Canon EF 50mm F/1.4 USM vs Canon EF 50mm F/1.8 STM

Last Updated & Fact Checked:  October 16, 2022

Are you trying to decide between the Canon EF 50mm F/1.4 USM and the Canon EF 50mm F/1.8 STM?

Product Versus will provide you with all the product details so you can quickly compare the facts to find which product is right for you – the Canon EF 50mm F/1.4 USM or the Canon EF 50mm F/1.8 STM – and find out exactly what the differences are.

Both the Canon EF 50mm F/1.4 USM and the Canon EF 50mm F/1.8 STM are quality products, so read on to find out which one is best for your needs!

Canon EF 50mm F/1.4 USM quick facts

Canon EF 50mm F/1.8 STM quick facts

Canon EF 50mm F/1.4 USM product details

Bestseller No. 1
Canon EF 50mm f/1.4 USM Standard and Medium Telephoto Lens for Canon SLR Cameras, Fixed
4,898 Reviews
Canon EF 50mm f/1.4 USM Standard and Medium Telephoto Lens for Canon SLR Cameras, Fixed
  • Standard focal length 50 millimeter lens is effective in a multitude of shooting situations and ideal for day-to-day shooting
  • Elements/Groups: 7/6, 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
Bestseller No. 2
Canon EF 50mm f/1.4 USM Standard & Medium Telephoto Lens for Canon SLR Cameras - Fixed (Renewed)
213 Reviews
Canon EF 50mm f/1.4 USM Standard & Medium Telephoto Lens for Canon SLR Cameras - Fixed (Renewed)
  • Standard focal length 50mm lens is effective in a multitude of shooting situations and ideal for day-to-day shooting
  • Elements/Groups: 7/6; Diaphragm: Blades 8; Filter Thread: Font 58mm; 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
  • Two high-refraction lens elements and new Gaussian optics eliminate astigmatism and suppress astigmatic difference
On Sale!Bestseller No. 3
Canon EOS 6D Mark II Digital SLR Camera Body – Wi-Fi Enabled Bundle with Canon EF 50mm f/1.4 USM Standard & Medium Telephoto Lens for Canon SLR Cameras - Fixed
1,089 Reviews
Canon EOS 6D Mark II Digital SLR Camera Body – Wi-Fi Enabled Bundle with Canon EF 50mm f/1.4 USM Standard & Medium Telephoto Lens for Canon SLR Cameras - Fixed
  • 26.2 Megapixel Full frame CMOS Sensor
  • Optical Viewfinder with a 45 point All Cross type AF System. Compatible Lenses: Canon EF lenses (excluding EF S and EF M lenses)
  • Dual Pixel CMOS AF with Phase detection & Full HD 60p
  • DIGIC 7 Image Processor, ISO 100 40000. GPS, Wi Fi, NFC and Bluetooth low energy
  • Standard focal length 50mm lens is effective in a multitude of shooting situations and ideal for day-to-day shooting

Canon EF 50mm F/1.8 STM product details

Bestseller No. 1
Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 STM Lens
14,753 Reviews
Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 STM Lens
  • 50 millimeter focal length and maximum aperture of f/1.8
  • Great for portraits, action, and nighttime photography; Angle of view (horizontal, vertical, diagonal): 40º, 27º,46º
  • Minimum focusing distance of 1.15 feet (0.35 meter) and a maximum magnification of 0.21x
  • Stepping motor (STM) delivers near silent, continuous move Servo AF for movies and smooth AF for stills
  • 80 millimetre effective focal length on APS C cameras, 50 millimetre on full frame cameras. Lens construction: 6 elements in 5 groups
On Sale!Bestseller No. 2
Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 STM Lens (Renewed)
519 Reviews
Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 STM Lens (Renewed)
  • 50mm focal length and maximum aperture of f/1.8
  • Great for portraits, action, and nighttime photography
  • Minimum focusing distance of 1.15 ft. (0.35m) and a maximum magnification of 0.21x
  • Stepping motor (STM) delivers near silent, continous Move Servo AF for movies and smooth AF for stills
Bestseller No. 3
Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 STM + Speedlite EL-100
53 Reviews
Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 STM + Speedlite EL-100
  • Compact, lightweight fixed focal length lens ideal for everyday photos, and with a large f/1.8 aperture, a perfect lens for low-light photography and creative background blur.
  • 80mm effective focal-length when attached to an APS-C camera, optimal for portraits and photos of fast moving subjects such as children and pets.
  • A stepping motor (Gear-type STM) supports the Movie Servo AF function in providing smooth and quiet continuous AF during video recording, as well as when shooting photos.
  • Improved exterior design includes new focus ring placement making it the most compact Canon 50mm lens.
  • Metal mount helps provide stability and ruggedness.

