Yes, Sir/ Madam= My GAS. Illness again, Canon EF 50 mm. F/ 1.0 L

surapon

80% BY HEART, 15% BY LENSES AND ONLY 5% BY CAMERA
Aug 2, 2013
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APEX, NORTH CAROLINA, USA.
Dear Friends and Dear Teachers.
I just talk to my Photographer friends at the Town Camera club, and One recommend me to get This Fastest Lens CANON EF 50 mm F/ 1.0 L USM= $ 2500 to $3500.
Yes, I have a GAS. Illness again.
Yes, Quite cheap for this fastest Commercial Lens in the Market, But When I do my research last night, and find out that, not quite sharp and great as new Canon 50 MM , F/ 1.2 L

http://www.wlcastleman.com/equip/reviews/50mm/index.htm

Sir/ Madam, I am not the real Fan of 50 mm Lens, and I already have EF 24-70 MM F 2.8 L, 40 MM. Pan cake, Canon 50 MM F/ 1.8, Sigma 50 MM F/ 1.4 ( Old model , not Art), Yes, And Super fast Canon EF 85 MM F/ 1.2 L MK II.
What do you think about this F = 1.0 L Lens ??, Sir/ Madam.
Have a great day.
Surapon
 

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I've been a noted Canon 50mm hater for a while... when the image is soft... regardless of bokeh, what can you really do with the image. I've come around to the thought that the current 50 L is tolerably sharp at the center of the frame... But I'm not certain that can even be said about the 1.0.

When the 55mm Otus came out,I could have sworn there was an article about, The Other $10000 50mm... And it was in regards to the 1.0... So buying it to eventually resale it.. ok... buy I know you don't do that.

I don't tell people to pass on something.... But I would pass.
 
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If canon still serviced and repaired the 1.0 L I would by it just as easy as the 200 f1.8 L. But they don't, so buying such and expensive lens and know it might break any day and it would be reduced to a paper weight made me pass on them.
 
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surapon said:
Dear Friends and Dear Teachers.
I just talk to my Photographer friends at the Town Camera club, and One recommend me to get This Fastest Lens CANON EF 50 mm F/ 1.0 L USM= $ 2500 to $3500.
Yes, I have a GAS. Illness again.
Yes, Quite cheap for this fastest Commercial Lens in the Market, But When I do my research last night, and find out that, not quite sharp and great as new Canon 50 MM , F/ 1.2 L

http://www.wlcastleman.com/equip/reviews/50mm/index.htm

Sir/ Madam, I am not the real Fan of 50 mm Lens, and I already have EF 24-70 MM F 2.8 L, 40 MM. Pan cake, Canon 50 MM F/ 1.8, Sigma 50 MM F/ 1.4 ( Old model , not Art), Yes, And Super fast Canon EF 85 MM F/ 1.2 L MK II.
What do you think about this F = 1.0 L Lens ??, Sir/ Madam.
Have a great day.
Surapon

So, what's your budget?
http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/used/225629?gclid=Cj0KEQiAn9-kBRDloNeUw7Pe_YwBEiQA4HXMU9X1fZN_-lMhlrJQH9pmxvK6EDK5Fcfwz__mSW8VzQEaApII8P8HAQ
or this
http://www.adorama.com/LC50095MN.html?utm_term=Other&utm_medium=Affiliate&utm_campaign=Other&utm_source=rflAID021866&cvosrc=affiliate.021866

Anyway, as Eldar is saying, you would be better off with the Otus 55mm (there is one for sale at FM btw)

A while ago, I saw a blog showing how to fix the 1.0L - not for the faint-of-hearth; so it's possible to fix the focus issue, but involves dismantling , rewiring and resoldering....

OTUS 55mm
Leica Noctilux 1.0
 
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surapon said:
I just talk to my Photographer friends at the Town Camera club, and One recommend me to get This Fastest Lens CANON EF 50 mm F/ 1.0 L USM= $ 2500 to $3500.

"Fastest" :-) ... they say the af is crawling slow, and that's one reason why Canon dumped the lens.

Also note that you cannot much more light from very fast lenses on digital, part of the light coming from steep angles is lost on the digital sensor - so it's for thin dof only.
 
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One major down side of this lens is the flare issue. You know, old coating and stuff, use it in day time is fine, but use it in the night is a complete mess, which defeats the purpose of a f1.0 lens isn't it?

Also when motor or electronic dies, you can't event focus it so it indeed becomes a paper weight, unless some very able man DIY modify it and gives it mechanical focus ability.

So in short: you are buying a historical artefact, a museum piece. If you are happy about that, when go right ahead.
 
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Marsu42 said:
surapon said:
I just talk to my Photographer friends at the Town Camera club, and One recommend me to get This Fastest Lens CANON EF 50 mm F/ 1.0 L USM= $ 2500 to $3500.

"Fastest" :-) ... they say the af is crawling slow, and that's one reason why Canon dumped the lens.

Also note that you cannot much more light from very fast lenses on digital, part of the light coming from steep angles is lost on the digital sensor - so it's for thin dof only.

