Apologies for the re-upload: there was a mistake in the original review regarding the function of the control ring which was serious enough that I decided to edit the content of the video.
Whereas Peter Mckinnon does a nice job as a Canon Sponsor to tell you how great the lens is and shoots some nice video, Christopher Frost at 3:55 min shows how loud and slow the auto focus is. He is a reliable reviewer and I appreciate getting the "whole truth " rather than a partial truth. THANKS. A +
As per my comment above, I have compared those two lenses. EF and RF 50mm f1.8. I strongly believe that this video is really understating the qualities of this lens. I rented the Canon R8 for a couple of months along with this lens last year and it was amazing especially for the price. Comparison the EF version is absolutely unoticeable. Especially when coming to the autofocus speed and precision. And by a landslide.
the things I like about Christopher Frost videos. - howdy everyone - a calm soothing voice in this unpredictable time - his insightful and detailed technical reviews- pictures of a welsh village that at lest allow me to imagine traveling to somewhere quaint and different from San Francisco during our lockdown :)
Dear Mr. Frost You are the one and only I trust when it comes to lens reviews. You have helped me decide for my purchases 99.99% of the times that I was looking to buy a lens and never gone wrong! I am a subscriber and I trust your reviews all the times. Good job!
Good review as always. I have the new RF version and have owned the EF STM as well. For me, getting rid of the adapter is worth the extra money. After selling my EF version and the adapter I got this lens practically for free. It does seem a little sharper and focusses faster. The noise is actually not too bad and quieter than the EF version in my experience. I was not expecting a big jump up in quality, so sharpness and bokeh rendering is on par with what I expected. Funny how so many praise the EF version and suddenly seem disappointed if a $200 RF equivalent does not perform as well as its $2000+ f/1.2 L big brother.
Dude don't think only in extremeness. No one expected top quality for that money, but still costs exactly double the price of the EF STM, which isn't seem to be worse, as you said, maybe a TINY bit less sharp. The bokeh doesn't seem like a step forward (that is what I hoped the most, but no sign of it), they kept the same blade number (I mean, really Canon? +1 or 2 didn't fit to this price?), the AF noise is laughable, and that focus breathing is simply horrifying. I think I can give up on that little extra sharpness, and I don't think the adapter is really that big deal. The EOS RP body usually available in a kit with the EF RF adapter. I bought that kit during black friday, so I already have the adapter. I still have months to decide, but I have a feeling I will skip the native version.
I received the RFmm 50 f/1.8 last week also and am pleased with it, I also have the EF 50 f/1.8 but the native RF achieves the main thing I was after which was to make my EOS-R a pretty small package to have in the bag. Wasn't expecting miracles in image quality given its similar formula and it's a good enough trade-off for what it provides in opportunities.
Has the RF improved the refresh rate now that you can use the high speed display? The slideshow effect when things are moving quicklyis my biggest disappointment in the R.
@@mandofan2616 Eye tracking all works perfectly. Although in general the autoFocus isn’t as fast or as smooth as my 28-70 or 85mm f1.2. Still better than previous versions of this lens though
Excellent review as always. A tip: everyone is making comparative videos between this RF 50mm f1.8 and the EF 50mm f / 1.8 (it's natural, since the new one corresponds to EF. But nobody (nobody) has so far made a comparison between RF 50mm f / 1.8 VS EF 50mm f / 1.4 It would be one of the first. Congratulations again.
Christopher you should also show test result at F2.0 or F2.2. Many photographers will use this lens as portrait lens and they would like to know at what F stop the center becomes usable without closing it down too much in order to preserve bokeh. When you jump from F1.8 to F2.8 you avoided the most important stops for portrait shooters. Thanks.
I set my R5 up on a tripod and took some sample pictures with this lens and my adapted Sigma 50mm f1.4 DG HSM Art. Both seem equally sharp which is by far the most important thing to me.
Adding to your review a few screenshots for the settings you are describing is next level information! I’ve not seen that done unless it’s a full on review of a camera and the various settings. Thank you 👍
Helpful review Chris. Got mine yesterday and am delighted (+relieved) to report that for back button focus users you don’t need to go into the menus to enable manual focus with this lens and you don’t need to be half pressing the shutter button to enable the focussing ring. So, with BBF enabled (and focus decoupled from the shutter button) I get full time manual focus override just as for my other Canon lenses.
Thank you for this review. I am very grateful. You saved me the pain of buying this horrible pre-histpric lens. What a joke! Canon should close down after making such loud motor 3:54. Awful.
@@benharris3949 You know, I don't know that I ever once used my EF version for video, and as soon as he pointed out the noise the first thing I wondered was "is the older one this noisy?" How would you say that matches up? I don't recall it being loud at all in still mode though, this sounded pretty loud.
Focus breathing is horrific. Canon should make a sub $600 lens like the Nikkor 50 1.8 s. That lens has near zero breathing and is epically sharp. I never got the 50 1.8 for my EOS EF system (30d/7d/5diii) but the pre-art Sigma that Frost also reviewed.
Hi Chris, thanks! I tried to watch your video a few hours ago, but it wasn’t available anymore. Ah, now I see the reason in your comment. Now I’m watching it and what aroused my curiosity is how this lens compares to its EF counterpart, which I have. I’m looking forward to your review of the 11.0/600mm. I wish Canon launches a supercompact 8.0/400mm soon! Have a nice day, Ralf
When I attached the lens to my EOS RP, I got a message on a camera screen "attached lens may not work properly because it is not supported by the camera firmware". My firmware was 1.5 and upgrading it to 1.6 has solved the problem.
