A New 50mm Lens is Being Tested in the Wild [CR2]

[fullstop]

note to myself: quickly sell 50/1.4 now ;D

 

[Adrianf]

A new 50/1.4 that is sharp wide open would be really nice....

 

[slclick]

Two versions please, an L of any sort and a non L with IS like the 24/28/35 and an 85 to go with it.

 

[traveller]

So would anybody notice a NON L lens being tested out in the wild?

Probably not -- unless it had some exotic form factor, really large lens barrel, unique hood, etc.

Most likely it would look something like this (below) and likely easily be mistaken for a 35 f/2 IS, which is what I made this picture from.

- A

I don’t think that you are going to get your wish for a small double-gaussian 50mm f/1.4 that isn’t disappointing in the centre wide open and mush in the corners. No one has built one yet and I doubt Canon will be the first. It seems the only way to get a 50mm that performs well wide open is to either reduce the maximum aperture (i.e. move the goalposts!), or switch to a “pickle jar” (your name IIRC?) retro-focal design.

https://www.lensrentals.com/blog/2012/01/the-great-50mm-shootout/

 

[slclick]

So would anybody notice a NON L lens being tested out in the wild?

Probably not -- unless it had some exotic form factor, really large lens barrel, unique hood, etc.

Most likely it would look something like this (below) and likely easily be mistaken for a 35 f/2 IS, which is what I made this picture from.

- A

I don’t think that you are going to get your wish for a small double-gaussian 50mm f/1.4 that isn’t disappointing in the centre wide open and mush in the corners. No one has built one yet and I doubt Canon will be the first. It seems the only way to get a 50mm that performs well wide open is to either reduce the maximum aperture (i.e. move the goalposts!), or switch to a “pickle jar” (your name IIRC?) retro-focal design.

https://www.lensrentals.com/blog/2012/01/the-great-50mm-shootout/

Yet Leica can do it with tiny rangefinder glass. (true, the SL with AF is a jar)

 

[zim]

I think this will be a 1.4 L
Question for me is will it be the big brother to the 35L 1.4 or the little sister to the 85L1.4IS. 50 is right on the fence, where do Canon see the cut-off point for IS on L glass?
My understanding is that IS degrades IQ a little?

 

[Etienne]

I'm still mind-boggled that Canon is taking so long on this upgrade.
A 50 f/1.4 with IS would be great, L or non-L

 

[vscd]

I think it will be a 50mm L 1.4 IS like the 85mm L IS 1.4... but what I really would like to see is a better 50mm 1.0L. Why? because it's possible to make

 

[Ozarker]

Canon EF 50mm f/1.4L IS with BR, although it looks as though BR is going to be left in the dust heap of history.

 

[zim]

I think it will be a 50mm L 1.4 IS like the 85mm L IS 1.4... but what I really would like to see is a better 50mm 1.0L. Why? because it's possible to make

Or because it's just not necessary with modern sensors, that 1.0L was for film limitations

 

[ahsanford]

I think it will be a 50mm L 1.4 IS like the 85mm L IS 1.4... but what I really would like to see is a better 50mm 1.0L. Why? because it's possible to make

Or because it's just not necessary with modern sensors

The bokeh-fanatical masses of the world all simultaneously retorted: "WHAT?! You shut your mouth, sir! Good day! I SAID GOOD DAY." ;D

For some folks, the lens can never generate 'enough' bokeh, subject isolation, etc. I'm glad I don't have that sickness, '11mm rectilinear on FF isn't wide enough for me but I still want conveniently front-filtering' unreasonableness sickness, '1200mm isn't long enough for me' reach sickness, etc.

I just want modern 50 FF prime with fast/reliable Canon first party AF. I'm not asking for some crazytown short tele 'fast pancake' or anything.

- A

 

[traveller]

So would anybody notice a NON L lens being tested out in the wild?

Probably not -- unless it had some exotic form factor, really large lens barrel, unique hood, etc.

Most likely it would look something like this (below) and likely easily be mistaken for a 35 f/2 IS, which is what I made this picture from.

