More 50L's for sale - any 50L fanatics here ?

I see more 50L's second hand for sale, maybe a 50L II comming up ?

How's the AF, also heavy glas like the 85L and likewise slow focussing ?
Some say it isn't sharp wide open and it's not worth the money, other say it is sharp wide open, don't know what to believe anymore.

Better wait for a 85L II lens second hand I guess for portraits, or are there any 50L fanatics here?

I'm not sure what the future holds, but this lens is relatively new (2007?).

I recently started researching this lens also, and ended up buying one off a forum member for a great price. While I've only had it a couple of days now, I'm certainly impressed with the images at f/1.2 (which I've been testing thoroughly). I'll post a more complete review after I've spent a bit more time with it, but if you want, you can read up on some of my research into the focus characteristics in this thread... https://photography-on-the.net …/showthread.php​?t=1366720

As for sharpness wide open, I suspect this Photozone.de report about sharpness is pretty accurate as it's a typical trait of fast wide Canon L primes to be sharp at the center but soft otherwise until stopped down. But I haven't examined it closely enough yet to comment. It's certainly "sharp enough" at the center wide-open in my early testing, but I wouldn't say it's outstanding (yet). My sense is that my 85L is sharper at f/1.2 than the the 50L.

However, the 50L is a much more useful focal length for a lot of things, especially portraits indoors where working distance can be at a premium. It's also a great walk-around focal length. I could see this lens being a popular choice for me in a variety of situations. Even after a few days, I'm starting to wonder if the 35L will remain part of my kit now. But I'm not going to jump to any hasty conclusions.

Personally I love mine. I think a lot of people buy it not really knowing what to expect, just knowing they "need" a 50mm and the L is where it's at. Depending on how you shoot it can be flawless or frustrating. For me however it's always a joy to use.

yeah, the 50L isnt your typical 50mm lens

I love mine! However, it took me a long time to learn to use it properly. At f/1.2 mine is fairly sharp and I find the shots I am disapointed with are me, not the lens.

Best 50mm lens I have used.

The 50L is a great lens. I was slow to switch to it from my Canon 50 1.4 due to hearing all the internet chatter. After using this lens for a couple years I've found its mostly unwarranted. The images are better with the 1.2. Color, contrast, lack of flare, usable wide open - all improvements over the 1.4. Between about 5 feet and closer it's a bit touchy if shooting just slightly closed down. Shoot wide open or closed down enough to have DOF cover any minor errors at those close distances. Otherwise its a fantastic lens under all conditions. I've never regretted getting mine.

CanonYouCan wrote in post #16796384
I see more 50L's second hand for sale, maybe a 50L II comming up ?

No one knows when a 50L II is coming. It's a fluke.

The 50L is sharp enough wide open. Sharpness only gets better when you stop down. Yes, it is a heavy lens but it does focuses faster than the 85L II.

You don't necessarily buy a 50L or 85L for sharpness. Everyone knows that the 50 1.8 is as sharp once both are stopped down a bit. You buy them for all the other reasons. F/1.2 is a big selling point.

I agree with the above posts. For me, it has been a useful tool.

The reason u get different reports on sharpness is because on this lens its iq is very based on focusing distance. If you are close to the subject it will be very unsharp. At longer distances it is quite sharp even fully open.

When u see objective tests of sharpness on this lens often the distance varies or is too close resulting in poor measured performance. But again farther away it is extremely sharp considering its aperture.

Xyclopx wrote in post #16796800
...If you are close to the subject it will be very unsharp....

I disagree. Unless my copy is the exception. Mind you I had some issues with the lens and there was a lot of back and forth with Canon. But in the end I am thoroughly surprised with the quality at f/1.2. I have to force myself to stop this lens down.

the canon 50L scores a dismal 8.7 in the fred Miranda user reviews. I think that may be the lowest rating for any current canon L prime . it also may score worse than any current canon L zoom. I know all my L zooms score higher and so do my non-L primes.

even the canon 50 1.4 scores higher at 8.9 but the 50L does pip the $100 50 1.8 which scores 8.6.

so if the fred Miranda user reviews are any indication the 50L is either a dog or a wonderful piece of glass that only a few really understand and have mastered. or something in between.

While both the 85 and the 50 have 1.2, they are completely unique. I owned both and loved both. I sold the 50 to get a 200L f1.8. While I feel sorta naked not having a fifty, I have 2 in the mail, not the L, but others. As others have stated, it has it's own set rules. It's optically a great tool when you work w/it's rules. If you are not patient, or expect the lens to do things it's not designed to do, then it's not for you. Once you grasp the strengths of the lens, you will soon realize why it's a premium lens, it's that good.

The AF is fine. Color (above all, the color) and bokeh are wonderful.

I've never noticed the Fred Miranda ratings when I'm shooting with it, personally.

I think the reason is the forthcoming Sigma 50mm f/1.4 Art.

If the rumours are to be believed, and the quality of the 35mm is anything to go by, this could blow the current Canon 50mm f/1.4 out of the water, rival the Zeiss 55mm f/1.4 for quality and potentially make the 50L redundant. Yes the 50L would be faster but only by half a stop.

The 50L is awesome when you do your part. I didn't do my part fairly regularly so I got rid of it.