less expensive. I also have the 35mm f/2 and 100mm f/2 and wouldn't ever get rid of them.

[@niklasnickel]

a really great comparison, telling objectivelly what the good and the bad aspects of each lens are! Make more comparisions!

[@leojonkers3181]

I use the Sigma F1.4 Art lens on my 6D. It is the best lens I have, altought I am not so crazy about a 50mm lens.

[@fotowissen]

Dear Christopher, where does the Tamron 45mm F/1.8 come into this super Test of 50mm lenses? Is it´s sharpness, contrast and flaring about the same? Would you please give me an idea about the stars you would give it? Tx so much!

[@nordiccitizen]

i would love to see a round up of Macro lenses. Top 5 or something like that. Just like this 50mm battle. Keep up the work ! love your videos.

[@JoeJacksonJr]

Solid lens comparison.. Very accurate IMHO and wonderfully done..

[@keithspillett1950]

I shoot both sony and canon professionally, and have f1.8 'fifties' for both. Despite only being an APS-C example, the Sony e-mount is a fabulous performer, though I'd happily recommend either of them. The canon works well with my full frame Sony a7 too.

[@ben_s73]

Thank you.Your reviews are thorough and informative and really assist my options on lenses.

[@JusticeFreedomDestin]

I picked up my 50mm f1.8 ii a couple of years ago, and it was a great investment. If I had some extra money, I'd consider picking up the f1.8 stm, but I'd rather wait until Canon makes an affordable, sharp, weather sealed 50mm f1.4. Even though the 50mm works out to around 80mm on Canon's APS-C sensor, I actually like the tighter view because it gives less distortion and is still incredibly versatile, even for street photography and such. I'm glad Canon made the 24mm f2.8 STM because it pairs fantastically with the 50mm and makes for a great travel kit with just those two lenses.

[@avenegas0691]

Five-Star Rating Review!!! Thanks a lot Christopher!!!

[@cyberchick87]

great video as always Chris, I splashed out on a 50mm 1.2L as its always been on wishlist and although it may not be the sharpest of 50mm lenses its a beauty!, I hardly ever take it off my 6D (unless i using my 135mm now thats a whole new level of awesomeness)

[@christopherfrost]

+cyberchickgeek Oh cool you got the 135mm too! Such an amazing lens on a full-frame camera.

[@theos4931]

+cyberchickgeek The 135mm L is highly regarded as the sharpest lens from Canon, and a lot of photographers definitely swear by it

[@DarkPa1adin]

+Tio Sukardi I seen youtube reviewer saying that the 135mm L isn't the sharpest 135 anymore

[@Maikkeru]

more of these comparison videos please.

[@tugbayertan]

Thank you for this video first. The important think is autofocus performance for me, so can you tell us pls, which lens's performance is better and no need any micro adjustment for fix focus issue. Ok, Sigma is a sharp lens but I seen a lot of bad comments about Sigma about autofocus performance.

[@olgakhomyakova4760]

I have many 50mm lenses but Nikon 55mm f2.8 AIS Micro lens is my favorite. It serves me very well on my Canon 6D with a simple adapter. It has no serious optical issues. It is very useful as a normal lens and a macro lens. it is also very light and small. However, it is a manual lens and really needs some manual focusing skills. F2.8 may not be sufficient for some people also.

[@elizbartskrialashvili3361]

Greatly done review. I am going to buy 50mm lens for my Canon 4000D and thought many which one would be the best value under $150. There are some people selling used 50mm 1.4 for $140. On the other hand, I saw new 1.8 STM on Ebay with UV filter for $100. Probably, I would go to STM version. The only thing I think about is which one lasts longer.

[@RageStudios]

great video! you should do more like this in different categories, wide angle lenses, kit zoom lenses, etc

[@njrivetelite]

I have the Canon 1.8 STM If I ever wanted a different 50mm I'd only trade up to the Sigma 50 'Art' I had the older sigma 1.4 and definitely was not satisfied with the autofocus at all and missed way too many shots.. I sold it. I'm VERY satisfied with the Canon STM. For the price, it's an excellent lens and it should be the first lens any canon shooter should buy if they have a kit lens..

