I will rent this lens before buying. A 50 1.2 is a great news, but it better be sharp and focus really fast for me to buy this lens. 1600$ is not that high for a 1.2, L lens, aimed at professionnals who can normally afford it.
This is the precise price I expected, and am waiting to see the image quality. I expect we'll be able to get it in the US for 1499, or 1449 soon enough by the spring of next year. Will that make me jump? Depends on how fast the autofocus is and what the images look like.
But I agree this is the lens many wanted, and this is the price that we all should have expected it to be released at.
Well, I'm happy about the weight - 560g makes it pretty light... about 1/2 the weight of the 85 f1.2. The MTF chart didn't look fabulous, that's for sure. I couldn't see much difference between the 1.4 and the 1.2, although those are computer generated so there could be a big difference.
I went with the 35L over the 35 f2 because of the focusing. I could get away with the 85 1.8 because of the USM motor and the AF is pretty darn good. If this lens focuses as well as those two (in comparison to the 1.4), then I may have to go for it... but, we'll see how it looks wide open.
yellowducky wrote:
I have been following threads on what people would 'like' and high on the list was a redesigned 50mm L series prime. Lo and behold, out one comes. Is it expensive, yup, will you pay that price in a shop, not likely. Do you absolutley need it, nope. But it is an option (and those are nice to have last I checked) on top of a 50 f1.4, a 50f1.8 and a 50 f2.5 macro. And yet to read this post the provider of this nice array of lenses is just out to screw us all because they don't price the newest latest developed top of the line lens in the 50mm group for what, 500 bucks? ...Show more →
you *don't* get it?? yes, everyone has been waiting for a newly redesigned 50mm lens. the key word there is *everyone*. this is not a lens for everyone. i would have welcomed a redesigned 50mm f/1.4 with USM and a little less softness below f/2.
its like your hungry children come in from a hard day of play, all tired and famished, and they sit down to dinner, and you serve them something you picked up off "iron chef".
and for desert, children, we have squid ice cream.
boissez wrote:
The pricing of this new 50L pretty much puts it out of the APS-crowd league. Actually getting a 5D and a 85/1.8 is cheaper than this 50 and a 30D. A no-brainer for anyone looking for a serious portrait kit.
Errr...no. I'm in that 'crowd' and own three L lenses already. Given your options I'd go 30D and 50L anyway - I've seen sharp results from the 85 1.8, but never with the magic you get with the 85L - and no, I'm not just talking about narrow DOF. If the 50L images have that magic to them too then I'm in.
Makes me smile when you US guys whine about pricing - the 85LmkII retails at over $3000US here in the UK.....
For those complaining about the price I say just because you can't afford it does not make it overpriced. Demand will determine whether or not they are at the correct price point. And they are not often wrong!
I'm happy with my f1.4 and see no reason to upgrade. I can't justify the extra money for what I'd gain. That's not saying it's overpriced. Just that it's out of my league :-)
yellowducky wrote:
95% of people buying Canon cameras won't even know these lenses exist so I would love to know how they will be alienated.
We are right back at it, unbelieveable! I thought this was an objective and reasonable forum but once again we are right back with 'the prices are too high' and basic logic of 'my ford mustang goes 0-60 same as a ferrari 360 at 1/10th the cost so clearly the ferrari is overprice and not worth it'. Yea, right. And in this case we have not even seen the ferrari or tested it to know.
This is a SPECIALTY item. The number of buyers of prime lenses is very limited, let alone fast prime lenses. So to recover the cost of developing, testing, distributing and still having some money left over to develop the next niche product this kind of item will always be expensive. It costs millions to develop and get one of these lenses to market. And the target market (which clearly is not a lot of the negative nancies here already bashing this thing it seems) is small. So the price will be high. The fact that it is high though is a reflection of the above facts.
Even if the price was 500 dollars, 95% of Canon users would still not even know this product exists and the volume would not triple to offset the drastically reduced price (let alone the assumed drastically reduced quality putting us back in the 'why can't it do this' or 'too soft' or 'too slow to focus'). I for one hope this thing is fantastic - having a top notch if expensive option is very nice for those who need it.
If this thing is very fast focusing, great bokeh, great sharpness, great contrast and basically the best lens in the lineup of primes I get the feeling it will still be getting bashed here for some reason or other. But if that is indeed the case, I think there will be many happy mugs out there snapping away given many have been dying for just such a thing to come along. But there is no point looking at what might be the mtf chart and then basically crapping on the product when we have not even used it and are still unsure if it is even the right chart.
I for one will wait to see how it performs and whether or not it fits into my needs. I probably 'skip the middle' and go with my 24 f1.4L and get a 85 f1.2L is my hunch.
But I really do appreciate that it is available and I don't doubt that for some it will be a very nice addition to their lineup.
Edited by yellowducky on Aug 23, 2006 at 11:18 PM GMT...Show more →
I'm constantly amazed at people who clap their hands at everything their particular company does or defends the indefensible, usually using inappropriate analogies.
Of course sales would triple if it sold for $500. Simple economics. And what if 95% never hear about this lens. Do you assume the other 5% can afford it or think its value for money?
Sensibly priced, this could be a decent long-term seller. At $1600 ?
Figures....Canon finally puts out lenses that people were screaming for. Now those people are now crying over the price. You know what will be GREAT? Now we'll have a bunch of theads about "50L vs. 50" much like the "85L vs. 85." I can't wait to get to sift though all that to get to topics of actual content.
That being said, I believe I need to begin work on my new kit:
5D - 24L (or TSE), 35L (got it), 50L, 85L MkII, 135L
I guess Canon doesn't feel there is anything wrong with their 1.4. I wish they could convince me of that. I was hoping for a really sharp, small, light and fast 50 1.4 or 1.2, to compete with the Zeiss and Leica lenses, but maybe this is what other people wanted. You can't always get what you want.
ok, so it IS apparently sealed.... but it still does not interest me at that price point. Gimme a sealed 35/1.4L for $1600, then i might think about it.
...if only I could afford it...