@@BoxxyFan what is it you are planning to shoot? I wouldnt recommend this for wildlife because the focal length is too short that they would be scared off before the noise became an issue by your being close. If you are going to shoot weddings in an extremely quiet church or something you should use something else also.. but for everything else it will be fine.
Thanks for the video Christopher. I always enjoy them and value your opinion. I took the plunge and went ahead a bought the RF 50mm as I don't have any Ef lenses and looking forwards to trying it out.
I was surprised to see this lens about as loud as a Yongnuo 50mm. From what i remember the EF STM version wasn't this loud. At least the Yongnuo is kind of justified for its $50 price tag. With the AF motor and the average image quality + severe focus breathing factored in, $200 is too much. If you already own an EF-RF adapter, you're better off keeping the EF mount 50mm STM which looks like a better lens for the money, not to mention many existing Canon users do own that lens.
I am torn between this lens and the Canon RF 85mm F1.2L USM. If I use this 50mm RF lens at f5.6 for everything it seems good enough except for the bokeh. So I am looking at spending an extra £2500 for some great bokeh? Alternatively there is the Samyang 85mm F1.4 RF which looks pretty good from Christopher's review at £599 but not quite fully there. I guess you have to be a daily user of the Canon 85mm for portraits and product photography and be making money from it to justify the cost. Sigh, I sometimes wish I wasn't a perfectionist. I bought the 50mm 1.8 RF anyway. So far I am impressed with it as its easy to carry everywhere on the camera and I'd say is fractionally better than its RF nifty 50 predecessor. Thanks for the review Christopher ... keep up the great work.
Thanks! I hate this lens on FF cameras. Bought it for my RP, hated it and returned it but then bought it again for my R6 thinking it might have been the camera. Nope, it's the lens. Anything faster than f/3.2 I found unusable for portraits. The bottom third of the image (in portrait orientation) would be blurry. Not just out of focus with a nice fall off, but blurry. I saw no point in keeping a 1.8 lens I couldn't shoot wider than 3.2 Now that I have the R10, I bought one a third time and love it. Obviously it's only using the center of the image on a crop sensor camera, and that must be the difference because the edges suck on this lens as your testing shows at 5:13. I also like the fact it's an 81mm on the R10 as I like the 85mm focal length for my portraits.
I recently ordered an RP and was going to go for this lens. I was hoping for more of an improvement over the EF version. Still looks like a quality lens though for the price. Thanks for the video and the correction
I have both rf adapter and ef 50 stm, but have not tried the combo on my eos r because quality using the ef 50 on eos 80d was dissapointing. I suspect the differences between rf and ef versions are not worth it for me
1:28 "This RF lens is only for Canon's EOS R Full-Frame mirrorless cameras." -This is inaccurate. All RF and RF-S lenses work on all APS-C cropped sensor R bodies as well, e.g. the R100, R50, R10, R7, etc. The Canon RF 50mm 1.8 STM is not limited to only full-frame R bodies and is very popular in usage on the aforementioned bodies.
Hi, I always enjoy your video. Thank you very much. Now I wonder if you could tell me a bit about your English expression... (I'm a Japanese and learning English.) I hear dozens of ways of evaluating sharpness of the lens but which is superior to which? e.g. laser sharp > extreme sharpness > very sharp, etc. I appreciate if you could help me out!
You could say 'razor sharp' (not 'laser sharp'), 'extremely sharp', or maybe 'pin sharp'. I used to say 'very sharp indeed' all the time but I cut that out when people started mocking me for it in the comments sections ;-)
@@christopherfrost Thanks for your reply! Sorry, I didn't know the expression "razor sharp." I'll keep learning English through your videos. Hope to see more videos in the future.
Bummer. Was hoping this would be a bigger jump from my Yongnuo EF 50mm 1.8. I just don’t think I can justify dropping $200 for a marginal upgrade (especially to lose the tactical feeling of manual focusing the lens for a finicky control ring electronic focus).
How much? Holy Moly!! That's a tiny fraction of the price of the RF f/1.2L. Hell, even my generic full manual 50 mm prime cinema lens cost more than that.
I have owned the EF f1.8 STM in the past used it on my 6D, and I have rented a Canon R8 recently with this lens. I think you are a bit on the hard judgment side of the spectrum. I absolutely loved this lens. And it feels fundamentally different from the EF version. For starters, the EF version was so badly cheap and plasticky that the lens side of the mount damaged my 6D side of the mount, the electronic connectors to be precise.I had to send it to the repairer and cost me $200 to fix. This is how cheaply made the EF f1.8 was. Next is the autofocus: it is inherent to the mirrorless autofocus RF system, the fact is as a direct consequence: The autofocus absolutely nails it on this lens, especially low lights and leaves the EF 50 mm and lenses in general far far far behind any EF dSLR with the EF version. Honestly 6D EF 50mm vs. R8 RF 50mm, again it's like day and night in practise. Perhaps with all those reviews you are used to handling new and excellent cameras, and found it relatively disappointing for the price. I absolutely love your videos btw and watched many of them. But overall the feel and usage in practise of this RF lens, by a landslide, definitely leaves the EF one far behind on sharpness resulting of the lens potential being fully leveraged by the far superior RF mirrorless AF system. And this is valid for other RF vs. EF lenses. When I rented that R8 for a couple of months, I had no preconceived ideas. And apart from EF lenses with an adapter, The only RF lens are used is this 50 mm. And my word I absolutely loved it , much more than I ever liked the EF f1.8 STM 50mm. This is my personal opinion. But having done photography passionately since 1997, over many years then, being a semi professional getting paid for gigs and sold print outs, so yes I don't live off it but I'm serious, I can tell for having owned, 2 canon cameras, 1Nikon and 1 Minolta. I can tell, without an hesitation, that in practise this lens feels amazing for the price. No the shadow of a doubt really. Not that this video is not saying it's it's a bad lens it's not saying that. Just makes it sound very dull or unoticeable. And not a real improvement over the EF version. It's effectively a landslide of a difference I believe. For the little story even my girlfriend last year, when I took a series of followers on the street in a couple of portraits of her, she found the contrast and the perceived depth of the images produced so striking that she said something like "it feels like this picture is in three dimensions". This is how good the perception of it was. Straight out of the camera without retouching anything. So yes I really believe that this lens is capable of producing amazing results it cannot be emphasised enough. Not to mention that it's absolutely super small and super late which is so handy if you are a skier and climber like I am.
