What happens to all the copies of lenses that you guys reject?
Where do they go once they are returned to the retailer?
Do they end up being sold to someone else?
Should a database of rejected lens serial numbers be created, so that these reportedly defective lenses can be known to all, and not end up in the hands of another purchaser?
John P Mulgrew wrote:
I don't care about the pixel peeping but how does this lens perform in low light sports settings like gyms? Wide open, 1.4, 1.6? How's it do at that from about 5' on out to 15'? I'm debating on whether to get this lens when it becomes available again or the 35 1.4 but the 50 would be better on my N I'm guessing. I already have the 85 1.8 but I want something a bit wider and fast at focusing.
In terms of focusing, the lens is fine for indoor sports if you're shooting full length shots. I've used it to shoot Roller Derby with great results. However, like other fast glass your biggest problem trying to shoot this stuff open over about f/2 you'll start to see birefringence.
Focus Locus wrote:
What happens to all the copies of lenses that you guys reject?
Where do they go once they are returned to the retailer?
Do they end up being sold to someone else?
Should a database of rejected lens serial numbers be created, so that these reportedly defective lenses can be known to all, and not end up in the hands of another purchaser?
I had this idea of a lens registry before, but never carried through with it. As a software engineer of about a decade's experience, I could whip it together very quickly if someone wanted to host it.
Focus Locus wrote:
What happens to all the copies of lenses that you guys reject?
Where do they go once they are returned to the retailer?
Do they end up being sold to someone else?
Why, of course, even the bad lenses go to lens heaven, where there is an abundant supply of newspapers and rulers they can photograph for the rest of their eternal life ;-)
photogenix wrote:
Why, of course, even the bad lenses go to lens heaven, where there is an abundant supply of newspapers and rulers they can photograph for the rest of their eternal life ;-)
Sounds like more fun than listening to harps for eternity ;-)
Focus Locus wrote:
What happens to all the copies of lenses that you guys reject?
Where do they go once they are returned to the retailer?
Do they end up being sold to someone else?
Should a database of rejected lens serial numbers be created, so that these reportedly defective lenses can be known to all, and not end up in the hands of another purchaser?
I think it would be a big mistake, and misleading to say the least, to compile a list of unqualified complaints about certain lenses.
mickr7an wrote:
I think it would be a big mistake, and misleading to say the least, to compile a list of unqualified complaints about certain lenses.
In all seriousness, I have to agree.
Photon wrote:
In all seriousness, I have to agree.
No. Someone buying a "new" lens from an unscrupulous retailer has a right to know what they're getting. New is new. It would not be misleading in the least to know that someone else had purchased it and had problems... it would force retailers to be more honest. It wouldn't force you to put stock in some other user's testing, just give you the ability to know it had been done and that the lens had been returned.
none of the three 50Ls that i bought "new" were virgin, untouched copies as one would expect when spending $1400+ on a newly-released lens. all of them showed marks from having been mounting to a body multiple times.
the latest copy i bought had a few hairs and some dandruff on it. not only did that gross me out but it didn't fare well for the dealer since they said it was a new copy that might have been shown once or twice in the store. needless to say, they won't be getting my business again.
the lens i kept is the second one i bought. ironically it's the one i played with in the dealer's showroom and passed up because it looked like it had been mounted. so far it's been the sharpest copy.
I think the lens database would be a great idea. But I think the retailers would really hate it once people start returning lenses just because they showed up on the database!
--Yeah, I'm returning it because some other dude said it was soft and, well, he might be right, dunno. But I've got to be safe here on this $1,000+ purchase. God knows, I won't be able to re-sell it later since its on the database.--
Reminds me of the Seinfeld episode when George took a new book into the restroom and it was then "flagged" in their computer so no one could ever return it.
Some people expect to get pristine copies of lenses - never unpacked since they left the factory, while reserving the right to return a new lens not wanted or mounting it and trying it out in the store before buying it.
What protocol would be fair to all parties; buyer, store, distributor, factory?
If there is a "cost" of rejecting pristine lenses, and no one pays the cost upfront, then I guess it would just be added to the general markup, and the non-pixelpeeping photogs pays the príce.
I returned my copy to my dealer and decided not to get another copy for the time being. The dealer did extensive test as well and show the same inconsistent results as well ie sometimes it is ok and sometimes it back focus. The lower the F stop the futher it back focus
Anyway I kept my money there as deposit to the new 1dmk3
Just thought I'd point out that the lens is still out of stock at Adorama, B&H and OneCall. I think the continued out of stock situation is consistent with Canon stopping distribution while it figures out what is going wrong.
I think some retailers have them, but that's just relatively old stock from before Canon stopped the 50L train.
CMOS wrote:
Just thought I'd point out that the lens is still out of stock at Adorama, B&H and OneCall. I think the continued out of stock situation is consistent with Canon stopping distribution while it figures out what is going wrong.
I think some retailers have them, but that's just relatively old stock from before Canon stopped the 50L train.
Anyone with me on this?
No, sorry, cannot say I am with you on it. I just got copy 2 from a different retailer and they told me it was a recent shipment they received. While my 1st one had the issue, I am still testing copy 2. I also have a 50/1.4 that arrived last night that I will be testing along side it.
my 50L is likely to be returned soon. while i don't mind using it manually at 3' or less, i know there will be times when i need AF to work at close focus. i get the impression that canon is looking into this issue so i will just wait until after PMA to pick up another. besides, i might need that money for other toys.
i got the 50 1.2 last week. after reading so many negative responses in this list i wasn't hopeful, but the lens is great for my purposes. i wanted better AF than the 1.4. i shoot streets, and it's far more reliable than the 50 1.4. i tried it at 1.2 at close distances indoors in still life situations, and it wasn't great. but, i'll never use it for that, so i don't care. my 50 1.4 broke on the road quite easily, and was never reliable for AF in fast situations, so i'm glad to replace it with the 50 1.2 . i added one image as an example. no, it's not a box, no it's not f1.2, no, it's not a chart.
hool said: i tried it at 1.2 at close distances indoors in still life situations, and it wasn't great. but, i'll never use it for that, so i don't care.
Interesting approach to buying an expensive lens, I would think.
