I should be able to afford one of these..... used.... say by 2012 or so.
I am honestly thinking pricing is getting way out of hand...$1599.... On one hand I'm excited about a product release like this and the other part of me sighs... realizing this is out of my reach.
I am seeing a trend with Canon's stuff... you have good entry stuff...a then there is the high end... the gap between the two is sometimes hard to justify. Look at the 85 1.8 vs 85 1.2... a huge price gap... probably too much to ask but I would be all over a 85 1.4L around $1000. The 50mm is not as interesting to me but if this lens had come in around $1000... again I would have taken a serious look. The same goes for the gap between 30D and 5D.... this is scary... I may be primed for NIkon D200 with an 85 1.4 ... nah too much hazzle switching.
I have said this on this board a hundred times . price should ALWAYS be secondary to the work you do, if that means the fastest lens you can get or the longest lens you can get , than that is what you get. than figure out what kid to sell to get it.
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Edited by Guy Mancuso on Aug 24, 2006 at 01:50 PM GMT
Perfect advice Guy.
I just got an f/1.0 for a project because that is the only lens that has a chance of doing what I envision. Sure, I would have like to have gotten it for 20 bucks but I didn't and paid what it took to get it in order to do the job.
So, someone correct me if I'm wrong - but would this be the first non-tele EF prime that's fully weather sealed? Sounds like this will become the defacto PJ prime pretty quickly - especially for full frame guys.
Priced a little higher then I was expecting, but I finally have a 50mm to add to my current trilogy, 35L, 85L & 135L. I will buy this lense as soon as the pre orders become available.
Not sure if someone did this comparison of merely physical specs -
Canon 85mm f/1.2 L Mark II
Length 84mm
Max. Dia. 91mm
Weight 1025mg
9 Blade Aperture
8 elements in 7 groups
Min. Focus distance .95 m
Canon 50mm f/1.2 L
Length 65.5mm
Max. Dia. 85.4mm
Weight 545mg
8 Blade Aperture
8 elements in 6 groups
Min. Focus distance .45m
That's almost 20mm shorter, about the same diameter, almost half the weight and focuses .5 meter closer. I'm really looking forward to seeing what this lens can do in the real world!
For someone like me, who may or may not purchase the 50mm f1.2 some day, but not soon, the most important part of the new announcement is Canon's continued development of L prime lenses. 6 months ago a new 85mm L, now a new 50mm L. Hopefully, soon the release of a new Canon 1DSIII and a new 28mm or 20mm L prime. IMHO, Canon is further distinguishing itself from Nikon and all the other DSLR manufacturers -- Canon is the only game in town for someone who wants top quality, medium format like quality, and prime lenses.
handheld wrote:
My amateur photographer's sense tells me that the introduction of two (probably) excellent brand new lenses by our gear purveyor of choice is an occasion to celebrate. No matter wheather we can afford it, or need it today, or be able to justify it tomorrow.
I agree 100% with that.
And I think people are way too premature too talk about the quality of this lens when there's no testing done and there are no sample pics available.
This is a very interesting lens which a lot of people have asked for and I think Canon did a great job bringing it.
Here is the MTF chart for the old FD 50mm 1.2L lens. Some mentioned that they hoped the new EF 1.2 L lens would be same quality well compare the charts. They are not identical but similar. Then again MTF charts are just guides as to how a lens is expected to perform.
For myself I like my FD 1.2L and do not find 50mm length boring, and I look forward to adding an EF 50mm 1.2L to my collection and hopefully use it as often as my FD 1.2L is used which is often.
Pricing is close to what I figured, I'm satisfied that Canon has finally brought it out, its also nice to see the 70-200 f4 IS although I have no interest in it, at least Canon is bringing out new lenses to meet some photographers needs.
At the end of the day its not the price, focal or zoom length, brand, comparisons with other lens that is important its the image you capture with that piece equipment. One shot with any lens could be priceless, if you get that shot then your lens has done its job and it has paid for itself.
Many have no want or desire for a 50 1.2L or the 70-200 f4 IS but those who have been desiring one they now have the opportunity/option to buy/rent or not. Its an individuals choice. If you have no interest move on, no point belly aching about it. If Canon listened to every persons complaints why a certain focal length/type of lens should not be released or what lenses have priority then we would never see another lens released. This time we got the 50 and 70-200 next time it might be the one you are hoping for.
Sam Bennett wrote:
The sample variation (again, a consequence of the low price you pay) seems to be pretty wide, so perhaps you got lucky.
bah. the 60mm is cheap and no such sample variation. the 85/1.8, the 50/2.5, the 100/2, the 135L, yadda yadda.
if there isn't sufficient QA then its probably in sigma's interest to improve it, unless all you guys with poor samples don't return the lens to them. but don't say i'd be paying that extra $1200 for quality control; for that price, i'll do my own quality control and send the lens back until i get one i like. i think, in this case, the extra $1200 is not much more than paying for the luxury branding. again, only looking at the mtf chart, cuz this doesn't look like an optical miracle.
I just want to know why canon's sample shots always suck. I know team canon photographers are great shooters. You would think they would have one of them shoot the photo.
50mm is my favorite focal length on my 20d...i want to give this puppy a try. I would almost be willing to sell most of my gear just to have this lens if it turns out to be as great as i think it will be.
Hmmm... many, many historically excellent photographers used a 50 on 35mm film... so you have to ask yourself, how much less boring are your photos than, say, Henri Cartier-Bresson's?
dcmiller wrote:
...
50 is boring, except for fashion/event shooters who need to have it as part of a kit of fast primes.
...
this is scary... I may be primed for NIkon D200 with an 85 1.4 
... nah too much hazzle switching. 
