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Choosing my 50mm f/1.4

idanidan123
Enthusiast
I see there's a 50mm f/1.4 FD lens and a USM lens, What's the difference between them?
Thanks in advance!
1 ACCEPTED SOLUTION

Accepted Solutions


@idanidan123 wrote:
I have the 70D, if that makes any difference.

Just to be clear... 

 

You need to use Canon "EOS" lenses.  The EOS line is split into a few categories... the major categories are EOS "EF" lenses and EOS "EF-S" lenses.  Your camera can use either the EF or EF-S lenses (full-frame bodies can only use "EF" lenses, but your camera body has an APS-C size sensor which means it can also use "EF-S" lenses).    

 

Canon also makes a few speciality lenses which include their tilt-shift lenses designated EOS "TS-E" and there a speciality macro-photo lens called the EOS "MP-E".  Your camera can use those lenses as well.

 

HOWEVER... Canon started producing some EOS "mirrorless" camera bodies called the EOS "M" series and they make a special line of lenses just for those cameras called the EOS "EF-M".  Your camera is NOT compatible with the EF-M (mirrorless camera) lenses.

 

Lastly... there are third party lens makers such as Sigma, Tamron, Tokin, and others.  As long as those lenses are designed for Canon EOS mount, then you can use them.  Just be careful because those 3rd parties make lenses for lots of camera brands and only the lenses with Canon EOS mount will (hopefully) work.  Every so often there are compatibility issues with the electronics because the lens makers have to try to reverse engineer the connection.  Typically this happens if the 3rd party lens is very old and your camera is very new -- so your camera has features that didn't exist back when the used 3rd party lens was originally designed.

 

 

Tim Campbell
5D III, 5D IV, 60Da

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20 REPLIES 20

Waddizzle
Legend
Legend

idanidan123 wrote:
I see there's a 50mm f/1.4 FD lens and a USM lens, What's the difference between them?
Thanks in advance!


Your lens model numbers are a bit incomplete.  The type of camera mount is the biggest difference.

 

The FD mount is quite old.  I don't think that Caonn has released any new lenses for the FD type of mount in nearly three decades.  The USM lens is most likely an EF mount lens, which is compatible with Canon's latest DSLR cameras.

 

--------------------------------------------------------
"Enjoying photography since 1972."

TTMartin
Authority
Authority

@idanidan123 wrote:
I see there's a 50mm f/1.4 FD lens and a USM lens, What's the difference between them?
Thanks in advance!

The EF 50mm f/1.4 USM will work with Canon EOS digital SLRs.

 

The 50mm f/1.4 FD lens is designed for OLD Canon film cameras and will NOT work with your camera.

 

If you are looking to save some money, consider Canon's newest 50mm lens, the EF 50mm f/1.8 STM. In my opinion it is the current best choice in a 50mm lens.

 

Pay attention the STM on the 50mm f/1.8, as there are non-STM versions of the 50mm f/1.8 you do not want.

ebiggs1
Legend
Legend

I am curious, where did you see a, "I see there's a 50mm f/1.4 FD lens ...", for sale? 

EB
EOS 1D, EOS 1D MK IIn, EOS 1D MK III, EOS 1Ds MK III, EOS 1D MK IV and EOS 1DX and many lenses.

I have the 70D, if that makes any difference.

OK thanks !

on eBay.


@idanidan123 wrote:
on eBay.

I suggest you do a search on these forums for "eBay".  Witness how many people bought something that didn't work.

 

https://shop.usa.canon.com/shop/en/catalog/ef-50mm-f-18-stm-refurbished 

 

You want a used lens.  I suggest that you buy a refurbished lens directly from Canon, with a one year warranty.  I have bought a few items from the Canon Refurbished Store. 

 

The Refurbished Store gear is a best buy.  All of it seems to be inspected by hand, and brought back up to factory specifications, if any repairs are needed.  I suspect that much of the gear is simply customer returns for refunds.

 

After having worked for a major manufacturer of electronic gear, I can tell that that manufacturer would accept returns on gear that was highly defective, but would turn it over to their research labs for fault analysis.  They wanted to know WHY, why did it fail. 

 

Faulty gear was often more valuable to keep than to repair and resell.  The worst of it, they chunked.  The rest of it they used for training technicians.

--------------------------------------------------------
"Enjoying photography since 1972."

A lot of top retailers use ebay so it isn't as bad as one would lead you to believe.  Adorama, KEH, Roberts, and more use ebay.

 

However, a Canon 50mm, unless it is the lofty 50mm f1.2L, is not a good thing to buy used.  I suppose if you found a nice f1.4 model, it is OK but not any of the f1.8.  They are not a repairable lens and only cost a $120 bucks or so brand new.  Better price in the refurb store as mentioned.  Just make sure it says EF and not FD in its name.

EB
EOS 1D, EOS 1D MK IIn, EOS 1D MK III, EOS 1Ds MK III, EOS 1D MK IV and EOS 1DX and many lenses.

idanidan123
Enthusiast
Gotcha! Thanks!
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