New 50mm On Coming Soon? [CR2]

[Maximilian]

We weren’t told if it was a replacement for the f/1.4 version or the f/1.2L version.

Either way good news because it shows that Canon knows they have to act here.
I hope for a 50/1.4 replacement with the same aperture. I could live with 1.8 if it had IS and the IQ wide open was compareable to the latest non-L primes.
Even if it's the L successor this is good news because then they can focus now on the f/1.4 successor.

 

[In-The-Dark]

Will this be released with the 5DIV/X?

Hopefully sooner than later . . . .

 

[slclick]

This is the hole in my lens FL lineup. I've owned all 3 non L 50's(well, Mk 1 of the Nifty) and none of them cut it. True ring usm please....

 

[grainier]

Canon will find a way to let me down with this one. I just feel it.

 

[ahsanford]

Will this be released with the 5DIV/X?

Hopefully sooner than later . . . .

A non-L / mid-grade 50 prime will probably not be bundled with the 5D4/5DX announcement. Besides, if you were to bundle a $500-750 lens with a new camera announcement, surely the 6D2 is a more apt price/feature/customer kind of fit.

But any way that they choose to roll it out, sooner is better.

- A

 

[slclick]

Will this be released with the 5DIV/X?

Hopefully sooner than later . . . .

A non-L / mid-grade 50 prime will probably not be bundled with the 5D4/5DX announcement. Besides, if you were to bundle a $500-750 lens with a new camera announcement, surely the 6D2 is a more apt price/feature/customer kind of fit.

But any way that they choose to roll it out, sooner is better.

- A

I'd like it in my hands before April 2nd. lol

 

[ahsanford]

This is the hole in my lens FL lineup. I've owned all 3 non L 50's(well, Mk 1 of the Nifty) and none of them cut it. True ring usm please....

As with so many things, a spreadsheet or chart is in order. Assuming Canon doesn't go insane with pricing (let's drink that Kool Aid for now), here's my dance card on this lens:

 

[ahsanford]

That said, I'd be stunned if the new lens were slower than the nifty 50 STM. I'm just saying I'd still buy it if it was as it would be super small.

- A

 

[Mt Spokane Photography]

a 1.4 stm/usm is coming
i bet it will be as good as the 50 1.8 stm

Somehow, I do not expect another consumer grade lens with stm. The next one will be a "L" lens with blue spectrum refractive optics and USM. 1.2 or 1.4 is the question. I think the old 1.4 sales are pretty well dead, and sales of the 1.2 were never high.

I really have no use for either, 50mm doesn't work for me, but many love it. I've had dozens of 50mm lenses over the years, I'm burned out on them. I probably have 25 of them laying around of various brands.

 

[Sabaki]

The Nifty Fifty was my 2nd non kit lens I bought after the Canon 100mm Macro (non L)

The very first thing I didn't enjoy about it, was the very thin, somewhat difficult to access manual focus ring. When I realized the lens/body combo struggled to autofocus the lower light environs, that focus ring killed me!

I'd love for it to be a 1.4 and have 9 aperture blades, if anything, just to offer the eye something to distinguish over the f/1.8STM.

IS, I'm not sure if I need it. I don't need IS on my 24-70 but then again, unlike others, I believe the IS on my 100mm L macro does help. I'm thinking I'll let Canon decide this for me, I trust them.

All that being said, my nifty fifty is sharp, I can't complain about that. I can't see this new lens doing anything other but take a step forward with IQ and improve on all associated aberrations from the f/1.4 v.1

 

[midluk]

As with so many things, a spreadsheet or chart is in order.

EF 50mm f/x IS Nano USM
... unless it is Focus by Wire

From what I have seen about the new EF-S 18-135 IS USM I would be surprised if they can make Nano USM without Focus by Wire.

 

[ahsanford]

a 1.4 stm/usm is coming
i bet it will be as good as the 50 1.8 stm

Somehow, I do not expect another consumer grade lens with stm. The next one will be a "L" lens with blue spectrum refractive optics and USM. 1.2 or 1.4 is the question. I think the old 1.4 sales are pretty well dead, and sales of the 1.2 were never high.

I really have no use for either, 50mm doesn't work for me, but many love it. I've had dozens of 50mm lenses over the years, I'm burned out on them. I probably have 25 of them laying around of various brands.

Throwing out the 50mm compact macro, I still see three price points in this staple prime category:

• Budget --> the 50mm f/1.8 STM ($100-150)
  
  
• No frills workhorse --> the new 50mm f/nooneknows IS USM ($400-1,000 depending on the actual lens that comes forward, an internally focusing f/1.4 IS ring USM will cost a ton while an externally focusing / focus by wire / f/1.8 IS STM would not.)
  
  
• L --> surely to get the BR gunk for > $1,500, but [f/1.2 vs. f/1.4] and [dreamy draw/bokeh vs. Sigma Art size/sharpness] are clearly unknown at this point. My money is on the f/1.2 sticking around for competitive exclusivity, but the design will bulk up considerably to bring better sharpness to the table.

- A

 

[9VIII]

I think they should go for gusto and make a sharp-wide-open 50mmf1.0 just to spite all the crop users and cement Full Frame as the best system in the world for light gathering and Bokeh.

And because it would make a great crop lens too.

I imagine the tripod ring would be included with that? :

- A

Lenses that don't have a tripod foot are really annoying, I feel like any lens that weighs more than 1lb should have one. The new Sigma 50-100 looks like the perfect implementation.

