Adorama came through in a big way! Canon 50/1.2!

[photobizzz]

I have been wanting another Canon 50/1.2 since owning a copy a while back that I sold. The lens was listed as EX condition in the used section on the Adorama website; took a chance and am glad I paid the $400 for the lens. I had paid $300 for the one I had before, but it had some cleaning marks and oil on the blades, as well as some cosmetic paint loss. This one is almost perfect, only the slightest bit of use marks on the knurled focus ring, otherwise it is beautiful! I was hoping it would come with original caps, or at least the front but no luck there. I am getting an original hood for the lens; a fellow RFF member will be mailing it to me once I get to Alaska in a few weeks at my new home. Cant wait to see the shots from this beauty. Plan on shooting Mt. Rushmore with this lens at night, wide open while on my vacation en route to AK.

Christmas in July!

 

[Tuolumne]

Nice! Adorama can have some wonderful used equipment. Worth keeping your eyes open there.

/T

 

[Sonnar Brian]

It is a beautiful lens.

If you plan on using a filter with it: be careful that the filter glass is not too close to the lens. Some filters with glass toward the threads will hit the front element and leave a mark.

 

[photobizzz]

Thanks Brian, I just screwed on a Canon yellow filter and realized that, so I just dont screw it on all the way, wouldn't want to mess up this beautiful glass!

 

[bobkatz]

congrats on your new lens¡¡¡
let me tell you after see your post, I look around at Adorama but the two canon 1.2 offered...voila...gone...
I am looking too for a nice one at good price...
Bob.

 

[Sonnar Brian]

I found that Hoya filters work well. Odd that the Canon does not!

You know... Thinking out loud (not really, just typing),

Most filters are held in with a retaining ring. Canon 50/1.2 owners could probably take the retaining ring and move the glass forward, use another retaining ring or aluminum foil shim. Might have to look at that. I could not use filters from several vendors with the Canon.

 

[squirrel$$$bandit]

It definitely feels sweet on the M2--I've used that same rig many times, including the softie! Enjoy...

 

[Keith]

When I bought mine a year or so ago from Dante Stella it came with a step up ring which puzzled me until I realised this issue. It also came with original caps and very large hood in the genuine case along with the original case for the lens as well. That was one hell of a buy and it is a thing of beauty but I find the overly long focus throw and tendency toward flare when I don't expect it discourages me from using it a lot which is a shame because as a portrait lens wide open it's absolutely superb. The slight overall softness at 1.2 getting more so towards the edges really works in this situation ... take some portraits with it please Colin and see what I mean.

Blake (memphis) uses his a lot for this type of shooting I've noticed!

 

[photobizzz]

Keith, I plan on using it for portraiture, and have in the past. I love the soft look you mention wide open. This photo is with the Canon 50/1.2 I had before. I am using the ring from a 55mm rubber lens hood (threw away the rubber and painted it flat black) as a lens hood right now, until I get the original one from a fellow RFF member Hans. He is super cool and is just sending it to me since the filter threads on his copy are bent, I am going to send him something he needs in the future as payment (I love RFF members!) This is a photo I took in Iraq at a pizza place that was run by Bosnians on my base.

Photo

Thanks for the comments all!

 

[Steve Karr]

Hey~
Yea Great Lens, I love mine. B+W filters fit perfect and clear the first element too. I was wanting a copy of the hood, but Igor said it cut into the viewfinder too much. Please let us know if it does... I bought a 55mm B+W hood but it makes the corners a bit dark if I use 2 filters. Oh, get yourself a 3.0 (10 stop ND filter) I shoot wide open in full sun. Kinda cool look.

Steve

 

[photobizzz]

Keith! That is one sweet hood! Wish I knew where to get one like that! If that is the original hood I am not getting one like that, the one I will be receiving is not vented. That looks like it would be rare and expensive, don't want to sell it do you?

 

[gdi]

Congrats - I was close to clicking that same lens into the cart for a long while! Glad it ended up being a great lens - and a good deal too.

 

[Pickett Wilson]

I have the FL version and it's great for portraits.

 

[LeicaFoReVer]

great buy, congrats! I got my beauty a month ago and I am enjoying it...Just take care during the day, the lens is not so flare resistant I realized. You may end up dull photos where there is a lot of sunshine...enjoy!

 

[Keith]

Keith! That is one sweet hood! Wish I knew where to get one like that! If that is the original hood I am not getting one like that, the one I will be receiving is not vented. That looks like it would be rare and expensive, don't want to sell it do you?

Yes ... the genuine 1.2 hood really is a piece of work. I now use it all the the time on the lens as it offers virtually no viewfinder restriction ... people do look at it in disbelief though!

I was shooting in an environment at night that had down lights all over the place a while ago and got the occasional crescent flare in some images ... I've shot at the same location since with the hood fitted and had no such problem!

Relatively hard to get and damned expensive I'm told.

 

[Sonnar Brian]

Here's my wide-open shot with the 50/1.2 with strong backlight.

And some in subdued light.

All wide-open.

Keep an eye on the element just behind the aperture blades. That surface on Canon RF lenses tends to haze-over from lubricants out-gassing. I've taken mine apart to keep it clean.

If you are experiencing a strong tendency for flare on this lens, check the internal elements for haze.

 

[Keith]

Here's my wide-open shot with the 50/1.2 with strong backlight.

All wide-open.

Keep an eye on the element just behind the aperture blades. That surface on Canon RF lenses tends to haze-over from lubricants out-gassing. I've taken mine apart to keep it clean.

If you are experiencing a strong tendency for flare on this lens, check the internal elements for haze.

Oh that we all had your abilities and conficence for ripping lenses apart! 😛

I won't even hold a lens up to the light and look because I just don't want to know! 😱

 

[hans voralberg]

Hehe sorry Brian mine is not original, but I think it'll work just fine. One heck of a sweet lens though, mine is slightly more scratchy.

 

[Sonnar Brian]

I made mine from two parts lenses. Used a dremel to cut the rear glass from a completely frozen mount. I'll have to find the pictures of the stack of brass after plucking the optics out. Broke three cutting disks.

ALSO: I left the name ring off of mine, as it reflected in the Filter when mounted on the lens. Another source of flare?

 

[Gabriel M.A.]

Congrats.

The Canon 50 f/1.2 is a very very nice lens, works great for either B&W or color.

Re: the filter --I've had a B&W E55 UV filter on it for ever, and never had a problem. Leica's E55 UV/IR-cutoff filter also gives no problems. You get what you paid for.



Leica M8 + Canon 50mm f/1.2 LTM @ f/1.2