Hello, can you please make a "sharp enough" video with the RF 50mm 1.8 on the Canon R7? And maybe another one with the RF 100-400 5.6-8.0? Thank you very much! 🙂
The test results aren't very impressive but I must say Christopher's sample pics for this one are absolutely gorgeous. Although that's most likely talent!
I noticed the same, could be a little bit of both. A passionate engineer with a superior eye might be able to tease out some excellent rendering if they don't need to please pros and pixel peepers. I might give it a try now.
Hi Chris excellent as usual. I have a quick question. How does the rf50 compare with the Tamron 45mm f1.8 with respect to image quality on the canon r5? If they are the same thinking of selling the Tamron and buying the rf 50 due to weight and size.
I own both lenses (the ef 50mm f1.8 actually). The tamron lens is a lot sharper especially in the corners and gives more pop to images. It has a slightly better magnification value still than the canon, giving near macro performance, while remaining really sharp still. It has much nicer bokeh, build quality and flare control. Also, an important matter to consider depending on the body you are using is that the tamron has inage stabilization. Also, weirdly, the tamron is more accurate in its autofocus than the canon which I spent hours calibrating in vain. This might not be an issue though when you are using mirrorless bodies. Af speed is about the same. I also personally found the 45mm focal length to be ideal for a lot of things. The 50mm always felt a little bit tight for street photo or indoor shooting, 45mm just gives that slightly wider angle that helps to frame the image easier. It's only real weakness is some fringing in the bokeh highlights, which isn't too bad. It doesn't have too much lateral CA on the other hand. I personally never find myself reaching for the canon 50mm f1.8, its optics are outdated and I really see myself keeping the tamron for many more years as I am really happy with its results. Today, you can find it for just 300$ which is an incredible value for the quality you're getting. For just 100$ more than the canon, this is 5 times the lens that the canon is.
I expected this would be a no-brainer. For the 50mm range I currently still use the old 1.4 USM plus adapter. But honestly most of the time I just stick with the 24-70 2.8ii and leave the 50mm at home because the focusing and because you have to stop down to get good image quality. I expected the 50mm 1.8 to have better IQ, but I'm disappointed by the results. Add the annoying and slow focus motor and I'm not sure it's worth the relatively moderate price. Also, that focus breathing isn't just an issue for video people. It looks like depending on the subject distance you'll have a 40 to 70mm zoom lens.
May be a daft question, but if someone purchased a filter for this camera 43mm, would it stop it from extending or is it only the extended ring that the filter would attach to?
When you attach the lense to the body, does it click and lock in? Mine didn’t, and I felt like I was close to forcing it so I didn’t do much on my r6 mk 2.
I have an EOS RP paired with rf 50mm 1.8 stm and 25-105mm stm. Both aperture blades dont move at all but aperture works. Can you tell me why the blades not moving please
Christopher, I have an observation regarding lack of sharpness at corners in the f1.8-f2.8 range. For portraits, won't this stop being an issue when one is looking for a sharp subject and bokeh everywhere else?
Not an impressive lens and the f/1.2 is far too large and expensive. I'm hoping for a compact f/1.4 with improved optics over the EF version. That focus motor though! Thanks for another good and honest review.
What an ‘oddball’ of a lens effort by Canon. Price is the only appealing aspect I can see, of this lens, IMO. The AF motor noise is horrendous. And would it just absolutely tear into your profit margins, to include a hood with the lens, Canon? Canon continues to underwhelm us Consumers, whilst overjoying the bean counters! I’m a long time ‘Canon Fan Boy,’ but have become increasingly disenchanted with Canon of late. From their dumbing down on some cameras and their features, to lousy, clinical packaging, and to their pricing on most of this newer R product line. * rant over * Thanks for the usual high quality and thorough review, Mr. Frost! 👍👍👍👍✌🏻🙄📷🙏
I recently got this lens and have the f1.2 version. Mainly do photos. I'd say for almost 1/10th the price of the f1.2 and that you don't need an adapter, this is worth buying. Adapters are another mode of failure in an already complex system. Plus, the compactness makes the system more agile for everyday use. This may be the shortest size autofocus native mount 50mm of any full frame mirrorless system to date.
Chris, first of all thank you for all your work throughout the years, no channel is quite like yours, so thank you. Now a quick question if you don’t mind, how do you record the camera screen, so you use an external recorder? Thanks again, and keep up the amazing work
This is a very nice little lens. It suits the R-Mount. But what astonishes me is that there is some haze around bright lights, much more than the EF one... otherwise the lens is really nice!!!1
@@pedroprietolopez330 Me too :) But I'm afraid Canon sue every company who dare to make RF mount lenses. First few RF Samyang lenses might be just a "mistake" (IYKWIM), but more...
