rumor: canon 50 f/1.2L

AndyAndy Registered Users Posts: 50,016 Major grins
edited December 9, 2006 in Cameras
you heard it hear first, folks.
«1

Comments

  • Michiel de BriederMichiel de Brieder Registered Users Posts: 864 Major grins
    edited May 23, 2005
    hmmm a fast 50 with L build quality, now that might get me into selling the F/1.4 :D thanks for the rumour
    *In my mind it IS real*
    Michiel de Brieder
    http://www.digital-eye.nl
  • pathfinderpathfinder Super Moderators Posts: 14,708 moderator
    edited May 23, 2005
    andy wrote:
    you heard it hear first, folks.

    Cool!!! Any idea of time of introduction?? Fall Photo show perhaps>>
    Pathfinder - www.pathfinder.smugmug.com

    Moderator of the Technique Forum and Finishing School on Dgrin
  • robscomputerrobscomputer Registered Users Posts: 326 Major grins
    edited May 23, 2005
    While cleaning my 50mm f/1.4 I was just thinking about the possibility of Canon releasing a 50mm L lens. Just make it a bit faster and charge twice as much. :)

    Rob
    Enjoying photography since 1980.
  • binghottbinghott Registered Users Posts: 1,075 Major grins
    edited May 23, 2005
    seeing that i'm in the same town as canon's u.s. headquarters, i hear the rumors first. i thought i overheard some wispers of this lens, but i didn't believe any of them, maybe i was wrong. if i heard correctly, this lens will be made in very small quantities, possibly less than 1000 produced altogether. the idea is to make an extraordinary and very hard to find lens, kinda like the 21mm f2.8 distagon, in order to give the canon name an ever better reputation. it will be like a collectors item.

    i'll keep my ears to the walls over here in lake success.
  • T4TotsT4Tots Registered Users Posts: 198 Major grins
    edited May 23, 2005
    binghott wrote:
    seeing that i'm in the same town as canon's u.s. headquarters, i hear the rumors first. i thought i overheard some wispers of this lens, but i didn't believe any of them, maybe i was wrong. if i heard correctly, this lens will be made in very small quantities, possibly less than 1000 produced altogether. the idea is to make an extraordinary and very hard to find lens, kinda like the 21mm f2.8 distagon, in order to give the canon name an ever better reputation. it will be like a collectors item.

    i'll keep my ears to the walls over here in lake success.


    Well...they have my attention.
    Tina Folsom :lust
    Photographer and Mom of Four!
    _____________________________________
    http://tinafolsomphotography.com
  • blackwaterstudioblackwaterstudio Registered Users Posts: 779 Major grins
    edited May 23, 2005
    hate to see the price on it.
  • AndyAndy Registered Users Posts: 50,016 Major grins
    edited May 23, 2005
    hate to see the price on it.

    guess: $1299
  • Matthew SavilleMatthew Saville Registered Users, Retired Mod Posts: 3,352 Major grins
    edited May 24, 2005
    andy wrote:
    guess: $1299
    Maybe that much for an 85mm f/1.2 L? But 50mm is just such an easy focal length to engineer, why would they dare make such a lens so expensive?

    I wouldn't buy it, not if f/1.4 lenses are just 2-3 hundred...

    In my opinion, an f/1.2 prime lens is not something they should be wasting their time on if they want to impress people. What I want to see is f/2.0 or f/1.8 ZOOM lenses. This whole trend of companies thinking that all of a sudden it's acceptable to produce f/3.5-4.5 lenses needs to stop. Sure, high ISO performance has gone through the roof, but that don't make the bokeh of my digital sensor any better...

    Sorry I started ranting. I hope Canon is up to something, whatever it is. For that matter I hope Nikon and Sigma and all the other companies have nifty stuff up their sleeves too...

    -Matt-
    My first thought is always of light.” – Galen Rowell
    My SmugMug PortfolioMy Astro-Landscape Photo BlogDgrin Weddings Forum
  • pathfinderpathfinder Super Moderators Posts: 14,708 moderator
    edited May 24, 2005
    Maybe that much for an 85mm f/1.2 L? But 50mm is just such an easy focal length to engineer, why would they dare make such a lens so expensive?

