The weak link in the 50/1.4 is the fragile clutch used in the FTM mechanism, so a hood won't do anything to help. The 50/1.8 MKII extends on a weak plastic mechanism and will break if you hit the front onto something hard and there is no way to attach a hood for protection (I use a rubber hood and *think* it may help absorb light bumps and bangs). The 50/1.8 MKI had no weakness and the hood would protect the extending lens block... too bad Canon stopped making the MKI... the bastards!
AlexHM wrote:
re front element and AF -- if you keep the hood on, then you can breath on it all you want, and whack it into things with some force...it won't break (in my experience). If you insist on using it without a hood, then yes it is fragile/has achilles heel.
mh2000 wrote: The weak link in the 50/1.4 is the fragile clutch used in the FTM mechanism,
I did not know that, but have no reason to doubt you. Thanks for the info. Perhaps the 1.4 has two faults then... I have directly seen (and have heard from others who have experienced) a phenomenon where the 1.4 nose has taken a relatively light impact leading to failure where you cannot turn the focus ring manually (and AF kaput). The design of the hood does generally work to stop things impacting the nose.
The FTM issue is new to me. Do you know any more about it? Specifically, does focusing manually stress the FTM clutch (should it be avoided altogether, or done delicately)? Should you switch the lens to M to focus manually? TIA
I don't really know what kills the clutch mechanism, only that a lot of people around here and elsewhere have had the problem. I tended not to use FTM for this reason (and I'm not that big of a fan of it anyway). My 50/1.4 had very light use and broke within 3 years (right after I sold it to a friend).
I felt my 50/1.4 hunted worse than my 50/1.8 MKI did in low light situations... and didn't feel my move to the 50/1.4 from it was an upgrade at all. I read too much on the internet and saw the two publicized bokeh tests and felt that with the increase in 50/1.8 MKI prices that I would sell it and "upgrade" to the 50/1.4 for almost nothing... then after going through with it sold the 1.4 and bought one of the crappy 50/1.8 MKII's... oh well... had I not been on the internet I would have just kept my 50/1.8 MKI and been happy...
If i were you I'd hold onto that 50/1.8 MKI... it's a nice lens.
