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Archive 2012 · Canon 50 f/1.4 as a Walk-around on 5Dc

Jefferson
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p.1 #1 · p.1 #1 · Canon 50 f/1.4 as a Walk-around on 5Dc

I've been playing with my Canon 50 f/1.4 the last couple of days to see if I like the 50mm focal length as a Walk-around / Street lens on a FF body....seems to do as well as some of the Ls...

How much better would the 50 f/1.2 be...which is what I have in mind?....May try some night shots next week and see how it does with those...I think the f/1.2 may have an advantage there...

Canon 50 f/1.4 @ f/2...Shot around 3PM bright sun...Av mode, ISO 50, spot metering, center point, 5Dc, hand held...

http://jeffersonposter.smugmug.com/Photography/Pendergrass/i-PnvrSSL/0/L/JeffersonPoster-L.jpg

http://jeffersonposter.smugmug.com/Photography/Pendergrass/i-7RmqK4p/0/XL/JeffersonPoster-XL.jpg

Jefferson

Edited on Aug 14, 2012 at 03:53 PM · View previous versions

Aug 11, 2012 at 04:27 PM

jaybrams
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p.1 #2 · p.1 #2 · Canon 50 f/1.4 as a Walk-around on 5Dc

I like the combo just fine. Its what film SLRs came with for decades as standard lens. The 1.2 may be better in low light, but the depth of field will be so shallow that, depending on your use, may not be that useful.

Aug 11, 2012 at 04:29 PM

jerbear00
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p.1 #3 · p.1 #3 · Canon 50 f/1.4 as a Walk-around on 5Dc

Dunno. I myself love 50mm as well. It has been my walk-around for quite some time. I have progressed through the 50 f1.8ii, 50 f1.4, and currently have the sigma 50. Love em all but I would like to try the L just so I can finally decide which is best for me.

Aug 11, 2012 at 04:30 PM

snapsy
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p.1 #4 · p.1 #4 · Canon 50 f/1.4 as a Walk-around on 5Dc

The 50 f/1.4 is a great lens, focus is a bit finicky though, so if using it <= f/2 I prefer it on a body with Live View when shooting conditions permit.

Edited on Aug 11, 2012 at 04:37 PM · View previous versions

Aug 11, 2012 at 04:35 PM

Jefferson
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p.1 #5 · p.1 #5 · Canon 50 f/1.4 as a Walk-around on 5Dc

jaybrams wrote:
The 1.2 may be better in low light, but the depth of field will be so shallow that, depending on your use, may not be that useful.

I'm thinking the 1.2 would be much better in low light to "lock on", but I would most likely shoot @ f/2 which is why I'm shooting the 1.4 @ f/2...I hope that's an indication of how the 1.2 would capture...I hope

Thanks,
Jefferson

Aug 11, 2012 at 04:36 PM

trumpet_guy
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p.1 #6 · p.1 #6 · Canon 50 f/1.4 as a Walk-around on 5Dc

The f/1.2 lens has some focus shift at f/2 and moderate distances.
The f/1.4 reportedly has less.

I found the f/1.4 lens to focus very reliably on my 5D.
I would recommend _not_ spending the money on the f/1.2 lens,
at least not for general walk-around shooting.

Tim

Aug 11, 2012 at 04:42 PM

Gunzorro
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p.1 #7 · p.1 #7 · Canon 50 f/1.4 as a Walk-around on 5Dc

I used the 1.2L recently, and quite fell in love with it! I shot mostly at 1.2 and 1.6, but also tried some at f/4-5.6. The smaller apertures were REALLY sharp. And the f/2 and wider were excellent. Stopping down to 1.6 improved the IQ -- lots less aberrations. But most wedding shots were at 1.2 and the softer effect was beautiful. It's on my wish list now -- and I was previously a fan of (and owner of) the EF 50/1.4, and liked that over the Zeiss ZE version. The 50L is the best 50 I have used.