[@3obardThawn3]

Great video... can you or have you done a video like this for 35mm ???

[@christopherfrost]

I'm thinking about it

[@ghislaincote4882]

Wow. can't wait for more videos like this. Will you make one on 85mm lenses?

[@emreozdemir8711]

I bought 50mm f1.8 stm...Thank you for your review:)

[@mittalbaria]

its great??

[@pontbwo7417]

mittalkumar baria 金属屁股

[@annameikeing]

This was so helpful. Would love to see how the new Canon 50mm rf 1.8 compares to the lineup above.

[@Twobarpsi]

This video is 7 years old, RF didn't exist.

[@Butterfly07949]

There is something that has always puzzled me Christopher and that is why sometimes image quality is worse on a aps camera than full frame. I mean logically a smaller sensor is looking through the usually optically better part of the lens. I remember back in my film days as a assistant photographer using a large format view camera we would use a medium format graflex back.

[@NikonPhotoHawk]

Well done Chris. I use a 50mm lens on my full-frame cameras when I need to include some of the environment in the image with my subject or for group shots, and I do use if for some landscape work. I'm a Nikon shooter and had been using the Nikon 50mm f/1.4 G, until i dropped it in the middle of a shoot. Then I replaced it with a used and older vierson 50mm f/1.4 AF-D because it was the only 50mm lens in stock at the camera store and I need at 50mm strait away. I have been using it for about 2 year now and it a great lens, but unless shooting wide-opens, the Bokeh is not very good, and for my portrait work, that important to me. I was about to by another 50mm f/1.4 G lens, but my camera shop owner lens my use a Nikon 50mm f/1.8 G for a week before making up my mind, and I actually like the f/1.8 G better then the f/1.4 G... it's a little sharper, has better contrast and the Bokeh is just a nice in my open with it 7 rounded aperture blades. I was thinking about the Sigma 50mm f/1.4 Art lens, but couldn't justify the cost, but cost, being that 85 percent of my work is done with my 85mm f/1.4 AF-D lens & 135mm f/2 DC Nikkor lenses... and my 70-200mm f/2.8 gets a lot of use as well. The 50mm Art lens would perform a little better, but I'm still very happy with my 50mm f/1.8 G.

[@christopherfrost]

+George Benson Thanks for the info! It's really interesting to hear about things on the Nikon mount. Sounds like you have a great kit.

[@mirage505]

Thanks..i like your simple and sincere reviews 👍

[@Baluchishair]

Love these 50mms, I have one but it's totally manual the old Pentax M f/1.7, great thing on my SL2.

[@johndavidg.3962]

I just realized that after following you for over one year... i just now subscribed

[@redwanhassantuhin409]

Ju faleminderit shumë mirë dhe kuptoni: Faleminderit pa problem

[@gortiz1989]

Best video yet, Christopher!

[@PhilIpp88]

That review amazed me! Well done!

[@imrulkayes4623]

You are the best youtube reviewer.

[@hum2020]

Thank you interesting review. I shoot Nikon and have the 1.8g and younuo 1.8. Although the nikon is sharper and much better at flaring, I find that I do like the yongnuo lens particularly for night photography. However I mainly shoot with the 3.5 to 4.5 24mm to 85mm vr for any 50mm focal lenth shots. It is at least as sharp as the 1.8g nikon 50mm and better out of focus backgrounds if I zoom to 85mm.

