p.2 #7 · Canon 50mm f1.4 - How long have you had it?
Unfortunately, I'm in the category of having 3 fail over a 2-3 year period none of which appeared to have any thing to do with handling. (No dropping or banging.) I've given up on the Canon 50mm f/1.4 and am currently without a prime in that focal range. Keep thinking about the Sigma but also keep hearing horror stories about variation in build quality. Don't need the 50L so I'm stuck with what to do.
p.2 #8 · Canon 50mm f1.4 - How long have you had it?
3 years for me.
It may be overly protective but I make sure the lens is switched to Manual Focus whenever I mount or un-mount from a camera body to avoid putting load on the AF gears.
p.2 #9 · Canon 50mm f1.4 - How long have you had it?
I had two copies; kept about 1 year each; sold the first when I switched to Nikon; then bought the second when I returned home , and sold for the L.
No issues, but first copy was probably optically better.
p.2 #11 · Canon 50mm f1.4 - How long have you had it?
loosh wrote:
I've had mine for about 10 months. I keep my hood on at all times, and I don't worry about it one bit.
Yep same here, the Hood could almost be glued into place. I've also tried not to use the FTM as well but thats a bit harder as its easy to move the focus ring.
p.2 #12 · Canon 50mm f1.4 - How long have you had it?
I had mine for 3 years, now sold and happy with Sigma 50/1.4, better IQ wide open (my 50/1.4 had very low contrast wide open), and much better bokeh. No plan to go back.
p.2 #13 · Canon 50mm f1.4 - How long have you had it?
I've had a couple or three, never a problem. The one I have now is sharp wide open, which is not the usual with this lens, though all were incredible sharp stopped down.
Tried a few Sigmas, and they are great-under ideal conditions and FL's. All front-focused at short distances. All my EF's are spot on focusers.
p.2 #14 · Canon 50mm f1.4 - How long have you had it?
Jim Schemel wrote:
Was just wondering for those who use this lens how long they have had it, and if you have experienced the lens breaking as many say it eventually does.I am kinda torn between this lens and the Sigma.It appears the Sigma is better built.
-Jim
1st copy broke in 15 seconds, carefully tookit out of box, pointed it at one object it worked, pointed it at another and already the clutch was jammed near the close focusing point
2nd copy broke after a couple years or so of often very light usage
And then again
AF is very poor on these lenses never mind breakage prone (they should redesign it with a real ring USM)
optically very solid for a standard 50mm 1.4 design (probably a little worse near or wide open than the non-standard sigma but maybe a little better than the sigma once stopped down a bunch, from reports)
p.2 #18 · Canon 50mm f1.4 - How long have you had it?
I've had mine since about 2004 and the focus motor has broken twice. Canon recently fixed it for about $100. Seems to be working well now. I believe that pressure on the lens when the focus ring is extended for close focusing can cause the focus motor to break. I now store the lens with the focus ring at infinity to guard against this problem.
p.2 #19 · Canon 50mm f1.4 - How long have you had it?
I got mine in 2002, it gets light use, but the other day it was the only lens I used for a photoshoot (with strobes) and the client loved it.
By the way, the 50 1.4 doesn't have quite the color straight out of the camera as does some of my L lens. However, I profiled my camera sensor, and got a separate profile for my 50 1.4. If I use the 50mm profile instead of the custom profile I have for my other L lens, it is very, very close to the other L lens. Doing a custom profile of your camera is a great equalizer.
If I bump the contrast a tiny bit, and apply the 50mm profile, it gives really satisfactory results. I don't think the focus mechanism has quite the fine resolution as my other L lens, but overall, for the money, its a great little lens.
p.2 #20 · Canon 50mm f1.4 - How long have you had it?
Had mine for a year and change. Out of the box I always felt it front focused and never noticed the MF/AF button was stuck. I sent it in for repair came back better. They said they repaired some type of cam.
, and sold for the L.