Yongnuo 50mm f/1.8 VS Canon! Comparison and full review (full-frame and APS-C)

[@hotcrossbones]

I refused to watch ANY review of this lens until I saw yours Chris. You are my gold standard and the only reviewer who seems agenda free and honest. Excellent job as usual.

[@Ensign_Cthulhu]

He does a pretty good job of it, doesn't he? _the only reviewer who seems agenda free and honest_ This is because, being a man of the cloth IIRC, he knows there IS a God, and furthermore that God is a photographer and will burn him in hell if he dishonestly misrepresents a lens or camera. LOL

[@philipyoungg]

jsm666 HAHAHA

[@adrianomoreira1341]

Your reviews are among the most reliable on the market. Thank you for help in choosing!

[@eljmayes]

Adriano Moreira I

[@AgnostosGnostos]

Most amateurs dSLR users are stuck to zoom kit lenses or buy lenses with greater zoom. The possibilities of bright prime lenses are unknown. The Yongnuo is sharper, lowers more the ISO noise at f/1.8 and offers easier bokeh than nearly all EF-S lenses. All these are unknown by most casual photographers. I think the 40$ Yongnuo 50mm f/1.8 is a great very cheap gift. It is soft at the corners. But this is not too bad when someone is taking photos of people. Yongnuo has also a little more expensive 35mm f/2.0 lens which is good for street photography.

[@RobbertN]

24mm is the new 50mm for me ;)

[@katjoe1974]

I find it appalling how often in the comments section of lens reviews there are people asking "will this lens fit my [insert whatever camera]". It's not rocket science! If your camera has an EF-mount, it will take any lens with an EF-mount. If it's a Nikon and it has an F-mount, which lenses does it take? That's right- Nikon F-mount. If your camera has a PL-mount and you don't know which lenses go in it, please sell your camera and find a new hobby.

[@christopherfrost]

What always surprises me is when people who have bought very expensive full-frame cameras start asking "Will my 18-55mm kit lens work on my 5D Mark iii?". I don't know about other people, but when I bought my first camera I spent lots of time researching what lenses it could use!

[@willparsons32]

I am in the same bracket and it is becoming more and more difficult to choose... It always seems that one lens out - does another!

[@irsonv]

You assumed that everyone who has camera has to know everything. not everyone is very knowledgeable, you know. If you dont want to answer that kind of comments then just ignore it.

[@christopherfrost]

I make a perfectly good point. If you're going to spend a load of money on a new car, you find out whether it takes diesel or petrol. If you're spending £1,000+ on a new camera, you figure out what lenses it will be able to use.

[@abhijeetbose09]

😂 😂 😂 😂

[@AanGozall]

Now I am waiting for a Yongnuo 6D copies.. Or the 5D Mark III copies for cheap Well I hope they'll make that sort of things later Hahaha

[@cheemsdoge977]

Hi ,I'm from future , they didn't do ir

[@joaoxuh]

For the 50% price of canon lens, i think yongnuo worth it. I must buy one for me. :) Thanks for your precise review.

[@SwapnenduKar]

Better review than the Digital Rev

[@RicardoGhion]

Digital REV é uma merda

[@SwapnenduKar]

Fraldinha Foto e Video Ya. But it's fun to watch them. :)

[@Trip19ful]

Swapnendu Kar v

[@DerRationalist123]

i never unterstood why everybody is watching digitalrev. never learned smth there. too much talking with less content. Chris does it right

[@DerRationalist123]

Agree

[@floflospeed24]

but, will this fit my Honda ?

[@erdschleim2096]

Which Honda you have ? Type R ?

[@YuriiD]

You have to put some unicorn fart magic and it will totaly fit! :-D

[@danielstobbs7366]

Just change the exhaust fluids first

[@slr7075]

According to the lens, it can Fit but it may take you alot of Vigor. You might be a Legend if you can but it takes Integrity for it to work. Piloting the way in the Odyssey of potential problems it may be a Prelude of trouble if you don't Beat it when installing.