Thanks, Christopher! Very informative video! I learned a lot. Thank-you for sharing your insights! This is my first viewing of your YT Channel. Would you recommend the Canon 85mm f2 for portrait photography? Thanks so much!
Hey, what are you filming this on? Cause there's heavy CA and fringing going on on contrasting edges, like the Canon logo or metal parts. Love your content anyway, just wanted to mention it.
Brought it 2 days back for 220USD post watching your video. For the price I am not happy with the performance. Tested with full frame RP camera, and found the image are not very sharp. If zoomed, there are purple freeing can be visible on the object. Very limited for bokeh. The old EF lens is much better compared to this one. Its better to go for the higher version of this. Not recommended for any one.
Hi Chris, is there a chance that when you compare the Canon RF 50mm f1.8 stm with the Canon EF 50mm f1.8 stm, that you also consider the Canon EF 50mm f1.4 usm , as this is the similar cost to the New RF lens. Thanks for your consistently brilliant reviews
@@christopherfrost Fair point mon ami. And I suppose it is also fair that most video makers are not using the in-camera mic for their audio. It just feels that as Canon goes on with making STM lenses they get further from the silent aspect of it. I guess that is what nanoUSM will be for from here forward.
Interestingly, this is pretty normal, in fact very good, performance for a fast 50 in the days of film. The only time one shot at full aperture was in very dark conditions; vignetting and corner performance didn't matter if you were shooting a band in a dark club. And you expected to stop down to f4, even on rather expensive lenses, for best performance. Sharp bright corners and sharp close-up performance wide open requires some fancy kinds of glass, and aspherical or moving elements. Also, congratulations on being the only lens reviewer on TH-cam with a handy copy of the Gospel of John, in Greek, for close-up tests.
After watching Christopher’s Z 50 f1.8 review again to compare with this new RF 50 f1.8, I’ve concluded the Z is way OVERPRICED(~$600) vs what the $200 RF delivers optically at all apertures(f1.8 to f11), from center to extreme corner. Z 50 f1.8 review: th-cam.com/video/i-PqTvcS1r0/w-d-xo.html
Apologies for the re-upload: there was a mistake in the original review regarding the function of the control ring which was serious enough that I decided to edit the content of the video.
Thanks for correction!
Thank you !!!
Transparency! Love it
Thank you. It helps and it's important to be accurate.
You take these reviews seriously and it’s greatly appreciated! :)
Whereas Peter Mckinnon does a nice job as a Canon Sponsor to tell you how great the lens is and shoots some nice video, Christopher Frost at 3:55 min shows how loud and slow the auto focus is. He is a reliable reviewer and I appreciate getting the "whole truth " rather than a partial truth. THANKS. A +
And the focus breathing is hilarious. I was like, wait -- this isn't a zoom lens !!
IKR!
McKinnon is a shill
As per my comment above, I have compared those two lenses. EF and RF 50mm f1.8. I strongly believe that this video is really understating the qualities of this lens. I rented the Canon R8 for a couple of months along with this lens last year and it was amazing especially for the price. Comparison the EF version is absolutely unoticeable. Especially when coming to the autofocus speed and precision. And by a landslide.
the things I like about Christopher Frost videos. - howdy everyone - a calm soothing voice in this unpredictable time - his insightful and detailed technical reviews- pictures of a welsh village that at lest allow me to imagine traveling to somewhere quaint and different from San Francisco during our lockdown :)
Dear Mr. Frost You are the one and only I trust when it comes to lens reviews. You have helped me decide for my purchases 99.99% of the times that I was looking to buy a lens and never gone wrong! I am a subscriber and I trust your reviews all the times. Good job!
4:08 Lens of the year because it's also a printer!
😂😂
😭😭 So tru
can't wait to see comparison between this RF lens to the EF 50mm f/1.8 STM.
I'm writing the comparison right now :-)
Me, too!
The EF version has the advantage, that it can be used on Nikon Z via smart adapter as well :)
it’s no comparison it’s virtually the same lens
@@christopherfrost Please, just make sure you get a decent copy to compare :)
Good review as always.
I have the new RF version and have owned the EF STM as well. For me, getting rid of the adapter is worth the extra money. After selling my EF version and the adapter I got this lens practically for free. It does seem a little sharper and focusses faster. The noise is actually not too bad and quieter than the EF version in my experience. I was not expecting a big jump up in quality, so sharpness and bokeh rendering is on par with what I expected.
Funny how so many praise the EF version and suddenly seem disappointed if a $200 RF equivalent does not perform as well as its $2000+ f/1.2 L big brother.
Dude don't think only in extremeness. No one expected top quality for that money, but still costs exactly double the price of the EF STM, which isn't seem to be worse, as you said, maybe a TINY bit less sharp. The bokeh doesn't seem like a step forward (that is what I hoped the most, but no sign of it), they kept the same blade number (I mean, really Canon? +1 or 2 didn't fit to this price?), the AF noise is laughable, and that focus breathing is simply horrifying. I think I can give up on that little extra sharpness, and I don't think the adapter is really that big deal. The EOS RP body usually available in a kit with the EF RF adapter. I bought that kit during black friday, so I already have the adapter. I still have months to decide, but I have a feeling I will skip the native version.
I received the RFmm 50 f/1.8 last week also and am pleased with it, I also have the EF 50 f/1.8 but the native RF achieves the main thing I was after which was to make my EOS-R a pretty small package to have in the bag. Wasn't expecting miracles in image quality given its similar formula and it's a good enough trade-off for what it provides in opportunities.
