so I'm in need of a fast, wide prime for ff. is it best to suck it up and pay for the 24 f1.4 from Canon, or are there better options? how about the samyang 24 1.4? canon 24 mk1? sigma 20 1.8?
I want something 24mm or wider. I know that gets kind of vague, but i want to weigh my options.
There are not any better options. The 24L II is the best of class within your criteria. The samyang is great for video, but good luck manual focusing a lens that wide at 1.4 without resorting to live view.
I got a Sigma 20mm f/1.8 for my brother, and was not impressed. Took until f/4 for the center to be decently sharp. It was pretty good at f/8-11, although the corners were never fantastic.
Just save up for the 24LII I have had a couple of them and they are by far the finest 24mm lenses I've ever used for Canon. I regret selling mine, but I needed some cash and I use my 35L more. If I had the funds to do so today I would re-purchase that lens in a heartbeat.
Sheldon N wrote:
I got a Sigma 20mm f/1.8 for my brother, and was not impressed. Took until f/4 for the center to be decently sharp. It was pretty good at f/8-11, although the corners were never fantastic.
Exact opposite of my copy. I posted examples here last year showing it was sharp wide open on 5D II in the centre - don't really care about corners @ f/1.8. IQ is excellent. My only issue is the slow ass old school coffee grinder AF motors it uses and the clutch style MF. If they update this lens to HSM and add it to the art series it will be superb.
I went through the process of choosing a fast 24 lens and considered Canon 24 1.4 v2 and decided to by the Zeiss 25 f2. I know its not <25 and not as fast as f4 but:
Zeiss advanatages over Canon 24 1.4 v2:
- Hard stop at infinity. Canon is more difficult to focus in the dark
- My impression is that Zeiss f2 is sharper at f2 than the Canon 24 1.4 v2 at f2. Obviously the canon is sharper at f1.4, because Zeiss cannot go there.
Zeiss disadvantages over Canon 24 1.4 v2:
- Does not autofocus
- Sometimes speed (1.4 vs f2) is more important than iq. Eg indoors of people at concerts.
Since my goal was northern lights and night shooting, the zeiss was better for me. e.g. it was the fastest high quality lens available at f2 or lower.
I have used it for several months and am quite happy with it.
Have you considered the new Canon 24mm f/2.8 IS? It doesn't offer superthin DOF, but the last generation IS should be worth 2-3 stops on static subjects.
There are already a few reviews available, all very positive so far.