    I wouldn't buy it, not if f/1.4 lenses are just 2-3 hundred...

    In my opinion, an f/1.2 prime lens is not something they should be wasting their time on if they want to impress people. What I want to see is f/2.0 or f/1.8 ZOOM lenses. This whole trend of companies thinking that all of a sudden it's acceptable to produce f/3.5-4.5 lenses needs to stop. Sure, high ISO performance has gone through the roof, but that don't make the bokeh of my digital sensor any better...

    Sorry I started ranting. I hope Canon is up to something, whatever it is. For that matter I hope Nikon and Sigma and all the other companies have nifty stuff up their sleeves too...

    -Matt-


    I wouldn't buy one either - If I have time I'll try to post pictures of an Olympus 50mm f1.4 and a 50mm f1.2 and see if you can see the difference. It is very slight to look at.

    Unless you plan to shoot at f1.2 most of the time, what would the lens offer that an f1.4 would not? And shooting at f1.2 is very challenging, with a DOF in millimeters I'll bet.

    Speaking of which - Andy, where is the link for the adapters for the Zuicko lenses to EOS mount? I know I've read about an adapter some where.
    Pathfinder - www.pathfinder.smugmug.com

    Moderator of the Technique Forum and Finishing School on Dgrin
  • luckyrweluckyrwe Registered Users Posts: 952 Major grins
    edited May 24, 2005
    andy wrote:
    you heard it hear first, folks.
    Okay this is weird, I cannot post relies using Firefox! Anyway....

    What is with the 1.2? Why not the 1.0 again, or a .90, or a .75 and set some new records? Are they wimping out and failing to exceed their past successes?

    HEY CANON! I WANT THESE (35mm format):

    8mm fisheye, 180 degree circular image
    20/1.4
    35/1.0
    50/.05
    85/1.0
    100/1.2
    200/1.4
    300/2
    400/2
    500/3.5

    You make the 1200/5.6, you have done so much, but all your pinnacles are BEHIND you! Who do you think you are...Nikon?!
  • SeymoreSeymore Banned Posts: 1,539 Major grins
    edited May 24, 2005
    Lucky... You gonna carry all that glass? May as well get a cushioned wheel barrow!

    Why not just write them and ask for a 10-400/1.0 handheld lens? Cover all the bases with one lens.
  • luckyrweluckyrwe Registered Users Posts: 952 Major grins
    edited May 24, 2005
    if ny of you get to make it to Fort Bragg, in the Special Forces Museum they have a 100mm f/1.0 lens that was used in Vietnam. Surely we can top that today!

    We need incredible glass like we need moon landings. Because we can!
  • Matthew SavilleMatthew Saville Registered Users, Retired Mod Posts: 3,352 Major grins
    edited May 24, 2005
    luckyrwe wrote:
    if ny of you get to make it to Fort Bragg, in the Special Forces Museum they have a 100mm f/1.0 lens that was used in Vietnam. Surely we can top that today!

    We need incredible glass like we need moon landings. Because we can!
    Amen to that! Actually what I think is most important is to make these lenses AND not make them the size of rocket launchers! Have you seen the new Nikon 200mm f/2.0? It's the size of my transmission! Insane apetures aren't the only path to incredible glass. If I could buy a 300f/2.0 that's say, the size of a 70-200 IS/VR or a 100-400 even, now that would boggle my mind...

    Seymore wrote:
    Lucky... You gonna carry all that glass? May as well get a cushioned wheel barrow!

    Why not just write them and ask for a 10-400/1.0 handheld lens? Cover all the bases with one lens.
    Amen to THAT too; I still think we need wide-apeture zooms more than we need wide apeture primes. Technology is such that we'll be short changing ourselves if we believe that f/2.8 will always be the standard "pro" zoom apeture. Seriously. Actually I'm starting to hear word about an f/2.0 zoom or two, was it Olympus that was doing this?

    Oh and don't forget the 1.4-4x variable teleconvertor! Actually I've been a long advocate of R&D-ing a "fisheye-400mm" zoom lens, that would go perfect with a D2x's 1.5/2.0x variable cropping function! If we're lucky, Canon will catch on and come out with a FF/1.5x variable crop sensor, then we'll be good to go...

