Canon EF 50 f/1.4 IS in 2013 [CR2]

[KyleSTL]

f1.4 IS??  WOW.....should I cancel my 50L that I ordered yesterday

I'd say there is a decent chance that an updated 50 1.4 could outperform the 50L at f/1.4.  This is based off reviews of the 24 IS, 28 IS and 40mm f/2.8 STM.  Those lenses are really performing well (especially considering their price) compared to the other lenses in Canon's lineup ahead of them (24mm f/1.4L, 28mm f/1.8, 35mm f/1.4L) and the lenses they replace ( 24mm f/2.8, 28mm f/2.8 ).  I'd expect the 35mm f/2 IS to perform just as well when they start shipping.

24mm f/1.4L vs. 24mm f/2.8 IS ( both at f/2.8 ):
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24mm f/1.4L vs. 28mm f/2.8 IS ( both at f/2.8 ):
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28mm f/1.8 USM vs. 28mm f/2.8 IS ( both at f/2.8 ):
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35mm f/2 vs. 28mm f/2.8 IS ( both at f/2.8 ):
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35mm f/1.4L vs. 28mm f/2.8 IS ( both at f/2.8 ):
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35mm f/1.4L vs. 40mm f/2.8 STM ( both at f/2.8 ):
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Heck, the current f/1.4 isn't far behind the 50L as is:
Wide Open | f/1.4 | f/2 | f/2.8 | f/4 | f/5.6

I'd go so far as to say that the f/1.4 beats the L in apertures f/2.8 and smaller, based on those comparisons.  Wide open and f/2 seem like draws to me, and at f/1.4 the L is narrowly ahead.  I'd say when the new 50mm f/1.4 comes out, Canon will have a hard time selling the L.  I would expect the L to be replaced shortly thereafter (with the obvious Canon price increase).

[robbymack]

if this is a f1.4 with IS I suspect price to be much closer to the 50L than the newer IS primes.  Then Canon will line up a 50L replacement at or above 85L ii pricing.  Heck maybe they just add the red ring to it and price it that way from the beginning

[pwp]

This promises to be a winner for Canon, but very much at the expense of hugely reduced sales for the 50 f/1.2L.

-PW

[preppyak]

This promises to be a winner for Canon, but very much at the expense of hugely reduced sales for the 50 f/1.2L.

-PW

Eh, I'd say the 50mm f/1.4 was already doing that anyway. Pro's who need that specific look went for the L (and still will), but pretty much everyone else was going for the f/1.4 (or the Sigma, etc) because you could have 3 of them for the price of the L, and because they performed about the same from f/1.8 on

[Dylan777]

f1.4 IS??  WOW.....should I cancel my 50L that I ordered yesterday

Maybe this will push Canon to deliver a 50L II soon.  I can't see Canon killing a L lens like this and the recent lens designs are much better than before.

Current 50L is not that old....i doubt we'll see 50L II anytime soon. However, if the rumor 50 is sharp at f1.4, I might not need current 50L.....but then again this is CR2 and when will this lens be on the market is another topic to discuss

[Dylan777]

f1.4 IS??  WOW.....should I cancel my 50L that I ordered yesterday

I'd say there is a decent chance that an updated 50 1.4 could outperform the 50L at f/1.4.  This is based off reviews of the 24 IS, 28 IS and 40mm f/2.8 STM.  Those lenses are really performing well (especially considering their price) compared to the other lenses in Canon's lineup ahead of them (24mm f/1.4L, 28mm f/1.8, 35mm f/1.4L) and the lenses they replace ( 24mm f/2.8, 28mm f/2.8 ).  I'd expect the 35mm f/2 IS to perform just as well when they start shipping.

24mm f/1.4L vs. 24mm f/2.8 IS ( both at f/2.8 ):
TDP ISO 12233 Link
24mm f/1.4L vs. 28mm f/2.8 IS ( both at f/2.8 ):
TDP ISO 12233 Link
28mm f/1.8 USM vs. 28mm f/2.8 IS ( both at f/2.8 ):
TDP ISO 12233 Link
35mm f/2 vs. 28mm f/2.8 IS ( both at f/2.8 ):
TDP ISO 12233 Link
35mm f/1.4L vs. 28mm f/2.8 IS ( both at f/2.8 ):
TDP ISO 12233 Link
35mm f/1.4L vs. 40mm f/2.8 STM ( both at f/2.8 ):
TDP ISO 12233 Link

Heck, the current f/1.4 isn't far behind the 50L as is:
Wide Open | f/1.4 | f/2 | f/2.8 | f/4 | f/5.6

I'd go so far as to say that the f/1.4 beats the L in apertures f/2.8 and smaller, based on those comparisons.  Wide open and f/2 seem like draws to me, and at f/1.4 the L is narrowly ahead.  I'd say when the new 50mm f/1.4 comes out, Canon will have a hard time selling the L.  I would expect the L to be replaced shortly thereafter (with the obvious Canon price increase).

I hope you right.....I'm willing to spend up to $2100 for 50L II if there is no focus shift.

[Viggo]

I love that Canon puts IS in all their glass now, well, not all (read: 24-70 mk2) but I have always said I could really use IS in all my lenses. And I can 100% gurantee a new 50 f1,4 will be sharper with better corners than the current 50 L.