- A

I don’t think that you are going to get your wish for a small double-gaussian 50mm f/1.4 that isn’t disappointing in the centre wide open and mush in the corners. No one has built one yet and I doubt Canon will be the first. It seems the only way to get a 50mm that performs well wide open is to either reduce the maximum aperture (i.e. move the goalposts!), or switch to a “pickle jar” (your name IIRC?) retro-focal design.

https://www.lensrentals.com/blog/2012/01/the-great-50mm-shootout/

Yet Leica can do it with tiny rangefinder glass. (true, the SL with AF is a jar)

I think you should read the results in the link more carefully. Wide open the Leica 50mm f/1.4 Summilux is no better than the current Canon EF 50mm f/1.4 USM. Though it does improve massively at f/2, perhaps you have every right to expect this from a £3000 lens . I’m still not sure that I would be prepared to pay that much for an f/2 lens dressed in f/1.4 clothes.

 

[YuengLinger]

I think it will be a 50mm L 1.4 IS like the 85mm L IS 1.4... but what I really would like to see is a better 50mm 1.0L. Why? because it's possible to make

Or because it's just not necessary with modern sensors

The bokeh-fanatical masses of the world all simultaneously retorted: "WHAT?! You shut your mouth, sir! Good day! I SAID GOOD DAY." ;D

For some folks, the lens can never generate 'enough' bokeh, subject isolation, etc. I'm glad I don't have that sickness, '11mm rectilinear on FF isn't wide enough for me but I still want conveniently front-filtering' unreasonableness sickness, '1200mm isn't long enough for me' reach sickness, etc.

I just want modern 50 FF prime with fast/reliable Canon first party AF. I'm not asking for some crazytown short tele 'fast pancake' or anything.

- A

Some people might call obsessive posting about a 50mm, and obsessive pontificating about what Canon should do or might do "a sickness."

Just because your particular photography vision doesn't include aspects of wide aperture lenses, you start diagnosing others as "sick"? Gloves off, eh?

Embrace the smart phone.

 

[[email protected]]

No offense to AHSanford, but if Canon releases a decent 50, it would be like Charles Schultz letting Charlie Brown kick Lucy's football. It would ruin a generation of suspense building. The good news: "stupid Canon" is quite capable of disappointing. The closer he came to the ball, the more satisfying the disappointment.

 

[Cory]

I might soon buy a 1.2 in protest. Can't wait until 2019+.

 

[ahsanford]

Some people might call obsessive posting about a 50mm, and obsessive pontificating about what Canon should do or might do "a sickness."

Just because your particular photography vision doesn't include aspects of wide aperture lenses, you start diagnosing others as "sick"? Gloves off, eh?

Embrace the smart phone.

No malice or judgment intended. Forgive me, it wasn't meant as a piece of condemnation or ridicule. Obsessing over a particular unmet need is just a condition some people have, and goodness knows I have a condition of my own with this 50.

In fairness, thought, I just think my condition can be treated really reasonably by Canon. Canon can 100% make this lens when it gets off its butt chasing (highly profitable) paint job + coating refreshes.

- A

 

[ahsanford]

No offense to AHSanford, but if Canon releases a decent 50, it would be like Charles Schultz letting Charlie Brown kick Lucy's football. It would ruin a generation of suspense building. The good news: "stupid Canon" is quite capable of disappointing. The closer he came to the ball, the more satisfying the disappointment.

I may be aware of this particular riff on the plight of Tantalus and Sisyphus. I've posted about it here before. ;D

- A

 

[mb66energy]

We have 2.8 40, 1.2 50, 1.4 50, 1.8 50, 2.5 50 from Canon alone and lots of options from other lens manufacturers.

Currently the only interesting lens for ME - because it has image stabilization and good MFD - is the Tamron 1.8 45mm lens. TDP shows very good IQ. The only drawback is the size of the lens.

I would trade in some IQ for a much compacter design for portability / unobtrusiveness of the lens / camera combo. But not IS, good MFD.

So maybee I am with ahsanford: Use the overall design of the 24/28/35 lens triplet and make it 50mm well knowing that it isn't that easy because 50mm 1.4 needs a heavier lens group for IS - the 85mm 1.4 has large actors inherited from something like 200mm 2.0.

EDIT/ADD:
End if Canon or others do not provide solutions I like, I will send my old FD 1.4 50 S.S.C. to http://www.thelensdoctor.co.uk/ to do a FD-EF mount conversion!

 

[Larsskv]

Am I the only one that only expect a 50f1.4 with new coatings, and a slight change in color?

 

[ahsanford]

Am I the only one that only expect a 50f1.4 with new coatings, and a slight change in color?

Take an EF 50 f/1.4 USM and 'upgrade' the exact same optical formula into an internal focusing ring USM setup and you can have $500 from me on day one. Give it IS and I'll go to $700. Not kidding.

- A