POLL: The new 50mm will be...

[Phenix205]

I don't see why one would want to have both 35 f2 and 50 f2 in their kit. These two focal lengths are too close. The new 50 ought to have different aperture with or without IS.

 

[Marsu42]

I don't see why one would want to have both 35 f2 and 50 f2 in their kit. These two focal lengths are too close

So? I imagine a lot of people have a standard zoom in this focal length anyway and just add one fast prime they like the most. And for pros and people shooting a lot, the difference is still enough to get both.

 

[Maximilian]

I don't see why one would want to have both 35 f2 and 50 f2 in their kit. These two focal lengths are too close. The new 50 ought to have different aperture with or without IS.

The "different aperture with or without IS" argument might be correct.
But to call 35 mm and 50 mm "too close" means calling these classical and typical (FF!) focal lenghs wrong from the beginning of the 135 film (35 mm film). And I can remember a lot of people having exactly these two in their bags.

 

[Marsu42]

Poll closed because everybody has been wrong according to the newest [CR1] (which means pure guesswork)

Today we’re told the new 50mm will be an f/1.8 with STM and a 49mm filter thread. This seems to be a replacement of the current “Nifty Fifty” and not the 50mm f/1.4.

 

[Rahul]

Question is if they will cripple it to still sell the 50 L, or if they are going after the 50 Art with it.

If they design a new f/1.4 for sharpness, it won't compete with the 50L, neither in the price, nor in the IQ.

The 50L is built specifically for superior bokeh and remains a challenging, not to mention a specialist lens to use.

yes, yes, but in real life, people buy it to use it, and find it can't be used off center wide open, and sell it because it's a big disappointment. I have owned 4, and I have regretted every time, even if I know what it's like, lol. I can't count how many "barely tested indoors"- 50 L's I have seen sold used.

Aye. I've traded 2 used lenses at a profit and still have one used that I got for about the equivalent of $600. It was a curse on the FF bodies (non 1 series) prior to the 5D3. It works great on the 5D3 and even better and precise with the 1DX.

I always shoot the 50L wide open so no focus shift problems for me.

 

[Viggo]

Question is if they will cripple it to still sell the 50 L, or if they are going after the 50 Art with it.

If they design a new f/1.4 for sharpness, it won't compete with the 50L, neither in the price, nor in the IQ.

The 50L is built specifically for superior bokeh and remains a challenging, not to mention a specialist lens to use.

yes, yes, but in real life, people buy it to use it, and find it can't be used off center wide open, and sell it because it's a big disappointment. I have owned 4, and I have regretted every time, even if I know what it's like, lol. I can't count how many "barely tested indoors"- 50 L's I have seen sold used.

Aye. I've traded 2 used lenses at a profit and still have one used that I got for about the equivalent of $600. It was a curse on the FF bodies (non 1 series) prior to the 5D3. It works great on the 5D3 and even better and precise with the 1DX.

I always shoot the 50L wide open so no focus shift problems for me.

Oh I absolutely agree, the 50 L AF is great on the 5d3, and I noticed a near perfect hit rate with the 1dx at 1.2. And I also bought it to shoot wide open or at least not slower than f1.8. But go off center with the nice spread of points on the 1dx and the "sharpness" is absolutely useless. And after owning the 50 Art I could never buy another 85 L or 50 L in their current versions. If the Siggy had the same AF as the 50 L or even better, the 35 L, I would hardly be using anything else..

 

[Hjalmarg1]

I voted f2.0 with IS (head) but have been hoping for 1.4 with IS for a loooong time (heart)

Similar but a f1.4 version with IS will completely kill the sales of 50/1.2L lens unles you need tough construction and weather proof.

 

[Tinky]

is and wide aperture in a compact form might be tricky, the is - for some shooting syles- can permit a slower shutter, perhaps mitigating -for some shooting styles- the loss of half a stop

 

[martti]

Considering how high prices are demanded for the no-good, obsolete, slow-focusing 50mm L that is not even as sharp as Sigma ART, Canon hardly feels any pressure to revise it. It is nearly impossible to find this lens second hand. If it is so bad, why do people hang on to it?

 

[Finn M]

Canon needs to replace the EF 50/1,2L with something much sharper, especially for the new 50Mpix sensor. My wish is a mk.II version or a EF 50/1,4L which is as sharp as the Sigma 50/1,4 Art wide open. Make it big, make is expensive, it doesn't matter, as long as it is SHARP! :-X

 

[Finn M]

Considering how high prices are demanded for the no-good, obsolete, slow-focusing 50mm L that is not even as sharp as Sigma ART, Canon hardly feels any pressure to revise it. It is nearly impossible to find this lens second hand. If it is so bad, why do people hang on to it?

