Buy 50mm f1.2L now or wait for the II?

[mrjgx]

Hi guys,

I'm new here and since this thing is bothering me for 2 weeks already I guess I have to post it up here and seek feedbacks from the members here.

I'm planning to buy the 50mm f1.2L but I found out that there's a rumor saying the new II version is being tested. So anyone can predict when will it be released?

I'm in the middle of upgrading from APSC to FF camera, and I was thinking to better invest in a good lens first and the body upgrades can come much later. I'm planning to complete the Holy Trinity primes. The thing is, I don't want to spend a large amount of money only to regret having not to wait for a few more weeks when the new improved version is to be released.

Thx guys!

[Aaron78]

Lens release dates are next to impossible to predict ( look at how long the 500II, 600II, and 200-400 1.4 took to be for sale after they were announced). The only one indicator to some older lenses getting an update would be if/when canon announces a high MP body, if some of the old lenses need to be improved due to the higher resolution. If you want the 50 1.2 bad enough, buy it. If a ver. II gets announced, it will be alot more money than the current version, and you at that point will be able to sell your lens for about what you paid for it if you decide you need/want the updated version.

[BL]

in case you're new to L lenses, what you'll come to find is that prices tend to hold, even in cases where mkI versions are getting replaced by mkII's (case in point, 24-70 L, or any of the super tele's)

i bought my 16-35 II for $1350 back in 2008 and just sold it on ebay for $1300 in spite of CR2 rumors and whatnot floating out on the interwebs about prototypes to replace it in the field for testing. 

if you want the lens, buy it now.  use it.  enjoy it for many months or even years, then sell when it's time to upgrade or move on.

you'll drive yourself crazy trying to plan your purchases around rumors and CR ratings!   

[mrjgx]

Thanks for the reply guys. Well noted on the points, so I guess I'll be heading to shop and get the lens quickly 

I have 50mm f1.8, 85mm f1.8, and tamron 17-50 f2.8.

I'm about to buy the 5d mark iii body but I guess I'll go with the lens route first. With the price of the body I can get my hands on 2 L lens. I guess that will be the wiser options to go with.

OOT a bit, as I will be mostly doing portraiture thingy (outdoor), other than the 50 f1.2, which one should I choose between the 135f2 and 85 f1.2?

thx

[Aaron78]

What camera body are you using, and are you using a speedlite? The 85 is much loved by many, but focuses slower than most from what i gather.

[RomainF]

OOT a bit, as I will be mostly doing portraiture thingy (outdoor), other than the 50 f1.2, which one should I choose between the 135f2 and 85 f1.2?

thx

Most people usually choose between the 50 or the 85, depending on their very personal opinion and get the 135 anyway.
You're the only one who can tell which one you prefer, either 50 or 85.  As one said sooner, you could buy the 85 or the 135 and if you're unhappy with the lens you bought, just sell it and buy the other one. You can also rent both of them for one day, that's the best way to make you choice. 

Well, as another just said, if you want that 50L glass, just buy it and enjoy it. The more time you spend on the forums, the less you spend shooting. And no one on the internet can decide better than yourself.

[neuroanatomist]

Wait for the 50/1.2 MkIII.  It'll be even better!   

The current version is from 2006, it's weather sealed, and I doubt it's high on the priority list for an update.

RE 85L vs. 135L, I find the 85L a bit more versatile for portraits (indoors and out), I tend to use the 135L for outdoor portraits and indoor sports.

[rs]

OOT a bit, as I will be mostly doing portraiture thingy (outdoor), other than the 50 f1.2, which one should I choose between the 135f2 and 85 f1.2?

Focal length for portrait very much depends on how tight you want to crop - head and shoulders, upper body, or whole body. So your best bet is to experiment and find out what you're most happy with.

Your crop camera, 50 and 85 will give you a good idea of what an 85L and 135L's focal lengths are like on FF. (your 50 acts like an 80, and your 85 acts like a 136) - so try them out, and then bear in mind how long you'll be using the lens on your crop camera before buying a 5D3.

