ANOTHER Canon 50mm f1.8 broken!

Messiah Khan

Messiah Khan

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Alasdair Fowler
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Out of the 11 Canon 50mm f1.8 lenses I have bought for work over the last year, 3 have now broken! Same fault every time. The lugs holding the front element snap off and the whole lens falls in half. The lens may be sharp and cheap, but it sure has poor build quality. Is the 50mm f1.4 much better? Are there any other decent alternatives for a standard lens for a 5D mk2? Need AF and must be a sensible price (So no 50mm f1.2!)
 
Yes the 1.4 lens is much better built, though it's no tank. I'm guessing 'bought for work' means that they're being used frequently - I'm not surprised they're failing as it's quite apparent the build quality of them isn't up to much abuse or constant use as you can probably tell.
 
What are you doing to them!!! When I remove mine I always put it in mf and twist the len back in so it can't get forced back.
 
So you buy a cheap and cheerful amateur lens and use it for work and wonder why it falls apart. Sorry but you cant expect L build quality for £80 can you. If you need 11 of them you are lookig at a HUGE bill for something decent and robust, simple fact of life I'm afraid.

Matt
 
GeForce Junky said:
What are you doing to them!!! When I remove mine I always put it in mf and twist the len back in so it can't get forced back.
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I normally do the same, and it gets packed away next to the other lenses each time. Fairly tightly so they don't get knocked about in the bag but not too tight that it could damage them from stress on the body of the lens.
 
Yeah, the 1.8's build quality sure is a load of carp. I just got the 1.4 and while it certainly is better (I'm not expecting it to fall apart on me or anything) it's not exactly stellar, which I would expect given the price I paid - hay ho. It still feels rather plasticky in some places (well, it is!) and the focus ring is not really as smooth as I'd like either - but that may improve over time.

GeForce's advice is top notch - with the 1.8 AND the 1.4, always twiddle the focus so the barrel goes back inside the lens housing before packing it away, else you could easily knacker both lenses.
 
There's work and then there's 'work'...
My Bro uses a cheap DSLR for his work - he's an architect - but that in no way equates to what I describe as 'work'... so it all depends on what work they're being used for...

These lenses should be able to withstand a few years of hobbyist use, if not then they're not fit for purpose... if it's nothing too stressful of demanding, there's no reason at all that these lenses should just fall apart like that...
 
Arkady said:
These lenses should be able to withstand a few years of hobbyist use,
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Lol, not used one have you Rob? :p :naughty:

Trust me when I say, the build quality is pure ***** lol.
 
have a look a the MKI or the Sigma 1.4.
I had the MKII, then got the MkI which was (build quality) much better.
Since then I have teh 1.4 Siggy, which I love.
Completely different beast, and price range - but not failed on me .....
 
I was tempted by the Mark I but lack of FTM made me decide against it.
 
Ken Rockwell is gushing over the Canon 50mm f2.5. I have one and a Siggy f1.4 too and I think that they're both great.

Personally I'd rather pay more than buy cheap and worry about it falling apart.
 
It's marketing that works though. AFAIK, the NIKKOR 50mm f/1.8 is far better, build wise, than Canon's. If I was a Nikon, and bought their 1.8, I doubt I'd have upgraded, but I did upgrade from the Canon due tothe build quality among other things. Once I'd gotten a feel for a 'fast prime' and realised I liked it, I upgraded, in the end spending more money for Canon.

It makes me think twice now about buying cheap lenses.
 
If it's for work, get the Siggy...it's a Tank !
 
trencheel303 said:
Lol, not used one have you Rob? :p :naughty:

Trust me when I say, the build quality is pure ***** lol.
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Someone posted a thread about Nikkor lenses not having much of a line-up (the implication was: "compared to Canon")...maybe this is why...
At least all Nikkor lenses work...even the old manual 'E' series lenses, which were a bit...'budget'...
 
The Canon 50/1.4 is better built than the 50/1.8 but there is an inherent design weakness that everyone should be aware of. If excessive pressure is applied to the front of the lens while the lens is extended (focused at anything other than infinity) then it is possible for the focusing mechanism to become damaged. I don't know how much pressure it needs but I have read many times of the problem. I imagine such pressure might well be experienced with the camera/lens stuffed into a backpack or receiving a bit of a knock when moving around.