If you step down to at least f2,8 it works fine, but the 50/1,2L can't match Sigma 50/1,4 Art between f1,4 - f2. And why make a big and expensive f1,2 lens if you have to step down to f2,8 to get sharp pictures also in the corners? Then I rather buy a f1,4 or even a f1,8 lens which is sharp wide open.
But I know some photographers using this lens for portraits like the creamy bokeh of the 50/1,2L. The case is: the sharpness is only ok in the center of the picture, the corners are soft, but with f1,2 and close up portraits the shallow DOF gives unsharp corners anyway. That's why some photographers like this lens. But with the introduction of the 5Ds camera i think Canon will make an update.

My guess is that Canon will reduce the number of 50mm lenses from 3 to 2:
1. The 50/1,8 an 50/1,4 will be replaced with a 50/1,8 IS USM now in April.
2. A mk.II version of the 50/1,2L will be introduced later this year or early next year.

Hopefully something sharp will happen before June. If not, I'll have to go for the Sigma Art..... :

 

[Haydn1971]

I'm now expecting the following;

1st - 50mm f1.8 STM Pancake
2nd - 50mm F1.8 USM IS - like the 35 IS
3rd - An upgraded L lens, suspect that f1.2 would remain as its a real differentiator from Nikon, but wouldn't be surprised with a f1.4 L that's tremendously sharp and the the existing f1.2 retained as a classic L

 

[moreorless]

One option would be to have a 50mm F/2 with IS AND 2:1 macro, at the moment really only Zeiss target that market with the 50mm F/2 Makro but adding in IS and AF would make for an excellent all rounder.

I doubt it will be whats coming but I wouldn't be supprized if Canon re-released a 50mm F/1 lens sometime in the next year or two, the market for ultra fast primes does seem to be growing again and it takes them significantly beyond both Nikon and any third party option what likely won't release anything faster in the future exactly because the F-mount won't deal with it.

 

[lintoni]

I'm now expecting the following;

1st - 50mm f1.8 STM Pancake
2nd - 50mm F1.8 USM IS - like the 35 IS
3rd - An upgraded L lens, suspect that f1.2 would remain as its a real differentiator from Nikon, but wouldn't be surprised with a f1.4 L that's tremendously sharp and the the existing f1.2 retained as a classic L

None of the non L primes that they've upgraded with IS have got slower, so I'd expect a 50mm f/1.4 IS - if they decide to keep three (non macro) 50s in their line-up.

 

[Haydn1971]

None of the non L primes that they've upgraded with IS have got slower,

The 24 f2.8 IS replaced the cheap 24 f2.8
The 28 f2.8 IS replaced the cheap 28 f2.8
The 35 f2.0 IS replaced the cheap 35 f2.0

Why wouldn't a 50mm f1.8 IS replace the cheap 50mm f1.8 ? Given the high price of the IS replacements, there's no way that a 50mm f1.8 IS is going to be in the nifty fifty bracket, hence the STM cheapo solution, without IS - the body already exists as the 40mm pancake, seems perfectly logical to reuse for a value lens.

The mid range 28 f1.8 & 50 f1.4 sit in a similar price bracket to the new IS models, offering faster optics with no IS. The 85 f1.8 & 100 f2.0 also sit in a odd place for the range moving forward.

 

[Mt Spokane Photography]

No matter what it is, there will always be whiners, it matters little to me, since I don't like 50mm.

 

[Finn M]

No matter what it is, there will always be whiners, it matters little to me, since I don't like 50mm.

If you do not like 50mm and it matters little to you; Why do you then make a comment? Just to get 10.000 posts....? ;-)

 

[Finn M]

I'm now expecting the following;

1st - 50mm f1.8 STM Pancake
2nd - 50mm F1.8 USM IS - like the 35 IS
3rd - An upgraded L lens, suspect that f1.2 would remain as its a real differentiator from Nikon, but wouldn't be surprised with a f1.4 L that's tremendously sharp and the the existing f1.2 retained as a classic L

None of the non L primes that they've upgraded with IS have got slower, so I'd expect a 50mm f/1.4 IS - if they decide to keep three (non macro) 50s in their line-up.

They won't. For sure. The 50/1,4 and 50/1,8 will be replaced by one lens. My guess is a 50/1,8 IS USM.

 

[martti]

Finn M: " And why make a big and expensive f1,2 lens if you have to step down to f2,8 to get sharp pictures?"

Because people buy it at a ridiculous price and they just will not let go of it once they managed to get hold of it.
Canon makes lenses to sell them. And this particular lemon seems to have a lot of takers. Go figure!
Probably you can now model the optical characteristics of this lens in PP just like you can model amps and guitars with electronic gadgets at a fraction of the price of the Real Thing.

Or can you? Anybody know of a digital lens simulation software?

 

[Ruined]

If I were Canon, I would position the lenses as follows:

50mm range
1. 50mm f/1.8 II discontinued
2. 50mm f/1.4 discontinued
3. Existing 40mm f/2.8 STM replaces 50mm f/1.8 II in price range due to overlap
4. New 50mm f/1.8 IS USM released replaces 50mm f/1.4 in price range due to overlap
5. 50mm f/1.2L no change - one of Canon's best portrait lenses. For sharpness hounds the 24-70 f/2.8L II satisfies.