Home › Cameras › Prime › Canon › Canon EF 50mm f/1.4 USM
Canon

Canon EF 50mm f/1.4 USM

An affordable, compact 50mm f/1.4 (290g) with micro-USM focusing — a long-lived standard and portrait prime for EF, though its focusing mechanism is known to be fragile.

Starting from
£409 new
Used from £99 (Wex Photo Video)
Available at 3 retailers
Check price at Clifton Cameras
✓ Available at 3 retailers 🔒 No signup needed 📦 UK stock only
RetailerPrice
Clifton Cameras
Clifton Cameras
£409
Check on Clifton Cameras →
Wex Photo Video
Wex Photo Video used
£99
Check on Wex Photo Video →
Amazon
Amazon
—
Check on Amazon →
Prices are synced live from UK retailers. Not every product will be stocked by every retailer; older models may only be available second hand.
Core
Released
1993
Focal Length
50mm
Aperture
f/1.4
Compatible Mount
Canon EF
Filter Size
58mm
Dimensions
73.8mm diameter × 50.5mm length
Weight
290g
Weather Sealed
No
Optics & Focus
AF Motor
Ultrasonic Motor (USM)
Optical IS
None (relies on body IS if available)
Aperture Blades
8
Magnification
0.15x
Min. Focus Distance
0.45m

Select up to 2 cameras to compare against the EF 50mm f/1.4 USM. It's always pinned as the baseline.

Select 1–3 cameras to compare

3 cameras compatible with the Canon EF mount.

📷
Canon
EOS-1D
£150
📷
Canon
EOS-1Ds
£200
EOS-1D X Mark III
Canon
EOS-1D X Mark III
£3500
GearScore™ — Suitability by Genre

Base score — computed from verified specs for an enthusiast shooting photo and video. Camera Match adjusts it for your skill level and priorities.

Portrait
6.9
Street
7.8
Travel
5.3
Wedding & Events
5.9
Filmmaking
4.7
Documentary
5.3
Landscape
4.8
Casual
6.5
Food
4.9
Architecture
4.4
Astrophotography
5.8
Underwater
4.7
✅ Great For
🌆
Street 7.8 Strong on portability, focal length and maximum aperture.
⚠️ Not Ideal For
🏛️
Architecture 4.4 Held back by focal length and generation.
🎬
Filmmaking 4.7 Held back by video handling and optical stabilisation.
🤿
Underwater 4.7 Held back by focal length and close focusing.
📝 How suitability scores are calculated GearScore™ genre scores are calculated from this camera's verified specifications — autofocus, sensor, weight, weather sealing and more — weighted by what matters for each type of photography. Where a spec sheet misses something (e.g. a manual-focus rangefinder for street), we apply a documented editorial adjustment. Scores are not based on customer reviews. See our full methodology →
Price History — EF 50mm f/1.4 USM