    Okay now I'm just geeking out. Must...study...calculus!

    -Matt-
    My first thought is always of light.” – Galen Rowell
    My SmugMug PortfolioMy Astro-Landscape Photo BlogDgrin Weddings Forum
  • AndyAndy Registered Users Posts: 50,016 Major grins
    edited May 24, 2005
    zuiko to canon ef adapters (and more)
    pathfinder wrote:

    Speaking of which - Andy, where is the link for the adapters for the Zuicko lenses to EOS mount? I know I've read about an adapter some where.

    here you go, jim!
  • AndyAndy Registered Users Posts: 50,016 Major grins
    edited May 24, 2005
    1/5th the thickness of paper
    Amen to that! Actually what I think is most important is to make these lenses AND not make them the size of rocket launchers! Have you seen the new Nikon 200mm f/2.0? It's the size of my transmission! Insane apetures aren't the only path to incredible glass. If I could buy a 300f/2.0 that's say, the size of a 70-200 IS/VR or a 100-400 even, now that would boggle my mind...



    Amen to THAT too; I still think we need wide-apeture zooms more than we need wide apeture primes. Technology is such that we'll be short changing ourselves if we believe that f/2.8 will always be the standard "pro" zoom apeture. Seriously. Actually I'm starting to hear word about an f/2.0 zoom or two, was it Olympus that was doing this?

    Oh and don't forget the 1.4-4x variable teleconvertor! Actually I've been a long advocate of R&D-ing a "fisheye-400mm" zoom lens, that would go perfect with a D2x's 1.5/2.0x variable cropping function! If we're lucky, Canon will catch on and come out with a FF/1.5x variable crop sensor, then we'll be good to go...

    Okay now I'm just geeking out. Must...study...calculus!

    -Matt-


    as 'gus would say, "have a butcher's look at this" linky dinky
  • luckyrweluckyrwe Registered Users Posts: 952 Major grins
    edited May 24, 2005
    Amen AMEN, I SEE THE LIGHT! Hey at f/1.2 I'd REALLY be able to see the light!!! thumb.gif
  • KhaosKhaos Registered Users Posts: 2,435 Major grins
    edited May 25, 2005

    I wouldn't buy it, not if f/1.4 lenses are just 2-3 hundred...

    In my opinion, an f/1.2 prime lens is not something they should be wasting their time on if they want to impress people. What I want to see is f/2.0 or f/1.8 ZOOM lenses.

    Sorry I started ranting. I hope Canon is up to something, whatever it is. For that matter I hope Nikon and Sigma and all the other companies have nifty stuff up their sleeves too...

    -Matt-
    1. Take a few pics with the 50 1.4 wide open and then a few with the 35 1.4 L wide open. You'll notice the difference right away. The 50 doesn't get sharp until its smaller than 1.8. I belive the L version will have sharpness at a wider aperture and I'll be buying it.

    2. Canon isn't trying to impress. They're a business. Zooms unfortunately are what people want for convenience and cost to cover a wide range. That's fine, but I'm much happier buying excellent primes. I have 2 zooms, and one is only because of Canon's lack of decent true wide angles for a 1.6 crop. That's the 10-22. The other is because it is truly a zoom that operates at prime quality, the 70-200 2.8 IS L.

    3. The technology to produce a light, fast, zoom would put the cost through the roof. If it was easily and cheaply done, Canon's competitors would be all over it. To have a 1.8 zoom, will require more glass and wider glass. Even without IS, you're talking a minimum of 5 pounds for the lens, and that's being generous.

    I understand your frustration in not getting what you want, but what you want really isn't feasible right now, or affordable.
  • Matthew SavilleMatthew Saville Registered Users, Retired Mod Posts: 3,352 Major grins
    edited May 26, 2005
    Khaos wrote:
    1. Take a few pics with the 50 1.4 wide open and then a few with the 35 1.4 L wide open. You'll notice the difference right away. The 50 doesn't get sharp until its smaller than 1.8. I belive the L version will have sharpness at a wider aperture and I'll be buying it.

