Canon RF 50mm f1.8 vs RF 50mm f1.2 – Review and comparison

We’re putting the Canon RF f/1.2 50mm lens against the Canon RF f/1.8 50mm lens, otherwise known as “The Nifty Fifty” to see just how much more quality you get for £2300? The RF f/1.2 currently retails at around £2500, a whopping £2300 ($2,099) more than the ever-reliable RF f/1.8 500mm lens, which you can pick up for around £200 ($199.99).

NB: Below there are some affiliate links and TSOP will receive a small percentage of some purchases made.

 
 

Physical differences between the Canon RF 50mm f/1.2 and ‘The Nifty Fifty’

Firstly, we’ll start with obvious and look at the physical differences between the two lenses.

The f/1.2 is huge in comparison to the f/1.8. It also feels a lot sturdier and is heavier than its cheaper opponent. The f/1.8 lens is very lightweight – it only weighs 160g, compared to the 950g of the f/1.2 and measures at 40.5mm (as opposed to the 108mm of the f/1.2) and is geared towards photographers of all levels whereas the Rf 50mm f/1.2 is geared towards professional use.

The focusing on the f/1.2 is also a lot quicker and quieter than the f/1.8 and has better weatherproofing. And you get just over an extra stop of light with the f/1.2 lens.

 
Two Canon 50mm lenses sitting side-by-side on a wooden surface. The larger lens is the 50mm f/1.2 and the smaller is the 50mm f1.8.

The RF 50mm f/1.2 is much bigger in comparison to the RF 50mm f/1.8 aka the 'Nifty Fifty'.

 

The Canon Lens Test

We’re going to check each lens as scientifically as possible – we’re going to keep the same subject, settings and conditions and compare the depth of field, sharpness, colour rendition and bokeh of each lens.

We’re going to be comparing the results in images shot at f/11, f/5.6, f/2.8, f/1.8 and f/1.2

We’re shooting in the woodland in winter, and it’s overcast which gives us soft light to shoot in. Here’s the camera settings that we’re going to be using:

AV (aperture priority)

Shutter Speed (this will change based on the F/stop that we’ll be using)

ISO 100

Cloudy white balance – To best match the colour temperature of the light.

2 Second Timer – we’re using a 2 second timer and a tripod to reduce the risk of camera shake.

Camera Body is the Canon R5 – this is a full-frame mirrorless camera. Find out more about the Canon mirrorless range here.

Learn more about camera settings here.

 
A digital camera's rear LCD screen displaying a photo of a forest with a focus on a tree trunk. Camera settings like aperture (F1.8), ISO (100), and shutter speed are visible on the screen.

Keeping consistent settings for each lens test. 

 

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50mm RF f1.2 vs RF 50mm f1.8 - The Results

f/11 vs f/11

When comparing the two f/11 pictures you can barely see any difference. Both images are incredibly crisp and sharp. When we zoom to 100%, the colours seem to be slightly richer on the f/1.2 lens shot on the f/1.2. It seems to be picking up a slightly wider colour range than the nifty fifty.

 
A photo of a woodland scene with several slender trees, their bark pale and textured. The ground is covered in fallen leaves and branches. The photo is taken at F11 on the Canon RF 50mm f/1.2.

Canon RF 50mm f/1.2 at F11

A photo of a woodland scene with several slender trees, their bark pale and textured. The ground is covered in fallen leaves and branches. The image is taken at F11 on the RF 50mm f/1.8

The Nifty Fifty at F11.

 
 
A close-up view of a birch tree trunk in a forest. The bark is textured with peeling patches and some moss. The background shows more trees, with a shallow depth of field creating a soft focus effect. The photo is taken at F11 on the RF 50mm f/1.2

Canon RF 50mm f/1.2 at F11, 100% zoom.

A close-up photo of a birch tree trunk in a forest. The tree's bark is textured with peeling patches and some moss. The background shows more trees, indicating a dense woodland. Taken at F11 on the nifty fifty.

The Nifty Fifty at F11, 100% zoom.