Has the RF improved the refresh rate now that you can use the high speed display? The slideshow effect when things are moving quicklyis my biggest disappointment in the R.
what about eye tracking with it?
@@mandofan2616 Eye tracking all works perfectly. Although in general the autoFocus isn’t as fast or as smooth as my 28-70 or 85mm f1.2. Still better than previous versions of this lens though
@@EverythingCameFromNothing ok thanks neil
Excellent review as always. A tip: everyone is making comparative videos between this RF 50mm f1.8 and the EF 50mm f / 1.8 (it's natural, since the new one corresponds to EF. But nobody (nobody) has so far made a comparison between RF 50mm f / 1.8 VS EF 50mm f / 1.4
It would be one of the first.
Congratulations again.
When the AF is decoupled from the shutter button, the manual focus will work without needing to keep the shutter button pressed.
Christopher you should also show test result at F2.0 or F2.2. Many photographers will use this lens as portrait lens and they would like to know at what F stop the center becomes usable without closing it down too much in order to preserve bokeh. When you jump from F1.8 to F2.8 you avoided the most important stops for portrait shooters. Thanks.
So 2.0 or 2.2 is best for portraits ?
Dear Christopher, your tests are the best in the net. All my lenses I bought always after having seen your tests. Thank you. Peter Langer
I set my R5 up on a tripod and took some sample pictures with this lens and my adapted Sigma 50mm f1.4 DG HSM Art. Both seem equally sharp which is by far the most important thing to me.
If they seem to be same sharpness canon make it better cause of the small footprint of that lens compare to the bigger sigma one.
This lens sounds like optimus prime
😂😂😂
I would love to see a comparison between this and the EF 50mm 1.8 STM....
Adding to your review a few screenshots for the settings you are describing is next level information!
I’ve not seen that done unless it’s a full on review of a camera and the various settings.
Thank you 👍
Helpful review Chris. Got mine yesterday and am delighted (+relieved) to report that for back button focus users you don’t need to go into the menus to enable manual focus with this lens and you don’t need to be half pressing the shutter button to enable the focussing ring. So, with BBF enabled (and focus decoupled from the shutter button) I get full time manual focus override just as for my other Canon lenses.
Thank you for this review. I am very grateful. You saved me the pain of buying this horrible pre-histpric lens. What a joke! Canon should close down after making such loud motor 3:54. Awful.
I have the 50stm and i works well with adapter and my rp. I dont really think it is worth to buy this rf version just to remove the adapter.
The IQ looks on par to me, and my STM is my most used lens. I really was hoping for quieter focusing though. Agreed, keep the EF 50mm.
@@benharris3949 You know, I don't know that I ever once used my EF version for video, and as soon as he pointed out the noise the first thing I wondered was "is the older one this noisy?" How would you say that matches up? I don't recall it being loud at all in still mode though, this sounded pretty loud.
Focus breathing is horrific. Canon should make a sub $600 lens like the Nikkor 50 1.8 s. That lens has near zero breathing and is epically sharp. I never got the 50 1.8 for my EOS EF system (30d/7d/5diii) but the pre-art Sigma that Frost also reviewed.
Hi Chris, thanks! I tried to watch your video a few hours ago, but it wasn’t available anymore. Ah, now I see the reason in your comment. Now I’m watching it and what aroused my curiosity is how this lens compares to its EF counterpart, which I have. I’m looking forward to your review of the 11.0/600mm. I wish Canon launches a supercompact 8.0/400mm soon! Have a nice day, Ralf
best youtuber i have found in a while. beautiful.
These videos on the rf glass is super helpful for my recently bought eos rp
When I attached the lens to my EOS RP, I got a message on a camera screen "attached lens may not work properly because it is not supported by the camera firmware". My firmware was 1.5 and upgrading it to 1.6 has solved the problem.
Oh boy, that focusing mechanism 😥
if youre making video with a nifty fifty youve gone wrong in life
@@sharpskilz um what? its still loud, slow and noisy in photo mode too...
@@BoxxyFan Its also cheap and fast and sharp. You cant hear the mechanism in a photo.
fast as in F-stop. I mean obvs
@@BoxxyFan what is it you are planning to shoot? I wouldnt recommend this for wildlife because the focal length is too short that they would be scared off before the noise became an issue by your being close. If you are going to shoot weddings in an extremely quiet church or something you should use something else also.. but for everything else it will be fine.
Thanks for the video Christopher. I always enjoy them and value your opinion. I took the plunge and went ahead a bought the RF 50mm as I don't have any Ef lenses and looking forwards to trying it out.
That focus breathing must be some kind of record 😁
Can almost be classed as a zoom lens. 😂
Haha, sometimes I the focus breathing actually scares me!
I was surprised to see this lens about as loud as a Yongnuo 50mm. From what i remember the EF STM version wasn't this loud. At least the Yongnuo is kind of justified for its $50 price tag.
With the AF motor and the average image quality + severe focus breathing factored in, $200 is too much. If you already own an EF-RF adapter, you're better off keeping the EF mount 50mm STM which looks like a better lens for the money, not to mention many existing Canon users do own that lens.
The number 1 reason i watch your reviews is the backround music
Are you going to do a “top 10 sharpest lenses” for 2020?
