# Zeiss Milvus 50mm f1.4 vs Canon EF 50mm f1.8 STM: 10x the price and 10x better?



## JoFT (Feb 18, 2017)

I made a review about these 2 lenses. Theses are controversary, to some extend extrem. But Let us start with my verdict: I will not answer the question in the title. I think everybody sees clearly: yes the Milvus 50mm f1.4 is an excellent lens. It is the best 50mm I know and meanwhile I own. And I love shooting with it. For me it is worth the investment without any doubt. It delivers results which will blow away even experts - so great!!!
But what is clear at the end of this comparison: the outstanding quality of the EF 50mm f1.8 STM: This is the Golf GTI among the lenses. The Mark I GTI. I drove that car 1977 when I got my driving license: It was unbelievable fast, great handling but also very fuel efficient. And price wise pretty reasonable, too. There is no mistake having and using this lens. And it is light. For me it is the perfect 50mm lens for traveling especially with the EOS M5. And for everybody else: It gets the "buy" recommendation even more: Today I know how good this lens is - especially after my comparison with the 10x more expensive Milvus lens. I believe -The EF 50mm f1.8 STM is optically the best 50mm lens Canon is offering - better than the 50mm f1.4 - which I own and it is worse in every regard (!) but also better than the 50mm f1.2 - beside the fact the f1.8 is less than f1.4 or f1.2 - according to DXO (ok. about DXO testings you may think what you like - but it indicates at least something).
What You should do: I do not know. This is up to you. If you love the high end contrast, low flare, low CA and sharpness even in the corners wide open: Yes the Milvus is yours if you are willing to invest ca 1200€.
If you say 1200€ is by fare too much: I can understand this, too: The EF 50mm f1.8 will give you great images, too. No doubt.
But please keep in mind: The Milvus is the one and only 50mm f1.4 lens with weather sealing....
Enjoy shooting!


http://bit.ly/2m8ZW0q


----------



## JoFT (Feb 18, 2017)

This 2 shots have blown me away. Shot on a tripod. And please look at the chimney... which you will see only in the EF lens.... the Milvus has blurred it away. Amazing...
It is shot with f1.8 on an EOS M5 and ISO 100


----------



## JoFT (Feb 18, 2017)

Another topic is the amount of contrast and the lens flare ... here shown @ f11


----------



## JoFT (Feb 18, 2017)

Pretty remarkable is the performance of the Milvus wide open. here you see the lower left side of an image shot wide open on the 5D MkIV...


----------



## [email protected] (Mar 7, 2017)

Milvus is great, but I have to hand the better AF to the $90 EF lens. It has better consistency; and, oh yeah, it actually exists. 

Note to Sigma: remove AF and charge $2k.


----------



## JoFT (Mar 11, 2017)

[email protected] said:


> Milvus is great, but I have to hand the better AF to the $90 EF lens. It has better consistency; and, oh yeah, it actually exists.
> 
> Note to Sigma: remove AF and charge $2k.




Did you ever shoot with a good manual focusing lens? 
Sometimes manual focus has a better consistency than autofocus...
And a good autofocus may work, but shooting macro f.i. manual focus us key. And here the canon lenses are not great...


----------

