Specifications#
Equivalent focal length on different cameras#
Field of view and depth-of-field equivalence when this lens is used on bodies with different sensor sizes (natively or via an adapter).
| Camera format | At 50 mm | Equiv. aperture (DoF) |
|---|---|---|
| Full frame | 50 mm · 47° | f/1.8 |
| APS-C | 75 mm · 32° | f/2.7 |
| APS-C (Canon) | 80 mm · 30° | f/2.9 |
| Micro Four Thirds | 100 mm · 24° | f/3.6 |
Depth of field & background blur#
Computed on its native Full frame format (CoC 30 µm). “Blur @2 m” is the size of an out-of-focus point at infinity, as a percentage of frame width, with the subject at 2 m — a simple bokeh index. Full table: 50 mm f/1.8 on full frame.
| Focal | Aperture | at 1 m | at 2 m | at 5 m | at 10 m | Hyperfocal | Blur @2 m |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 50 mm | f/1.8 | 4.1 cm | 16.9 cm | 1.08 m | 4.51 m | 46.3 m | 2.0% |
| 50 mm | f/4 | 9.1 cm | 37.8 cm | 2.52 m | 12.4 m | 20.9 m | 0.9% |
| 50 mm | f/8 | 18.4 cm | 77.6 cm | 6.14 m | 218 m | 10.5 m | 0.4% |
Handheld & night-sky limits#
NPF assumes typical 20–24 MP sensors (≈6 µm pixels on full frame, ≈3.9 µm on APS-C, ≈3.3 µm on Micro Four Thirds).
| Body | Min. handheld shutter (longest focal) | 500 rule at 50 mm | NPF at 50 mm, f/1.8 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Full frame | 1/50 s | 10 s | 5 s |
| APS-C | 1/80 s | 7 s | 4 s |
| APS-C (Canon) | 1/80 s | 6 s | 3 s |
| Micro Four Thirds | 1/100 s | 5 s | 3 s |
Compatible cameras#
Bodies in our database with a native Canon EF mount.
- Canon EOS-1D X Mark III 2020
- Canon EOS 6D Mark II 2017
- Canon EOS 5D Mark IV 2016
- Canon EOS-1D X Mark II 2016
- Canon EOS 5DS 2015
- Canon EOS 5DS R 2015
- Blackmagic Design Pocket Cinema Camera 2013
- Canon EOS 5D Mark III 2012
- Canon EOS 6D 2012
- Canon EOS-1D X 2012
- Canon EOS-1D C 2012
- Canon EOS-1D Mark IV 2009
- Canon EOS 5D Mark II 2008
- Canon EOS-1Ds Mark III 2007
- Canon EOS-1D Mark III 2007
- Canon EOS 5D 2005
- Canon EOS-1Ds Mark II 2004
- Kodak DCS Pro SLR/c 2004
- Canon EOS-1D Mark II 2004
- Canon EOS 30V 2004
- Canon EOS-1Ds 2002
- Canon EOS 3000N 2002
- Canon EOS 300V 2002
- Canon EOS-1D 2001
- Canon EOS-1V 2000
- Canon EOS 30 2000
- Canon EOS D2000 1998
- Canon EOS-3 1998
- Canon EOS 500N 1996
- Canon EOS IX 1996
- Canon EOS 50 1995
- Canon EOS-1N 1994
- Canon EOS 500 1993
- Canon EOS 5 1992
- Canon EF-M camera 1991
- Canon EOS 100 1991
- Canon EOS 1000 1990
- Canon EOS-1 1989
- Canon EOS 650 1987
- Canon EOS C300
Adapt it to other systems#
Similar lenses#
- Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 f/1.8
- Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 STM f/1.8
- Canon EF 50mm f/1.2L USM f/1.2
- Canon EF 50mm f/1.4 USM f/1.4
- Sigma 50mm f/1.4 DG HSM [A] f/1.4
- Sigma 50mm f/1.4 EX DG HSM f/1.4
- Canon TS-E 45mm f/2.8 f/2.8
- Tamron SP 45mm F/1.8 Di VC USD f/1.8
- Sigma 40mm F1.4 DG HSM | Art f/1.4
- Canon EF 40mm f/2.8 STM f/2.8
- Canon EF 35mm f/1.4L II USM f/1.4
- Canon EF 35mm f/1.4L USM f/1.4
Frequently asked questions#
Is the Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 II full frame?
Yes — it covers the full 36 × 24 mm frame.
What is the Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 II equivalent to on APS-C?
On a 1.5× APS-C body it frames like 75 mm, and like 80 mm on Canon APS-C.
What is the Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 II good for?
As a standard prime it suits street, documentary, everyday and low-light shooting.
Sources & licences#
- Lensfun lens database — CC BY-SA 3.0
Last updated October 03, 2026 · How we calculate · Sources