Canon EF 50mm F1.8 II vs Canon EF 50mm f/2.5 Compact Macro
Side-by-side comparison from our catalogue data. Better values are highlighted only where a clear difference exists.
Verdict at a glance
- Canon EF 50mm F1.8 II is faster by 9.6 stops (f/1.8 vs f/50.0), letting in more light.
- Canon EF 50mm F1.8 II is lighter by 150g.
- Canon EF 50mm F1.8 II is the newer design (1990 vs 1987).
| Spec | EF 50mm F1.8 II | EF 50mm f/2.5 Compact Macro |
|---|---|---|
| Brand | Canon | Canon |
| Mount | Canon EF | Canon EF |
| Type | Prime | Macro |
| Focal length | 50mm | 50mm |
| Max aperture | f/1.8 (faster) | f/50.0 |
| Released | 1990 | 1987 |
| Blades | 5 | 6 |
| Format | full-frame | full-frame |
| Groups | 5 | 8 |
| Elements | 6 | 9 |
| Weight g | 130.0 (lighter) | 280.0 |
| Filter mm | 52 | 52 |
| Length mm | 41.0 | 63.0 |
| Diameter mm | 68.2 | 67.6 |
| Min focus m | 0.45 | 0.23 (closer focusing) |
| Max magnification | 0.15 | 0.5 |
Canon EF 50mm F1.8 II
The 1990 version of Canon's 50mm f/1.8 for EF mount: tiny and light, with a plastic mount and a basic micro motor. It fits any EF-mount body.
Pros
- Very light and small
- f/1.8 aperture
- Sharp enough once stopped down
Cons
- Plastic mount and build
- Autofocus is slow and audible
- No full-time manual focus override
Canon EF 50mm f/2.5 Compact Macro
The EF 50mm f/2.5 Compact Macro is a compact macro prime that reaches half life-size natively. A separate Life-Size Converter was sold to reach 1:1.
Pros
- Compact and light
- Sharp
- Simple macro option
Cons
- Only 1:2 without converter
- Slower AF
- No stabilization