    2. Canon isn't trying to impress. They're a business. Zooms unfortunately are what people want for convenience and cost to cover a wide range. That's fine, but I'm much happier buying excellent primes. I have 2 zooms, and one is only because of Canon's lack of decent true wide angles for a 1.6 crop. That's the 10-22. The other is because it is truly a zoom that operates at prime quality, the 70-200 2.8 IS L.

    3. The technology to produce a light, fast, zoom would put the cost through the roof. If it was easily and cheaply done, Canon's competitors would be all over it. To have a 1.8 zoom, will require more glass and wider glass. Even without IS, you're talking a minimum of 5 pounds for the lens, and that's being generous.

    I understand your frustration in not getting what you want, but what you want really isn't feasible right now, or affordable.
    Well, I understand that they're making lenses the best they can of course, I'm just dissapointed that all we've been seeing lately are f/3.5-4.5 zooms instead of f/2.8 and f/2.0 zooms. And, it seems everyone is downplaying it or accepting it so quickly. f/2.8 and f/2.0 are very possible for a digital sensor specific zoom lens. Heck, when Canon and Nikon came out with their pro, f/2.8 zooms for 35mm, they were leaps and bounds ahead of what people were using at the time. Yeah they're heavy. But everything is no more than a technical, mathematical obstacle which I hope these comapnies are at least pondering...

    Don't get me wrong. 50mm and 85mm f/1.4 lenses are #2 and #3 on my "to buy" list. I'm quite over all the hubbub about old primes delivering bad quality images on digital due to light hitting at angles and whatnot...

    Cheers, and hey Andy keep us posted, or anyone,
    -Matt-
    My first thought is always of light.” – Galen Rowell
    My SmugMug PortfolioMy Astro-Landscape Photo BlogDgrin Weddings Forum
  • marlofmarlof Registered Users Posts: 1,833 Major grins
    edited May 26, 2005
    Actually I'm starting to hear word about an f/2.0 zoom or two, was it Olympus that was doing this?

    Yes, Olympus is going that route. See the announcement over at DPReview.
    enjoy being here while getting there
  • luckyrweluckyrwe Registered Users Posts: 952 Major grins
    edited May 26, 2005
    They did it then and they can do it now!
    A 1000/6.3 lens:
    http://www.cameraquest.com/100063f.htm

    A nice 500/5
    http://www.cameraquest.com/nrf500.htm

    10 frames per second, from almost 30 years ago!
    http://www.cameraquest.com/nf2high.htm

    300/2 from almost 25 years ago!
    http://www.cameraquest.com/nf3002.htm
  • AndyAndy Registered Users Posts: 50,016 Major grins
    edited May 26, 2005
    sherpa required!
    luckyrwe wrote:

    300/2 from almost 25 years ago!
    http://www.cameraquest.com/nf3002.htm
    ...the compact Nikkor 300/2 ED-IF AIS weighs in at a petite 16 lbs....

    lol3.gif and each lens comes with it's own sherpa!

    23148809-L.jpg
  • SeymoreSeymore Banned Posts: 1,539 Major grins
    edited May 27, 2005
    andy wrote:
    lol3.gif and each lens comes with it's own sherpa!
    Sound to me like Andy's volunteering. thumb.gif
  • robscomputerrobscomputer Registered Users Posts: 326 Major grins
    edited May 27, 2005
    Wow, that's 300/2 is huge!

    This might be a silly question but is there a physical limitation to how fast a lens can be? I kinda remember a company, maybe Minolta had a 50mm f/.9 lens but never actually saw it. I could be mistaken too. headscratch.gif

    The fastest lens I've seen is the Canon 50mm f/1.0, has there been anything faster?

    Rob
    Enjoying photography since 1980.
  • AndyAndy Registered Users Posts: 50,016 Major grins
    edited May 27, 2005
    Seymore wrote:
    Sound to me like Andy's volunteering. thumb.gif


    :nono that's sid!
  • Matthew SavilleMatthew Saville Registered Users, Retired Mod Posts: 3,352 Major grins
    edited May 27, 2005
    Wow this Canon thread was so quickly hijacked by Nikon glass.

    Nikon may have a 300 f/2.0 but Canon's got the 200mm f/1.8! And I bet it doesn't cost $29,000 either!

