I just bought a used Canon 50mm f1.4 last Friday and I used it all weekend long...fell in love with it that it's been on my camera since. I had my camera on a tripod last night (tripod is at it's lowest) and I accidentally bumped into my camera and down goes my camera with lens diving into the carpet first! My stomach sunk and it actually felt like my child just fell off the table! To my dismay, the lens is stuck on infinity and won't focus. I hear the motor but the focus ring feels tight. I'm so upset because the camera was only about a foot off the ground and fell on carpet. Is the build quality on this lens really bad? I've accidentally bumped some of my lenses harder and they're still working flawlessly. Anyone else have any issues with this lens? I plan on getting it fixed but is it worth keeping?
Well yes... modern lens are not tanks... I have 60 year old Taks that look like they have lived through wars and they work fine... but they are no were near as complex as a modern AF lens...
I just sent a 'pro' grade lens in to be fixed as the auto focus motor seemed to be burnt out... so don't freat... get it fixed and buy a better tripod... and keep in all wrapped in bubble wrap!
I dropped my 50 mm f/1.8 and thankfully it didn't hit that evil spot and continued to work perfectly ... I never told my other half I dropped it so no doubt he'll find out if he scans this thread ;)
I've not yet (*touch wood*) dropped my upgraded f/1.4 ... don't plan to any time soon so hopefully won't have to give any info about whether mine survives a fall or not ...
I had a Nikkor 28-105 fall due to a faulty tripod, on grass, and it broke beyond any doubt - filter and all - the barrel actually bent out at a funny angle. The front element and internal barrel, once salvaged from the wreckage, became a very handy loupe for viewing negatives on a light box. It still sits on my desk.
I also had a Canon 70-300 DO lens (they're the green-ringed ones sometimes mistaken for the red-ringed L lenses, but they use diffractive optics for compactness). It fell out of a camera bag, on the SLR with motordrive attached, and bounced on a tiled floor, shattering the filter. I removed the filter, checked it all out, stuck a new filter on, and it never skipped a beat. It hit about twice as hard as the one on the tripod, and never a problem. It was a sweet, sharp zoom I used to use for sports on a crop-frame SLR. Thank goodness for the filter though, or else the front element would have been broken.
I didn't know about Koshi's 50mm f/1.8 until now, but there you go - cheap, plastic lens, and no problems after being dropped. Just goes to show - you never know how a fall will affect a lens (or camera).
The 50mm f1.4 is solidly built, so I imagine it is likely repairable, and worth the repair.
I dropped my 50mm 1.8 at that Vegas wedding I shot. Smack, right there on the concrete, and mine was on that evil spot because it would no longer focus either. But see, it was only $100 so I'm just gonna buy another one soon. Borrowing my friends until now. I guess that's the only good thing is that they are relatively inexpensive but maybe this is a case of I get what I pay for?
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I just sent a 'pro' grade lens in to be fixed as the auto focus motor seemed to be burnt out... so don't freat... get it fixed and buy a better tripod... and keep in all wrapped in bubble wrap!
I've not yet (*touch wood*) dropped my upgraded f/1.4 ... don't plan to any time soon so hopefully won't have to give any info about whether mine survives a fall or not ...
I agree with Vikdaddy though - scam them ;)
So sorry about your lens! I say go with Vikdaddy's idea!
I also had a Canon 70-300 DO lens (they're the green-ringed ones sometimes mistaken for the red-ringed L lenses, but they use diffractive optics for compactness). It fell out of a camera bag, on the SLR with motordrive attached, and bounced on a tiled floor, shattering the filter. I removed the filter, checked it all out, stuck a new filter on, and it never skipped a beat. It hit about twice as hard as the one on the tripod, and never a problem. It was a sweet, sharp zoom I used to use for sports on a crop-frame SLR. Thank goodness for the filter though, or else the front element would have been broken.
I didn't know about Koshi's 50mm f/1.8 until now, but there you go - cheap, plastic lens, and no problems after being dropped. Just goes to show - you never know how a fall will affect a lens (or camera).
The 50mm f1.4 is solidly built, so I imagine it is likely repairable, and worth the repair.