 

[ahsanford]

As with so many things, a spreadsheet or chart is in order.

EF 50mm f/x IS Nano USM
... unless it is Focus by Wire

From what I have seen about the new EF-S 18-135 IS USM I would be surprised if they can make Nano USM without Focus by Wire.

Didn't think of that. Do we know if the 18-135 is focus by wire only? TDP doesn't track that and does not state anything about it in their pre-review page.

If so -- if it's manual focus by wire only -- I might pass on this lens and look at the next L. I hate manual focus lag.

- A

 

[-1]

a 1.4 stm/usm is coming
i bet it will be as good as the 50 1.8 stm

Somehow, I do not expect another consumer grade lens with stm. The next one will be a "L" lens with blue spectrum refractive optics and USM. 1.2 or 1.4 is the question. I think the old 1.4 sales are pretty well dead, and sales of the 1.2 were never high.

I really have no use for either, 50mm doesn't work for me, but many love it. I've had dozens of 50mm lenses over the years, I'm burned out on them. I probably have 25 of them laying around of various brands.

Can't see the point for Canon in making anything but a "L" to complement the 1.8... A 1.4 IS STM would only eat their L sales. Sorry...

 

[midluk]

Do we know if the 18-135 is focus by wire only? TDP doesn't track that and does not state anything about it in their pre-review page.

One of the 80D anouncement videos from Canon had some animation of the nano USM that looks extremely like focus by wire and no way to add real manual focus.

 

[ahsanford]

Can't see the point for Canon in making anything but a "L" to complement the 1.8... A 1.4 IS STM would only eat their L sales. Sorry...

Disagree.

1) There's far far far more to a lens' value and appeal than it's max aperture and whether or not it has IS.

Consider: how many reasons can you name for why someone would buy the current 50 f/1.2L USM over the current 50 f/1.4 USM? (if one's only answer is 'it's a partial stop quicker', they are completely missing the boat. Think about focus speed, quality of bokeh, weather sealing, ergonomics/handling, build quality, future resale value, etc.).

2) Unless you are shooting video or prefer to manually focus, STM lenses will not make even the smallest dent in L (USM) lens sales. A 50mm f/1.4 IS USM, on the other hand, very well could dig into 50L sales, but I'm sure Canon would price that lens painfully high to mitigate that.

- A

 

[Antono Refa]

Can't see the point for Canon in making anything but a "L" to complement the 1.8... A 1.4 IS STM would only eat their L sales. Sorry...

I disagree.

As ahsanford wrote, the L lenses offer more than wider max aperture. In the case of the 50mm f/1.2, it's such things as bokeh that make it a specialty portraiture lens. Its a niche lens that just isn't in the same category as the 50mm f/1.4 IS, or the uber 50mm lenses released lately (Zeiss 55mm f/1.4 Otus, Nikon 58mm f/1.4, and Sigma 50mm f/1.4 Art).

IMHO

1) The 50mm f/1.2 is a niche lens, I don't see Canon upgrading it having it discontinued.

2) The 50mm f/1.4 requires an upgrade like the 24mm, 28mm, and 35mm. I think it would compete with the Tamron 45mm f/1.8 VC. My guess it would cost ~U.S.$700, and decrease within a couple of years.

3) A new uber 50mm f/1.4 USM, possibly a bit longer focal length. My guess is it would cost ~U.S.$1,500, like the Nikon 58mm f/1.4G.

4) The 50mm f/1.8 STM is already a recent upgrade, I doubt it would be upgraded again any time soon.

5) I'm not sure what Canon would do with the 50mm f/2.5 compact macro. I wouldn't even guess what Canon would do with that one, but I somehow doubt Canon would repeat the life size adapter (= 1.4x TC & an extension tube in one) trick again.

 

[Sporgon]

The 50 STM doesn't replace the current 50 f/1.4. Having used one at a recent event I found the STM way behind the 50/1.4 mid frame at f/2.8 (FF). I was disappointed in it within the first five minutes. Still superb value lens for £90, especially on crop, but no 50/1.4 substitute.

There's a huge difference in price between the STM and the L, there has to be a place in the middle for a GP 50, not a niche portrait lens such as the L is, not super cheap like the STM.

My bet is for a new 50/1.4 that will be of the optical design Canon applied for a patent on a couple of years ago, similar to the Zeiss Milvus 50mm f/1.4, including a concave front element. I don't think it will have IS, and I would imagine that the intro price will be in the region of £/$ 600, before settling at the £/$ 450 mark.

 

[slclick]

The 50 STM doesn't replace the current 50 f/1.4. Having used one at a recent event I found the STM way behind the 50/1.4 mid frame at f/2.8 (FF). I was disappointed in it within the first five minutes. Still superb value lens for £90, especially on crop, but no 50/1.4 substitute.

There's a huge difference in price between the STM and the L, there has to be a place in the middle for a GP 50, not a niche portrait lens such as the L is, not super cheap like the STM.

My bet is for a new 50/1.4 that will be of the optical design Canon applied for a patent on a couple of years ago, similar to the Zeiss Milvus 50mm f/1.4, including a concave front element. I don't think it will have IS, and I would imagine that the intro price will be in the region of £/$ 600, before settling at the £/$ 450 mark.

I'd prefer it didn't have IS, just a better optical design than the 1.4 (more lenses and groups such as the Milvus but not pickle jar amount like the S Art, 9 rounded blades, limited to no CA, a nice manual focusing ring, true Ring USM and at least semi weather sealed (requiring front filter of course)