[@ZiyaadZaimKhaliq]

Mighty Car Mods reference :D

[@Jakiyyyyy]

3:19 Yongnuo: Haha haha Canon: Hehe hehe

[@5555555lowmen]

finally an unbiased review

[@ellielopez1615]

5555555lowmen Exactiy

[@JesseKaufman]

Thank you for these reviews .. I've gone through countless Yongnuo, Canon, and Meike reviews on 35mm, 50mm, and 85mm in the last few weeks and yours were some of the best .. I ended up going for the Yongnuo 35mm (for now .. maybe I'll upgrade down the road), the Meike 85mm, and for now I've got my Canon 50mm f/1.8 ii, though I'm considering selling it and replacing it with the STM version for the additional aperture blades and better build quality .. so far, I'm loving the Yongnuo 35mm, and the Meike 85mm shows up tomorrow! Thanks for helping me choose and prevent buyer's remorse!

[@lu-ba]

Thank you, Chris, for helping me choose, I can always rely on you to give me full information to make the best decision on which lenses are worth the money and which are just too good to be true. Frankly, I am an amateur photographer. I will never be a professional, I will never get paid for taking photos. This is just a nice hobby, a way to creatively express myself. This seams like a nice cheap alternative for a very good and popular lens I have been thinking about purchasing. And the price is just perfect.

[@enrique8292]

I'm a professional events photographer with an aps-c body(canon 70d) and i'm truly proud that i am free from the creative prison that is the yongnuo 50mm i. It's certainly good for beginners to get a feel of a fast standard prime, but anything professional, it's life or death.

[@lepoloo]

As the previous comment from Adriano Moreira I wanted to say that your tests and comparisons are very fair, precise and reliable. Thank you a lot for that. Congrats for the good job.

[@Paul_C83]

Nice review. I've only thought of a 50mm as a portrait lens so never considered purchasing one. Although cheap it seems reasonable for the price and worth a try.

[@apislapis]

5 yrs on since your review. You may well still be right about it's softness. However, for those starting out on a tight budget it may well be ahead of the Canon STM nifty fifty on their wish list. My first 'proper' camera was a Praktika MTL3 and some cheap M42 screw thread, soft lenses. I bought what I could afford, There was nothing auto to speak of and I was contented for a while with my lot until my dad gave me his OM10 and Zuiko primes. Zoom forward to now and the bar has been raised so high by manufacturers that everyone expects everything to be tack sharp. The softest thing is the poor photographer...ahem...having to grapple with auto everything! I'm sure by 2023 we'll all have a free manservant. Well done Chris your reviews have a longevity, are still relevant and still watched.

[@vraedum]

Such a detailed comparison with sample photos of each placed side by side. Thanks for pointing out the magenta tint, it allowed me to make a decision instantly. Btw, if you could cover the auto-focus, guess it'll be a complete comparison by then. Thanks again, really well done.

[@christopherfrost]

You're welcome! I think I did cover AF though.

[@jmhebert2108]

This answered my question perfectly. All of these mixed reviews have not tested the lens on a full frame vs cropped. It seem the reviews that boast good sharpness were using full frame, and the reviews that den sharpness were using crop. I have a cropped sensor...so i wont be getting the off-brand unfortunately :(

[@Ensign_Cthulhu]

0:50 Something to be noted. I don't have a Canon camera, but I've seen Yongnuo's name in the context of flashes and watched the review to see what you thought of the lens. If they're making their own internals rather than just reverse engineering and copying, it would seem to indicate a serious intent on Yongnuo's part in becoming a player in the third-party lens market and something to watch with interest. Given that Sigma (especially) and Tamron are making every effort to play in the big league these days, Yongnuo are obviously reasoning there's a niche for a smaller player with more affordable offerings. Granted, they seem to have fallen short of a relatively low benchmark on this one, but you have to start somewhere. (ETA And if it's good enough for Facebook and 6 x 4 glossies, entry-level DSLR buyers will flock to it.)

[@ared18t]

Well it is half the price.

[@ared18t]

Actually less than that.

[@ejdotw]

Love how you did this review, Chris. Both professionally and politically! You're outstanding!

[@Ducati999cc]

Just bought it and happy with purchase

[@aronchas]

Honest and well done review as always, cheers from México, Chris!

[@yttean98]

Hi, As usual your reviews of lenses are always very thorough unlike some American KZbin lens reviews sites. I enjoy watching your lens reviews. Thks.