The best solutions are either....

a) always remember to store the lens with it focused to infinity;
b) ensure the lens is stored in a fashion where it is protected from knocks and pressure to the front;
c) fit a "proper" lens hood (not a cheapo knockoff that screws onto the filter threads) and keep it fitted in "ready to use" position. Do not reverse it.

Personally I use a Canon hood and alway keep it fitted ready for use. I also store the lens so that another lens (such as my 85/1.8) won't "nest" with the 50 and apply pressure to the lens cap and hence the focus mechanism.

There's a Flickr thread about all this....

http://www.flickr.com/groups/canon_50mm/discuss/72157603775874649/
 
tdodd said:
The Canon 50/1.4 is better built than the 50/1.8 but there is an inherent design weakness that everyone should be aware of. If excessive pressure is applied to the front of the lens while the lens is extended (focused at anything other than infinity) then it is possible for the focusing mechanism to become damaged.
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I have found the same also, sometimes if lucky the focus does come back. However it's not something you would like to leave to chance. I wonder when canon will give the 50mm 1.4 an up-date.
 
grotty said:
Yes the 1.4 lens is much better built, though it's no tank. I'm guessing 'bought for work' means that they're being used frequently - I'm not surprised they're failing as it's quite apparent the build quality of them isn't up to much abuse or constant use as you can probably tell.
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I might have to have a look at the 50mm f1.4. The 50mm f2.5 or Sigma are other possible options. Any more in the 50mm range worth considering? they don't have to be particularly fast btw.

GeForce Junky said:
What are you doing to them!!! When I remove mine I always put it in mf and twist the len back in so it can't get forced back.
Click to expand...

They are going out to students, so it's not me doing the actual damage. Having said that, I managed to break one of the lenses in half when screwing a UV filter on. The build quality of those lenses is shockingly bad. I know they are cheap and cheerful but still...

Arkady said:
There's work and then there's 'work'...
My Bro uses a cheap DSLR for his work - he's an architect - but that in no way equates to what I describe as 'work'... so it all depends on what work they're being used for...

These lenses should be able to withstand a few years of hobbyist use, if not then they're not fit for purpose... if it's nothing too stressful of demanding, there's no reason at all that these lenses should just fall apart like that...
Click to expand...

They are being booked out to uni students, so the 'work' they are being used for is probably akin to the warzone you are used to. ;) I had expected some casualties, but 3 out of 11 is too many. Most of the rest of the kit we use is fine, but I think the 50mm f1.8 is to cheap for our needs, which is why I am now looking for a more durable 50mm.
 
Messiah Khan said:
They are being booked out to uni students, so the 'work' they are being used for is probably akin to the warzone you are used to. ;)
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The world's first disposable lens - another Canon first! :lol: Buy 'em in packs of 10, just drop it in the bin when it breaks or needs a clean :D

If these are getting dropped or otherwise mistreated on a regular basis, I'd buy a bunch of 50mm f/1.2 L's, they might have a chance of surviving!

Seriously, how are the cameras bearing up to this sort of rough handling?

A.
 
Ahhh...students...when I was teaching the basic camera-handling course to the North-Face Ninjas, we would get through about four or five D100 bodies on each intake...lol
Usually CF cards put in backwards, but occasionally something spectacular - one student drop-kicked his camera into the weeds after he couldn't remember how to switch from Manual to one of the other exposure settings...lol
 
Messiah Khan said:
They are being booked out to uni students, so the 'work' they are being used for is probably akin to the warzone you are used to. ;) I had expected some casualties, but 3 out of 11 is too many. Most of the rest of the kit we use is fine, but I think the 50mm f1.8 is to cheap for our needs, which is why I am now looking for a more durable 50mm.
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If they are "falling apart", but still fully functional when re-assembled, would it be a worthwhile solution to simply apply a little glue to hold them together on a more permanent basis? At the price, and if they are outside warranty, I would think that might be a workable and economical solution.
 
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