New products & alternatives to the Canon EF 50mm F/1.4 USM and the Canon EF 50mm F/1.8 STM

New
Canon EF 50mm f/1.4 USM Lens (2515A003) + Filter Kit + Lens Pouch + Cap Keeper + Cleaning Kit + More (Renewed)
  • Bundle Items Includes: 1 x Canon EF 50mm f/1.4 USM Lens, 1 x 58mm 3 Piece Filter Kit, 1 x Lens Pouch, 1 x Lens Cap Keeper, 1 x Cleaning Kit
  • Offering a natural perspective along with a fast maximum aperture, the EF 50mm f/1.4 USM from Canon is a versatile normal-length prime characterized by its bright f/1.4 aperture to suit working in low-light conditions and for producing shallow depth of field imagery. This lens also features a Gaussian optics design, along with two high refractive index elements, to control spherical aberrations and distortion for high sharpness and clarity.
  • Complementing the optical design is a micro USM, which enables quick and quiet autofocus performance along with full-time manual focus control. Normal prime is designed for full-frame Canon EF-mount DSLRs, however can also be used with APS-C models where it provides an 80mm equivalent focal length. Bright f/1.4 maximum aperture suits working in low-light conditions and also affords great control over depth of field for isolating subjects and using selective focus techniques.
  • Key Features: EF-Mount Lens/Full-Frame Format - Aperture Range: f/1.4 to f/22 - Two High Refractive Index Elements - Super Spectra Coating - Micro Ultrasonic Motor AF System - Rounded 8-Blade Diaphragm
  • Compatibility: Blackmagic Design Camera 6K, Blackmagic Design Camera 6K Pro, 1D Mark IV, 1D X, 1D X Mark II, 1D X Mark III, 1Ds Mark III, 50D, 5D Mark II, 5D Mark III, 5D Mark IV, 5D Mark IV Canon Log, 5DS, 5DS R, 60D, 6D, 6D Mark II, 70D, 77D, 7D, 7D Mark II, 80D, 90D, C100 EF-Mount, C200 EF-Mount, C300 EF-Mount, C300 Mark II EF-Mount, C300 Mark III EF-Mount, C500 EF-Mount, C700 EF-Mount, SL1, SL2, SL3, T2i, T3, T3i, T4i, T5, T5i, T6, T6i, T6s, T7, T7i, T8i, XSi
New
Canon EF 50mm f/1.4 USM Lens (2515A003) + Filter Kit + Lens Pouch + Cap Keeper + Cleaning Kit
  • Bundle Items Include: 1 x Canon EF 50mm f/1.4 USM Lens, 1 x 58mm 3 Piece Filter Kit, 1 x Lens Pouch, 1 x Lens Cap Keeper, 1 x Cleaning Kit
  • Offering a natural perspective along with a fast maximum aperture, the EF 50mm f/1.4 USM from Canon is a versatile normal-length prime characterized by its bright f/1.4 aperture to suit working in low-light conditions and for producing shallow depth of field imagery. This lens also features a Gaussian optics design, along with two high refractive index elements, to control spherical aberrations and distortion for high sharpness and clarity.
  • Complementing the optical design is a micro USM, which enables quick and quiet autofocus performance along with full-time manual focus control. Normal prime is designed for full-frame Canon EF-mount DSLRs, however can also be used with APS-C models where it provides an 80mm equivalent focal length. Bright f/1.4 maximum aperture suits working in low-light conditions and also affords great control over depth of field for isolating subjects and using selective focus techniques.
  • Key Features: EF-Mount Lens/Full-Frame Format - Aperture Range: f/1.4 to f/22 - Two High Refractive Index Elements - Super Spectra Coating - Micro Ultrasonic Motor AF System - Rounded 8-Blade Diaphragm
  • Compatibility: Blackmagic Design Camera 6K, Blackmagic Design Camera 6K Pro, 1D Mark IV, 1D X, 1D X Mark II, 1D X Mark III, 1Ds Mark III, 50D, 5D Mark II, 5D Mark III, 5D Mark IV, 5D Mark IV Canon Log, 5DS, 5DS R, 60D, 6D, 6D Mark II, 70D, 77D, 7D, 7D Mark II, 80D, 90D, C100 EF-Mount, C200 EF-Mount, C300 EF-Mount, C300 Mark II EF-Mount, C300 Mark III EF-Mount, C500 EF-Mount, C700 EF-Mount, SL1, SL2, SL3, T2i, T3, T3i, T4i, T5, T5i, T6, T6i, T6s, T7, T7i, T8i, XSi
New
Canon EF 50mm f/1.4 USM Lens (2515A003) + Filter Kit + Backpack + 64GB Card + Lens Pouch + Card Reader + Flex Tripod + Memory Wallet + Cap Keeper + Cleaning Kit + Hand Strap + More (Renewed)
  • Bundle Items Includes: 1 x Canon EF 50mm f/1.4 USM Lens, 1 x 58mm 3 Piece Filter Kit, 1 x Pro Sling Backpack, 1 x SanDisk 64GB Ultra SDXC Memory Card, 1 x Lens Pouch, 1 x Memory Card Reader, 1 x 12_inch Flexible Tripod, 1 x Memory Card Wallet, 1 x Lens Cap Keeper, 1 x Cleaning Kit, 1 x Hand Strap
