2 weeks ago when picking up my small CCS shoulder bag containing my 5d 50/1.4 85/1.8 ,I found that I had stupidly forgotten to pulled the draw string ,which closes the top , my 5d with 50/1.4 attached and 85/1.8 fell out .They fell approx 2 feet onto the ground ,which was hard dirt ,the body has 3 smallish marks on the top and lenses no marks I can see ,But know the 50m dose not auto focus and the 85 seems to focus but does not seem as sharp as before ,would a smallish drop cause this type of problem ,I believe I have read somewhere that the 50m has problems with the focus failing ,does anybody know of any problems with the focus failing on 50./1.4 ,it may have just packed up after all ,so any info will be greatfully received,
many thanks
peter
I think the 50mm f/1.4 is prone to AF-assembly breakage. Mine just came back from service after I bought it broken from someone who hadn't used it in 3 years. It just sat in the box, yet broke.
The 85mm f/1.8 issue might be in the mind, however I did run some focus tests on mine and my copy definitely had a focus issue. Either my camera was back focussing it or there was a de-centered element.
I believe that the 50 1.4 NEEDS the hood attached for protection. Did you have a hood mounted on your 50? the hood transfers frontal shock to a strong(er) part of lens body. Without hood a minor impact on front edge of lens can break/damage the AF. or so I theorize--hope it's not an expensive fix. Perhaps Norwin can relay what his repair cost. Of course, maybe it's not the same problem. But the 1.4 is a bit notorious for delicate AF as mentioned.
Hoods don't always protect. I had the hood on my 50L and caught it on the wooden arm of a chair. There was apparently enough leverage on the hood to pull the hood with front plastic parts free of the the lens barrel.
Resulting in a quote from Canon for $672.44 to repair a lens which still autofocusses but has an annoying loose bit at the front and on which I can't use the hood for fear of pulling the front bits off completely.
Replace Focus Assembly $258.24, straighten barrel collar $3.07, labour $337.00, freight $13.00 donation to govt $61.13.
I dropped my 50 1.4 a few weeks back (and only 3 days after i bought it). The focus system was clearly jammed afterward - manual would move a bit but auto would only twitch. Currency translation to UK may not be accurate but i can tell you that i paid 60% of the cost of the lens new to have it repaired.
Being clumsy is expensive. And you feel really dumb afterward, especially when your girlfriend keeps reminding you of it.
I 50/1.4 failed after I sold it to a friend. He did not drop it. Of course, when they are so prone to breakage without a drop, a drop would have to be more likely to break one than just sitting in a box, don't you think?
Buy an EF 50/1.8... and replace it whenever you break them.
The AF barrel of 50/1.4 is fragile, which is a sort of a design flaw. So, yes, broken AF issues are common for this lens. It happened to me twice (never dropped it). I sold it after that and will never buy it again unless it is redesigned. The repair cost was some USD 150.
Thanks for all that replied,as I just hope my insurance will cover the cost ,I am know wondering if the body will have suffered any internal damage ,it could turn out to be a very expensive ,all very annoying
once again many thanks for help given
