Is the upcoming 50mm F/2 IS USM for me?
- Thread starter ahsanford
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ahsanford said:
Since you are basing your theory on Canon's systematic upgrades, shouldn't your theory be an f/1.4 or f/1.8?
My prediction is:
• They make a 50mm f/2.5 H-IS USM Macro lens.
• And then upgrade the 50mm f/1.8 STM.
• Then ice the 1.4 and force people to buy the 1.2.
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J.R. said:
Thanks for the thought. The 24-70 II's data is great, but I am moving away from zooms. Again, it's not just 'horsepower' features like length / aperture / IQ. Something small and unassuming is a bit of priority for me.
- A
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ahsanford said:Thank you for the comments. Again, the 1.2L is a great lens, but I don't know if its a great lens for me. It seems its virtues start at F/1.2 and end around F/2.8. Art is not solely relegated to narrow DOF '3D-like' shots -- how do I catch a candid of three people in a poorly lit room at F/1.2? There is no working DOF @ F/1.2. If they are lined up on a wall, I've got a shot, but that rarely has been my experience.
To be fair, I've shot a lot of L primes and this isn't one of them. I owe it to myself to rent both lenses (when available) and compare them in my shooting environments. That's likely to happen.
As for the engineer lightening up, it isn't going to happen. I do try, but I'm wired this way.
- A
Sure completely understand your engineer pov.. (studied Mech Eng then switched to a photography degree
) So trying to help solve your situation needs, I think maybe the 50mm view might not be the best or only lens needed.If you are indoors shooting candids then 50mm may be too long and as you say have too narrow DOF at wider apertures. How about a 35 mm, either the new IS one or the Sigma? As shooting at even F2 you'll get a lot more DOF than a 50mm and I'd say you might get a more fun engaged feel as you can get closer to your subjects and easily get 3 people in the frame. Plus it may be better for landscapes and general outdoors / city roaming shots as well.
Then continue to use the 50 1.4 for more tighter in portrait type shots, and if you want to shoot some gigs then maybe a 100mm or 85mm USMs could be good for that and get you a bit closer while still having a wide aperture to help with low light.
50mm is a lovely view but sometimes I find it too close for indoor situations. If i use it indoors in informal occasions I tend to only get one person at a time on the shots (plus more of a head shot or chest up view) and like you mentioned a very limited DOF .
Or even a 24-70 2.8 could be the one for you unless you are driven to primes which is not a bad place to be!
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klickflip said:ahsanford said:Thank you for the comments. Again, the 1.2L is a great lens, but I don't know if its a great lens for me. It seems its virtues start at F/1.2 and end around F/2.8. Art is not solely relegated to narrow DOF '3D-like' shots -- how do I catch a candid of three people in a poorly lit room at F/1.2? There is no working DOF @ F/1.2. If they are lined up on a wall, I've got a shot, but that rarely has been my experience.
To be fair, I've shot a lot of L primes and this isn't one of them. I owe it to myself to rent both lenses (when available) and compare them in my shooting environments. That's likely to happen.
As for the engineer lightening up, it isn't going to happen. I do try, but I'm wired this way.
- A
Sure completely understand your engineer pov.. (studied Mech Eng then switched to a photography degree
If you are indoors shooting candids then 50mm may be too long and as you say have too narrow DOF at wider apertures. How about a 35 mm, either the new IS one or the Sigma? As shooting at even F2 you'll get a lot more DOF than a 50mm and I'd say you might get a more fun engaged feel as you can get closer to your subjects and easily get 3 people in the frame. Plus it may be better for landscapes and general outdoors / city roaming shots as well.
Then continue to use the 50 1.4 for more tighter in portrait type shots, and if you want to shoot some gigs then maybe a 100mm or 85mm USMs could be good for that and get you a bit closer while still having a wide aperture to help with low light.
50mm is a lovely view but sometimes I find it too close for indoor situations. If i use it indoors in informal occasions I tend to only get one person at a time on the shots (plus more of a head shot or chest up view) and like you mentioned a very limited DOF .
Or even a 24-70 2.8 could be the one for you unless you are driven to primes which is not a bad place to be!
Great comments. Re: 35mm and shooting room, that's why I got the 28 IS. Love it love it love it. It would take an 35L II to get me to move off of that.
I think my end primes bag will become 24/28/35 (TBD), 50 and 85. I like the 35mm FOV on FF, but with a three lens setup and a 50 all but assured to be one of them, the 24 and 28 will be considered.
- A
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wickidwombat said:i must have missed the rumour!
is there a CR rated rumour about a 50 f2 IS?
