Query: EF 50mm f/1.8 II vs. EF 50mm f/1.4 USM

[polloloco81]

Hi everyone, I'm really interested in the EF 50mm f/1.8 II since everyone on this forum seem to unanymously agree that it is a must have lense for such an afordable price. However, browsing through the Canon's lens website, I noticed also a 50mm f/1.4 USM. I was just wondering if anyone has had any experience with this f/1.4 lens and know of its pricing? Or if you guys could post some examples.

Regards,

[drisley]

http://photography-on-the.net/forum/showthread.php?t=30773&highlight=50mm+1+4

[scottbergerphoto]

It seems like this question gets asked once a week. The 1.4 has a metal mount, smoother bokeh, and is a little faster. The 1.8 has a plastic mount and is a little slower. Both have excellent image quality. If you do a search above you can get alot of opinions on this issue.
Scott

[dtrayers]

It seems like this question gets asked once a week. The 1.4 has a metal mount, smoother bokeh, and is a little faster. The 1.8 has a plastic mount and is a little slower. Scott

And the 1.8 is over $200 less...

[Haifidelity]

If money's a problem, i can safely say the F/1.4 USM version is NOT 4X better than the F/1.8.

-hza

[yb98]

Here is a comparaison :

http://www.photo.net/equipment/canon/ef50/

Yacine

[DaveG]

Hi everyone, I'm really interested in the EF 50mm f/1.8 II since everyone on this forum seem to unanymously agree that it is a must have lense for such an afordable price. However, browsing through the Canon's lens website, I noticed also a 50mm f/1.4 USM. I was just wondering if anyone has had any experience with this f/1.4 lens and know of its pricing? Or if you guys could post some examples.

Regards,

As I've built my lens collection I've tried to buy lenses that I think will do the job for the next ten years, not ten months. I don't buy non Canon and I don't buy the cheapest lens that just fits into to a focal length.

That bargain lens might look really good right now, but when you replace it in a few years - after letting it make crappy photos for all of that time - then you may look at it differently. Now the 1.8 is probably not crappy optically, but it does have a plastic lens mount, and that says a whole lot about its construction to me.

For those of you who remember the old Canon breech lock lens mount system, it was discontinued because Canon felt that wear would affect how the lens seated itself in regards to the film plane. And that was a metal on metal system. So how well will the plastic mount last, assuming that the lens gets used frequently? I just don't want to find out. I also don't like to have regrets about buying something - before I even get it!

So when I was thinking about a 50: a) I knew that the 1.4 was a much better made lens than the 1.8. b) It's a full stop faster, c) it also has full time manual focus.

The 1.4 isn't all that expensive either, it'll be a lens that works well for a very long time, and it offers increased speed in a focal length where it's often needed.

[CoolToolGuy]

I think the plastic mount can work fine in an environment where it is the default 'walk-around' lens. But we seem to be in a 'zoom' world now, and frequent lens changing is also more common.

The 50mm f1.8 II seems to be designed to be as inexpensive as Canon could make it, and they succeeded. They even ignored a mounting for a hood - if you buy the Canon hood, it comes in two pieces - an adapter ring that screws into the filter thread with the mounting flange for the hood and a filter thread at the front, and the hood which clips onto the adapter in typical Canon fashion. All of this does not make the f1.8 a bad lens, as optically it is outstanding. And inexpensive does not necessarily mean 'cheap'. It is just not as rugged as some of the other lenses. Unfortunately, the price gap between it and the f1.4 is very large.

Have Fun,

[droosan]

I use the 50/1.4. The only reason I bought it (in the days of film) was that it was 58mm filter size and therefore I already had filters for it. If that isn't a consideration, get the 50/1.8 and save the difference toward some other glass. They are both great value. Durability isn't an issue. If you break the 50/1.8, you can buy another one.

[polloloco81]

Thanks for the awesome link YB98. I'm viewing the site at work right now, and the monitor here is not very good so I cannot really tell the differences between the pictures. Gonna view it again when I get home :)

I've been contemplating hard on this. The 1.8 is only 70 dollars, so if it gets broken, I would have to replace it 3 times before I would spend the same amount of cash as I would on the 1.4. On the other hand, quality is priceless in my book, and if the 1.4 can deliver a noticable difference in quality over the 1.8, then I feel it might be worth it. But then again, I have a bunch of filters already that are 58mm.

[Sendide]

it was soooo simple for me, I was reading and asking same questions ": which one of those 50mm canon lenses (1.4 vs 1.8) to get ?. price difference is huge (by comparision) and the aperture difference jsut not as huge. plastic mount? who cares looking at the price you pay, jsut replace it when ever you want , no regrets I said to my self.
SO I went to broadway camera (Canon dealer here in Vancouver Canada) to get my 50mm 1.8. Once on my hand for a try with my canon 10D body, some noise is focusing !!!!, looks really more like a toy to me. My big mistake was to ask the guy to try the 50mm 1.4. let me resume it : with all my decisions made before, It took me 5 min to swap my visa card and leave the store with "MY new Canon 50mm 1.4". I LOVE THIS LENS.
conclusion: compare both of them , besides the price, a lot to consider :wink: up to you : buy a sheap lens for a while or a real lens to keep (price difference is not there for nothing is it?)

regards

Khalid

[haitunzz]

it was soooo simple for me, I was reading and asking same questions ": which one of those 50mm canon lenses (1.4 vs 1.8) to get ?. price difference is huge (by comparision) and the aperture difference jsut not as huge. plastic mount? who cares looking at the price you pay, jsut replace it when ever you want , no regrets I said to my self.
SO I went to broadway camera (Canon dealer here in Vancouver Canada) to get my 50mm 1.8. Once on my hand for a try with my canon 10D body, some noise is focusing !!!!, looks really more like a toy to me. My big mistake was to ask the guy to try the 50mm 1.4. let me resume it : with all my decisions made before, It took me 5 min to swap my visa card and leave the store with "MY new Canon 50mm 1.4". I LOVE THIS LENS.
conclusion: compare both of them , besides the price, a lot to consider :wink: up to you : buy a sheap lens for a while or a real lens to keep (price difference is not there for nothing is it?)

regards

Khalid

i am totally agreed.. i have been dissapointed to buy t*mron lense 18-200 with very slow focus... and this time i dont want to buy any chep lense anymore.. i think my choice will be "PRICE SPEAKS THE TRUTH" :D

[j4k]

I've had my 50mm f1.8 for five years. In that time, the front came off once. I just put it back together. The image quality is superb and you won't be disappointed. That said, if money isn't a great concern, you can't really go wrong with f1.4 and better build. It all comes down to what you'll actually sue it for and the price difference.

[Big Ant]

If your going down the 1.4 route buy the Sigma;)

[JoYork]

I have both. The 1.4 has superior focusing (quieter, faster, possibly a tad more accurate) and better build quality. I'm not sure if there's a huge difference in IQ between them.

(BTW shouldn't this be in the lenses forum?)

[elevenbangbang]

The build quality of the 1.4 is so much better than that of the 1.8.

[czynot]

50MM is the best lens for the money. So what it is plastic mount. But the outcome is great. Ofcouse who wouldnt like to have a 50mm f1.2 or f1.4 but budget wise? nothing can go wrong with F1.8.

It is a very shrap lens. you can count the eyelashes LOL.

[LeeRatters]

i have the 1.8 but would prefer the 1.4 i think esp now i'm 5D2 & not 450D - i got nice high ISO & a 50mm that doesn't focus well in low light...... still it gets me by at the moment.