The 85 is a middle ground between the 50 and 135, so its probably best not to get all three - you'll probably not end up carrying all three around, and even if you did, you'll no doubt not use all three in one session.

If you want to go with a 24 and 50, the 135 could be best. If you're happy with just two primes, 35 and 85 could be the way to go.

[mrjgx]

Hi thx for all the inputs and it definitely gave me a new thoughts on my purchase plan. Currently I'm using the 500d, and the reason I'm going FF is because I feel that I'm already at the limit with the body limitation (iso capabilities, shutter speed, and feels)

I love 85mm distance on my APSC so I'll guess I'll be buying the 135L once I go FF. The thing is, if I'm buying the 50L now, it will be my usual comfort distance on the APSC (equiv to 85 on FF) but then when I upgrade to FF it will be wider.

And perhaps I'll skip the 85L, and not going to get the 135L yet until I have the FF body as it will become very hard to handhold it on APSC body without shaking (gonna be 216mm if i'm not wrong).

Since the 50L II is not coming out anytime soon, I know what's my decision gonna be 

*FF is coming, hurm perhaps 3-4 months after I get the first L

[LetTheRightLensIn]

I'd wait for the II and just get the well not sure what maybe the sigma 1.4 for now? Canon 1.4 is fine but the AF is even worse than the sigma (although tolerable, sort of, on 5D3/1DX) and the AF was designed wrong and breaks easily (sometimes by itself, nearly right out of the box).

I have never tried the 1.2 but people complain about extreme focus shift (?) and that it is easily softer away from center frame than the 1.4 stopped down to the same apertures (?) although depending how you shoot the latter might not matter, some claim it has richer pop for objects in the center, some of 1.2ness of it is wasted by many DSLR sensors since they don't gran the outer rays all that well. I don't know. I've seen many people say it was an over-priced waste, but some other swear by it.

[Cannon Man]

PLEASE DON'T BUY THE 50MM 1.2!!
I bought 2 of them for my company and i sold them because sharpness is bad and it has a strange glow at all apertures.

Maybe it's just the copies i had but i doubt it.
I also have two 85mm 1.2 II's to compare to and the 50's ate serious dirt every time.

I'm thinking they will come up with a new model of the 50 1.2 since it is so bad at sharpness and it won't survive when +30MP cameras come around.

I'm waiting for a new version but even more for the new TS-E45mm that is hopefully coming soon!

[Eli]

Rent one before you buy, the 50 1.2 is not for everyone

[neuroanatomist]

PLEASE DON'T BUY THE 50MM 1.2!!
I bought 2 of them for my company and i sold them because sharpness is bad and it has a strange glow at all apertures.

Maybe it's just the copies i had but i doubt it.

Indeed, the 50L is not for everyone.  If having the sharpest lens in the lineup is your goal, the 50L isn't even close.  If you want portraits with an incredibly creamy bokeh and an subject/background separation with close backgrounds for portraits that you can achieve with that lens due to the very wide aperture and the normal focal length, and cannot achieve with other lenses, then the 50L is worth a look.   

[hendrik-sg]

i used FF primes on crop and went FF in the meantime. The difference in focal lengh (more precise: Field of View) and dept of focus is so significant, that i wouldnt buy primes for FF and use them on Crop for undefined time.

For example a 500d with 50L gives you about the same Picture like a 5d3 with 85 1.8, but in much better Quality. 

As you have a (less expensive) lens linup which is suitable for FF i would buy the camera first, a 5d3 is a wonderful camera. By using it with your current lenses you will see what you want to Change in which priority.

[Random Orbits]

If you have FF compatible lenses already, I'd suggest getting the FF camera first, and then deciding on a fast prime later.  FF + fast primes give you thin DOFs, which you can use creatively to good effect.  How you use each lens will chance when you move from APS-C to FF, so get the camera first, then use it and then get the lens at the focal length you use most.

It's true that the 50L is not the sharpest, so try it before you buy.  It has other qualities, but it is up to you if it is worth it.  I don't find it as sharp as the 35L or 85L, but I find that it AFs much better than the 50 f/1.4 especially at larger apertures, where it is more critical.