[@Sam-ht5dk]

There is a removable clear plastic circle in the rear and front element which if you didn't know to take it off, would off affected the images.

[@shawnramsey2791]

Will this fit my Mitsubishi?

[@christopherfrost]

I have no idea what you're talking about

[@TEMPLATEWORLDVFX]

He thought it's a car exhaust

[@52ashur]

thank you for the great review mate I am new on the DCLR world and I have learn a lot of things from your reviews well done and keep going

[@jiwobawono7586]

Because of this lense review, I subsribed you sir. Thank you for the review.

[@marcp.1752]

thanks for the review chris, even i didn't consider buying the 50/1.8 yongnuo lens. would you review also the newer 35/2 youngnuo lens? that one seems to be more interesting - a metal bajonett, and the focal length is much more interesting as one-do-it-all lens. :-)

[@darkharborproductions9121]

Thanks for the review man! I was having trouble choosing. THANK YOU SO MUCH!

[@revelationvideoproductions1168]

Christopher I got this just couple days ago. They also make LED lighting. Mine was $53 US. The focus was stuck and wouldn't move I had to really force it but main it works really well

[@Letsgogetlosts]

I can listen to you y’all all day long 😊 nice video

[@dubyahMUFC]

Thanks for the video! Also I was very excited to see Sir Alex on your bookshelf!

[@tauleotv7575]

I just bought a yongnuo lens because of your unbiased review and i just subscribe your channel. God bless!

[@IssaAzad]

Pro tip: Just bump up the contrast in post on the YN lens. Your welcome.

[@christopherfrost]

Yes, but you can only take that so far - it's not great for your final image quality

[@IssaAzad]

@@christopherfrost Depends on your final overall edit. I shoot on film and digital and haven't had issues even printing.

[@nirv5275]

Hey Chris, Would it be worth it, as a new photographer looking to buy his first lens after the kit lens to save the 25 euro and buy the old one, or spend extra to get the updated model

[@Giaour]

Old true, on f8 all lenses are same quality. This is only half true or less, but... Very good job again Chris.

[@Butterfly07949]

Very surprising results from a Chinese lens and having 7 aperture blades is a nice touch to. Love the jazzy background music Christopher don't know what a little ragtime jazz music would be like though 😀

[@KnorrV]

Hey christopher! Question about the canon, is the autofocus at night on point as well?

[@minorart]

Excellent and thorough review. Well done, sir.

[@PrivTrd]

Great videos Christopher you are really on top of things. I really enjoy your presentation style, and you are up on the newest trends. Thanks for posting this review, I was curious about how this UBER cheap yongnuo performs against the also UBER CHEAP plastic fantastic (which BTW, I love) , my questions are answered now. I thought that perhaps the additional aperture blades would have made the a super plastic fantastic. Though the additional blades may be a good thing for bokeh shape, the yongnuo seems to be not quite as good as the canon on the whole. Thanks again!!!

[@JR-yc4et]

Hey Chris. Will you be doing review on the Yongnuo 1.8 Mk 2 anytime soon?

[@braelen9]

Love the reviews Chris :) I don't buy a lens before I watch your videos! Keep up the great work man!

[@buddah610]

I mean no harm by this question. It is an honest thought I had. What do you do if you want a lens he doesn't review? Or do you only know about those particular lenses because he reviews them? Like,if you wanted a Rokinon fisheye lens really badly and he never reviewed that lens....you wouldn't ever buy it? Again,I really don't mean anything by my question. I just am extremely curious.

[@braelen9]

Generally, I use Canon cameras that use Canon mounts and I also use dedicated Canon lenses that are pretty mainstream so most if not all the lenses I use or want to buy are reviewed by Chris because he too uses Canon; this being said, if there is a lens that he hasn't reviewed, like an Rokinon or a brand that isn't as big as Canon, I'll see if I have friends that own the lens or just search for other reviews (i.e. video reviews or other stuff online). I put in a lot of research on products before I buy them just to make sure I can get the most amount of use and the highest quality for what I pay for. I want to be guaranteed cost effectiveness. But I would for sure buy lenses that he doesn't review. Great question :D

[@buddah610]

braelen9 Great answer! I'm glad you didn't call me all kinds of names because I truly meant no harm. I was just very curious because he doesn't review every single lens on the market and I thought.... If you only buy lenses reviewed by him....you get the drift. I felt you were missing out on some great inexpensive lenses if,in fact,that was what you were doing. However, I got it! 😉 Have a great day! I love his reviews as well. Very informative.

