Canon EF 50mm f2.5 Macro
Canon EF 50mm f2.5 Macro Specifications and Review
Brief Review
The EF 50/2.5 Macro is one of the original EOS lenses, being introduced in 1987. It's similar in construction to the original EF 50/1.8, the EF 28/2.8 and the EF35/2. The build quality is solid, the lens mount is metal, it has a distance (and magnification) scale and it uses an AFD (arc form drive) motor. AFD motors are regular DC motors and give accurate AF, but they are slower and noisier than USM motors.
The 50/2.5 Macro has high quality optics and uses floating elements in order to maximize image quality at close focus distances. Maximum magnification is 1/2 life size, which means on a full frame camera it will image an area 48mm x 72mm (slightly smaller then 2" x 3"). On a crop sensor camera it will image an area approximately 30mm x 45mm. If you don't need the extra speed of the 50/1.8 or 50/1.4 lenses, the 50/2.5 makes an excellent general purpose lens with the addition of macro capability. It's very sharp and the cost is moderate.
The is an optional 1:1 lifesize converter which mounts between the lens and the camera like a TC. In fact it really is a TC since it increased the effective focal length of the lens and allows focusing down to 1:1. However the converter is about the same price as the lens, so if your goal is 1:1 macro imaging it may work out cheaper to use an EF-S 60/2.8 on a crop sensor camera or a 100/2.8 macro on full frame
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| Model | Canon EF 50mm f2.5 Macro |
| Link to Current Pricing | EF 50mm f2.5 Macro |
Production Dates  |
1987 - current |
| Comments | 0.5x Macro. 1X requires addition of the Canon Lifesize Converter which adds several hundred dollars to the price. |
| Field of View
(degrees) Horizontal,Vertical, Diagonal Full Frame - 36x24mm APS-C - 22.5x15mm |
Full Frame : H - 39.6 : V - 27 : D - 46.8 APS-C : H - 25.4 : V - 17.1 : D - 30.3 |
| Full Frame FOV equivalent with lens on APS-C body |
80 mm (1.6x multiplier) |
| Full Frame FOV equivalent with lens on APS-H body |
65 mm (1.3x multiplier) |
| Maximum Length | 88 mm (3.46 inches) |
| Minimum Length | 63 mm (2.48 inches) |
| Weight | 280 gm (9.47 oz.) |
| Maximum Diameter | 67 mm (2.64 inches) |
| Lens Mount Material |
Metal |
| Lens Color |
Black |
| Filter Size | 52 mm |
| Filter Rotation |
Filter does not rotate |
| Focusing |
Linear Extension (Length changes) |
| Focus Range Setting(s) |
No, always uses full focus range |
| AF motor |
AFD |
| Distance Scale | Yes, has distance scale |
| Closest Focus | 0.23 m (0.75 ft) |
| Maximum Magnification | 0.5x |
| Canon TC compatibility |
No, Canon TCs can not be used |
| Weathersealing |
Not weathersealed |
| Lens Hood |
none |
| E-TTL II Support |
No |
| Elements/Groups |
9/8 |
| Diaphragm Blades |
6 |
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With the large number of entries contained in the Canon EOS Lens database it's inevitable the some of presented here may not be complete and/or may contain errors. If you find an error or missing data, please contact me and I will add or revise the data as necessary
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