Canon 50mm 1.2L II?

It doesn't seem all that farfetched that this lens would be coming down the road for us sooner or later. The 24mm 1.4L has seen revision, the 35mm 1.4L needs no revision, and the 85mm 1.2L saw revision a while back.

What are everyone else's thoughts on the likeliness of this lens eventually seeing a IInd light?

saiminyaku wrote in post #9941011
It doesn't seem all that farfetched that this lens would be coming down the road for us sooner or later. The 24mm 1.4L has seen revision, the 35mm 1.4L needs no revision, and the 85mm 1.2L saw revision a while back.

What are everyone else's thoughts on the likeliness of this lens eventually seeing a IInd light?

I think it is the new version of the 1.0 lens...however the reduced aperture makes a V1 lens.

Sounds like a good idea but, the 1.2 is here to stay for now. The only thing I see Canon improving on is the 50 1.4.

As pointed out, the 50mm f/1.2 was basically a replacement for the 50mm f/1.0. So I don't see a MKII version of the 50mm f/1.2 coming anytime soon.

I'm aware of the background story of the 50mm 1.2 coming to fruition but as also said already in this thread, the change in aperture does make this it a first version; which leaves it open for revision I would think.

I never said it be soon as I surely hope Canon is focusing on other lenses that are in more dire of a need for being revisited and revised.

Purely speculative and an object of conversation, this thread is.

saiminyaku wrote in post #9941011
It doesn't seem all that farfetched that this lens would be coming down the road for us sooner or later. The 24mm 1.4L has seen revision, the 35mm 1.4L needs no revision, and the 85mm 1.2L saw revision a while back.

What are everyone else's thoughts on the likeliness of this lens eventually seeing a IInd light?

I doubt a 50L II will be realized soon. The 35L is more likely to be upgraded next. It's missing the rounded aperture blades and SWC coatings. Possible upgrade to the optical formula like the 24L II recieved as well.

I'm with Poe - the 35L II should be up next.

Moreover, I don't think there's anything particularly wrong with the 50L which necessitates an upgrade at this stage anyway. The lens was only released in late 06' and it's a stellar performer. The 50L is known to focus-shift, but that's a result of uncorrected spherical aberrations - there by design. The biggest issue is the variance between copies in the degree of the focus shift - but I'm sure if Canon could fix that via. better QC, it would do so without the need to release an entirely new 50L.

Poe wrote in post #9946241
I doubt a 50L II will be realized soon. The 35L is more likely to be upgraded next. It's missing the rounded aperture blades and SWC coatings. Possible upgrade to the optical formula like the 24L II recieved as well.

You really thing revising the 35mm 1.4L will be a higher priority than the 50mm 1.2L? That's a rather interesting take. I am aware that it is without rounded aperture blades and the SWC coating, but none of those things mattered before the 24mm 1.4L II came around (well, maybe the rounded aperture blades...) while the 50mm 1.2L surely took some hits from all of the negative feedback that runs amuck on the internet about focusing issues and the like.

I don't think this problem has been silently resolved either.

You have a take on this?

The 35L and 135L (and 200L II, but it's not very popular) are the oldest L primes. They came out in 1998 and 1996. Neither are weather sealed. The 50L came out in 2007.

I see no reason why Canon would bother, bad reputation or not.

saiminyaku wrote in post #9946444
You really thing revising the 35mm 1.4L will be a higher priority than the 50mm 1.2L? That's a rather interesting take. I am aware that it is without rounded aperture blades and the SWC coating, but none of those things mattered before the 24mm 1.4L II came around (well, maybe the rounded aperture blades...) while the 50mm 1.2L surely took some hits from all of the negative feedback that runs amuck on the internet about focusing issues and the like.

I don't think this problem has been silently resolved either.

You have a take on this?

The focusing issue was a back/front focusing problem wasn't it? I don't know the specifics exactly, but considering that the prosumer & pro-bodies now feature micro-AF adjust, I don't see this problem being as big as it might have been previously. This is the market that I would guess Canon has more interest in selling L glass to, rather than the consumers that buy into the Rebel series which is why microadjust is not featured in the Rebel series. Also the 50L resolution test from 3rd parties show very good results in the center, so I think this lens will be able to stand up to the high resolution sensors that are just starting to come to market (e.g. T2i, 7D, future 1Ds4) for the moment, so I don't see a business need for Canon to change anything to the optical formula yes. It has the rounded aperture blades and SWC seems to be reserved for wide angles, so it isn't pressing to have it in the 50L.

The 85L was released in 1989 and it's predecessor released in 2006. The 24L was released in 1996 and followed up in 2008. A possible 12-17 year cycle on lenses? The 35L is just crossing into that 12 year boundary, since it was first released back in 1998, but it still has a few more years to go to get to that 17 year mark. Although the 200 2.8L has a different precedent in that it was released in 1991 followed up by a change in the body/hood design in 1996 (ver. II) however as far as I know, nothing changed in terms of it's optical capability so, in some sense, it's still the "same" lens.

Perhaps a new 50L in 2020?

toxic wrote in post #9947329
The 35L and 135L (and 200L II, but it's not very popular) are the oldest L primes. They came out in 1998 and 1996. Neither are weather sealed. The 50L came out in 2007.

I see no reason why Canon would bother, bad reputation or not.

I'm hoping that the next update to the 135L and 200 2.8L adds IS. Perhaps a little optical reformulation on the 200 2.8L to get rid of the CA wide open too. And that they come out in the next 2 years,

Poe wrote in post #9947403
The focusing issue was a back/front focusing problem wasn't it? I don't know the specifics exactly, but considering that the prosumer & pro-bodies now feature micro-AF adjust, I don't see this problem being as big as it might have been previously.

Not back/front focusing, but focus-shifting. Micro-adjust isn't particularly relevant for FS. Some copies focus-shift more than others, but this characteristic is there by design. FS is caused by uncorrected spherical aberrations and it's a little known fact that the 85L also exhibits a (much lesser degree) of shifting. The main problem is that the variance between copies with regards the FS can be considerable. Some copies shift so much that it renders the "danger zone" almost unusable, while the shift can be quite manageable on others.

All arguments are logical and it's definitely in Canon's character to push people clinging onto their discontinued bodies into buying their newer ones so that they can fix and back/front focusing issues the lens may've had at the point of purchase. It's just a shame to think of it that way though. In the case of 50mm 1.2L though, I'm pretty sure there was focus shifting issues based on their effort at a floating element.

Personally I don't want to pay the premium for an 135mm 2L IS. That being said, it is probably best I buy one now and rid myself of the phobia of such an idea becoming a reality and people begin clinging (even more-so) to their 135mm like it's a matter of life and death.

I welcome any improvements made to the 35mm 1.4L considering the revisions made to the 24mm 1.4L in it's second mark.

Honestly though, I don't there is a cycle for lens improvements as their is just too much inconsistency for that to be logical across the board but you're right, the 50mm 1.2L did come out '07 (I was unaware of that) so obviously Canon would give it a bit less of a critical eye when it had so lenses that're much older that would benefit from being revised.

Well, I don't have any experience with the 50L, so some may find the focus-shifting a bigger issue than I do. It seems like it's a great lens, and a stellar performer, considering you can find the Nikon 58mm 1.2 AI-S lens going on ebay for at least $2k. Funny how that MF lens could resell for more than a new, modern 50 1.2 with AF and very similar optical make-up.

The 50mm f/1.2L is a pretty new design. I'm pretty sure the f/1.4 will get an update first.