•Hands-On• EF 50/1.2L

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Archive 2006 · •Hands-On• EF 50/1.2L

eeprete
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p.66 #1 · •Hands-On• EF 50/1.2L

I listed my 50/1.2 today for sale here. 151 views, yet no inquirees. I guess it goes to show how interested people really are in this lens (not). My main reason for listing was to offset the 1DMKIII cost when I get it, however I am now thinking hold onto the lens, as perhaps it will be perfect with the new body. I am still happy with about 80% of my shots though with it on my MK2 (non N).

Feb 23, 2007 at 12:24 AM

hahr
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p.66 #2 · •Hands-On• EF 50/1.2L

ed, i PM'd you with an inquiry.

i'm also looking for an excuse to bump this up from the end since there have been recent questions about the 50L. if anyone has any good excuses for me to bump this thread then please let me know.

-erik

Feb 26, 2007 at 06:48 AM

CMOS
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p.66 #3 · •Hands-On• EF 50/1.2L

Yep. In stock everywhere..From $1399 and falling fast

Who's got it for $1399?... I mean besides bestpricecamera.

Feb 26, 2007 at 03:28 PM

hahr
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p.66 #4 · •Hands-On• EF 50/1.2L

CMOS wrote: Who's got it for $1399?... I mean besides bestpricecamera.

roberts distributing in indianapolis.

-erik

Feb 26, 2007 at 05:09 PM

sskoutas
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p.66 #5 · •Hands-On• EF 50/1.2L

This is one very long thread. I've been reading from about page 140 or so on.

Can we get a SUMMARY? A vote if you will? In reading this, it seems to me (although I didn't count) that about a half dozen people had problems with their lenses.

Can I get some quick feedback? If you have had problems with the lens, say so. If not and if you're happy, say so as well. There is a lot of "tech" here, but little "news." No isult to the charts and tests; I honestly learned a lot from them.

Feb 27, 2007 at 03:26 AM

eeprete
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p.66 #6 · •Hands-On• EF 50/1.2L

Steve, if you've read from page 140 on, you'd likely have seen the list of users with good copies and copies with issues. However, its been brought to light that even users that initially thought they had no problems in fact are experiencing the "progressively backfocusing issue". Mine has a slight issue (second copy). My first was more prominment, Others have had similar experiences and have tried one, two, and in some cases, three copies. Canon is aware of the anomoly.

Edited by eeprete on Feb 26, 2007 at 11:00 PM GMT

Edited by eeprete on Feb 26, 2007 at 11:01 PM GMT

Feb 27, 2007 at 03:31 AM

mh2000
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p.66 #7 · •Hands-On• EF 50/1.2L

again... anyone willing to pop a quick bokeh test between the L and the CM with both at f2.8?

I'd still appreciate it.

thanks

Feb 27, 2007 at 03:45 AM

Sam Bennett
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p.66 #8 · •Hands-On• EF 50/1.2L

eeprete wrote:
Even Canon has been able to replicate the anomoly.

Did I miss a post somewhere on this?

Feb 27, 2007 at 03:50 AM

roli_bark
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p.66 #9 · •Hands-On• EF 50/1.2L

I've read several people posting here, that this lens is a Fiasco.
Not sure how to relate to this.

Feb 27, 2007 at 08:32 AM

Pixel Perfect
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p.66 #10 · •Hands-On• EF 50/1.2L

A fiasco aye? That's strong words. I've read several overall positive reviews.

Feb 27, 2007 at 09:06 AM

xl-1
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p.66 #11 · •Hands-On• EF 50/1.2L

IMO no if you use 1d3

Feb 27, 2007 at 09:06 AM

kke7
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p.66 #12 · •Hands-On• EF 50/1.2L

I have played with my friend's 50L one evening. I own 50/1.4 and use it regularly. My impression is that pictures produced with 50L wide open are more magic / sharper than the ones taken with 50/1.4. L also focuses better in low light.
Is 85L better than 85/1.8? It has substential advantages in speed, boketh and sharpness below f2, but loses convincingly in AF.
Is 50L better than 50/1.4? In most areas it is actually better or at least equal, but the advantages are not big. Not worth the price premium for me. I do not own 85L either.

Feb 27, 2007 at 09:31 AM

h4y4sh1
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p.66 #13 · •Hands-On• EF 50/1.2L

I think the problem is not with the image quality, but with the af system ( which affect the apparent sharpness).I've tried this lens myself and my finding is the same as what have been posted at the 50 1.2 thread.
The image quality, IF focus is spot on, is stellar. The bokeh is smooth. Once Canon acknowledge and fix this problem, I'd buy the lens instantly

Feb 27, 2007 at 09:40 AM

pcho
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p.66 #14 · •Hands-On• EF 50/1.2L

roli_bark wrote:
I've read several people posting here, that this lens is a Fiasco.
Not sure how to relate to this.

