The iconic Canon 50mm f/1.2L drops to just $1,399 – Saving you $150 on the lens the Pros love

Canon’s 50mm f/1.2 cult-favorite fast fifty has just landed at $1,399 (down from $1,549) – a straightforward $150 saving on the EF 50mm f/1.2L USM. If you’ve been circling this lens for a while, this is the moment to finally make the jump.

The 50mm field of view is the sweet spot for storytelling – intimate, flattering and honest – and at f/1.2 it turns everyday scenes into something cinematic. This is the classic you buy once and use for years.

Save $150

Canon EF 50mm f/1.2L USM: was $1,549 now $1,399 at BHPhoto

For me, Canon’s 50mm f/1.2L USM is the lens that gives images their soul – creamy, honest, low-light magic – now $1,399 (save $150), and it’s the very optic war photographer Jonathan Alpeyrie trusts for his frontline documentation.

View Deal

What makes it special is the way it draws. Wide open, you get that unmistakable Canon 50mm f/1.2 character: a gentle glow on highlights, creamy fall-off and subject separation that looks like it came from a much larger format. It’s not sterile, it’s not clinical – it’s expressive. Photographers fall in love with the look first, then realize how versatile it is for portraits, street, weddings, editorial, and low-light documentary.

This isn’t just fan lore, either. War photographer Jonathan Alpeyrie relies on this exact lens for his frontline documentation, adapting it to EOS R bodies and trusting it as his single, do-everything optic. When the stakes are high and conditions are unforgiving, you only carry glass that delivers, every time. That should tell you everything about the Canon 50mm f/1.2L’s dependability in the real world.

Under the hood, you’re getting L-series build quality that shrugs off hard use, a ring-type USM motor that focuses with confidence, and that f/1.2 aperture that extends your shooting day long after the light drops. Keep ISO sensible, keep shutter speeds up and keep the look consistent across changing conditions – that’s the quiet power of fast glass. On Canon DSLRs, it’s native; on EOS R bodies it adapts seamlessly with the standard EF-to-RF adapter.

If you’re chasing depth and mood straight out of camera, this lens delivers without leaning on heavy post-production. Skin tones look flattering, backgrounds melt away and your subject carries the frame. It’s the difference between “sharp” and “striking” – and that difference is why the Canon 50mm f/1.2L stays on so many cameras as a default, not a special-occasion choice.

Deals on evergreen glass are the ones to jump on, because the lens will outlast the camera you’re using today. If the Canon EF 50mm f/1.2L USM has been on your list, lock in the $1,399 price while it’s live and bank that $150 saving. You’re not just buying a discount – you’re buying a signature look that elevates everything you shoot.

You might also like…

Take a look at the best Canon lenses for DSLRs and the best Canon RF lenses for mirrorless cameras.