And that is great news, I love the 50 L more than any other lens, and I have had a few BUT, I do not love it for the sharpness and being serioouusly soft closer than 1 meter so I could surley use and update, and yes it isn't very old, but a lot has happened, and it should have been better in 2006 also.

But to have 800$ 50 f1,4 lacking only weather sealing over the 2100$ 50 L is going to kill it off anyway. So a new 50 L II within two years isn't THAT crazy...

[Haydn1971]

Very sceptical on current form - I'm thinking more like a 50mm f1.8 IS is more likely, sharp at f1.8, priced at about £600 retail, with an 85mm f2.0 IS at a similar price in the new style lens package seen on the 24/28/35mm lenses and a trio "cheapo" 35mm, 50mm & 85mm f2.8 non IS for £200 retail each in a build package not too dissimilar to a 18-55mm kit lens.

[KyleSTL]

... and a trio "cheapo" 35mm, 50mm & 85mm f2.8 non IS for £200 retail each in a build package not too dissimilar to a 18-55mm kit lens.

That's the first prediction of that happening that I have heard.  I think that is unlikely, but who knows, only time will tell.  There are a number of other lenses (at much higher pricepoints and margins) that Canon is more likely to produce [or replace], as well as cameras in need of replacement (most glaringly, the 2009-like spec'd EOS T3/1100D).

[florianbieler.de]

If by any means the image quality is comparable to their new 35mm IS, I know a guy who will definitely get that asap.

[LOALTD]

I don’t usually use this word but: what a bunch of haters!

I have been DREAMING about this lens since I got my first DSLR. 50mm is my favorite focal length; I shoot primarily landscape and adventure (mountaineering) photography.  I’m not sure why everyone thinks you need a wide-angle to shoot things in the great outdoors, I shoot with a 50 f/1.4 about 90% of the time, everyone has their own style.

Some of my most iconic images are shot in pre-dawn light; we often start climbing hours before the sun comes up.  At high altitude before sunrise, the light is gorgeous, changing quickly, and there is not much of it.  There is no time to setup a tripod.  I end up having to shoot at f/1.4 with 12k-25.6k ISO’s to get a non-blurred image, and by that point I consider the images pretty much unusable for professional applications.  Having FOUR STOPS of IS would be HUGE for me, and allow me to get my ISO’s back down to manageable levels.  This would also allow me to shoot basic star shots…hand-held!

This lens is truly a dream-come-true, and I will pre-order it as soon as it becomes available.  Something I have NEVER done with a lens before.

I have been disgustingly disappointed with Canon bodies lately (as have most of you here) but I am very pleased with the way they’ve been handling lenses: fast primes with IS and small/light sizes.  This is PERFECT for me, especially as I start to branch out more into videography.

Now if only they’d make a 24mm f/1.4 with IS…

[BL]

Do the new IS lenses have Hybrid IS??

i'm not quite sure if Hybrid IS would be useful in anything other than a macro lens.  and even then, as an owner of the 100L, it's questionable how much a difference HIS really makes at 1:2 - 1:1 magnifications.

[Zv]

A non IS version that's cheap, hmmmm oh wait that already exists! Did you forget about the 50 1.8 plastic fantastic? So why would Canon make another cheap fifty? Makes perfect sense to me that they would add IS, in fact we should all just accept that Canon will put IS in all future non L primes.


For bargain hunters theres always the 40mm pancake!

[Marsu42]

Huh? the Canon 100mm 2.8 L is $900? The new 50mm IS should be around $700 or $800.

The 100L is regularly included in rebate programs ... any no way the 50/1.4IS will be only $800 no matter how "simple" it is to construct, imho it'll be at least $1000 for the versatility alone and because it's a great companion to the IS-less 24-70 lens(es). I hope Canon delivers and it's not 12/31/2013 :-p

[ahsanford]

As was stated before (but I shall echo)...

• This lens should have been expected by all of us.  All the non-L primes seem to be getting modern updates with better build quality, internal focusing, USM and IS. I say almost in that F/1.4 and IS seems unlikely.  Given that IS is a lock for a refresh (based on the others we've seen) I agree with those suggesting that it might be an F/1.8 IS or F/2 IS.
• Such a refresh will have IQ that rivals current equivalently stopped down L glass of that length.
• Four stops of IS for me is fricken wonderful.  I rarely shoot moving things in low light, so four stops of IS is simply a huge win for what I do.  I can net shots in even darker environments, or in environments I shoot in today, I can stop this thing down into its sweet spot and have the IS net sharper winners despite the longer shutter.
• In this focal length, as much as improved IQ is first on people's minds, improved AF is what I'm looking for.  I have the venerable Canon 50 F/1.4, and though it (like the Canon 85mm F/1.8 ) is a stellar sharpness-per-dollar sort of lens, the focusing speed is simply two steps behind my L glass. If the 28 IS I recently purchased is any harbinger of things to come with this new 50, it should be a massive improvement over my old 50 F/1.4
• Am I the only who believes these mid-grade IS lenses are only setting a baseline for expectations for new L lenses?  One would assume that once these mid-grades IS lenses are all released, bigger/nastier/heavier weather-sealed versions of each of them will be next.  Such new L primes would be $2-3K, one would think.

- A