topic Re: Canon 50mm F/1 on eBay in EF & RF Lenses

Canon 50mm F/1 on eBay

kvbarkley — Thu, 03 Aug 2017 18:20:16 GMT

I can't link, but Ken Rockwell says that there is one of these currently on eBay for $3360.

They don't get much faster than that.

Re: Canon 50mm F/1 on eBay

RobertTheFat — Fri, 04 Aug 2017 03:00:50 GMT

And why on earth would you need a lens that fast? The days of pushing Tri-X to ISO 150 are in the distant past.

Re: Canon 50mm F/1 on eBay

kvbarkley — Fri, 04 Aug 2017 14:49:08 GMT

Ken Rockwell's review goes into it.

I would think shooting fast action in the dark.

Re: Canon 50mm F/1 on eBay

RobertTheFat — Fri, 04 Aug 2017 16:02:00 GMT

@kvbarkley wrote:
Ken Rockwell's review goes into it.

I would think shooting fast action in the dark.

Action that doesn't require a DoF of more than a centimeter or so.

Re: Canon 50mm F/1 on eBay

ebiggs1 — Fri, 04 Aug 2017 16:54:35 GMT

B form B,

If you ever used one, you would understand. Just like the 50mm f1.2L is fantastic the 50mm f1 is fantasticer. But I suppose if you have to ask...........

Re: Canon 50mm F/1 on eBay

ebiggs1 — Fri, 04 Aug 2017 16:55:56 GMT

No lens has enough focal length and no lens is fast enough. Photography fact # 57.

Re: Canon 50mm F/1 on eBay

kvbarkley — Fri, 04 Aug 2017 17:38:54 GMT

For action, DOF is not the point, faster shutter speeds are. IS does not help to stop action.

Re: Canon 50mm F/1 on eBay

kvbarkley — Fri, 04 Aug 2017 17:42:18 GMT

From Ken Rockwell's review:

There are three primary reasons to own this masterpiece:

1.) Used at larger apertures, gives a unique look which cannot be duplicated any other way. There is no way in software or with other lenses to duplicate its precise combination of artistically pleasing falloff and its unique rendering of out-of-focus areas. If you want this effect, you need this lens.

2.) For ultra-low light, f/1.0 is 1/2 to 2/3 stops faster than common f/1.2 lenses. In fact, this f/1.0 lens as about as much faster than an f/1.2 lens as an f/1.4 lens is faster than an f/1.8 lens.

While the ultra-high ISOs of today's DSLRs let us capture anything in any light hand-held with slow f/2.8 or f/4 lenses, we still can't stop action at 1/125 in near darkness unless we have a lens this fast. High DSLR ISOs let us shoot indoor and night sports that are dimly lit, but if we're shooting where there isn't any supplemental lighting, we need the f/1.0 to stop action in the dark.

3.) Subject Isolation: no other 50mm lens can isolate a subject from its surroundings as strongly as can this lens. If you can't control your background when shooting outside your studio, this lens lets you make the background go away.

Today when every other amateur photographer is probably using the same camera (or better) than you are, one way to stand out and win more jobs is to master a lens like this and give your images something that weekend amateurs can't copy.

For instance, shot at f/1.0 in daylight, it so limits the depth-of-field of an otherwise normal image that it really does look like a shot made either with an 8x10" camera wide-open, or sometimes as if the subjects are just miniature models. (It seems that way because we're used to seeing limited depth-of field usually only if something is very small and therefore shot close-up.)

Re: Canon 50mm F/1 on eBay

Mr_Fusion — Fri, 04 Aug 2017 18:06:21 GMT

This guy wants $5,500, used.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Canon-EF-50mm-f-1-0-L-USM-Ultrasonic-Shallow-Depth-of-Field-/182642431581?hash=item2a8656565d:g:RZ4AAOSw-89ZOyTE

My question is why? There are a lot of ways to get an extremely shallow DOF without selling your kids into white slavery. As well, most cameras today offer sufficient latitiude in shutter and ISO to negate a stop or two.

Also, the sucker weighs a solid two pounds (985 g). In 2012, around when it was discontinued, it cost $1,800 (or one preteen into white slavery) But, I've been told that the guy with the most toys wins.

Re: Canon 50mm F/1 on eBay

RobertTheFat — Fri, 04 Aug 2017 20:29:42 GMT

@ebiggs1 wrote:
B form B,
If you ever used one, you would understand. Just like the 50mm f1.2L is fantastic the 50mm f1 is fantasticer. But I suppose if you have to ask...........

Right you are, Ernie. If I wanted to shell out $3360, I'd buy a 5D4.

Re: Canon 50mm F/1 on eBay

Waddizzle — Fri, 04 Aug 2017 22:20:06 GMT

You can slghtly defocus a background using layers in most any image editing application. What the software cannot do is create a gradient in the amount of defocussing. Software can only blur the background equally, without any regard for distance from the camera. Used sparingly, the effect can be quite nice.

Re: Canon 50mm F/1 on eBay

ebiggs1 — Fri, 04 Aug 2017 22:16:53 GMT

Robert there is f1 and there is not. If you don't realize what that means, I can't explain it. It's lust like the 50mil f1.2L. There is f1.2 and there is not.

I was lucky enough to hold one, one time. It is a 50mm version of the ef 85mm F1.2L. I suspect they used the same lens design.

Nothing too fast and nothing too long! That's the truth.

Re: Canon 50mm F/1 on eBay

Waddizzle — Fri, 04 Aug 2017 22:19:19 GMT

I wonder why Canon stopped producing and selling it.