50mm options.. what would you buy.

[rfdesigner]

So with various rumors and wish lists going round how many people want what. Or more importantly what would you be prepared to spend money on, we'd all like a 50mm F1.0 IS USM with blue-gue optics for thuppence ha'penny, but that isn't going to happen. Where would you spend your hard earned?

 

[Zeidora]

I have my Otus 55, nothing else needed.

 

[J.R.]

NOTA

I have the 50L which is sharp enough for my purposes.

 

[PavelR]

I have Sigma 50A, thus I would buy Canon only if IQ will be better / will be equipped with IS...

 

[Kwwund]

I picked the 50mm 1.4 IS USM non-L, the fastest imaginary 50mm lens with IS that Canon will never make. :'(

 

[Maximilian]

I do not have the "money to burn" for a 50 mm L lens.

I want to see a 50mm f1.4 USM replacement with a decent improvement in IQ and built quality for a MRSP of about $600-700.

You can add some $200 if it also had IS. But I would never want to trade off the F1.4 for an IS.

 

[eosuser1234]

Sigma 50mm 1.4 Art, and Canon 50mm 2.5 Macro, which although focuses super slow, is a very very sharp lense.
I use both a lot.

 

[ajfotofilmagem]

As so far there is no Canon 50mm with good sharpness and contrast in F1.8 or more open, I sold my old Canon F1.4 and went to Sigma Art.

I gave up waiting for Canon F1.4 Image Stabilizer.

 

[Sabaki]

I currently own the Canon EF 50mm f/1.8mkii but I'd like to buy a Canon EF 50mm f/1.4 IS.

Yes, it doesn't exist but I see myself buying one if it's ever released. Why? Well, maybe the f/1.4 aperture could differentiate my images a little bit from all those f/1.8 versions out there.

I've got standard wants for this 50mm f/1.4
• Large manual focus ring
• 9 aperture blades
• USM, ultra quick focussing motor
• No hunting in low light
• 77mm filter size
• 3-4 stop IS system
• B/R layer

 

[JMZawodny]

I'm perfectly happy with my Sigma 50mm 1.4 Art and see absolutely no reason to buy a Canon 50mm lens. A "None of the above" option in the poll would have been nice.

 

[Luds34]

The poll is limited, it should have included some of the popular 3rd party options (Sigma Art, Tamron 45mm).

Personally I got the 35/85/135 prime trio going so 50mm is kind of redundant/too close. I do have the shorty forty as well that can fit that focal length.

However, I've own 50mm primes before and if I were to own one it would be a "go big or go home" type of lens, for sure a very fast f/1.4 aperture. With how satisfied I've been with my Sigma 35 Art lens, I'd probably go the 50mm Art if I needed to get a 50mm prime tomorrow.

 

[In-The-Dark]

I voted for 50mm f/2.0 IS USM

Would like for Canon to retain its light and compact build . . . . though maybe it might not hurt that much if it will be f/1.8 instead.

Just my 0.02.

 

[photo212]

EDIT: I see, you are dreaming of lenses not available, nor likely to ever be available. Sorry to interrupt your fantasy.

What sort of poll is this? Makes little sense to me. Canon offers the following in 50mm


50mm f/1.8 STM
50mm f/1.8 II
50mm f/1.4 USM
50mm f/1.2L USM
50mm f/2.5 Compact Macro

You only allow one to be voted, yet many see the need for a macro plus a standard lens. Each lens as its purpose, and while one of each is a bit overkill, given the prices, owning two or three of these is not out of the question.

I own the f/1.2L and the macro. There are times I wish I had the f/1.4 due to the weight of the f/1.2L

 

[kaswindell]

I have the 50mm f/1.8 II, a rather disappointing lens, despite the raves due to the poor build quality and hit-or-miss focusing. But heck, it was only $100 and if I sell it I can probably recover 75% of that. I would love a 50mm f/1.4 without IS but the consensus on the current one is that it isn't sharp, so that would likely be a disappointing purchase too, although refurbs on those are still pretty cheap. I am adverse to 3rd party lenses, having had some disappointments in the past but if Canon doesn't come out with a good 50 in the next 12-18 months, I may look at the ART lens.

 

[rfdesigner]

EDIT: I see, you are dreaming of lenses not available, nor likely to ever be available. Sorry to interrupt your fantasy.

What sort of poll is this? Makes little sense to me. Canon offers the following in 50mm


50mm f/1.8 STM
50mm f/1.8 II
50mm f/1.4 USM
50mm f/1.2L USM
50mm f/2.5 Compact Macro

You only allow one to be voted, yet many see the need for a macro plus a standard lens. Each lens as its purpose, and while one of each is a bit overkill, given the prices, owning two or three of these is not out of the question.

I own the f/1.2L and the macro. There are times I wish I had the f/1.4 due to the weight of the f/1.2L

There have been various fantasy 50s raised in conversations (concidering the 1.4 & macro are ancient and in desperate need of updates) .. I thought it might be interesting to see the balance of views between some of the mentioned preferences, not so much in what people want to see as what people are prepared to buy as that is what Canon is presumably looking at. (and it's amazing how some views change at the mention on having ot pay for stuff)

The main contention on these forums re 50s is between aperture and IS.. so far it looks like aperture wins 2:1 over IS for those that don't want to break the bank by demanding both, but it would seem there are also more than just one or two prepared to shell out quite a bit for both.

Arguably the last item should have been the "STM/1.2L/ART/something else is perfect for my needs".. but it's only a bit of fun... & if I'd got the poll perfect this thread would have been short and boring. ;D

Anyway, there's still plenty time for more votes to swing things.