Aug 11, 2012 at 04:44 PM

Jefferson
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p.1 #8 · p.1 #8 · Canon 50 f/1.4 as a Walk-around on 5Dc

I'll shoot several hundred more with the 1.4 under different conditions and see what I think with the way I end up shooting...I won't be doing weddings...

Money may be better spent on a 35L...but I got that 50 1.2 itch and it's hard not to scratch

Jefferson

Aug 11, 2012 at 04:56 PM

Gochugogi
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p.1 #9 · p.1 #9 · Canon 50 f/1.4 as a Walk-around on 5Dc

Four years ago I upgraded from an EF 50 1.4 USM to the 50 1.2L USM on a 5D. It was a vest improvement in terms of bokeh, IQ from F 1.2 to 2.8 and build quality. After F2.8 there wasn't much different between the two in terms of sharpness but the 50 1.2 still had more pleasing bokeh. One thing few people discuss is the difference in distortion between the two 50s. The 50 1.4 suffers heavy barrel distortion at 2 meters or closer whereas the 50 1.2L is much better corrected. No biggie for nature and landscape but a PITA for urban detail and architecture. Of course you can use the lens optimizer feature in DPP to correct distortion.

50 1.2 AF is moderately more effective in low light compared to the 50 1.4 but still not nearly as surefooted or fast as my slow zooms, e.g., 24-105 4L. With those things in mind, the main reason to buy the 50 1.2 is because you're a bokeh hound or low light buff and plan to live at F1.2. In other words, the 50 1.2L will not knock your socks off as a general purpose walk around, but it excels at creamy bokeh and low light with a modest improvement in AF speed and reliability. The upgrade was worth it to me but obviously not for everybody.

Gloved mama at F2.8, 5D2 & 50 1.2L


	http://emedia.leeward.hawaii.edu/frary/ala_moana_images/Mac_Shop_2140svsign.jpg

Fountain at F1.2, 5D & 50 1.2L


	http://emedia.leeward.hawaii.edu/frary/ala_moana_images/Fountain_0847.jpg

Aug 11, 2012 at 05:16 PM

lexvo
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p.1 #10 · p.1 #10 · Canon 50 f/1.4 as a Walk-around on 5Dc

+1 to what Peter (Guchogogi) said.

I'm a lover of the 50mm myself. I have a 50/1.4 for years and a few months ago the AF motor broke (seems a more common problem with the 50/1.4). So I decided to buy the 50/1.2. I would say the 50/1.2 has very usable sharpness wide open and it gets very sharp stopped down.

So for stopped down sharpness the 50/1.2 won't be much better than the 50/1.4 (if at all). But the 50/1.2 is better for wide open sharpness, bokeh and build quality I think.

Aug 11, 2012 at 06:01 PM

Jefferson
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p.1 #11 · p.1 #11 · Canon 50 f/1.4 as a Walk-around on 5Dc

The 1.4 will make an attempt at showing some bokeh @ f/2 when I include a bit of background...

http://jeffersonposter.smugmug.com/Photography/Pendergrass/i-3WTzSZc/0/L/JeffersonPoster-L.jpg

Edited on Aug 14, 2012 at 05:06 PM · View previous versions

Aug 11, 2012 at 06:16 PM

Richard Nye
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p.1 #12 · p.1 #12 · Canon 50 f/1.4 as a Walk-around on 5Dc

Jefferson, your first photo is an excellent example of why I sold my Canon 50 f/1.4. The lens just takes blah pictures in my opinion. They aren't saturated, and the contrast is not good. I got the Sigma 50 f/1.4 and the IQ is MUCH better. The focus on my Sigma 50 is fine for a walk around lens.

Aug 11, 2012 at 07:32 PM

Gochugogi
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p.1 #13 · p.1 #13 · Canon 50 f/1.4 as a Walk-around on 5Dc


	http://emedia.leeward.hawaii.edu/frary/downtown_images/aloha_tower_0027.jpg

Aug 11, 2012 at 07:40 PM

PetKal
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p.1 #14 · p.1 #14 · Canon 50 f/1.4 as a Walk-around on 5Dc

Jefferson, I believe 50 f/1.2 is a much better lens than 50 f/1.4, and it better be given the difference in price as well as design vintage.