[@cb1879]

As always a great review. The Canon 50mm 1.8 STM is indeed a super lens. Keep up the great work :-)

[@jamesb72]

I have had sigma 1.4 hsm for a while, but just picked up the canon 1.8 stm for claimed near silent af planning to only keep one of them, but stm lens is really noisy focusing da-da-da noise, i spoke to canon who say this is normal for 50mm stm and they are all noisy focusing and 50 1.4 usm is better for video (???) but youtube has a mix of people saying the 50 stm is quiet or noisy? mine is certainly unusable for video with on camera mic. now not sure

[@henrydanielgatlin9774]

I love how your audience loves that you bag on the Zeiss! At the risk of being accused of egotism, let me point out that according to your tests, other than shooting at 1.4, which I never do or need to do (I very rarely find myself shooting below 4 or even 2.8, so "bokeh" quality is not really a concern) the Zeiss compares just as favorably as any of the other lenses, especially for the price and build quality. Back when I started shooting, most photographers knew that for ultimate sharpness and lack of aberration, you didn't close down all the way, OR open up all the way, so most pro shooters I know tend to avoid the extremes anyway, and rely more on focal length for shorter or longer DOF. If I want short DOF, I'll shoot my Canon 100mm macro, not my 50mm. That being said, the Zeiss 50 1.4, is an amazingly sharp lenses within the range of my everyday shooting. Granted, if you are looking for ultimate sharpness at 1.4, it's not "the" lenses. But given the build quality, it would be more fair to say it's a great lenses for the price, and shows how subjective (albeit informative) these reviews are. I'll save the $900.00 (Sigma Art) for something other than a 50mm.

[@christopherfrost]

Each to their own :-)

[@matejpodlesnik6538]

Why are you defending softness of the lens? If manufacturer made it 1,4 then it should be working as good as it can at that f stop!!! Are you using it at that aperture or not doesen't make a diference.

[@bijosn]

The zeiss suffers from focus shift with changing apertures, did you refocus after each aperture change? It’s sharper than all these other lenses (except the sigma art) after F4

[@periurban]

Great roundup.

[@planetkasper]

I loved this concise review and I came back to re-watch it after some years now. I would just suggest you to also include weight. No way to give stars for it (imagine a pancake getting - or losing - points to Sigma Art), but this info is of core value to many users, especially in travel photog or when the 50 is just an extra toss in the bag. Love your channel, cheers 🥂

[@rafewahmmedjiju9030]

Can you please do a same kind of comparison video on Wide angle lenses? It would be Very helpful.

[@warpspeed9877]

I couldn't reach the art lens but the 1.4 ex dg I got performs great. And my sample focuses accurately! What more can you ask?

[@Sliwka36]

Now we are waiting for comparison of 85mm prime lenses. Would love to see this..

[@Wems3r]

This is a very great comparison!

[@istvanfilm5431]

Thank you for the tremendous work. Which do you think has the better bokeh Samyang or Sigma?

[@labinthapa5957]

Six years later, I'm back to CZ planar 50 1.4. I tried to hate it, but it has a kind of magic others can't replicate. Maybe Takumar 50 1.4

[@SantaridesaKTM]

Is there any chance of you doing a 35mm lens super battle?

[@christopherfrost]

+Mr Wobbleknocker Hmm, not a bad idea. Maybe one day when I've bothered to test the Canon ones

[@user0000user]

I can absolutely recommend the 50mm STM. Portraits on my 5Dmk4 are razor sharp.

[@fredericktennant9151]

Thanks for this review, it has helped me make up my mind as to which lens I will buy

[@1OssoBuco]

The problem with Sigma is that their auto-focus on Canon is slow and inaccurate. Inevitably you will miss precious shots which can be crucial in event photography.

[@mazzfotovideo]

Do you try the sony 50mm 1.8? compared with the canon.

[@christopherfrost]

I have reviewed that lens - take a look on my channel

[@ArikGST]

Hey, Christopher (or anyone else who knows). Which one of these has the quietest (and preferably accurate) autofokus motor? I mostly do video and I mostly film myself, so I kinda have to rely on the autofokus. My budget is 500$$ (though I would prefer to spend less) so the Sigma Art is out of the question :-/ My Sigma 17-50mm 2.8 EX DC OS HSM is quite noisy and even when my mikrofon is a couple of feet away it still picks up the noise :-/ So I`ll have to replace that lense. I like the 50mm Focal length a lot and mostly film at that anyways so I guess it makes sense to get a 50mm Prime. I don`t need IS because my camera sits on a tripod and isn`t moved while filming. I am also considering other similiar focal lenghts like the Tamron SP AF 45mm 1.8 Di VC USD or the Sigma Art AF 30mm 1.4 DC HSM. I am not above buying used products. Sorry for any spelling errors xD

