A New EF 50 f/1.8 IS? [CR1]

[RLPhoto]

I bought the 50L and that's it, found my 50mm of choice. Never looked back.

[samueljay]

There’s no doubt in my mind Canon is working on a couple of new 50mm lenses.

This is good news since none of the present lenses are worthy of my money.

-50 1.8 = a toy lens, too few aperture blades
-50 1.4 = more expensive toy lens, prone to breaking (also had one and didn't like it)
-50 1.2 = expensive and with problems like focus shift
-Sigma 50 1.4 = could be good if by some miracle one could find a decent specimen

If I'm not missing anything, these are the autofocusing lenses for Canon at the moment. So after that short listing I welcome new additions to the lineup (and IS of course, it's a life-saver for me).

You missed the Canon EF 50mm Compact Macro f/2.5, I don't know anything about it though, having never used it.

[Marsu42]

You missed the Canon EF 50mm Compact Macro f/2.5, I don't know anything about it though, having never used it.

It's discontinued and now rests in well-earned obscurity as outdated tech. Though it is very sharp and rivals or is better than the 50/1.4, it has the horrible 80's-style af motor and is superseded by the ef-s 60 & ef 100 macros with longer working distance.

[markd61]

It's discontinued and now rests in well-earned obscurity as outdated tech. Though it is very sharp and rivals or is better than the 50/1.4, it has the horrible 80's-style af motor and is superseded by the ef-s 60 & ef 100 macros with longer working distance.

Possibly a hint that one of the new 50s maybe a macro that can command a premium price.

The 40 was a very intriguing product for me in that the build quality is up, IQ is excellent and the price a bargain. This last thing being the most puzzling as Canon have been exuberantly pushing up the price of their latest lenses. What that means for the new 50s is open to conjecture( as we have seen here).

The 50 1.8 has always been a bargain lens with great quality but build that falls short of other lenses in the lineup. A new 50 f2.0 with IS and stellar IQ, USM, IS and the build of the 40 would likely have a price in the neighborhood of $800 if the new wides are any guide.

[infared]

Thanks for the link - when did you buy the Sigma? Often these issues seem to be silently fixed by manufacturers, including Canon (like the not very durable on the first 17-55 lenses).
[/quote]


Bought mine a little over a year ago...The lens is always surprisingly sharp...The only BAD thing about the lens is the UGLY mirrored gold band ...Just makes the lens look soooo cheap. so......I got some cool pin-striping tape and covered mine up. I couldn't stand to look at it! LOL!

[RC]

Interested if:

- 1.4 not 1.8
- USM ring
- round aperture
- sharp wide open
- IS (sure why not)
- great build quality, weather sealed (new 1.4 50L?  not likely)
- reasonable price

Yeah, I know, I'm dreaming. 

[infared]

Interested if:

- 1.4 not 1.8
- USM ring
- round aperture
- sharp wide open
- IS (sure why not)
- great build quality, weather sealed (new 1.4 50L?  not likely)
- reasonable price

Yeah, I know, I'm dreaming.

Here, HERE!

[Random Orbits]

Interested if:

- 1.4 not 1.8
- USM ring
- round aperture
- sharp wide open
- IS (sure why not)
- great build quality, weather sealed (new 1.4 50L?  not likely)
- reasonable price

Yeah, I know, I'm dreaming.

LOL!  Canon might be able to do all the above except the last one!

[Ellen Schmidtee]

Interested if:

- 1.4 not 1.8
- USM ring
- round aperture
- sharp wide open
- IS (sure why not)
- great build quality, weather sealed (new 1.4 50L?  not likely)
- reasonable price

Yeah, I know, I'm dreaming.

If Canon makes a lens with the first four items + reasonable price, I'm buying.

[preppyak]

As long as they keep the price low, even $200 or so like the forty shorty, this could be good to have in the lineup. Don't get rid of the current 50 1.8! It's such a great price for people just getting started to get a fairly fast prime at a good focal length.

If this is considered a replacement for the 50mm f/1.4 (as the post states), you won't see the retail price cheaper than $399. More likely it'll be $500+. If this is a replacement for the 50mm f/1.8, then you might get lucky and see $249 or $299. But, then why would anyone buy the 40mm pancake, when you could gain f/1.8 and IS for $50?

So yeah, I'd say $399 is the low price, more likely to see $599.

[samueljay]

You missed the Canon EF 50mm Compact Macro f/2.5, I don't know anything about it though, having never used it.

It's discontinued and now rests in well-earned obscurity as outdated tech. Though it is very sharp and rivals or is better than the 50/1.4, it has the horrible 80's-style af motor and is superseded by the ef-s 60 & ef 100 macros with longer working distance.

Sorry about that, my bad, it was still listed on the Canon Australia site in lenses, and still for sale on the web stores for Teds and Digital Rev.

[Marsu42]

You missed the Canon EF 50mm Compact Macro f/2.5, I don't know anything about it though, having never used it.

Sorry about that, my bad, it was still listed on the Canon Australia site in lenses, and still for sale on the web stores for Teds and Digital Rev.

If a product is discontinued by the manufacturer, it doesn't mean retailers throw it away or it disappears into thin air :-p ... but unlike the 24-70mk1, the 50mm macro still being available tells something about customers' demand for it.

[garyfisher]

Interested if:

- 1.4 not 1.8
- USM ring
- round aperture
- sharp wide open
- IS (sure why not)
- great build quality, weather sealed (new 1.4 50L?  not likely)
- reasonable price

Yeah, I know, I'm dreaming.

I would appreciate same thing 50/1.4 L USM (IS not necessary) -sharp, fast AF, weather sealed, than I would pay,
But more likely will come 50/1.4 II, maybe IS and later new line of fast primes will be introduced, similar to super telephoto all 30/1.4, 50/1.2 85/1.2

[Gcon]

For the love of Henri Cartier-Bresson Canon - bring out a decent 50mm already!

I'm waiting for an improved 50mm f/1.2L from Canon - and then I might make the jump. I've got the Canon 50mm f/1.4 - S___s me to tears (dodgy focus and micro USM just seems nasty).

Anyways - waiting for the 24-70mm f/2.8L II more than anything. It's not like I need the 50mm f/1.2L with the 35mm f/1.4L and 85mm f/1.2L in the bag, and Canon's high-ISO improving with the latest bodies.

[Marsu42]

I'm waiting for an improved 50mm f/1.2L from Canon - and then I might make the jump. I've got the Canon 50mm f/1.4 - S___s me to tears (dodgy focus and micro USM just seems nasty).

I'm rather sure Canon won't just update the current 50/1.2 to a new version just for the iq, the lens is not that old and replacing it would be like a public admission of failure.

When they replace something, it seems to be either older designs (24-70mk1, now maybe 50/1.4 and 35/1.4) or they add or upgrade actual features like IS (70-200) or add sealing (24/1.4, maybe 35/1.4) or af motor (maybe 50/1.4). On L zooms, they obviously change focal lengths a bit to avoid a direct 1:1 upgrade. But I may be wrong, since I don't have the entire Canon history in mind.