# Help Please: Canon EF 50mm 1.2 Slow Focusing.



## lh898 (Jan 27, 2012)

Bought a 50mm 1.2 and am worried there might be a problem with motor and slow focusing. Already knew ahead of time that this particular lens was not going to be a speed burner and I had already played with a 1.2 in the past so I pretty much knew what to expect. But after receiving mine today, feels a lot more sluggish then what I remembered. Tried to find a focusing video online but no luck. Anyone with the lens mind taking a look at my video below and giving their options. Thanks in advance.

http://youtu.be/vO44sPAKkMY


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## Mt Spokane Photography (Jan 27, 2012)

It looks fine to me. Trying to focus a lens from mfd to infinity or vice versa is going to take time. In the real world, the focus will usually only move a small amount.


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## jackykma (Mar 11, 2012)

Looks fine to me too. Just did a test and it is about the same speed as mine


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## DavidRiesenberg (Mar 11, 2012)

I don't have mine with me now to check but it seems just fine to me.


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## mememe (Mar 11, 2012)

That check is not good!

You have the Cap on the lens... Your camera focusses slower in bad light! You only get full speed focus when you are in bright environment.

But its still normal for the 1.2...

Better check it for focus errors in the area under 1 Meter distance... Mine had a false focus at short distances and when i corrected it with focus adjustment (i had to set it to a huge value cause errors in short distance need that...) it was totally wrong on long distances... But they couldnt do anything about it... stopped down it was all ok but open there was this problem... It was just one cm or so but this is much when you shoot at 1.2...


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## Michael_pfh (Mar 11, 2012)

Compared to the 85 f1.2L it does focus fast ;-)


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## samueljay (Mar 11, 2012)

Hahaha! Holy shit! That video got me excited! That's so fast compared to my 50mm f/1.8 on a T2i! If that's slow I can't wait to start using some fast focusing lenses!


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## Positron (Mar 11, 2012)

samueljay said:


> Hahaha! Holy S___! That video got me excited! That's so fast compared to my 50mm f/1.8 on a T2i! If that's slow I can't wait to start using some fast focusing lenses!



I was thinking the same thing. I've heard a lot of people say that the 50mm f/1.2 is slow, but compared to my 50mm f/1.8 the copy in that video is absolutely blazing.


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## frisk (Mar 11, 2012)

That's not slow - a real speed demon, compared to the 50mm f/1.0 (yeah, I got one of those).

Seriously, though - the original 85mm f/1.2 and the 50mm f/1.0 were the slowest-focusing L lenses. The 85mm II is significantly faster that the original - not "fast", though in any sense, and the 50 mm f/1.2 is a bit faster than the f/1.0.

So, yeah, it is slow, but perfectly normal for this lens.


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## Viggo (Mar 11, 2012)

What's strange to me is that it waits so long at 45 cm before it returns to infinity. Mine just touches the mfd and focuses to infinity right a way. but the actual speed when it's turning is the same as mine.

The actual focusing speed isn't that different from the 1,8, seriously. It's noisier and useless in poor-light, but af-speed between the 3 50's isn't that much. The accuracy is a hole other story.

And if you're used to crap then this af may seem fast, but for the OP and me and all the other people who use the 24 L II , 24-70, 70-200 mkII, on a daily basis, this is slow. Yeas the 85 is way slower, but that's one of the horror examples of slow AF, but I own one and although it's slow, it's not too slow for it's uses and the accuracy is VERY good. 

50 L is one of the greatest ever. B-e-a-utiful bokeh and so much sharper at 1,2-2,0 than the other 50's it's a laugh. If anyone starts another tread and getting the reply, "it's not worth it , the 50 f1,4 is much better value and almost the same IQ" If I see that, I'll be trolling them forever....


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