Problem with Canon EF 50mm f/1.4

Nick J wrote:

 > Hi
 > I've noticed some strange behaviour on my 50mm lens that I'm 95% sure is
 > a fault and not a "design feature" but I thought I'd check here.
 >
 > The lens should focus from 0.45m to infinity and when manually focusing
 > this is no problem.
 >
 > However when on auto focus it cannot focus closer than 0.6m. Also if you
 > have manually focused closer than 0.6 then switch to AF the lens will
 > not move out past the 0.6m mark ie. it is unable to focus on anything
 > further away.

Mine focuses to 0.5m on AT and 0.45 on MF, but recovers from 0.45m when
switched to AF, albeit with a slight hesitation.

 > The obvious answer is that there is a slight jam at this point which the
 > AF motor cannot get past.
 >
 > I'm aware that this lens is a bit of an anomaly within the USM range but
 > it does still have FTM ?

This lens has the Type 1 (big) micromotor, but achieves FTM by means of a
differential in the gear train.

 > In any regards the lens is only 9 months old so it's going back to the
 > store - just thought I'd arm myself with a little (mis)information first.

Yep. send it back.

Incidentally, does anyone know why Canon elected to put the micromotor
instead of the ring motor in that lens? With the micromotor, it feels like
it has gravel inside and sounds like its grinding (gently and softly, but
nonetheless...). Thus, the "feel" of the lens is a travesty. 'Course,
compared to the f1.8, it's a jewel.

Bill Tallman<!-- ~MESSAGE_AFTER~ -->
 >> Stay informed about: Problem with Canon EF 50mm f/1.4 

Nick J <dukepowers RemoveThis @warmmail.com> wrote in message news:<TVarc.7786$XI4.286897@news.xtra.co.nz>...
 > Hi
 > I've noticed some strange behaviour on my 50mm lens that I'm 95% sure is
 > a fault and not a "design feature" but I thought I'd check here.
 >
 > The lens should focus from 0.45m to infinity and when manually focusing
 > this is no problem.
 >
 > However when on auto focus it cannot focus closer than 0.6m. Also if you
 > have manually focused closer than 0.6 then switch to AF the lens will
 > not move out past the 0.6m mark ie. it is unable to focus on anything
 > further away.
 >
 > The obvious answer is that there is a slight jam at this point which the
 > AF motor cannot get past.
 >
 > I'm aware that this lens is a bit of an anomaly within the USM range but
 > it does still have FTM ?
 >
 > In any regards the lens is only 9 months old so it's going back to the
 > store - just thought I'd arm myself with a little (mis)information first.
 >
 > Cheers
 > Nick

Nick

I bought mine a year ago and it has a similar but not quite identical
fault. The focus motor appears to jam when I'm trying to use AF over
a wide range, e.g. when refocussing from short range to infinity or
vice versa. The solution (or kludge) is to use the FTM to focus
approximately, and then use AF to finish it off.

I wonder if this particular type of motor is naturally dodgy? I seem
to remember having read a few similar comments on the net.

I should have sent it back, but I bought the thing by mail order from
the states, I live in Kenya, so the hassle and expense of re-exporting
it back to B&H was too much to bear, so I just live with the problem.

Ed<!-- ~MESSAGE_AFTER~ -->
 >> Stay informed about: Problem with Canon EF 50mm f/1.4 

"William D. Tallman" <wtallman DeleteThis @olypen.com> wrote in message
 > Incidentally, does anyone know why Canon elected to put the micromotor
 > instead of the ring motor in that lens? With the micromotor, it feels
like
 > it has gravel inside and sounds like its grinding (gently and softly, but
 > nonetheless...). Thus, the "feel" of the lens is a travesty. 'Course,
 > compared to the f1.8, it's a jewel.

I would assume it's because there is very little element movement necessary.<!-- ~MESSAGE_AFTER~ -->
 >> Stay informed about: Problem with Canon EF 50mm f/1.4 

Mark M wrote:

 >
 > "William D. Tallman" <wtallman.TakeThisOut@olypen.com> wrote in message
  >> Incidentally, does anyone know why Canon elected to put the micromotor
  >> instead of the ring motor in that lens? With the micromotor, it feels
 > like
  >> it has gravel inside and sounds like its grinding (gently and softly, but
  >> nonetheless...). Thus, the "feel" of the lens is a travesty. 'Course,
  >> compared to the f1.8, it's a jewel.
 >
 > I would assume it's because there is very little element movement
 > necessary.

Thanks, I'll take a look at that.

As far as I'm concerned, that lens gives Canon a real black eye. Surely
they can do better with what is arguably their flagship prime! Whatever
their reason, it cannot have been technical, not with their ingenuity and
prowess for innovation and the solving of really difficult problems. I
gotta believe that there's something else going on there.

But that's my own gripe....

Bill Tallman<!-- ~MESSAGE_AFTER~ -->
 >> Stay informed about: Problem with Canon EF 50mm f/1.4 

Ed Blagden wrote:
 > Nick J wrote in message news:
<snip>
  >>In any regards the lens is only 9 months old so it's going back to the
  >>store - just thought I'd arm myself with a little (mis)information first.
  >>
  >>Cheers
  >>Nick
  >
 > I bought mine a year ago and it has a similar but not quite identical
 > fault. The focus motor appears to jam when I'm trying to use AF over
 > a wide range, e.g. when refocussing from short range to infinity or
 > vice versa. The solution (or kludge) is to use the FTM to focus
 > approximately, and then use AF to finish it off.
 >
 > I wonder if this particular type of motor is naturally dodgy? I seem
 > to remember having read a few similar comments on the net.
 >
 > I should have sent it back, but I bought the thing by mail order from
 > the states, I live in Kenya, so the hassle and expense of re-exporting
 > it back to B&H was too much to bear, so I just live with the problem.
 >
 > Ed

Actually my impatience has actually saved me this time. I intended to
import this lens from B&H as it was a fair bit cheaper (prob US$100)
than here in NZ. However at the time I kinda needed it "now" so bought
it locally.

I think that if I was faced with shipping it back to the US I'd live
with it too. To be honest I hadn't noticed it until I started to play
around with close focus trying to emulate Colin Donoghue's CD shot from
the Abstraction SI mandate.

However having paid the "local premium" I'll damn well accept nothing
but a 100% working lens so back to Canon it has gone

Nick<!-- ~MESSAGE_AFTER~ -->
 >> Stay informed about: Problem with Canon EF 50mm f/1.4