I reutrned mine. Sometimes the focus is good and sometimes it back focuses. When I increse F stop, it back focuses even more. My dealer had the same problem when they tested it.

Look at picture below, I focused my sons left eye and the right eye is in focus and yes I checked the focus point in breezebrowser and the centre focus point was on his left eye.

Make your ouw judgement

Perry

This image is copyrighted by the owner

Feb 27, 2007 at 09:41 AM

Ola H.
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p.66 #15 · •Hands-On• EF 50/1.2L

pcho wrote:
roli_bark wrote:
I've read several people posting here, that this lens is a Fiasco.
Not sure how to relate to this.

I reutrned mine. Sometimes the focus is good and sometimes it back focuses. When I increse F stop, it back focuses even more. My dealer had the same problem when they tested it.

Look at picture below, I focused my sons left eye and the right eye is in focus and yes I checked the focus point in breezebrowser and the centre focus point was on his left eye.

Make your ouw judgement

Perry

Eeh, have you tried get your lense (and maybe camera) calibrated? Personally I prefer to have a new lense calibrated at a service center if it is not spot on over getting a new sample from the store. I have a feeling that the calibrations done at the (good) service centers are better than what you can expect from the factory. Probably it a matter of fine tuning your lense to your body.

Feb 27, 2007 at 09:57 AM

pcho
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p.66 #16 · •Hands-On• EF 50/1.2L

Ola H. wrote:
pcho wrote:
roli_bark wrote:
I've read several people posting here, that this lens is a Fiasco.
Not sure how to relate to this.

I reutrned mine. Sometimes the focus is good and sometimes it back focuses. When I increse F stop, it back focuses even more. My dealer had the same problem when they tested it.

Look at picture below, I focused my sons left eye and the right eye is in focus and yes I checked the focus point in breezebrowser and the centre focus point was on his left eye.

Make your ouw judgement

Perry

Eeh, have you tried get your lense (and maybe camera) calibrated? Personally I prefer to have a new lense calibrated at a service center if it is not spot on over getting a new sample from the store. I have a feeling that the calibrations done at the (good) service centers are better than what you can expect from the factory. Probably it a matter of fine tuning your lense to your body.

I have tested the lens with both my 1dmk2 and 1dsmk2 and displayed the same flaw. I also did similar test with my 85L, 135L they displayed perfect focus. I did all my test using tripods and cable release as well. I also tried same test with all my zooms with both cameras and they are all perfect.

I can assure you it is the lens and my dealer had the same problem. There were quite a few that email me from this forum displaying the same problem. My 1dmk2 has been calibrated by canon.

Perry

Feb 27, 2007 at 10:07 AM

Suba
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p.66 #17 · •Hands-On• EF 50/1.2L

Although I have been known to be an 'early adopter', I prefer 'tried and tested' and often prefer the 'last of the old' to the first of the new.

In this situation, I suspect that these 'inconsistencies' and 'known' problems will be worked on internally and resolved and each subsequent manufacturing batch of lenses will incorporate the improvements, a bit like the 24-105L which no longer seems to have the issues it had at launch....

The moral of the story may well be the newer the manufacturing date, the more likelihood that it will incorporate any improvements or adjustments already made.....

Feb 27, 2007 at 10:14 AM

roli_bark
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p.66 #18 · •Hands-On• EF 50/1.2L

pcho wrote:
I have tested the lens with both my 1dmk2 and 1dsmk2 and displayed the same flaw. I also did similar test with my 85L, 135L they displayed perfect focus. I did all my test using tripods and cable release as well. I also tried same test with all my zooms with both cameras and they are all perfect.

I can assure you it is the lens and my dealer had the same problem. There were quite a few that email me from this forum displaying the same problem. My 1dmk2 has been calibrated by canon.

Perry

Now that the 1D Mark III is available, you can easily solve it, using the new "AF Micro Adjustment" feature ... I suppose that the upcoming 1Ds-Mark III will have it too ...

Feb 27, 2007 at 10:38 AM

Jonas B
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p.66 #19 · •Hands-On• EF 50/1.2L

Ola H. wrote:
Eeh, have you tried get your lense (and maybe camera) calibrated? Personally I prefer to have a new lense calibrated at a service center if it is not spot on over getting a new sample from the store. I have a feeling that the calibrations done at the (good) service centers are better than what you can expect from the factory. Probably it a matter of fine tuning your lense to your body.

You can read the 3-5 last posts here:
http://www.fredmiranda.com/forum/topic/512353/0

In short; the lens is not working correctly and calibration will be a waste of time and money.