 

f/5.6 vs f/5.6

When comparing the f/5.6 shots from both lenses, again the sharpness is near indistinguishable and the background blur is pretty much on par with each other. Again, you can see a slight difference in the colours for the Canon RF 50mm f/1.2 which seems to have picked up a wider colour range.

 
A photo of a woodland scene with several slender trees, their bark pale and textured. The ground is covered in fallen leaves and branches. The photo is taken at F5.6 on the Canon RF 50mm f/1.2.

Canon RF 50mm f/1.2 at F5.6.

A photo of a woodland scene with several slender trees, their bark pale and textured. The ground is covered in fallen leaves and branches. The photo is taken at F5.6 on the Canon RF 50mm f/1.8

The Nifty Fifty (Canon RF 50mm f/1.8) at F5.6.

 
 
A close-up photo of a birch tree trunk in a forest. The tree's bark is textured with peeling patches and some moss. The background shows more trees, indicating a dense woodland. Taken at F5.6 on the Canon RF 50mm f/1.2.

Canon RF 50mm f/1.2 at F5.6, 100% zoom.

A close-up photo of a birch tree trunk in a forest. The tree's bark is textured with peeling patches and some moss. The background shows more trees, indicating a dense woodland. Taken at F5.6 on the nifty fifty.

The Nifty Fifty (Canon RF 50mm f/1.8) at F/5.6, 100% zoom.

 

f/2.8 vs f/2.8

On first view, again there’s not a lot of difference. But at a 100% zoom the Canon RF 50mm f/1.2 finally starts to surpass the nifty fifty for sharpness, but it’s not by much. The main differences are the background blur (bokeh) for the more expensive lens is definitely a bit softer and the colour range is a bit wider, as it was with the previous images.

 
A photo of a woodland scene with several slender trees, their bark pale and textured. The ground is covered in fallen leaves and branches. The photo is taken at F2.8 on the Canon RF 50mm f/1.2.

The expensive lens at f/2.8.

A photo of a woodland scene with several slender trees, their bark pale and textured. The ground is covered in fallen leaves and branches. The photo is taken at F2.8 on the Canon RF 50mm f/1.8

The Nifty Fifty at f/2.8.

 
 
A photo of a woodland scene with several slender trees, their bark pale and textured. The ground is covered in fallen leaves and branches. The photo is taken at F11 on the Canon RF 50mm f/1.2.

The expensive lens at f/2.8, 100% zoomed.

A 100% zoom close-up photo of a birch tree trunk with textured bark and moss. The shallow depth of field, achieved with the RF 50mm 1.8 lens at F2.8, creates a blurred background highlighting the tree's details. Image from The School of Photography.

The Nifty Fifty at F2.8, 100% zoomed. 

 

f/1.8 vs f/1.8

This is the widest aperture for the nifty fifty – so this part of the test pushes the Canon RF 50mm f/1.8 to its limits.

Both images have a nice soft background but here the Canon RF 50mm 1.2 is outperforming the 1.8. However, it is not as much as you might think. Whilst the background blur is softer with the f/1.2 and the details are slightly sharper, the nifty fifty definitely holds!

 
A photo of a woodland scene with several slender trees, their bark pale and textured. The ground is covered in fallen leaves and branches. The photo is taken at F1.8 on the Canon RF 50mm f/1.2.

Canon RF 50mm f/1.2 at F1.8.

A photo of a woodland scene with several slender trees, their bark pale and textured. The ground is covered in fallen leaves and branches. The photo is taken at F1.8 on the Canon RF 50mm f/1.8.

The Nifty Fifty at F1.8

 
 
A close-up photo of a birch tree trunk with textured bark and moss. The background is blurred, showcasing the shallow depth of field achieved with the RF 50mm f/1.2 lens at f/1.8.

The expensive Canon RF 50mm f/1.2 at F1.8, 100% zoomed

A close-up photo of a birch tree trunk with textured bark and moss. The background is blurred, showcasing the shallow depth of field achieved with the nifty fifty lens at F1.8.