[@oleksmarko]

Thanks for your work! You are doing a great job!

[@harshitdwivedi]

Watching it in 2020 from India ❤️

[@bbnewsin]

Me too

[@majiankun23]

thought y’all boycotting Chinese stuff. jk

[@GiselaCindy12]

hi im just wondering is it possible to use Yongnuo 50mm f/1.8 for my canon M10 camera?sorry not know about camera that much.

[@christopherfrost]

Yes, but you will need to use an EF - EF-M adaptor to fit it on.

[@ogFiyasKane]

Hey I just watched the video and am very thankful for this review. I recently ordered the yongnuo to use with a sony a6000 that i have paired with a fotasy eos-nex canon ef adapter. I know very little about photography so far but I feel like I have made the right choice in buying this lens for the low price. What I am worried about is if my adapter will work with this lens. I hope you can provide me with that answer. Thank you very much and you did an outstanding job on this review I enjoyed watching it a lot

[@christopherfrost]

+Rick La Flame Thanks! I have no idea if your adaptor will work though

[@michaelboonphotography3014]

Great review I have to admit I really like my Canon 50mm 1.8 for the money it's a fantastic lens.

[@Tiger74147]

I didn't notice the purple hue on all the shots. Was it just on that location?

[@TednTin]

wow, very detailed and well informed review you got a new subscriber

[@miriamktz]

Realy good video! I have EOS 700d and would like to know if this lens work for interior photography??

[@christopherfrost]

?

[@gamerN77]

Exactly 1 day after DigitalRev? Lol

[@toyinoshodi387]

Lol. And if you go to Chris's homepage, you will see that he rated the Kai's review the day before uploading this one. Hehe.

[@christopherfrost]

Toyin Oshodi Hehe well spotted! I like Kai's reviews although obviously they're very different from mine :-)

[@toyinoshodi387]

Christopher Frost Photography yes very different. That's why I always come to your channel for the more 'serious' review. Lol.

[@DavidZamoraFILMS]

Toyin Oshodi por eso estamos suscritos

[@andreacalabia9215]

Can i use this on canon eos m100 without adapter?

[@christopherfrost]

No

[@exlulu1]

Nice review. Keep up the good work!

[@davidberrocal5191]

Thanks for this review. This was exactly what I needed to know.

[@joshcadena5070]

I read a bunch of reviews where people forgot to remove the plastic film from the rear (and I think the front) lens elements, and I'm wondering if you removed them

[@christopherfrost]

Yes, of course. I removed them.

[@TheDiego333333]

Nice review. Is this working on canon mirrorless m50 though?

[@christopherfrost]

With an adaptor, yes it will

[@catlilapause]

What a useful review! Thanks so much

[@lachsoos7387]

how many wheels does the yongnuo lens have to control the focus and cover (f/1.8-...)?

[@Jakiyyyyy]

Is there any aperture sharper than F/8? So we need to shoot portraits with F/8?

[@stephenwessells2347]

Thanks for this. Has Yongnuo done any upgrading of this little prime lenses as of late 2018?

[@christopherfrost]

Yup, look at my channel

[@elverdaderoevangeliodejesu8070]

Hi Chris, I am just wondering if you have made a comparison video between Canon 50mm 1.8 STM VS Canon 24 1.8 STM ? if not what do you thing is better for a crop sensor CANON 70D? Cheers God bless

[@christopherfrost]

Depends on if you want a 50mm lens or a 24mm, really. All the best

[@elverdaderoevangeliodejesu8070]

+Christopher Frost Photography 50mm is awesome but it does not have enough focal length when shooting with a crop sensor? do you think 24mm 2.8 has the same sharpness quality? cheers

[@christopherfrost]

24mm will be much better for general purpose photography

[@kingsamvisuals]

I bought this. Gonna get the stm eventually and convert this into a macro lens.

