topic Re: 50mm 1.4 Buy now or wait? in EF & RF Lenses

50mm 1.4 Buy now or wait?

Sunnybag745 — Tue, 09 Jan 2018 07:21:56 GMT

So I’ve been looking at the 50mm 1.4, and I think this would be a good choice for me to buy. But now I’ve been looking around and seen that people are saying that the 50 1.4’s successor is coming out in the near future. Should I wait for the new successor or just buy the current “older” one. And what are your thoughts of the current 50mm 1.4

Re: 50mm 1.4 Buy now or wait?

shadowsports — Tue, 09 Jan 2018 14:31:21 GMT

Great video from Chris Winter here

I was looking to buy the 1.4. I currently own the 1.8. The video convinced me to stay with the 1.8.

You not having either can go either way, but this video can probably help you decide. As far as waiting goes... there is always something newer or better around the corner. The 1.8 is about $100. You can buy it now and wait to see if you like what get released next if you want. In the meantime, you'll be taking pictures.

Re: 50mm 1.4 Buy now or wait?

ebiggs1 — Tue, 09 Jan 2018 14:52:33 GMT

You did not say what camera you have? You did say how many or what other lenses you have? This makes it difficult for me to advise.

First I would not wait for a supposed "latest greatest" lens to be released. If you want a 50mil get it now! And, secondly I had the Canon EF 50mm f/1.4 USM Lens. I sold mine. Why, a 50mm is hard to use. It does make a nice portrait lens for a cropper but just seems too long or too short most of the time on a FF. Actually it does on a cropper, too. Just hard to use.

I had the Sigma 50mm f/1.4 DG HSM Art Lens, too. The sharpest lensmade. It also got sold when I bought the Canon EF 50mm f/1.2L USM Lens. Now, that lens is a true jewel of a lens and it is unique. It produces marvelous photographs. It is what I call a specialized lens, however. Just for special situations.

IMHO, if I were you I would buy the Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 STM Lens for a $125 bucks to see it a 50mil is really what you want. Use it. Live with it. If it is the cat's meow sell it on and buy the Canon EF 50mm f/1.2L USM Lens. That's 'almost' what I did !

Re: 50mm 1.4 Buy now or wait?

ebiggs1 — Tue, 09 Jan 2018 14:54:28 GMT

"You did say how many or what other lenses you have?"

Oh, BTW, if it is the only lens you have pass on it and get the Canon EF-S 17-55mm f/2.8 IS USM Lens. You will enjoy that lens way more than a 50mil.

Re: 50mm 1.4 Buy now or wait?

Peter — Tue, 09 Jan 2018 16:27:25 GMT

@Sunnybag745 wrote:
So I’ve been looking at the 50mm 1.4, and I think this would be a good choice for me to buy. But now I’ve been looking around and seen that people are saying that the 50 1.4’s successor is coming out in the near future. Should I wait for the new successor or just buy the current “older” one. And what are your thoughts of the current 50mm 1.4

Calibrated my 50/1.4 at Canon 4 times now I think. Every second year. If I were you, I would go för a newer lens design.

Re: 50mm 1.4 Buy now or wait?

RobertTheFat — Tue, 09 Jan 2018 18:28:28 GMT

ebiggs1 wrote:
You did not say what camera you have? You did say how many or what other lenses you have? This makes it difficult for me to advise.

First I would not wait for a supposed "latest greatest" lens to be released. If you want a 50mil get it now! And, secondly I had the Canon EF 50mm f/1.4 USM Lens. I sold mine. Why, a 50mm is hard to use. It does make a nice portrait lens for a cropper but just seems too long or too short most of the time on a FF. Actually it does on a cropper, too. Just hard to use.

I had the Sigma 50mm f/1.4 DG HSM Art Lens, too. The sharpest lensmade. It also got sold when I bought the Canon EF 50mm f/1.2L USM Lens. Now, that lens is a true jewel of a lens and it is unique. It produces marvelous photographs. It is what I call a specialized lens, however. Just for special situations.

IMHO, if I were you I would buy the Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 STM Lens for a $125 bucks to see it a 50mil is really what you want. Use it. Live with it. If it is the cat's meow sell it on and buy the Canon EF 50mm f/1.2L USM Lens. That's 'almost' what I did !

As Ernie says, lenses with very wide apertures exist for a specialized purpose. Ten or twelve years ago, that purpose was low-light photography. But today's cameras have such good low-light performance that that specialization has pretty much morphed into just situations where you want a very shallow depth of field. Such situations do come up, of course, but in the general scheme of things they're comparatively rare. So I think it's fair to say that if you need such a lens, you'll know it, and it's not a lens you'd buy just to have it around.

Back in 2007 I bought a 30mm f/1.4 lens for my XTi, because I thought I ought to have a low-light lens (and because I'd always had a 50mm f/1.4 on my Nikon film cameras). I used it a few times, and it's sat on a shelf ever since. In effect, it's a relic of a different era of photography.

Re: 50mm 1.4 Buy now or wait?

diverhank — Tue, 09 Jan 2018 22:23:56 GMT

I have both the 50mm f/1.4 and the 50mm f/1.8 STM..There are not that much difference between the two in image quality. I also got the 50mm f/1.8 II but I gave that away.

Not sure if Canon will come out with another 50mm f/1.4 any time soon so if you want to get a 50mm, you should get one now.

If you don't want to pay too much money, get a 50mm f/1.8 STM for $125 new or $75 used. Can't go wrong with the price. Even for a 50mm f/1.4, you can get one new for $325, $200 for a used one. I like to collect lenses just to see what they are like and since these are cheap I got them all.

The 50mm is kinda an awkward FL. For a cropped sensor camera, it's probably only good as a portrait lens. For a full frame, it's usually not wide enough but not close enough either. Having said that, they are decent enough lenses that I don't hesitate to use them when I need the smooth bokeh...

Once, just to prove a point, I took nothing but a 50mm f/1.8 STM to my daughter's college graduation ceremony. I got pretty decent shots out of it. It's not the lens, it's what you do with it.

Re: 50mm 1.4 Buy now or wait?

Sunnybag745 — Wed, 10 Jan 2018 07:24:59 GMT

I would shoot this with the canon rebel t6, I’m planning to upgrade soon but want to stock up a little more on a larger range of lenses first. I also own a 17-55mm 2.8 which is getting fixed, a 24mm f.2.8, and a 75-300(which I’m gonna try to sell)

Re: 50mm 1.4 Buy now or wait?

ebiggs1 — Wed, 10 Jan 2018 14:45:50 GMT

" I like to collect lenses just to see what they are like..."

Hmmm, I can relate to that ! Although I have come to and end. I have done that for the 15+ years I have been retired. I am clearing out all but the ones I consider worthy for one reason or another.

I learned a lot in that time. One thing for sure is, don't believe all you read on the ole inner web about lenses.