Most overrated Canon lens.

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Archive 2009 · Most overrated Canon lens.

Canongarcon
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p.1 #1 · Most overrated Canon lens.

We have the topic of the most underrated Canon lens, let's go for the other side and look at the overrated Canon lens.

My nominations.

85mm 1.2 L.: Expensive, slow focusing. Mainly a one dimensional portrait lens.

EF-S 10-22mm. Expensive compared to 3rd party alternatives. Build quality is inconsistant.

Dec 22, 2009 at 01:34 PM

retrofocus
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p.1 #2 · Most overrated Canon lens.

Canon 100 mm f2.8 macro L IS and 85 1.2 L lenses. Good ones, but fully overpriced and still very similar to their feasible EF counterparts.

Dec 22, 2009 at 01:42 PM

CarlG
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p.1 #3 · Most overrated Canon lens.

24-70

Dec 22, 2009 at 01:49 PM

wickerprints
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p.1 #4 · Most overrated Canon lens.

I vote for the EF 50/1.8 II. So what if it's only $100? It feels every bit as cheap as it is, and for people saying how sharp it is...well, clearly they've not shot with an L prime.

Now as for the EF 100/2.8L macro IS, I can't say it's the best value for the money, but it is hardly "most overrated." I regularly get amazing shots with this lens, and with the 1-2 stop image stabilization, at macro distances, I can use it in ways I couldn't with the 100/2.8 macro. I do agree that the corner CA could be better controlled for a lens in its price range, but in practice, it does not show up in my shots.

Dec 22, 2009 at 01:50 PM

digitalbug30d
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p.1 #5 · Most overrated Canon lens.

any M/F lenses on a A/F body....Zeiss come to mind

might as well get an AE-1

Dec 22, 2009 at 01:51 PM

freetime101
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p.1 #6 · Most overrated Canon lens.

EF-S 10-22mm, I followed the hype and bought it - the most expensive paperweight ever!

EDIT: after veiwing the pictures on the PC they look OK, not great but OK - its not quite a paper weight but for £600 I expect a bit more! The 40D's screen takes some of the blame for the paper weight comment...

Edited on Dec 22, 2009 at 02:05 PM · View previous versions

Dec 22, 2009 at 01:52 PM

wickerprints
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p.1 #7 · Most overrated Canon lens.

digitalbug30d wrote:
any M/F lenses on a A/F body....Zeiss come to mind

Dec 22, 2009 at 01:53 PM

digitalbug30d
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p.1 #8 · Most overrated Canon lens.

wickerprints wrote:
digitalbug30d wrote:
any M/F lenses on a A/F body....Zeiss come to mind

Dec 22, 2009 at 02:02 PM

Ed Sawyer
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p.1 #9 · Most overrated Canon lens.

200/1.8L - A nice lens but nowhere near worth what it sells for. The 200/2 is better in every way.

I disagree with the 85/1.2L - that is a rock-star go-to lens for the Canon system. It's a reason people switch to Canon. Imagine if those were no longer made! The price would rocket to $3-4k easily. No one else has anything even close, really. An 85/1.2L mk1 is a great deal on the used market, certainly more so than many other Canon lenses.

-Ed

Dec 22, 2009 at 02:02 PM

digitalbug30d
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p.1 #10 · Most overrated Canon lens.

Ed Sawyer wrote:
200/1.8L - A nice lens but nowhere near worth what it sells for. The 200/2 is better in every way.

I disagree with the 85/1.2L - that is a rock-star go-to lens for the Canon system. It's a reason people switch to Canon. Imagine if those were no longer made! The price would rocket to $3-4k easily. No one else has anything even close, really. An 85/1.2L mk1 is a great deal on the used market, certainly more so than many other Canon lenses.

-Ed

bump the ISO up one stop and get the 600.00 200mm f2.8L

Dec 22, 2009 at 02:03 PM

David Baldwin
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p.1 #11 · Most overrated Canon lens.

"I vote for the EF 50/1.8 II. So what if it's only $100? It feels every bit as cheap as it is, and for people saying how sharp it is...well, clearly they've not shot with an L prime."

+97

Am hoping for the release of the EF 50mm/1.8 Mk 3

Dec 22, 2009 at 02:08 PM

bluetsunami
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p.1 #12 · Most overrated Canon lens.

digitalbug30d wrote:
wickerprints wrote:
digitalbug30d wrote:
any M/F lenses on a A/F body....Zeiss come to mind

Hey that doesn't count (although I kinda want it to)... the thread title is "Most overrated Canon lens," which I took to mean Canon-brand...as opposed to EF mount. In which case, I could think of at least one ZE lens that doesn't really impress me.
oh before someone chimes in...
oh its the bokeh
oh its got that look to it
oh that quality glass legendary

Wow, someone on the ALT forums make fun of you or something? Quite a chip on those shoulders.

On topic, I would have to say the 50/1.8 also. Its great, optically, but it seems to fall apart very easily. I'd rather not have to worry about gently taking off my lens cap just so I don't pull the front element off.

Dec 22, 2009 at 02:08 PM

digitalbug30d
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p.1 #13 · Most overrated Canon lens.

bluetsunami wrote:
digitalbug30d wrote:
wickerprints wrote:
digitalbug30d wrote:
any M/F lenses on a A/F body....Zeiss come to mind

Dec 22, 2009 at 02:11 PM

digitalbug30d
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p.1 #14 · Most overrated Canon lens.

David Baldwin wrote:
"I vote for the EF 50/1.8 II. So what if it's only $100? It feels every bit as cheap as it is, and for people saying how sharp it is...well, clearly they've not shot with an L prime."