[@yoloman7261]

yongnuo lens seems best choice for low budget,but i still adore with the image quality,not bad at all!!

[@KeriRautenkranz]

Many thanks for this review! One thing to beware of with both of these lenses but especially the Yongnuo is that they are fairly fragile. The internal parts of the focus ring are easily cracked if the protruding lens cap or filter takes an impact if shipped or dropped without the original box and styrofoam insert. Using a much needed lens hood on the filter threads seems an invitation to disaster.

[@telecastersRthebest]

I noticed a weird behavior from the Canon lens. When you stopped it down from f4 to f5.6, it got softer in the corners then sharp again at f8.

[@MizzleBaaby]

watching 5 years later

[@ayuutoboss2602]

May i use for m50

[@ljaproductions07]

Fantastic review, shame that the Yongnuo lens is a bit soft, but for the price It's hard to beat but I think I'll get another Canon 50mm lens

[@gin_pineapple]

since it has no lens hood, can i use the ES62 lens hood that canon is using for my YN 50mm lens? i'm skeptical in buying a lens hood for this because what if it wont fit.. :(

[@christopherfrost]

Not sure, really.

[@jacobiniklas]

I do automotive photography with my Canon 60D, what lens would you recommend for me? I have a 50mm already. Thanks

[@DalsPhotography]

Niklas Jacobi I do have the same camera (for now, soon I'm getting a new one) yet, if you are on sports, you need a larger telephoto lens...

[@aorcler]

Automotive as in racing or like car showcases lol

[@TonderayiKanoz]

Nice review as always!

[@BaghaShams]

I have this lens for the e-mount. It can take very sharp nice portraits. But the focusing is really bad, it's constantly hunting and is often out of focus even when it was locked on. I'll have to learn to take several photos of each shot, just to make sure one of them is in focus.

[@ared18t]

Sony e-mount?

[@ArikGST]

I got into DSLR photo and video recently so my input is coming from a novice. From my testing, the Yongnuo makes a good lense for not-too-serious hobby photographers/beginners who are on a budget, maybe for people who want better quality on their instagram photos. It takes pictures that a neophyte wouldn`t scuff at (which really are most people). The focus is quite slow compared to the 50mm STM lense (don`t have anything else to compare it to) which makes it less then ideal for shooting moving objects or for video, but for static pictures it`s fine. The focus is also quite loud, another negative point for video. However, I kept mine and sold my 50mm STM because I mostly shoot product pictures where I don`t care about autofocus speed or sound and don`t need uber high quality picture quality. It fills that role just fine and my wallet isn`t as sad.

[@venkatadepu6347]

Give some description about the Yongnuo lens... Amazon link

[@googlefriend7685]

Could you please recommend a mount adapter for the Canon M50 do you remember using the Yongnuo lens or shall I just get the Canon ef M 22mm lens my first camera sorry don't know much at the moment I'm using the kit lens I want it for video

[@christopherfrost]

Keep working with the kit lens until you understand a bit more, then see which focal length you like, and get that lens

[@googlefriend7685]

@@christopherfrost thank you so much

[@haakonglindtvad5489]

so for filmmaking for my 70d Should Yongnuo be good there?Because you didn't spoke so much about video.

[@christopherfrost]

The autofocus will make some noise, and it's not image stabilized, but apart from that it will be just about usable

[@VisualofHotwheels]

Get the canon 50mm 1.8 stm if you can afford it. But if all you have is the money for the younguo then by all means go for it, it's not trash for the price. But I would recommend saving the extra money for the canon it's incredible

[@alfinmalelak7585]

Was enjoying the review then suddenly, Caerdydd!

[@ruitfsilva]

Thanks Christopher for the review :D

[@oscarmike47]

so i went out and got this yongnuo lens. everything i heard about this lens was that it wasnt sharp at 1.8 but it was still fine at 2.8. for me this was enuf to go and get it. i had similar experiences with it with blury images at 1.8. had it for a couple months now. however today i did a some experiments with the lens on manual focus. i find that its sharp all the way to 1.8 with manual focus but for some reason when i switch it to auto focus it doesnt want to focus. i think this is a fault in the lens and not my camera. but i dont have another fast lens to test on my camera. i got just as sharp photos at 1.8 as i did at 2.8 but only with manual focus.