[@christopherfrost]

STM or Canon's new Nano-USM are quietest

[@kaanaksoy2599]

Dear Christopher, This is one awesome comparison of yours. But it is interesting that I own no 50-mm lens at all although I own six lenses. The closest one is Canon 40mm STM. For wide aperture lenses, I own a 35mm and a 85mm lens. However Tamron really confused my mind with the new lenses; SP 35mm f/1.8 VC and 45mm f/1.8 VC... with image stabilization! They deserve to be taken into consideration and cost less than Sigma 'Art' lenses. ;) Best regards.

[@smaakjeks]

+Kaan Aksoy A Tamon 35mm and 45mm f1.8 *VC*?? Yow-ee! Their VC has been stellar in their later lenses.

[@kaanaksoy2599]

+Smaakjeks Kjeks Recently I have checked the MTF charts of existing Canon EF 35mm f/1.4L lens, the new Canon EF 35mm f/1.4L II lens, the Sigma 35mm f/1.4 'Art' lens and the new Tamron SP 35 f/1.8 VC lens. According to these MTF charts, Tamron SP 35mm performs well, especially with 599 USD price tag! Looking forward to see them available on market. :)

[@rodneybettimontenegro2262]

a question: I do have an old Nikon N2000,with a 50mm 1.8 lens. Can I use this lens on my D90? Or should I buy a nifty fifty from Nikon,with auto focus? Should I look after any other specs? (there are more than one type of 50mm?)

[@DynamixWarePro]

Awesome, well explained reviews. Yours are some of the best I have seen of lenses for Canon DSLRs and having several Canon DSLRs for photography myself, these reviews are quite useful. I quite like 50mm lenses as well and have the Canon 50mm 1.8 II which I got for my Canon 600D in 2011 and it was a good lens to get decent photographs with, even if it wasn't that wide on the ASP-C sensor. Just because a lens is a Zeiss, doesn't automatically make it a great lens as some think, but not all are I read reports of a number of Zeiss lenses not being so great in overall image quality, the 50mm in your review shows that well. I quite like the Sigma lenses and have always found Sigma optics to be quite good and some are very sharp like the "Art" lenses and their macro lenses, however in some older Sigma lenses, I have found the auto focus doesn't always work well or would work fine then one day would start to fail. If you could get one, could you review either the old Canon 50mm f/0.95 or the Canon 50mm f/0.95 TV Lens? Would be interested to see how it compares to some of the other 50mm lenses you reviewed here, specifically the other Canon 50mm lenses and would be good to know if it would be good enough quality to work on modern Canon DSLRs.

[@christopherfrost]

+DynamixWarePro Hmm, if I can get hold of that lens then maybe one day! It is for mirrorless cameras though, I think

[@DynamixWarePro]

Christopher Frost Photography Thanks. I wasn't sure which mount it was for.

[@Magnetron692]

Hi Chris, thank you for this interesting lens comparison! I purchased the Canon EF 1.8/50mm STM and I'm happy with it. I'm contemplating about the Sigma Art lens. Although I'm not in the possession of an Sigma Art Series lens, I like those lens series.

[@HeathcliffBlair]

Thanks. Very useful overview as usual. It might be worth noting that for non Canon camera users, the 50mm 1.8 STM lens is problematic. I shoot with a GH4 and use lots of Canon glass via adapters. But sadly Canon's STM range will not work on the GH4 (and probably other bodies) because the STM system requires power direct from a Canon body to provide manual focus. This is a big shame, IMO, and could be quite detrimental to Canon in the long run - it cuts out a potentially huge market for its lenses. I have the old Mk2 50mm 1.8 (works ok with M4/3 bodies) and would have loved to upgrade, but can't. Oh well. Thanks again, Christopher. Your vids are great.

[@christopherfrost]

+Heathcliff Blair Thanks for the info there - I wouldn't have known that myself, and I'm sure a few people will find that to be important. Best, Chris