  • Offering a natural perspective along with a fast maximum aperture, the EF 50mm f/1.4 USM from Canon is a versatile normal-length prime characterized by its bright f/1.4 aperture to suit working in low-light conditions and for producing shallow depth of field imagery. This lens also features a Gaussian optics design, along with two high refractive index elements, to control spherical aberrations and distortion for high sharpness and clarity.
  • Complementing the optical design is a micro USM, which enables quick and quiet autofocus performance along with full-time manual focus control. Normal prime is designed for full-frame Canon EF-mount DSLRs, however can also be used with APS-C models where it provides an 80mm equivalent focal length. Bright f/1.4 maximum aperture suits working in low-light conditions and also affords great control over depth of field for isolating subjects and using selective focus techniques.
  • Key Features: EF-Mount Lens/Full-Frame Format - Aperture Range: f/1.4 to f/22 - Two High Refractive Index Elements - Super Spectra Coating - Micro Ultrasonic Motor AF System - Rounded 8-Blade Diaphragm
  • Compatibility: Blackmagic Design Camera 6K, Blackmagic Design Camera 6K Pro, 1D Mark IV, 1D X, 1D X Mark II, 1D X Mark III, 1Ds Mark III, 50D, 5D Mark II, 5D Mark III, 5D Mark IV, 5D Mark IV Canon Log, 5DS, 5DS R, 60D, 6D, 6D Mark II, 70D, 77D, 7D, 7D Mark II, 80D, 90D, C100 EF-Mount, C200 EF-Mount, C300 EF-Mount, C300 Mark II EF-Mount, C300 Mark III EF-Mount, C500 EF-Mount, C700 EF-Mount, SL1, SL2, SL3, T2i, T3, T3i, T4i, T5, T5i, T6, T6i, T6s, T7, T7i, T8i, XSi
New
Canon EF 50mm f/1.4 USM Lens (2515A003) + Filter Kit + Backpack + 64GB Card + Lens Pouch + Card Reader + Flex Tripod + Memory Wallet + Cap Keeper + Cleaning Kit + Hand Strap
  • Bundle Items Include: 1 x Canon EF 50mm f/1.4 USM Lens, 1 x 58mm 3 Piece Filter Kit, 1 x Pro Sling Backpack, 1 x SanDisk 64GB Ultra SDXC Memory Card, 1 x Lens Pouch, 1 x Memory Card Reader, 1 x 12_inch Flexible Tripod, 1 x Memory Card Wallet, 1 x Lens Cap Keeper, 1 x Cleaning Kit, 1 x Hand Strap
  • Offering a natural perspective along with a fast maximum aperture, the EF 50mm f/1.4 USM from Canon is a versatile normal-length prime characterized by its bright f/1.4 aperture to suit working in low-light conditions and for producing shallow depth of field imagery. This lens also features a Gaussian optics design, along with two high refractive index elements, to control spherical aberrations and distortion for high sharpness and clarity.
  • Complementing the optical design is a micro USM, which enables quick and quiet autofocus performance along with full-time manual focus control. Normal prime is designed for full-frame Canon EF-mount DSLRs, however can also be used with APS-C models where it provides an 80mm equivalent focal length. Bright f/1.4 maximum aperture suits working in low-light conditions and also affords great control over depth of field for isolating subjects and using selective focus techniques.
  • Key Features: EF-Mount Lens/Full-Frame Format - Aperture Range: f/1.4 to f/22 - Two High Refractive Index Elements - Super Spectra Coating - Micro Ultrasonic Motor AF System - Rounded 8-Blade Diaphragm
  • Compatibility: Blackmagic Design Camera 6K, Blackmagic Design Camera 6K Pro, 1D Mark IV, 1D X, 1D X Mark II, 1D X Mark III, 1Ds Mark III, 50D, 5D Mark II, 5D Mark III, 5D Mark IV, 5D Mark IV Canon Log, 5DS, 5DS R, 60D, 6D, 6D Mark II, 70D, 77D, 7D, 7D Mark II, 80D, 90D, C100 EF-Mount, C200 EF-Mount, C300 EF-Mount, C300 Mark II EF-Mount, C300 Mark III EF-Mount, C500 EF-Mount, C700 EF-Mount, SL1, SL2, SL3, T2i, T3, T3i, T4i, T5, T5i, T6, T6i, T6s, T7, T7i, T8i, XSi
New
Canon RF16mm F2.8 STM (Renewed)
3 Reviews
Canon RF16mm F2.8 STM (Renewed)
  • Canon’s first ultra wide-angle, fixed focal length RF lens
  • High image quality and bright, fixed f/2.8 maximum aperture
  • A stepping motor (gear-type STM) that provides smooth and quiet continuous AF during video recording
  • Supremely lightweight and compact, for an ultra-wide lens for full-frame cameras
  • Minimum focusing distance of 5.11 inches and maximum magnification of 0.26x

Our conclusion on the Canon EF 50mm F/1.4 USM vs Canon EF 50mm F/1.8 STM

Both the Canon EF 50mm F/1.4 USM and the Canon EF 50mm F/1.8 STM are high quality products and we are sure you will be happy with either one. In the end it comes down to your budget and the value for money you are looking for.

Either way, the Canon EF 50mm F/1.4 USM and the Canon EF 50mm F/1.8 STM are both excellent products that will more than do their job!