It's difficult to compare sharpness between Canon RF lenses with other, because all cameras in Canon has AA filter which will blur the image :/
I am torn between this lens and the Canon RF 85mm F1.2L USM. If I use this 50mm RF lens at f5.6 for everything it seems good enough except for the bokeh. So I am looking at spending an extra £2500 for some great bokeh? Alternatively there is the Samyang 85mm F1.4 RF which looks pretty good from Christopher's review at £599 but not quite fully there. I guess you have to be a daily user of the Canon 85mm for portraits and product photography and be making money from it to justify the cost. Sigh, I sometimes wish I wasn't a perfectionist. I bought the 50mm 1.8 RF anyway. So far I am impressed with it as its easy to carry everywhere on the camera and I'd say is fractionally better than its RF nifty 50 predecessor. Thanks for the review Christopher ... keep up the great work.
We've got so many reviews but not one about Tamron for such a long time!
Thank you again for an excellent in-depth review! First channel I got to when looking for a new lens! 👍
Thanks! I hate this lens on FF cameras. Bought it for my RP, hated it and returned it but then bought it again for my R6 thinking it might have been the camera. Nope, it's the lens. Anything faster than f/3.2 I found unusable for portraits. The bottom third of the image (in portrait orientation) would be blurry. Not just out of focus with a nice fall off, but blurry. I saw no point in keeping a 1.8 lens I couldn't shoot wider than 3.2 Now that I have the R10, I bought one a third time and love it. Obviously it's only using the center of the image on a crop sensor camera, and that must be the difference because the edges suck on this lens as your testing shows at 5:13. I also like the fact it's an 81mm on the R10 as I like the 85mm focal length for my portraits.
Where is that house seen at 1:16? Thanks in advance.
I recently ordered an RP and was going to go for this lens. I was hoping for more of an improvement over the EF version. Still looks like a quality lens though for the price. Thanks for the video and the correction
We’ll have to wait for Chris’ official word but to me it seems to be quite sharper wide open in the center
@@LuigiVN Even more sharper in the corner
"Quality"
I had high hopes for this lens, but it looks too soft wide open. A pity 😥
I have both rf adapter and ef 50 stm, but have not tried the combo on my eos r because quality using the ef 50 on eos 80d was dissapointing. I suspect the differences between rf and ef versions are not worth it for me
You can change the aperture to 1/8 too inside the EOS R.
1:28 "This RF lens is only for Canon's EOS R Full-Frame mirrorless cameras." -This is inaccurate. All RF and RF-S lenses work on all APS-C cropped sensor R bodies as well, e.g. the R100, R50, R10, R7, etc. The Canon RF 50mm 1.8 STM is not limited to only full-frame R bodies and is very popular in usage on the aforementioned bodies.
Hi, I always enjoy your video. Thank you very much.
Now I wonder if you could tell me a bit about your English expression... (I'm a Japanese and learning English.)
I hear dozens of ways of evaluating sharpness of the lens but which is superior to which?
e.g. laser sharp > extreme sharpness > very sharp, etc.
I appreciate if you could help me out!
You could say 'razor sharp' (not 'laser sharp'), 'extremely sharp', or maybe 'pin sharp'. I used to say 'very sharp indeed' all the time but I cut that out when people started mocking me for it in the comments sections ;-)
@@christopherfrost Thanks for your reply! Sorry, I didn't know the expression "razor sharp." I'll keep learning English through your videos. Hope to see more videos in the future.
Bummer. Was hoping this would be a bigger jump from my Yongnuo EF 50mm 1.8. I just don’t think I can justify dropping $200 for a marginal upgrade (especially to lose the tactical feeling of manual focusing the lens for a finicky control ring electronic focus).
I've waited for this moment👐🏼
How much? Holy Moly!! That's a tiny fraction of the price of the RF f/1.2L. Hell, even my generic full manual 50 mm prime cinema lens cost more than that.
I have owned the EF f1.8 STM in the past used it on my 6D, and I have rented a Canon R8 recently with this lens. I think you are a bit on the hard judgment side of the spectrum. I absolutely loved this lens. And it feels fundamentally different from the EF version.
For starters, the EF version was so badly cheap and plasticky that the lens side of the mount damaged my 6D side of the mount, the electronic connectors to be precise.I had to send it to the repairer and cost me $200 to fix.
This is how cheaply made the EF f1.8 was.
Next is the autofocus: it is inherent to the mirrorless autofocus RF system, the fact is as a direct consequence: The autofocus absolutely nails it on this lens, especially low lights and leaves the EF 50 mm and lenses in general far far far behind any EF dSLR with the EF version.
Honestly 6D EF 50mm vs. R8 RF 50mm, again it's like day and night in practise. Perhaps with all those reviews you are used to handling new and excellent cameras, and found it relatively disappointing for the price. I absolutely love your videos btw and watched many of them.
But overall the feel and usage in practise of this RF lens, by a landslide, definitely leaves the EF one far behind on sharpness resulting of the lens potential being fully leveraged by the far superior RF mirrorless AF system.
And this is valid for other RF vs. EF lenses.
When I rented that R8 for a couple of months, I had no preconceived ideas. And apart from EF lenses with an adapter, The only RF lens are used is this 50 mm. And my word I absolutely loved it , much more than I ever liked the EF f1.8 STM 50mm.
This is my personal opinion. But having done photography passionately since 1997, over many years then, being a semi professional getting paid for gigs and sold print outs, so yes I don't live off it but I'm serious, I can tell for having owned, 2 canon cameras, 1Nikon and 1 Minolta. I can tell, without an hesitation, that in practise this lens feels amazing for the price. No the shadow of a doubt really.
Not that this video is not saying it's it's a bad lens it's not saying that. Just makes it sound very dull or unoticeable. And not a real improvement over the EF version. It's effectively a landslide of a difference I believe.