Feb 27, 2007 at 10:39 AM

Jonas B
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p.66 #20 · •Hands-On• EF 50/1.2L

roli_bark wrote:
pcho wrote:
I have tested the lens with both my 1dmk2 and 1dsmk2 and displayed the same flaw. I also did similar test with my 85L, 135L they displayed perfect focus. I did all my test using tripods and cable release as well. I also tried same test with all my zooms with both cameras and they are all perfect.

I can assure you it is the lens and my dealer had the same problem. There were quite a few that email me from this forum displaying the same problem. My 1dmk2 has been calibrated by canon.

Perry

Now that the 1D Mark III is available, you can easily solve it, using the new "AF Micro Adjustment" feature ... I suppose that the upcoming 1Ds-Mark III will have it too ...

That focus adjustment is hardly made for different settings for the same lens depending on distance and used aperture value. I don't think this will help.

Again, the 3-5 last posts here will explain:
http://www.fredmiranda.com/forum/topic/512353/0
Or the whole "Hands-on" thread...

Feb 27, 2007 at 10:41 AM

pcho
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p.66 #21 · •Hands-On• EF 50/1.2L

roli_bark wrote:
pcho wrote:
I have tested the lens with both my 1dmk2 and 1dsmk2 and displayed the same flaw. I also did similar test with my 85L, 135L they displayed perfect focus. I did all my test using tripods and cable release as well. I also tried same test with all my zooms with both cameras and they are all perfect.

I can assure you it is the lens and my dealer had the same problem. There were quite a few that email me from this forum displaying the same problem. My 1dmk2 has been calibrated by canon.

Perry

Now that the 1D Mark III is available, you can easily solve it, using the new "AF Micro Adjustment" feature ... I suppose that the upcoming 1Ds-Mark III will have it too ...

True but I don't think thats the problem, it is the inconsistancy in focusing thats the problem. Sometimes it is spot on. So even with 1dmk3 which I have ordered

would not solve the problem. It really depends when I fine tune the lens, when it is displaying the problem or when it is not displaying the problem. Either way I will still have a problem with the lens this time the inconsistancy will happen in reverse order

Perry

Feb 27, 2007 at 10:43 AM

roli_bark
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p.66 #22 · •Hands-On• EF 50/1.2L

Jonas B wrote:
That focus adjustment is hardly made for different settings for the same lens depending on distance and used aperture value. I don't think this will help.

Again, the 3-5 last posts here will explain:
http://www.fredmiranda.com/forum/topic/512353/0
Or the whole "Hands-on" thread...
These are pretty bad news.

Feb 27, 2007 at 10:46 AM

Jonas B
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p.66 #23 · •Hands-On• EF 50/1.2L

roli_bark wrote:
I've read several people posting here, that this lens is a Fiasco.
Not sure how to relate to this.

Fiasco? In my opinion it is a Yes and No answer to that.

Compared to the EF50/1.4 the 50L is the better lens, to my taste, when comparing the rendering of the OOF parts of pictures. This is valid for highlights as well as for other things normally screaming for attention. The 50L draws these softer and with less double lining. Other differences is the higher contrast at large aperture openings and much less flare/ghosting.

^^Quoting myself there...

And the picture quality is far from a fisco.

On the other hand it is a fiasco as you have big problems knowing if your picture will be correctly focused or not. There is a focus shift when stopping down the lens. I can live with that for a longer lens used in a slow pace (like some portrait situations) where you intend to use the largest openings only.
With a 50mm it is another thing. Imo you should be able to use it in the streets, for reportage, for fast work and so on. Well, you can, but only if you stick to f/1.2...

If you have the time and want the best a 50 can make for you it's a great lens. But it still may be a fisco.

Feb 27, 2007 at 10:48 AM

caleb condit
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p.66 #24 · •Hands-On• EF 50/1.2L

Yeah, the "fiasco" is only applied to those the use AF as a crutch...it does have FTM by the way. And you can get minor adjustments done at service centers, but it seems to be that the AF problem is apparent at some Fstops and not at others, so it might be interesting to see if it CAN be fixed. I would say, if you want a 50mm with great color and sharpness, go for it, but be prepared to do a bit of focus adjustment. I voted against it after trying at my local proshop and picked up a manual focus 55mm pentax super takumar with adaptor. If i'm going to be manual focusing alot, why pay the extra bucks for something I can get out of a classic prime (the pentax super takumars and SMC lenses in m42 mount are top quality optics, even though their almost 30 years old...some things were just better in the good ol days).

Feb 27, 2007 at 11:44 AM

caleb condit
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p.66 #25 · •Hands-On• EF 50/1.2L

oh and if you can't tell if its in focus by looking through the viewfinder, you might want to find a new profession/hobby. Sure, it doesn't excuse the fact that the lens isn't perfect (for the price, I can understand wanting it to be) but I'm sure there will be a mkII of this lens. If you really want one, hold out for a year or so...maybe canon will fix it.

Feb 27, 2007 at 11:47 AM


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