I don't think so, but it's fairly safe to assume a new '50' in the style of the 24/28/35 is around the corner
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mrsfotografie said:wickidwombat said:i must have missed the rumour!
is there a CR rated rumour about a 50 f2 IS?
I don't think so, but it's fairly safe to assume a new '50' in the style of the 24/28/35 is around the corner
Again, not a rumor -- just a certainty. 8)
This lens absolutely will happen in the near future (next 12-18 months). The non-L primes are all being significantly improved (on all fronts, not just IS), and the 50mm and 85mm have to be next.
The only thing in doubt is what the max apertures of these lenses will be. Everything so far has retained its predecessor's max aperture:
- 24 mm F/2.8 --> 24mm F/2.8 IS USM
- 28 mm F/2.8 --> 28mm F/2.8 IS USM (yes, there is an old F/1.8 USM, but it's still being sold -- the F/2.8 was discontinued by this new one.)
- 35 mm F/2 --> 35mm F/2 IS USM
What makes the new 50mm F/? IS USM and 85mm F/? IS USM harder to predict is that they are large aperture lenses today (50 = 1.4, 85 = 1.8 ). We've never seen an IS lens faster than the 35mm F/2 IS or the 200mm F/2 IS. So some folks are speculating (not a CR rumor) that the 50mm will be F/2 IS and not the old F/1.4.
There's been zero speculation on the 85 prime to my knowledge, but one would imagine that at 21 years old, it's soon to see a similar refresh.
- A
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wow that alot of faith there, I hope non of you guys are holding your breath
(if you dont reply its ok we will know you were )
(if you dont reply its ok we will know you were
)
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wickidwombat said:wow that alot of faith there, I hope non of you guys are holding your breath
(if you dont reply its ok we will know you were
It's not faith, it's a certainty based on all common sense, even for a nutty decision-making company like Canon:
- A 50 prime (that general length) is an 'essential' photographic tool. Demand for a 50mm is high.
- Canon does not have a single best 50 prime lens -- to this day, many folks prefer the non-L f/1.4 to the F/1.2L for sharpness reasons.
- That F/1.4 lens is 20 years old, and lacks obvious modernities like IS, internal focusing, fast USM focusing, sharper corners, better build, etc.
- Other lenses with a far less loyal following (24mm non-L prime? 28mm anything?) have gotten A+ refreshes of late.
- Canon loves comically pricey lenses, and with the F/1.2L costing $1500 and the non-L F/1.4 costing $400, this is a glorious chance to sneak in between those two price points.
- It's a great value proposition as the comparative L primes lenses (a) are not necessarily sharper than the new stuff and (b) has no threat of new versions coming soon (Canon isn't refreshing its wider L primes right now. It's been all long glass and zooms of late. The last new L prime under 300mm was... what? T/S glass 4 years ago?)
I just think the 50mm is a hammerlock to occur, and nearly as much so for the 85mm.
- A
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ahsanford said:
I don't doubt that 50 and 85 IS versions will be coming in the future. However, it might have to wait for a killer 50L f/1.2 first.
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Still rocking a 20+ year old 50mm 1.8 first version. Build in Japan with the metal mount. Clean, fast , reliable & sharp. Only fault is the 5 blade shutter makes crappy bokeh. I am waiting for a reason to replace it. A $1,200 lens, even if it's 1.2L is not a good enough reason. A 1.4, for $400, even if a tad sharper in the after 2.8 is not a good reason. a 2.5 with 1/2 frame macro, and sharp, for $500 was a good reason. So I bought one of those too. I'm really hoping for a hyper-sharp 1.4 with IS that does not break the bank. Guess I will be holding onto that 1.8 until the first price drop on any new 50mm
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I would think that they could make it a 50mm f/1.8 IS or even a 50mm f/1.4 IS, sticking with their current product positioning trend. a 50mm f/2 actually seems a little slow for what they should technically be able to accomplish.
I personally just bought the 35mm f/2 IS to serve as a walkaround on a 5D Mark III as the trusty ol' 24-70mm f/2.8 L was far too bulky and too intimidating for many situations. it's a great lens, the IS works well, the resolution is excellent. color and contrast are good, contrast may actually be a bit overdone for my tastes, but the images certainly have 'pop' straight out of the camera.
I tried the 24mm f/2.8 IS in the store and it also looked good, but I have far too much overlap at the 24mm f/2.8 position already, with the 24-70 L and the 16-35 L. a 50mm f/2 IS should be good but I wouldn't trade my 50 f/1.4 in for it. frankly, even if it's a 50mm f/1.4 IS, I would trade my current 1.4 in for it, but it would at least make a more compelling argument for upgrade.