For the little story even my girlfriend last year, when I took a series of followers on the street in a couple of portraits of her, she found the contrast and the perceived depth of the images produced so striking that she said something like "it feels like this picture is in three dimensions".
This is how good the perception of it was. Straight out of the camera without retouching anything.
So yes I really believe that this lens is capable of producing amazing results it cannot be emphasised enough.
Not to mention that it's absolutely super small and super late which is so handy if you are a skier and climber like I am.
Thank you for this comment
Hi. I hope you can review this for Canon's APS-C Mirrorless cameras.
Hello, can you please make a "sharp enough" video with the RF 50mm 1.8 on the Canon R7? And maybe another one with the RF 100-400 5.6-8.0? Thank you very much! 🙂
Great Video. Thank you! Is this lens usable for faster moving persons or is it then no longer sharp?
The nikon z 50mm 1.8 s looks so much better. What should i get?
1. Nikon z6 ii + 50mm 1.8 s
Or
2. R6 + rf 50mm 1.8?
For me it does not focus when shutter button is half pressed, need to set to manual for it even work.
Wow! Focus motor noise and focus breathing. Thank you so much for pointing these out.
The test results aren't very impressive but I must say Christopher's sample pics for this one are absolutely gorgeous. Although that's most likely talent!
I noticed the same, could be a little bit of both. A passionate engineer with a superior eye might be able to tease out some excellent rendering if they don't need to please pros and pixel peepers. I might give it a try now.
I want to say thank you from my heart I have learned a lot from your this video
I’ll be waiting for a 50mm f/1.4, hoping it will be good.
I doubt it will ever come, unfortunately 😢
YOOO the AF motor sounds like a higher pitched damaged version of Darth Vaders breathing HAHA
Hi Chris, can you please retest this lens on an apsc camera? Thank you in advance!
Hi Chris excellent as usual. I have a quick question. How does the rf50 compare with the Tamron 45mm f1.8 with respect to image quality on the canon r5? If they are the same thinking of selling the Tamron and buying the rf 50 due to weight and size.
I own both lenses (the ef 50mm f1.8 actually). The tamron lens is a lot sharper especially in the corners and gives more pop to images. It has a slightly better magnification value still than the canon, giving near macro performance, while remaining really sharp still. It has much nicer bokeh, build quality and flare control. Also, an important matter to consider depending on the body you are using is that the tamron has inage stabilization. Also, weirdly, the tamron is more accurate in its autofocus than the canon which I spent hours calibrating in vain. This might not be an issue though when you are using mirrorless bodies. Af speed is about the same. I also personally found the 45mm focal length to be ideal for a lot of things. The 50mm always felt a little bit tight for street photo or indoor shooting, 45mm just gives that slightly wider angle that helps to frame the image easier. It's only real weakness is some fringing in the bokeh highlights, which isn't too bad. It doesn't have too much lateral CA on the other hand. I personally never find myself reaching for the canon 50mm f1.8, its optics are outdated and I really see myself keeping the tamron for many more years as I am really happy with its results. Today, you can find it for just 300$ which is an incredible value for the quality you're getting. For just 100$ more than the canon, this is 5 times the lens that the canon is.
I expected this would be a no-brainer. For the 50mm range I currently still use the old 1.4 USM plus adapter. But honestly most of the time I just stick with the 24-70 2.8ii and leave the 50mm at home because the focusing and because you have to stop down to get good image quality. I expected the 50mm 1.8 to have better IQ, but I'm disappointed by the results. Add the annoying and slow focus motor and I'm not sure it's worth the relatively moderate price.
Also, that focus breathing isn't just an issue for video people. It looks like depending on the subject distance you'll have a 40 to 70mm zoom lens.
May be a daft question, but if someone purchased a filter for this camera 43mm, would it stop it from extending or is it only the extended ring that the filter would attach to?
When you attach the lense to the body, does it click and lock in? Mine didn’t, and I felt like I was close to forcing it so I didn’t do much on my r6 mk 2.
I have an EOS RP paired with rf 50mm 1.8 stm and 25-105mm stm. Both aperture blades dont move at all but aperture works. Can you tell me why the blades not moving please
Hi! Which lens is better for photo portraits, this one or Fujinon XF 35/1.4 R? Together with the cameras, they cost the same :)
B&H just shipped mine out! I’m so excited!!
Plz compare it along with canon ef 50mm f1.8 and canon ef 50mm f1.4.. Specially video shooting
Can you do a comparision between RF24-105f4L IS vs EF24-105f4L IS mark II ?
@Christopher Frost Thanks for your video. The noise of the lens in the video is quite loud, which lens do you raccomend for videos?
I got this canon rf 50mm for my canon m50 ef-M15-45 IS STM.which adapter should I get? Newbie here, TIA
Canon needs to make a midrange 50mm 1.4 again. The price jump from 1.8 to 1.2 is massive.
They made one, which costs more than a Sony A7III. Yeeeyyy....... 😑
I think I will keep abandoning this focal length.
I will wait for a 1.4 RF. That noise is crazy!
There will be no 1.4. You will buy this low grade lens or you will overpay for the 1.2 brick. They will make a 1.0 brick before they make a 1.4
Christopher, I have an observation regarding lack of sharpness at corners in the f1.8-f2.8 range. For portraits, won't this stop being an issue when one is looking for a sharp subject and bokeh everywhere else?
My thoughts exactly. For portraits, corners are almost always blurred anyway, and f5.6 is perfectly fine for landscapes.