    I'm not sure about the physical limitation for the apeture of a lens. Obviosly, you can't just have an f/0.0 lens, can you? DOF would be down to microns, I bet... I think that before f -> 0, to borrow some calculus terminology, we'll see a change in the whole system altogether, meaning lenses may become completely re-designed. Not sure how, but I'm pretty sure that in our lifetime we'll see some incredible feats as far as image recording goes.

    Three cheers for our Sherpas! Where's that picture of "Mr. Nikon" and his 1200mm lens that looks like a bazooka?

    -Matt-
    My first thought is always of light.” – Galen Rowell
    My SmugMug PortfolioMy Astro-Landscape Photo BlogDgrin Weddings Forum
  • AndyAndy Registered Users Posts: 50,016 Major grins
    edited May 27, 2005
    here you go, matthew

    Three cheers for our Sherpas! Where's that picture of "Mr. Nikon" and his 1200mm lens that looks like a bazooka?

    -Matt-


    12639293-L.jpg
  • mercphotomercphoto Registered Users Posts: 4,550 Major grins
    edited May 27, 2005
    I'm not sure about the physical limitation for the apeture of a lens. Obviosly, you can't just have an f/0.0 lens, can you?

    No, you can't.

    Physical limitations, only from a practical standpoint. Mathematical limitations? Yes, most certainly. Have you ever noticed that aperatures are actually expressed not as a single number, but as a ration?

    Such as: f/4, or 1:1.4.

    So, an f/0.0 lens is mathematically impossible. You cannot have zero in the denominator of a fraction. The best you could do is have a very tiny, yet still non-zero and positive number down there. Such as 0.1. Or 0.0000001. And as you do that, the front element of the lens rapidly approaches infinity in diameter.

    But you can never truly get f/0.
    Bill Jurasz - Mercury Photography - Cedar Park, TX
    A former sports shooter
    Follow me at: https://www.flickr.com/photos/bjurasz/
    My Etsy store: https://www.etsy.com/shop/mercphoto?ref=hdr_shop_menu
  • AndyAndy Registered Users Posts: 50,016 Major grins
    edited May 27, 2005
    mercphoto wrote:
    No, you can't.

    Physical limitations, only from a practical standpoint. Mathematical limitations? Yes, most certainly. Have you ever noticed that aperatures are actually expressed not as a single number, but as a ration?

    Such as: f/4, or 1:1.4.

    So, an f/0.0 lens is mathematically impossible. You cannot have zero in the denominator of a fraction. The best you could do is have a very tiny, yet still non-zero and positive number down there. Such as 0.1. Or 0.0000001. And as you do that, the front element of the lens rapidly approaches infinity in diameter.

    But you can never truly get f/0.

    here we were, having fun, and then bill has to come along and ruin it with math and physics lol3.gif
  • mercphotomercphoto Registered Users Posts: 4,550 Major grins
    edited May 27, 2005
    andy wrote:
    here we were, having fun, and then bill has to come along and ruin it with math and physics lol3.gif

    Hey, we can now start an "its Bill's fault" thread! lol3.gif
    Bill Jurasz - Mercury Photography - Cedar Park, TX
    A former sports shooter
    Follow me at: https://www.flickr.com/photos/bjurasz/
    My Etsy store: https://www.etsy.com/shop/mercphoto?ref=hdr_shop_menu
  • pathfinderpathfinder Super Moderators Posts: 14,708 moderator
    edited May 27, 2005
    mercphoto wrote:
    No, you can't.

    Physical limitations, only from a practical standpoint. Mathematical limitations? Yes, most certainly. Have you ever noticed that aperatures are actually expressed not as a single number, but as a ration?

    Such as: f/4, or 1:1.4.

    So, an f/0.0 lens is mathematically impossible. You cannot have zero in the denominator of a fraction. The best you could do is have a very tiny, yet still non-zero and positive number down there. Such as 0.1. Or 0.0000001. And as you do that, the front element of the lens rapidly approaches infinity in diameter.

    But you can never truly get f/0.

    But it should be possible to get an f0.5 though - not too far out mathmatically. I wonder if it is possible optically though. 100 mm focal length, 200mm diameter front element. That ought to create envy and lens lust, if anything will.
    Pathfinder - www.pathfinder.smugmug.com

    Moderator of the Technique Forum and Finishing School on Dgrin
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