Lens still locking up

I posted about it awhile back but this weekend my lens locked up again. my 50mm 1.4. It's the only one having this problem. I was at a workshop and it just locked up. It's not a low light or focus distance issue b/c it wont reset when I try to shoot at a distance or anything. Basically it works fine but after awhile of using it it just locks. It wont focus any more. What could this be? Is it just getting old (prob had it 4 years or more) or is this a problem lenses have when they start to fail?

The af on canon's 50 1.4 is known to fail. Some lenses fail if you look at them the wrong way, others last a long time with no problems. It's one of the biggest reasons some people choose the sigma 50 over the canon.

As said above, the micro USM motor in your 50 1.4 has died or dying. Known issue and well documented.

It is on the way out, unfortunately.

As far as I know permanent use of a bajonett type hood could minimize the risk much.
Permanent: In the bag too!
Better don´t use filters, at least no filter systems or screw in hood!
Don´t use this lens in retro configuration!

But as soon as the lens is defective it is too late.

ok thanks...I had posted about this before and no one knew anything that it could be but I knew it had to be something. Luckily I have 2 gift cards to the local shop for winning some contests. I guess a new 50mm will be on the list.

Question: Is this problem in all 50mm or specific to the 1.4. If I upgrade to the 1.2 should I expect this problem after a few years?

abbypanda wrote in post #16163938
Question: Is this problem in all 50mm or specific to the 1.4. If I upgrade to the 1.2 should I expect this problem after a few years?

Specific to the Canon 50/1.4. You'll not have this problem if you go Sigma 50/1.4 or Canon 50/1.8/1.2

Will manual focus on this thing still work?
Can it be fixed?

Thinking of selling it as is on ebay. I sold a macro lens recently there, and the autofocus was broken, It went cheap but I got more than I expected for it. If i could do something similar with this and sell to someone who might can fix it or make use, that'd be awesome

The 50/1.4 is sort of unique among Canon lenses... it uses a hybrid form of micro motor that's supposed to be similar to USM (ultrasonic focus motor) in function. Some of the mechanism of that focus system is rather fragile and can be damaged by a hard bump on the wrong part of the lens. Most other Canon lenses are either simply micro motor or truly USM... or the newer STM type of focus drive.

The cheap Canon 50/1.8 II is plain old micro motor, which makes it slower, less accurate and noisier focusing. Don't manual focus this type of lens without first turing off AF at the switch.

The expensive Canon 50/1.2L is pure USM, faster, more accurate and durable. It's okay to manually override focus at any time with this type lens, not necessary to turn off AF first.

ZoneV wrote in post #16163217
As far as I know permanent use of a bajonett type hood could minimize the risk much.
Permanent: In the bag too!
Better don´t use filters, at least no filter systems or screw in hood!
Don´t use this lens in retro configuration!

But as soon as the lens is defective it is too late.

As to the bolded part of the statement above, when stored in your bag be sure to reverse the hood to best protect the lens' focus ring against bumps. Don't leave the hood in the shooting position.

When shooting, as you focus closer the front barrel of the lens extends a little. A bump on that also seems to be able to damage the focus mechanism. This is why it is recommended to use the bayonet mount hood when shooting too, as it nicely covers and protects that front part of the lens barrel while shooting with it.

When you go to store the lens, also set the focus to infinity. This retracts the barrel as much as possible and helps protect it whilst the hood is reversed. (This is really a practical thing to do with many lenses, since a lot of them are shortest and take up the least space in your bag when retracted to the infinity focus setting.)

It's also recommended to not use Full Time Manual (FTM) with this lens, even though it's listed and labelled as a USM lens that should be capable of being FTMed. Rely on the autofocus and try to avoid overriding it manually without first switching off the AF. Some experienced folks think that a lot of FTM/manual override causes the AF mechanism to wear out prematurely.

With reasonable care (and perhaps a little luck), the 50/1.4 can serve very well for a long, long time.

OP, try cleaning the contacts on the back of the lens with a clean rag, dampened slightly with isopropyl (rubbing) alcohol. This might help. If it does, great. If not, it's likely the lens needs to go to Canon for the focus mechanism to be repaired. I am not entirely certain, but think this costs around $150 US.