I personally just bought the 35mm f/2 IS to serve as a walkaround on a 5D Mark III as the trusty ol' 24-70mm f/2.8 L was far too bulky and too intimidating for many situations. it's a great lens, the IS works well, the resolution is excellent. color and contrast are good, contrast may actually be a bit overdone for my tastes, but the images certainly have 'pop' straight out of the camera.
I tried the 24mm f/2.8 IS in the store and it also looked good, but I have far too much overlap at the 24mm f/2.8 position already, with the 24-70 L and the 16-35 L. a 50mm f/2 IS should be good but I wouldn't trade my 50 f/1.4 in for it. frankly, even if it's a 50mm f/1.4 IS, I would trade my current 1.4 in for it, but it would at least make a more compelling argument for upgrade.
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SwampYankee said:
The 1.8 Mk I truly is a brilliant little lens, I'm very happy with my immaculate copy
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mrsfotografie said:SwampYankee said:
The 1.8 Mk I truly is a brilliant little lens, I'm very happy with my immaculate copy
I don't find myself using my 50 mk I anymore since I got the 40 pancake. Since I am not an agent in The Matrix, I do not notice a large problem with focus speed on the 40.
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I had all the 50's... first the 1.8 shortly after acquiring my first EOS (Rebel T1i 3 years ago) and I quite liked it for the first while despite its lack of build quality and the focus often not really hitting home. I then sold it and bought a 50 1.4, which definitely was my favourite lens on the old Rebel, I was satisfied with the performance. Then I got my 5D3 and suddenly was not so satisfied anymore. Pictures were quite soft at open apertures, of course they also were on the Rebel but when upgrading from a Rebel T1i to a 5D Mark III the difference really hits you in the face.
So, I tried the Sigma 50 1.4 which of course achieves a good sharpness and overall has great image quality but as many others I got one where the focus was completely off, it focused wrong and even differently wrong depending on the focal distance. Trashed it and the idea of sending my body to Sigma to adjust the lens to my camera. I decided to wait for a new Canon 50, which just has to happen in the near time after new 24, 28, 35 and 40 and probably will also sport an IS. There were rumours of an upcoming 1.4 IS, I don't think it's realistic, 2.0 IS is more likely. But, as we all know, that rumour has been out there for months now, there is nothing on the horizon. So... what to do?
I always - always - glanced at the 1.2L, but steered clear from it because I was blinded by test charts like the one on the first page where one is lead to the assumption that the 1.2 is not any better, no even worse than the 1.4 or even the 1.8.
Nevertheless, I took the jump and bought it. I tell you, once you use it, you won't notice. Bokeh, AF, the overall build quality and just that special look of the pictures make up for every lower result in some test chart. If I need sharp, I put on my 100L or 135L. Weather sealing is just another gimmick I love, it's a perfect walkaround lens for walks or snapshots and it's exceptional aperture also makes an IS quite obsolete for me and furthermore it's a perfect toy for indoor portraits, when the light is not-so-great. I love it and won't exchange it now if a new 50 comes out.
A new 85 on the other hand could be something for me :
So, I tried the Sigma 50 1.4 which of course achieves a good sharpness and overall has great image quality but as many others I got one where the focus was completely off, it focused wrong and even differently wrong depending on the focal distance. Trashed it and the idea of sending my body to Sigma to adjust the lens to my camera. I decided to wait for a new Canon 50, which just has to happen in the near time after new 24, 28, 35 and 40 and probably will also sport an IS. There were rumours of an upcoming 1.4 IS, I don't think it's realistic, 2.0 IS is more likely. But, as we all know, that rumour has been out there for months now, there is nothing on the horizon. So... what to do?
I always - always - glanced at the 1.2L, but steered clear from it because I was blinded by test charts like the one on the first page where one is lead to the assumption that the 1.2 is not any better, no even worse than the 1.4 or even the 1.8.
Nevertheless, I took the jump and bought it. I tell you, once you use it, you won't notice. Bokeh, AF, the overall build quality and just that special look of the pictures make up for every lower result in some test chart. If I need sharp, I put on my 100L or 135L. Weather sealing is just another gimmick I love, it's a perfect walkaround lens for walks or snapshots and it's exceptional aperture also makes an IS quite obsolete for me and furthermore it's a perfect toy for indoor portraits, when the light is not-so-great. I love it and won't exchange it now if a new 50 comes out.
A new 85 on the other hand could be something for me :
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