Overcoming the shortcomings of Canon 50mm 1.4?

Kit Lens Jockey

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I got the Canon 50mm 1.4 lens about a month ago. I really like the photos it's capable of taking, but it's really starting to frustrate me with how inconsistent the autofocus is. I got the lens new, and I'm aware that there are many issues of the AF crapping out if the front of the lens gets impacted in any way, so I always keep the hood on the lens to protect it. My AF is definitely not completely broken, it just seems really inconsistent. I figured maybe setting the AF microadjustment might help it, but when I set up the camera on a tripod pointing at a focusing target, the photos this lens took were just inconsistent from shot to shot. There did not seem to be any consistent front or back focusing, just complete inconsistency. So, there's nothing I can do to adjust this away.

I think the focusing mechanism itself seems really poorly made. Whenever I set the lens to infinity before making it autofocus on something, the lens makes a little clunk right when it begins focusing, like there's a lot of slack within the focusing mechanism that it's taking up before it actually starts moving the focusing element. When I shake the lens lengthwise, front to back, I can also hear the front element assembly (the part that moves in and out to focus) clunking around a little, further proving that there's a lot of play in the focusing mechanism.

Is this just the nature of this crappy focusing mechanism? Is there any way to improve it? Is something wrong with this lens? I'm pretty sure the lens is grey market, so I'm hesitant to try to send it in under warranty, and I also don't really want to be without the lens.

Alternatively, should I just abandon this lens and look at the other fast 50mm lenses? The Sigma 50mm 1.4 art lens seems to get pretty positive reviews. I was also considering the Canon 50mm 1.2L, but that thing costs an arm and a leg, especially for just a prime lens. I also saw a note on lens rental that the 50mm 1.2 has a very curved focal plane, so focusing and re-composing does not work well with it, which is something I like to do.

Thanks.
 
Sounds like it needs to go back to where you bought it or Canon. Mine has no focus issues at all, except for the button pusher on occasions.

Skip the 50 f1.2. If you want an outstanding f1.2 get the 85 instead. It is a beast of a portrait lens and worth at least to me the hefty cost. The 50 1.2 isn't. J.M.O.
 
Hmm, so no noise at all when you shake your 50mm 1.4? I just figured it was just naturally a little looseness in the focusing mechanism.

I see some negative things online about the ebay seller I got it through. They shipped me the lens fine, but I'm leery about going through them for a replacement. I have heard Canon is sympathetic to supporting even grey market products through warranty, even though they don't officially say it. Should I try Canon?

85mm is a little bit too long of a focal length for my taste and what I'm doing. I'd like to stay at 50mm.
 
I couldn't tell you on Canon, the only thing you can do is call them or try to exchange it through the seller.
 
Don't shoot wide open. Even the best made lens in the world is hard to work with at max aperture.
 
Don't shoot wide open. Even the best made lens in the world is hard to work with at max aperture.
A lot of people buy fast lenses to use them wide open. That's why I have two 2.8 constant zooms. They aren't THAT hard to work with at max aperture.
 
I understand the idea that most lenses are not the greatest wide open, but I'm really sick of hearing that you can not shoot lenses wide open. Granted the Canon 50mm 1.4 is not an extremely high end lens, but being told not to shoot any half-decent lens wide open is like being told not to take a car up to the redline because it stresses the engine too much. Doesn't really make sense to me. If a lens is so bad wide open as to be unusable, then they probably should not have designed it with that wide of an aperture.

Anyway, I happened to run into someone with another Canon 50mm 1.4. It had the same nasty sounding clunk when it was shaken, the same loose feeling focusing ring, and the other guy was saying that he also had a lot of poor focusing issues with it.

Maybe there are flawless Canon 50 1.4s out there, but the only two I've personally put my hands on seemed kind of sketchy. I'm going to try the Sigma 50mm 1.4 art lens, and possibly sell this one if that one is as good as most of the reviews rate it.
 
Don't shoot wide open. Even the best made lens in the world is hard to work with at max aperture.

The lens focuses before it stops down, so that shouldn't affect focus accuracy. Yeah, you have a little more wiggle room for error, but that shouldn't be a problem in the first place.

Does it happen with any other lenses or is it just the 50mm? It might be the AF sensor in the camera.
 
My 50 has been rock solid for almost a year. No noises from mine.
 
To update this, I actually stumbled across someone else with this lens. I asked him, and he seemed to have the same issues... The AF is not consistent, it had the same clunk when you shook it, and the focusing ring had the same awful play to it. Long story short, I decided to get the Sigma 50mm 1.4 ART, I have not used this lens since. I will probably sell it at some point. Doesn't seem to be defective compared to an identical model lens, just not a very well made lens IMO.
 
I need to retract my other reply. My 50 does indeed have this "clunk" sound when shaken. Lens still performs flawlessly though.
 

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