With 50 f/1.2 you can even shoot BIF while you are walking around.

Edited on Aug 12, 2012 at 12:42 PM · View previous versions

Aug 11, 2012 at 08:09 PM

Jefferson
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p.1 #15 · p.1 #15 · Canon 50 f/1.4 as a Walk-around on 5Dc

....yea, and I got that 1.2 itch...like I said...

Aug 11, 2012 at 08:15 PM

Jefferson
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p.1 #16 · p.1 #16 · Canon 50 f/1.4 as a Walk-around on 5Dc

Richard Nye wrote:
Jefferson, your first photo is an excellent example of why I sold my Canon 50 f/1.4. The lens just takes blah pictures in my opinion. They aren't saturated, and the contrast is not good. I got the Sigma 50 f/1.4 and the IQ is MUCH better. The focus on my Sigma 50 is fine for a walk around lens.

Actually I tried the Sigma 50 f/1.4 on my 5D and that’s the reason I went with the Canon 50 f/1.4…The Sigma would only hit focus about half of the time…when it did, the Sigma showed better…both were sharp, but I didn’t like the hit or miss of the Sigma…

I think for a relatively inexpensive lens, less than the Sigma, the Canon did a pretty good job on that first shot…there is a fair amount of bright and dark areas in that shot and I took my metering from the wood to the right of the Goodyear sign...bright sun just out of the shaded area in front, and the top of the Flea Market sign is faded…If the shot had been capture at 9AM rather than 3PM, the image may have looked different…but it was taken at 3PM…I could “fix” it in light room, but then that would not have been the way it was…There was not all that much post work done on the image…I wanted to show what the lens captures for the most part…

I got metering off the kid in front on the second shot...

Aug 11, 2012 at 08:16 PM

Gochugogi
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p.1 #17 · p.1 #17 · Canon 50 f/1.4 as a Walk-around on 5Dc

PetKal wrote:
Jefferson, I believe 50 f/1.2 is a much better lens than 50 f/1.4, and it better be given the difference in price as well as design vintage.

With 50 f/1.2 you can even shoot BIF while you are walking around.

"Like!"

Aug 11, 2012 at 08:31 PM

mttran
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p.1 #18 · p.1 #18 · Canon 50 f/1.4 as a Walk-around on 5Dc

for BIF action

Aug 11, 2012 at 08:31 PM

mttran
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p.1 #19 · p.1 #19 · Canon 50 f/1.4 as a Walk-around on 5Dc

http://emedia.leeward.hawaii.edu/frary/ala_moana_images/Fountain_0847.jpg

Gochugogi, always love this one everytime you post. It gives me the sharpness and the softness feeling of 1.2

Aug 11, 2012 at 08:34 PM

rabbitmountain
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p.1 #20 · p.1 #20 · Canon 50 f/1.4 as a Walk-around on 5Dc

Hi Jefferson,

Listen to Peter, when using the 50mm for walk around, there's no point in spending your precious cash on a 50L. By f/5.6 and stopped down further, the 50's all show similar sharpness (even the 50/1.8). The 50L is really mainly for bokeh lovers that actually take advantage of the creamy bokeh, like wedding/portrait shooters.

On top of this, I did a 5Dclassic + 50L test and AF accuracy was very bad. The 50/1.4 has much better AF accuracy on a 5Dclassic, so you will give in on what you're used to.

I would recommend trying a 35L if you still have that itch for a walk around fast prime. AF is rock solid on my 5dclassic and the 35mm focal length is - in my opinion - much better suitable as a walk around lens. It has very creamy bokeh (granted not 50L - like) when shot between f/1.4~2.0 provided your subjects are not too far away.

I expect for your purpose the 35L really is the way to go and it will be $$$ better spent.

Aug 11, 2012 at 08:48 PM

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