[@nageshkumbhar1985]

Watching your is pleasing to mind and very trustworthy..keep it up..

[@evieshutt]

Honestly, I'm a photographer and I can't really tell the difference between image quality

[@TriviaQuizCentral]

Very useful review, thanks.

[@simar537]

i have canon 750d (t6i) . will this lens require to be micro adjust if ill buy one ? plz answer

[@rodrigojds]

ask google

[@josepartida8803]

I just ordered mine so excited

[@PatrickPoet]

Will you do an update with the Canon f/1.8 50mm STM lens?

[@christopherfrost]

It has the same optics as the Mark ii 50mm lens

[@PatrickPoet]

There's considerable differences between the STM and the ii. Manual focus is now focus by wire with manual override of autofocus. Autofocus is faster, quieter, and more accurate. The STM has 7 aperture blades vs 5 so bokah is different. Chromatic abberation seems a little worse on the older lens wide open. In the center, the STM is clearly sharper wide open, but the ii seems sharper at tighter apertures. The STM is a lot sharper in corners at all apertures. Those differences could be from sample variation. The ii seemed to have a lot more variation in quality. But still, comparisons seem to keep finding these. Minimum focus distance for the STM is 35cm vs 45cm for the ii. STM has a metal mount.

[@christopherfrost]

There are mechanical differences, but no differences at all in terms of optics, apart from a different coating to reduce flaring. To quote Canon U.S.A.'s Chuck Westfall responded: "Yes, the optics of the EF 50mm f/1.8 STM are the same as the original EF 50mm f/1.8 and EF 50mm f/1.8 II."

[@PatrickPoet]

I've read that too. Could coatings yield the differences in sharpness that people measure?

[@christopherfrost]

If you include contrast in your assessment of sharpness, then it could make a difference. But the only improvement is really when shhoting against bright lights

[@Baluchishair]

Wonderful review #Christoph, I was planning to go for a YN50 1.8 for my SL2 but, I think I need to look someother way thanks to you. Chinese haven't been my piece of cake in terms of quality instruments, I am a poor photo enthusiast but I just hate being always that.

[@RAFAOG92]

Is this compatible with the Canon Rebel T100?

[@bigedkc0179]

My yongnouo stopped focusing a week after I got it any ideas

[@christopherfrost]

Get a friend to check that you're using it correctly, and if it's broken, send it back

[@fatshady9291]

best lens reviewer

[@marike1100]

I can't think of a single reason to cut corners on a nifty fifty. Since Canon, Nikon and Pentax make such awesome 50mm f/1.8 lenses for very little money, it makes no sense to look for something but with worse performance. But I am a fan of Yongnuo flashes, they work great.

[@anirudh9211]

If if i use it with crop sensor camera will focal length change to 75mm due to crop factor? Or this lens is made for crop sensor camera (nikon DX) ?

[@christopherfrost]

If you're using a crop sensor camera, you always always always multiply by 1.5x, no matter what lens you're using

[@anirudh9211]

@@christopherfrost thankyou for this information.

[@morrisman64]

This was very helpful thanks!!

[@sunnykiri3]

Great review man ☺

[@RealestatewithSaqibNazir]

i have yongnuo 50mm 1.8 and i am using it on canon 1100d. its motor dont works as fast as shown in the video. reply must plz

[@mmhoss]

Review the Opteka 85mm f1.8! It's barely $100 USD

[@HELIOSSTUDIO]

Its a great lens. You will not reget buying it.

[@sir_sleepsalot]

Did you remove the protection covers from both the front and the rear element?

[@christopherfrost]

hang li What do you think?

[@sir_sleepsalot]

I think you are asking a trick question ;)

[@PULSEmultimedia]

super review. thank you!

[@sushantkanchan]

Very nicely presented. Thank-you.

[@kal3198]

Can somebody please help me. I want a lens for portraits on my m100 on a very small budget. Should i get the yongnuo 50mm Mark 1 from this video or the secound version? Or neighter...

[@brandonj8018]

This one should get the job done.

[@kal3198]

@@brandonj8018 Thanks for your response. I now got the canon stm one. i got it with a discount so it was just 20€ more in my country and i think its worth the extra 20€