Slow AF = true

but oblique angled light, I believe we can fix it in newer generation of sensors so it's only temporary.
 
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Dear friend Surapon. I recommend staying away from any lens that has more luminous than F1.2 aperture for use in digital cameras. :o

But why? ???

The F1.2 lens has a small increase in brightness compared to F1.4 lens. ??? When using film, this increase in brightness is noticeable, but with digital sensor the difference becomes negligible. :-\

The you add light rays (compared F1.2 to F1.4) reach the sensor at a very tilted angle, causing a loss of advantage mainly in the full frame image corners. :-[

To compensate this loss of light in lens more luminous than F1.4, the Canon pushes the ISO secretly, and the result is that the image quality in full frame corners will suffer much more in digital, compared with film. :-[

In short: The F1.0 lenses are designed for use in film and will have a disappointing result in digital cameras. :'(

Therefore, for better sharpness than any 50mm lens with autofocus of any manufacturer, the only option is the Sigma 50mm Art. This lens is unbeatable in the categories sharpness wide open, contrast, vignettes, and is far superior to his old Sigma 50mm. ::)
 
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surapon,
6-7 months back I got a chance to play with this monster at local camera store. With 1DX, nailing a shot at f1 is NOT fun. Many of photos were soft. However, the bokeh from this beast took away my focus from sharpness. Just like his big brother 85L II, a miss shot still look great.

I still might have some photos taken with this lens on my HDs. If I'm able to locate the photos, I'll post them for you.
 
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JumboShrimp said:
If I had some expendable cash around, I'd buy this beast in a second.
In the meantime, here is one review from our good friend, Ken Rockwell:

http://www.kenrockwell.com/canon/lenses/50mm-f1.htm

I have read the Rockwell review. I have to admit he is fun to read. Even if I don't agree with what he is saying.

Anyhoo, after all the fever pitched exhalting the lens for being able to do "what no other lens can do" it ends with this paragraph

The Canon EF 50mm f/1.2 L is a consumer lens with a plastic filter thread. Its single aspheric element is molded, not ground glass as are the two aspheric elements of this f/1.0. It's the same as the difference between a cut-glass vase and pressed glass. The 50/1.2 can be sharper wide-open and focuses faster, but it's slower. Back in 2007 the sample I borrowed of 50/1.2 didn't focus reliably on my original 5D, while today both the 50/1.2 and 1.0 focus just as well. Honestly though, the real-world results shot side-by-side are almost indistinguishable between these two.
 
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I'd recommend the 50mm f/0.95. Also a Canon 7 to go with it. Announced at photokina #7 (1961)

http://www.canon.com/camera-museum/camera/film/data/1956-1965/1961_7.html?lang=us&categ=crn&page=1956-1965

http://www.canon.com/camera-museum/lens/s/data/50-85/s_50_095.html


s_50_095.jpg
 
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It would be interesting to also compare the t-stop of this lens with the alternatives - I suspect being older, it's probably not going to let as much light in as the newer 50mm lenses, so the f/1.0 thing really is just to maximise the bokeh effects you can get from it. If you really like the bokeh effects, then go for it, otherwise I have a feeling it will probably be a bit disappointing...
 
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ajfotofilmagem said:
The F1.2 lens has a small increase in brightness compared to F1.4 lens. ??? When using film, this increase in brightness is noticeable, but with digital sensor the difference becomes negligible. :-\

The you add light rays (compared F1.2 to F1.4) reach the sensor at a very tilted angle, causing a loss of advantage mainly in the full frame image corners. :-[

To compensate this loss of light in lens more luminous than F1.4, the Canon pushes the ISO secretly, and the result is that the image quality in full frame corners will suffer much more in digital, compared with film. :-[

Hi AJ, you obviously mean well, but you might be misinformed.
Firstly, f/1.0 to f/1.4 is a full stop of light. Even for digital photography, that *can be* significant.
Secondly, in a lens engineered to have a large aperture as the 50/1.0, there are certain optical aberrations to be expected- but that is intentionally designed into the lens. There is no loss of advantage, because the advantage here is a dreamy background, not a sharp FF corner.
Thirdly, if there are *bendy* rays in the corners, that still wouldn't result in any loss of light (relative to f/1.4 lenses) without violating laws of physics and wouldn't need any ISO push, secret or otherwise. Besides, it would have to be some amazing technology that pushes the ISO only in the FF corners.

Having said that, I wouldn't buy a 50/1.0 that produced results (almost?) the same as an f/1.2, comes with a ton of ergonomic (focus by wire, slow focus, double the weight) and financial baggage, and with no warranty unless I purchased for the sole purpose of collecting antique lenses.
 
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Part of me is jumping up and down shouting "buy it"! Just for the pleasure of f/1.0

However, the part of me that holds the wallet is saying "what's the point"?

I am not a big 50mm fan, I am more a man of extremes, so I would not get it. However, if you have the spare cash i don't think you will make loss if you ever wanted to re-sell...

hmmmm GAS vs need... tough call! :)
 
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