5 things to consider when purchasing the Canon 50mm F/0.95 Dream Lens
This lens isn’t just called the Canon ‘Dream Lens’ by nickname. It’s an absolute dream to own one. Partly due to the scarcity of how many there are around, whereby there were roughly 20,000 - 27,000 produced between 1961 - 1970, but also because of how somewhat impractical it is to use - but that doesn’t stop me loving it. I’ve only had mine for a few weeks now, but I’ve robustly tested it on one major portrait shoot where I’ll share the images below whilst also talking through 5 major considerations you should think about when looking to purchase this lens. I wish there was an article like this when I bought mine as it would have saved me a headache or two!
Panasonic S1H, Canon 50mm Dream Lens, shot at F/0.95
Mounting Options
First up on the list, is mounting options - which is most important. I originally wanted to mount this lens on my EF Canon cameras (C300MK3, 1DXIII) but it was only after purchasing and then researching my options, I found this to be impossible. This is due to the short-flange distance between the lens and senor. It’s most likely down to most EF mount cameras being old and using a mechancial shutter. Luckily I also have a Panasonic S1H in my arsenal, and I was able to find a (pricey) adaptor which I’ll link below.
This Canon 7 mount to L mount works perfectly on my Panasonic S1H - mind you it comes at a hefty price tag for a basic adaptor. There are other options of this adaptor for Fujifilm X, Nikon Z, and Canon RF. So be cautious before purchasing, you can actually mount this lens on the camera you want.
Lens Sharpness
Taking into account that this is a vintage lens and considering todays standards of sharpness - this lens isn’t too bad! Sure, it’s a manual focus lens and without some digital magnification on your LCD monitor, I would find this lens impossible to focus, but it is surprising in how sharp images look. Taken for example the image below. This was shot at F/0.95, using the magnify button the S1H has and even by cropping in 75%, it still produces a usable image. Sure, it’s not tack-sharp when cropping in compared to todays lenses - but I’m assuming that’s not why you’re thinking about purchasing this lens. Naturally, most of my images using this lens was shot at F/0.95 and I found focussing fairly easy when focussing for the eyes in every photos and overall for the age of the lens, I’m impressed. For commercial work, I’d maybe avoid using this lens if the image is going to be blown up 10x it’s original size, but for standard portraits - I love it.
Focus Distance
The next thing to consider is what subject matter you’ll typically be using this lens for. Although ideal for portraits, the 50mm focal length and a minimum focus distance of 1 meter (approx. 3.3 feet) meant I was not able to get close-up detailed portraits, without cropping in at post. Sure, at F/0.95 you may even lose focus of the nose when focussing on the eyes, but it still became a very minor frustration when shooting. In fact I actually opted for shooting further away that I usually would due to this - which was refreshing being forced to shoot slightly different. Because of the dreamy ‘soft’ look of the lens, I don’t believe you really lose any detail which cropping in a tiny amount.
Image Texture
When researching this lens initially, there was a lot of talk about the bokeh and how unique it is, which I’m not denying. It’s dreamy, bubble-like and different to modern days lenses - but I haven’t seen anyone talk about the ‘texture’ and when I say ‘texture’, I mean it looks like it’s also got a lens filter on top, if you know what I mean. It’s not quite grain but I very much assume it’s down to the coating of the lens.
Take the images below. On the left is the full resolution portrait, which looks absolutely dreamy due to the foreground and background blur, even when the model is sat not far from the background. But when zooming into the image, you might start to understand what I mean. It’s an almost like gritty texture in the shadows when the bokeh isn’t strong. This characteristic does come with other vintage lenses, but I haven’t came across it to this level. I’d class it as a secondary character element that this lens creates.
Price
Finally, let’s discuss price. It’s not cheap! You’ll exclusively find this in the second hand marketplaces such as eBay and they can range from £1,300-£4,000. For the amount you see yourself using this lens, is it worth it? Consider the fact if you are importing to your country, the import chargers which are roughly 20%. Plus the postage and insurance of the lens. AND also the filter to work with your camera. The listing price is only the start, but saying this, you can find good deals.
Video Uses
As a bonus consideration, I haven’t yet had the opportuntity to capture video with this lens, so I can’t comment on my experience. However, for those fans of Zack Snyder, apparently he used these lenses during the production of Army of the Dead. Y.M.Cinema Magazine has an interesting article which I suggest you take a look at!
Overall Thoughts
Overall, if you lightly discard the cost attached to owning this lens, then it makes the idea of owning one far more enjoyable! Jokes aside, I love this lens and I won’t be selling it anytime soon. My photography style generally is the ‘dreamy’ aesthetic so it perfectly fits into my repertoire, but will it yours? Using this lens with the shallow plane of focus with F/0.95 makes you shoot slower, more considered, and I love that. The experience is wildly different. Considering what I mentioned above that due to the focus distance being different to what I’m used to, it made me shoot different and ultimately take shots I wouldn’t have otherwise if I was using a different lens.
Using this lens gives me the closest feeling on shooting film. I was even using my S1H flip out LCD to use as a waist-level viewfinder! Although this lens costs a bomb for potential limited uses, you can’t put a price on the feeling you get using it.
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References: https://bluemooncameracodex.com/technical-reviews/living-with-the-canon-50mm-f095-dream-lens