 

[Hector1970]

I'd stick with my 50mm 1.2L.
I think it's a great lens.
I used to love my 50 1.4 - I think it makes nice images (maybe not the sharpest of lens - but attractive images)
I also used to love my 50 1.8 until someone dropped it I got to learn what it looked like in the inside. ;D

 

[ahsanford]

There's a strong feeling from this forum's many EF 50mm f/1.4 USM replacement threads (I should know!) that if the new non-L EF 50mm f/nooneknows IS USM turns out to be f/1.4, it will undermine the 50mm f/1.2L sales, and therefore, the f/nooneknows bit can't possibly be f/1.4. "That lens would be too sexy for a non-L", "The L brand would suffer being upstaged by a non-L lens, etc.", "The addition of IS must 'cost' us some aperture because clear market segmentation demands it", and so on.

I'm not sure I buy that. Reasons:

• Just because the new non-L might be f/1.4 IS doesn't mean it will have mind-blowing IQ. There's a very good chance Canon keeps this lens in a compact double-gauss design. We don't need to be lens design experts to know that the 55mm Otus and 50mm Art didn't go the double-gauss route -- they had much more radical and complicated designs to squeeze out as much performance as possible, and the reviews (Sigma AF notwithstanding) have been stellar for both. A future 50L might very well do the same and leave the non-L 50mm lens in the rear-view-mirror optically.
  
  
• The next 50L will have the BR gunk in it with 99% certainty -- I imagine all the new L large aperture primes will get it based on the success of the 35L II. Conversely, we'd 100% expect the 50mm f/nooneknows IS USM will not have the BR gunk in it. So the wide open performance w.r.t. fringing and such will highly likely be better for the next 50L.
  
  
• I'll be brave and state that the next 50L -- max aperture damned -- will squeeze out better bokeh than this proposed non-L 50 will. They'll give it even more curved blades, lubricate the sliding mechanical elements with angel tears, sprinkle it will magic dust, etc.

All of those reasons/considerations tell me that a potential non-L EF 50mm f/1.4 IS USM will be a great piece of kit, but we're fooling ourselves that Canon doesn't have something far, far sexier in mind for the next 50L.

- A

 

[Maximilian]

There's a strong feeling...

All of those reasons/considerations tell me that a potential non-L EF 50mm f/1.4 IS USM will be a great piece of kit, but we're fooling ourselves that Canon doesn't have something far, far sexier in mind for the next 50L.

- A

ahsanford, please tell me, what makes you that sure that Canon will do an IS with f1.4?
All the latest (prime) releases got IS, but at the trade off of max. aperture.
Even if Canon could do a f1.4 IS, why do you think they should and will do it.
Every hint I can see is pointing into a different direction.
And if it's going to be f1.8, isn't the competition inhouse? even without IS and without USM?
Difficult to foresee...

 

[mistaspeedy]

I have not used any of the more expensive lenses, but I have owned and used the 50mm F1.8 II, and then I upgraded to the 50mm F1.8 STM when it came out.
To anyone who owns the 50mm F1.8 II, I wholeheartedly recommend you sell it and get the 50mm F1.8 STM - especially if the unreliable and inconsistent autofocus irritates you (this alone is reason to upgrade).
This new lens fixes basically all the issues with the 50mm F1.8 II (as much as can be expected within its price range).
The new STM lens:
- focuses accurately
- is sharper wide open and sharper in general across the whole frame
- has more aperture blades with their accompanying benefits
- focuses more quietly and smoothly (compared to 50mm F1.8 II)
- can be focused manually more easily than the 50mm F1.8 II, even though it uses a focus by wire system
- can focus on closer objects
- has proper lens coatings with the accompanying benefits
- gains an extra aperture setting of F22
- is visibly sharper even through the viewfinder

That all said... don't expect miracles... it's still basically the same lens, but with a few tweaks.

By the way... I own an ancient 20D, and all these image quality enhancements are clearly visible to me. Anyone with a better camera (I assume 99.99% of you) should see the difference even more.

 

[ahsanford]

There's a strong feeling...

All of those reasons/considerations tell me that a potential non-L EF 50mm f/1.4 IS USM will be a great piece of kit, but we're fooling ourselves that Canon doesn't have something far, far sexier in mind for the next 50L.

- A

ahsanford, please tell me, what makes you that sure that Canon will do an IS with f1.4?
All the latest (prime) releases got IS, but at the trade off of max. aperture.
Even if Canon could do a f1.4 IS, why do you think they should and will do it.
Every hint I can see is pointing into a different direction.
And if it's going to be f1.8, isn't the competition inhouse? even without IS and without USM?
Difficult to foresee...

First, I don't necessarily think it will be f/1.4, hence my moniker 'f/nooneknows'. We just don't know what it will be. I am simply saying that if it were f/1.4, it wouldn't take the legs out of a future 50L for the reasons I mentioned.

Second, if the in-house competition you refer to is the new nifty fifty, the new EF 50mm f/nooneknows IS USM will categorically mop the floor with it -- faster AF, better wide open IQ, far better build quality, mechanical FTM focusing, internal focusing, IS, etc. There's so much more to lens than sharpness/aperture-per-dollar.

Third, re: your red comment above, the 24/28/35 'non-L IS refresh lenses' maintained their max aperture. There was no tradeoff. Perhaps you are thinking of the 28mm f/1.8 USM, which is another lens entirely and continues to be sold alongside the 28mm f/2.8 IS USM. See chart below.

- A