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Canon 2515A003 EF 50mm f/1.4 USM Lens — main product image
Canon 2515A003 EF 50mm f/1.4 USM Lens
Canon 2515A003 EF 50mm f/1.4 USM Lens
Canon 2515A003 EF 50mm f/1.4 USM Lens
Canon 2515A003 EF 50mm f/1.4 USM Lens
Canon

Canon 2515A003 EF 50mm f/1.4 USM Lens

★★★★★4.6 (5182 reviews)
17.8 inchf/1.4

Capture Stunning Images with Exceptional ClarityDiscover the Canon EF 50mm f/1.4 USM Lens, a standard lens offering superb quality and portability. Featuring two high-refraction lens elements and new Gaussian optics, this lens eliminates astigmatism and suppresses astigmatic difference, ensuring ...

$397.95*$449.99Save 11%
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*Price sourced from Amazon.com. Last updated:Jun 20, 2026.Price and availability are subject to change.

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Overview

Capture Stunning Images with Exceptional Clarity

Discover the Canon EF 50mm f/1.4 USM Lens, a standard lens offering superb quality and portability. Featuring two high-refraction lens elements and new Gaussian optics, this lens eliminates astigmatism and suppresses astigmatic difference, ensuring crisp images even at the maximum aperture.

  • Brand: Canon
  • Focal Length Description: 50mm
  • Lens Type: Telephoto
  • Compatible Mountings: Canon EF
  • Camera Lens Description: 50 mm

Key Features

Standard focal length 50 millimeter lens is effective in a multitude of shooting situations and ideal for day-to-day shooting

Elements, Groups: 7 by 6, Diaphragm: Blades 8, Filter Thread: Font 58 millimeter. Minimum focusing distance: 17.8 inch

An f 1.4 maximum aperture provides clear imaging in low light situations and shallow depth of field

Ultrasonic autofocus motor (USM) operation is fast, smooth and virtually silent

2 high-refraction lens elements and new Gaussian optics eliminate astigmatism and suppress astigmatic difference

This large aperture standard prime lens has superior peripheral brightness even at the maximum aperture

Lens construction: 8 elements in 6 groups, Filter size: 77 millimeter

Optimized for Digital – super multi-layer coating minimizes flare and ghosting – a common problem of digital cameras

The optimum optical design and molded glass aspherical lens elements provide excellent correction for all types of aberrations, including coma aberration, resulting in superior optical performance

The Hypersonic Motor (HSM) ensures silent, high speed auto-focusing as well as full time manual focusing capability

Specifications

Focal Length
50mm
Maximum Aperture
f/1.4
Minimum Focusing Distance
17.8 inch
Filter Thread
58mm
Autofocus Motor
Ultrasonic (USM)
Lens Elements/Groups
8 elements in 6 groups
Diaphragm Blades
8
Optical Design Features
2 high-refraction lens elements, Gaussian optics, Super multi-layer coating, Molded glass aspherical lens elements
Special Features
Superior peripheral brightness, Excellent correction for aberrations, Hypersonic Motor (HSM)

Canon EF 50mm f/1.4 USM — Editorial Review

The Canon EF 50mm f/1.4 USM is a long-serving fast standard prime for Canon's EF mount — small, light, affordable, and bright. Decades after launch it remains a popular portrait and low-light lens, and reviewers still rate it well once stopped down a touch.

Featured Video Review

Re-review for 2025: Canon EF 50mm f/1.4 USM
Christopher Frost · "Re-review for 2025: Canon EF 50mm f/1.4 USM" · Watch on YouTube

A classic fast fifty

The-Digital-Picture and Canon Rumors describe a lens that's soft wide open but sharpens nicely by f/2-f/2.8 and is excellent by f/4, with pleasant 8-blade bokeh for portraits and fast, quiet USM autofocus. In Christopher Frost's 2025 re-review — featured above — he revisits how this veteran holds up on modern bodies and adapted to mirrorless.

Honest cons

  • Soft wide open. Sharpness at f/1.4 is modest; stop down to at least f/2.8 for crisp results.
  • Inconsistent autofocus. AF accuracy can be hit-or-miss wide open where depth of field is razor-thin, and copy-to-copy variation exists.
  • Aging build. The older micro-USM design feels less robust than modern L or RF primes.
  • EF mount. On mirrorless bodies it needs an EF-to-RF/E adapter.

Where this lens fits

  • Canon DSLR owners who want an affordable fast fifty for portraits and low light.
  • Mirrorless shooters with an adapter seeking inexpensive f/1.4 rendering.
  • Budget portrait photographers who shoot around f/2-f/2.8 for the best balance of sharpness and blur.
  • Not those needing tack-sharp wide-open results, the most reliable autofocus, or a native mirrorless mount.

Sources & Citations

  1. The-Digital-Picture, "Canon EF 50mm f/1.4 USM Lens Review," the-digital-picture.com (accessed 2026-05-26)
  2. Canon Rumors, "Review: Canon EF 50mm f/1.4," canonrumors.com (accessed 2026-05-26)

Last verified: 2026-05-26

Now that you've seen the details — ready to take a closer look?

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Pros & Cons

👍 Pros

  • The f/1.4 maximum aperture excels in low-light conditions and creates pleasing shallow depth of field effects.
  • Utilizes an Ultrasonic autofocus motor (USM) for fast, smooth, and virtually silent focusing operation.
  • Features 2 high-refraction lens elements and new Gaussian optics to effectively eliminate astigmatism and suppress astigmatic difference.
  • Delivers superior peripheral brightness even at its maximum aperture, ensuring consistent illumination across the frame.
  • Super multi-layer coating minimizes flare and ghosting, which are common issues in digital photography.

👎 Cons

  • The 50mm fixed focal length, while versatile, lacks the flexibility of a zoom lens for framing different compositions without moving.
  • The 58mm filter thread is a specific size, potentially requiring new filters if not already owned.
  • While the USM is fast, it is not Canon's latest generation autofocus system, which can be even more precise.
  • The lens construction of 8 elements in 6 groups is effective, but more complex designs sometimes offer even greater correction.
  • The minimum focusing distance of 17.8 inches may limit very close-up or macro photography capabilities.

Frequently Asked Questions

The Canon EF 50mm f/1.4 USM lens has a maximum aperture of f/1.4, which is excellent for low-light shooting and creating shallow depth of field.
The provided features do not indicate that this specific Canon EF 50mm f/1.4 USM lens includes image stabilization.
This lens employs an Ultrasonic autofocus motor (USM), known for its fast, smooth, and virtually silent operation.
This lens has a minimum focusing distance of 17.8 inches, which allows for relatively close shots, but it is not a dedicated macro lens.
The Canon EF 50mm f/1.4 USM lens is compatible with 58mm filters.

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