The Nifty Fifty at F1.8, 100% zoomed.

 

f/1.2 vs f/1.8 on the Expensive lens

As mentioned above, the Canon RF 50mm f/1.2 enables you to get just over an extra stop of light into the camera, but what does that look like in comparison to f/1.8?

When you compare the f/1.8 to the f/1.2 images, on the f/1.2 lens, there’s not a huge amount of difference. The background blur has increased slightly but we’d expected to see a little bit more of a difference between these two considering there’s an entire stop of light difference between the two apertures. The depth of field shallower at f/1.2 and emphasizes the focus point of the image due to the increased blur. The blue also seems a bit smoother and there also seems to be some vignette with the 1.2.

 
A photo of a woodland scene with several slender trees, their bark pale and textured. The ground is covered in fallen leaves and branches. The photo is taken at F1.2 on the Canon RF 50mm f/1.2.

Canon RF 50mm f/1.2 at F1.2

A photo of a woodland scene with several slender trees, their bark pale and textured. The ground is covered in fallen leaves and branches. The photo is taken at F1.8 on the Canon RF 50mm f/1.2.

Canon RF 50mm f/1.2 at F1.8.

 
 
A close-up photo of a birch tree trunk with textured bark and moss. The background is blurred, showcasing the shallow depth of field achieved with the RF 50mm f/1.2 lens at f/1.2.

Canon RF 50mm f/1.2 at F1.2, 100% zoomed.

A close-up photo of a birch tree trunk with textured bark and moss. The background is blurred, showcasing the shallow depth of field achieved with the RF 50mm f/1.2 lens at f/1.8.

Canon RF 50mm f/1.2 at F1.8, 100% zoomed. 

 

Nifty Fifty’s f/1.8 vs The expensive lens at f/1.2

This test, conducted with both lenses wide open at their maximum apertures, highlights the stark differences between them. The pricier Canon RF 50mm f/1.2 lens delivers noticeably sharper images, a smoother and more aesthetically pleasing bokeh (background blur), and superior colour rendition compared to the budget-friendly "Nifty Fifty" (the Canon RF 50mm f/1.8). The f/1.2's wider aperture, allowing in more light, proves particularly beneficial in overcast conditions, contributing to improved image quality and richer colours. Overall, when both lenses are used at their widest apertures, the f/1.2 demonstrates its superior image quality.

 
A photo of a birch tree trunk with textured bark and moss. The background is blurred, showcasing the shallow depth of field achieved with a wide aperture (F1.2) lens.

Canon RF 50mm f/1.2 at F1.2

A photo of a woodland scene with several slender trees, their bark pale and textured. The ground is covered in fallen leaves and branches. The photo is taken at F1.8 on the Canon RF 50mm f/1.8

The Nifty Fifty (Canon RF 50mm f/1.8) at F1.8

 
 
A close-up photo of a birch tree trunk with textured bark and moss. The background is blurred, showcasing the shallow depth of field achieved with a wide aperture (F1.2) lens.

Canon RF 50mm f/1.2 at F1.2, zoomed in to 100%

The Nifty Fifty (Canon RF 50mm f/1.8) at F1.8, zoomed in to 100%

 

Conclusion

Firstly, thank you to Wex for providing the kit for us to test.

The point of this test was to see what additional quality you get for the additional £2300 – and we’ve found that there’s not a huge amount of difference in image quality. Where the Canon RF 50mm f/1.2 surpasses the f/1.8 is most significant in build quality, focusing and extra stop of light. It has quality weather sealing, quicker and quieter focusing and is made of alloy metal, rather than the plastic of the nifty fifty. And of course, you can push the depth of field more with the f/1.2 – which will be great if you primarily shoot portraiture or in low-light conditions. Having said that, the Canon RF 50mm f/1.8 has got to be the best bang for your buck in the photography world! It’s probably the best quality lens you can get for the money! Go on, treat yourself 😊

** All prices are accurate at the time of writing **

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