+97

Am hoping for the release of the EF 50mm/1.8 Mk 3
I wish canon would do this

Dec 22, 2009 at 02:12 PM

seoulman13
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p.1 #15 · Most overrated Canon lens.

I'd also vote for the 85/1.2. When I decided to drop $1700 on mine I had noticed that most people who had it were actually putting it up for sale so I thought I would jump on it. I got the beauty of a lens and played with it for a while and shot a corporate gig with it and realized it wasn't any better than my trusty 70-200/2.8 in a well lit condition. I used it for a couple creative shots in the dark and realized I didn't care much for it and I couldn't keep a 1700 hunk of collectors glass sitting around in my house. I sold it a month later.

Things I didn't like about it:
Fly-by-wire manual focusing
Slow, but useable AF speed
Emptied my wallet for a week
Hype

Dec 22, 2009 at 02:14 PM

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p.1 #16 · Most overrated Canon lens.

Two Extremes:

The 50/1.8 gets my first vote...It's good optically (NOT great), but it feels like crap! It can only be described as, "A good lens" if you add the final part, "for the money".

My second vote goes to the 1200/5.6...It was always a 'show-piece' lens from the very beginning. Originally made for the 1984 Olympics so Canon could say, "See what we can do!" Most impractical lens ever made...and I'm so tired of the semi-annual threads that pop up titled, "WOW, look at this lens!"

Omar

Dec 22, 2009 at 02:20 PM

Will Patterson
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p.1 #17 · Most overrated Canon lens.

I'll second the 85 1.2. I also had one for about two months and sold it because I could not STAND how slow it focused, couldn't focus in low light, and the fly by wire manual focus. The Mark II is noticeably quicker, but still nothing great. To me it's a studio only lens.

Dec 22, 2009 at 02:30 PM

wickerprints
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p.1 #18 · Most overrated Canon lens.

digitalbug30d wrote:
David Baldwin wrote:
"I vote for the EF 50/1.8 II. So what if it's only $100? It feels every bit as cheap as it is, and for people saying how sharp it is...well, clearly they've not shot with an L prime."

+97

Am hoping for the release of the EF 50mm/1.8 Mk 3
I wish canon would do this

Why +97?

That is a very curious number to choose...

I hope I can be forgiven for not holding my breath on a Mark III. This lens is basically the same FD design from about 3 decades ago. It's like the optical equivalent of women's shoulder pads--not necessarily inappropriate or useless, but long since out of style. Canon hasn't shown any inclination to change the formula for this long...what's a few more decades in the scheme of things? Especially when people keep snapping them up like candy...

Dec 22, 2009 at 02:33 PM

wickerprints
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p.1 #19 · Most overrated Canon lens.

omarlyn wrote:

My second vote goes to the 1200/5.6...It was always a 'show-piece' lens from the very beginning. Originally made for the 1984 Olympics so Canon could say, "See what we can do!" Most impractical lens ever made...and I'm so tired of the semi-annual threads that pop up titled, "WOW, look at this lens!"

Yeah, but if they sold it for $3000 I'm sure you wouldn't mind picking one up?

Dec 22, 2009 at 02:36 PM

Beni
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p.1 #20 · Most overrated Canon lens.

70-200 f4L IS, had it, really not prime sharp or prime bokeh. Nice IS and that's about it compared to the old one which I also owned.

Dec 22, 2009 at 02:44 PM

omarlyn
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p.1 #21 · Most overrated Canon lens.

wickerprints wrote:
omarlyn wrote:

My second vote goes to the 1200/5.6...It was always a 'show-piece' lens from the very beginning. Originally made for the 1984 Olympics so Canon could say, "See what we can do!" Most impractical lens ever made...and I'm so tired of the semi-annual threads that pop up titled, "WOW, look at this lens!"

Yeah, but if they sold it for $3000 I'm sure you wouldn't mind picking one up?

Only if was part of a trade deal to get a 500/4IS (which would be far more practical for me)

Back OT...I do have a third choice & it's for another 'show-piece' lens: The 50/1.0...however, I think it's really the 'box' that's SO over-rated!

Omar

Dec 22, 2009 at 02:48 PM

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p.1 #22 · Most overrated Canon lens.

I'll vote 85mm f/1.2 -- I see it primarily as an expensive niche lens for high-end amateurs and mid-level pros.

As for "any MF lens on AF body" ... many people purchase those lenses because some are cheap and high IQ (the Olympus 24mm f/2.8--$135, 28mm f/3.5-- $65, and 50mm f/1.8-- $20) come to mind. Putting all MF lenses into one basket is silly considering there are hundreds of those lenses ranging from $5 to $10,000 and across a continuum of IQ and other characteristics. Some are overrated and some are underrated.

(NB: I write this whole post well aware that "overrated" is subjective.)

Dec 22, 2009 at 03:17 PM

Ian.Dobinson
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p.1 #23 · Most overrated Canon lens.

omarlyn wrote:
wickerprints wrote:
omarlyn wrote:

Back OT...I do have a third choice & it's for another 'show-piece' lens: The 50/1.0...however, I think it's really the 'box' that's SO over-rated!

Omar
careful thats how fires start

Dec 22, 2009 at 03:18 PM

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p.1 #24 · Most overrated Canon lens.

Overrated? Any L lens.

justruss wrote:
As for "any MF lens on AF body" ... many people purchase those lenses because some are cheap and high IQ

Correctamundo! I bought a bunch of MF primes collectively for less than the cheapest L lens and I have a faster aperture on all of them except one.

Edited on Dec 22, 2009 at 03:23 PM · View previous versions

Dec 22, 2009 at 03:20 PM

Jayem1
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p.1 #25 · Most overrated Canon lens.

50/1.0

Dec 22, 2009 at 03:23 PM


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