I'd be very curious to see the older F/1.8 and F/1.4 EF lenses. Pleeeeeaaazz.... 😉
So what’s the sharpest Fstop on this for portraits ?
Not an impressive lens and the f/1.2 is far too large and expensive. I'm hoping for a compact f/1.4 with improved optics over the EF version. That focus motor though! Thanks for another good and honest review.
What an ‘oddball’ of a lens effort by Canon. Price is the only appealing aspect I can see, of this lens, IMO. The AF motor noise is horrendous. And would it just absolutely tear into your profit margins, to include a hood with the lens, Canon?
Canon continues to underwhelm us Consumers, whilst overjoying the bean counters! I’m a long time ‘Canon Fan Boy,’ but have become increasingly disenchanted with Canon of late.
From their dumbing down on some cameras and their features, to lousy, clinical packaging, and to their pricing on most of this newer R product line. * rant over *
Thanks for the usual high quality and thorough review, Mr. Frost! 👍👍👍👍✌🏻🙄📷🙏
7:25 It's a pity this lens has such good magnification but is let down by terrible image quality at MFD.
Thanks for demonstrating focus sound! Unusable for video. Thank for saving my money
Still waiting for RF 40mm pancake lens...
Iam purcahsed Rf lens 50 mm 1.8 stm. How to purchase this lens hood. Please replay
Should I immediately go wd 35mm or should I purchase this first?
I have r7
I recently got this lens and have the f1.2 version. Mainly do photos. I'd say for almost 1/10th the price of the f1.2 and that you don't need an adapter, this is worth buying. Adapters are another mode of failure in an already complex system. Plus, the compactness makes the system more agile for everyday use. This may be the shortest size autofocus native mount 50mm of any full frame mirrorless system to date.
Nasty case of deja vu or reupload? Anyway, nice lens. Looking forward to the comparison video!
Chris, first of all thank you for all your work throughout the years, no channel is quite like yours, so thank you.
Now a quick question if you don’t mind, how do you record the camera screen, so you use an external recorder? Thanks again, and keep up the amazing work
This is a very nice little lens. It suits the R-Mount. But what astonishes me is that there is some haze around bright lights, much more than the EF one... otherwise the lens is really nice!!!1
Is it posible a comparison with Samyang 45mm f:1.8 AF for Canon R mount?
There is no lens like Samyang 45mm for RF mount.
@ sorry!!! You're right. Waiting for it!!!
@@pedroprietolopez330 Me too :) But I'm afraid Canon sue every company who dare to make RF mount lenses. First few RF Samyang lenses might be just a "mistake" (IYKWIM), but more...
Wew smooth aperture changing nice!!
I want to re-watch the re-upload to see the nice photos, and to hear the AF motor noise in video mode.
Will this fit the r7?
Of course
So this cant be used on the R10 or R7?
That's the video I was waiting for! Thank you Christopher! I might stick with my 40mm pancake after all :)
Thanks, Christopher! Very informative video! I learned a lot. Thank-you for sharing your insights! This is my first viewing of your YT Channel. Would you recommend the Canon 85mm f2 for portrait photography? Thanks so much!
Hey, what are you filming this on? Cause there's heavy CA and fringing going on on contrasting edges, like the Canon logo or metal parts. Love your content anyway, just wanted to mention it.
Brought it 2 days back for 220USD post watching your video. For the price I am not happy with the performance. Tested with full frame RP camera, and found the image are not very sharp. If zoomed, there are purple freeing can be visible on the object. Very limited for bokeh. The old EF lens is much better compared to this one. Its better to go for the higher version of this. Not recommended for any one.
I've already told Santa I want this lens.
Will it use for r50 camera
Hi Chris, is there a chance that when you compare the Canon RF 50mm f1.8 stm with the Canon EF 50mm f1.8 stm, that you also consider the Canon EF 50mm f1.4 usm , as this is the similar cost to the New RF lens. Thanks for your consistently brilliant reviews
Done
Damn, so much for STM focus, what were they thinking?
It still has an advantage in offering smoother AF when video making
@@christopherfrost Fair point mon ami. And I suppose it is also fair that most video makers are not using the in-camera mic for their audio. It just feels that as Canon goes on with making STM lenses they get further from the silent aspect of it. I guess that is what nanoUSM will be for from here forward.
Ok this is probably a dumb question, but why is 50mm more zoomed in on my rp than the 35mm? I thought 50 would have more view?
No - 50mm is more zoomed in than 35mm
Interestingly, this is pretty normal, in fact very good, performance for a fast 50 in the days of film.
The only time one shot at full aperture was in very dark conditions; vignetting and corner performance didn't matter if you were shooting a band in a dark club. And you expected to stop down to f4, even on rather expensive lenses, for best performance.
Sharp bright corners and sharp close-up performance wide open requires some fancy kinds of glass, and aspherical or moving elements.
Also, congratulations on being the only lens reviewer on TH-cam with a handy copy of the Gospel of John, in Greek, for close-up tests.
Thanks for the review! I'm kinda glad I decided against preordering the lens. I'll just save up for a sharper 50mm lens.
Wait. That len made in Malaysia? Bought in US?
After watching Christopher’s Z 50 f1.8 review again to compare with this new RF 50 f1.8, I’ve concluded the Z is way OVERPRICED(~$600) vs what the $200 RF delivers optically at all apertures(f1.8 to f11), from center to extreme corner.
Z 50 f1.8 review: th-cam.com/video/i-PqTvcS1r0/w-d-xo.html
Lol
The Nikon is overpriced?!😂