I need a 50 for the to large gap between the 35L and 85L (after selling my zooms) and rather than dump lots of $ on the Canon 50L I thought I'd get the ZE. After running around manually focusing my 17TS I realize I either need new glasses or a better focusing screen. I can do OK with the 85 in manual so I think I should be OK with the 50. But will the Ec-s bring happiness or will I still need new glasses?

I did consider getting the plastic fantastic and using manual focus as a test but then I'd just throw it away later after getting a better lens.

Thanks, John

I use a ZE 50 on 5D MkII, and switching from the standard focusing screen to the MF one (EG-S) helped a lot. My keeper rate went up substantially. Frankly, ZE 50 is not particuarly difficult to focus manually. It is a very fast lens, so it is very "clear" through the viewfinder, and its focusing ring is just so well suited to MF. It is much easier to focus than the ZE 85 which I also use.
And, as far as I am concerned, it offers tremendous IQ for moderate cost, as long as you don't buy it for portrait wide open at close range.
Just one shot with 50ZE on 5D MkII.

Thanks for the reply. I should have mentioned that I shoot a 1Ds2, so the EG-S won't work.

I wouldn't judge your focusing by how well you can manually focus a slow wide lens. That's a difficult task, just take your 35L and manual focus to see if you can do it or not. That will be slightly harder than it would be with a 50mm f/1.4 lens.

john_edwards wrote:

I did consider getting the plastic fantastic and using manual focus as a test but then I'd just throw it away later after getting a better lens.

Thanks, John

the plastic fantastic is a very nice little lens and I think you should get it anyway.