Any comment on Canon 50mm f1.4 ltm

[Jocko]

I agree with the comments above on the lenses OPTICAL MERIT.

HOWEVER, I ended up selling mine because I just couldn't live with it ergonomically. The infinity lock drove me crazy (yes I know that you can probably remove the pin), and I found the focusing ring needed too much turning. I know that this probably aids in accurate focusing, but i found the lens too slow to use. I bought a pre-ASPH 50mm summilux and have never looked back...

I had the pleasure to buy Sleepyhead's lens - which was, incidentally, in beautiful condition and at an excellent price from a really first-class seller. I agree that the infinity focus lock is a real irritation. But... for me a 1.4 lens is bought for minimal depth of field, which in turn suggests being fairly close to the subject, This is certainly how I intend to use it, in which case the lock is no great disadvantage.

But first i have to overcome my current obsession with the Agfa Clack, a sure cure for any member suffering from lack of inspiration....

Cheers, Ian

 

[Sonnar2]

Finally. The 1.4/50mm was on my list for a long time, although I had a Canon 1.5/50mm. Last night I managed to buy one, together with a Canon 7 and a black everready case. This is the second "7" which I buy in favor of a lens attached with, and this one I will not keep.
I also wanted the second (dual distance scale) version.
I'm tense how it works. It's mainly for my Canon P as a street shooting combo. Also the larger size of the lens don't matter in that aspect.

cheers Frank

 

[Bill58]

Finally. The 1.4/50mm was on my list for a long time, although I had a Canon 1.5/50mm. Last night I managed to buy one, together with a Canon 7 and a black everready case. This is the second "7" which I buy in favor of a lens attached with, and this one I will not keep.
I also wanted the second (dual distance scale) version.
I'm tense how it works. It's mainly for my Canon P as a street shooting combo. Also the larger size of the lens don't matter in that aspect.

cheers Frank

Frank;

How about keeping the 1.4 and selling me the 1.5?

Bill

 

[Sonnar2]

Not really. The 1.5/50mm works great for B&W and in middle distances, no close up lens, but great vintage look. There are two different kinds - no "one or another" just "one for the best application".
I think I will sell the body. They are uncommon in Germany, although if in USA it seems that they will not sell at all without a lens. I like the 7, even the meters are accurate, but I do not need 2 of them.

cheers Frank

 

[john neal]

This has been my standard lens for 10+ years now, both on LTM and M bodies. I have a similar vintage f2 M mount 'cron, but I find it a lottle soft compared to the Canon. If I'm shooting colour, I always pick the Canon for it's sharpness and great (neutral) colour balance. When I lived in York, a fellow RFF member, Tom, came over and tried mine out wide open in the available darkness of the Minster - pronounced himself very pleased with the results, which are somewhere in another thread.

I have never tried any of the other 50mm Canon lenses, but my dealer friend rates the 1.4 tops for performance, closely followed by the 1.8. Apparently the 1.2 and 0.95 are not so good, but that's only his opinion from years of handling the goods (so to speak).

I recently picked up a 35mm f1.5 Canon ltm lens in mint condition - now that is another animal altogether!

 

[Sonnar2]

Hi John, congrats. The 1.5/35mm is quite expensive just to "pick" it up... 🙂

Yes its on my list, probably the last Canon RF lens I will buy. But the usual price ~ 500 USD is quite some money...

 

[John Shriver]

The 50/1.5 is just not sharp in the corners wide open. Quite not sharp. Pleasant, but not sharp. The Sonnar 50mm look is dinstinctive.

The 50/1.8 is sharp wide open. I think the 50/1.4 is just about as sharp as the 50/1.8. They are both double-Gauss designs.

 

[photocrazy]

No time going out to test the lens at moment but I did manage to conduct some experiments with it. I used the lens to project the roof light on the wall against an Asart 50mm f1.4. And the image of the Canon was a little brighter than that of the Asart. Then I did similar tests against current Summicron 50mm and rigid 50mm by setting the aperture at f2, f4, and f11. To my surprise, the Canon one was always visibly a little brighter. Quite marveled about the refraction of old Canon glasses.

 

[edward_no]

I managed to come across a Canon 50mm f1.4 mounted on a Canon 7 body at an antique store near my house. The focus was really stiff and the light meter didnt work in the camera so I offered the guy $150 for the whole setup and he took it. The lens also came with a Bell & Howell/Canon 48mm Sky 1-A filter attached to it. The only downside with this filter is that it doesnt have any female threads so you cant mount anything else onto it.

I got the lens home and worked the focus a little bit to loosen it up and now it works perfectly. The camera works great as well other than the light meter. Im thinking of either trying to get that fixed, or drilling some small threaded holes in the top and screwing a cold shoe to the body so I can mount an external meter.

I bought a 48mm-49mm step up ring and a 49mm screw on metal hood on ebay which works great on the lens. I mainly use the 50mm f1.4 on my Bessa R2A. I also removed the infinity lock because I missed a couple good shots when the lens got stuck at infinity and I wasnt expecting it. I can always put that back later if I change my mind though.

 

[Gereonb]

5 Years is a long time to wait with a reply 🙂

 

[edward_no]

I didnt wait 5 years. I got it about 4 months ago. I just happened to come across this thread today thats all.

 

[Nokton48]

Edward,
That is an amazing deal! I am looking for a similar deal on a Canon 50mm F1.4, and I won't hesitate, when I find it.

 

[John Shriver]

Better to put back the infinity lock, and then super-glue a bit of wood or styrene into the catch on the fixed part of the lens it hooks on. That way you don't risk losing the button. (Says someone who paid a pretty penny for a replacement button for a Canon 35/1.8, because some prior owner lost it.)

 

[edward_no]

Better to put back the infinity lock, and then super-glue a bit of wood or styrene into the catch on the fixed part of the lens it hooks on. That way you don't risk losing the button. (Says someone who paid a pretty penny for a replacement button for a Canon 35/1.8, because some prior owner lost it.)

I thought about doing something like that. I am keeping the button in a safe place so I should be ok. I have been shooting a lot with this Canon lens recently and the results keep amazing me. I did some test shots at f1.4 and it looks so nice. Now if only I could come across a 35mm or 28mm in LTM sometime soon I would be set.