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Archive 2014 · Canon 50mm 1.2 sharpness question

  
 
remoras
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p.1 #1 · p.1 #1 · Canon 50mm 1.2 sharpness question


Hi,

I need some advice concerning my Canon 50mm 1.2 lens. I purchased this lens over a year ago but I have never been very excited about the images that are made with it. A lot of people consider it as the ultimate lens, I do like the focal length but when I shoot with a 135mm 2.0 the images are crisp and sharp. I do not seem to be able to obtain this crisp and sharp look and feel with the 50mm 1.2. I wonder if I have a bad lens or maybe it is not as sharp as I want it to be (which I doubt).

I have finally taken the time to make several shots to compare. And out of these series, only the f2.8 with -20 micro adjustment is sharp. I consider image 10, f2.0 with -20 micro adjustment acceptable. But none of the f1.2 shots are sharp.
I have already sent my lens back to Canon for calibration and they said it is within range. Not sure what they mean within range.

Maybe the more experienced photographers can tell me if this is "within range".

All images are taken with an 1dx on tripod and cropped without further editing

1. shot at f1.2 with 0 micro adjust
http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5514/12457226674_c6ac7a5ce6_c.jpg

2. shot at f1.2 with -5 micro adjust
http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2889/12456883363_da0d72dcf5_c.jpg

3. shot at f1.2 with -10 micro adjust
http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2811/12456730625_78b09e1be4_c.jpg

4. shot at f1.2 with -15 micro adjust
http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7289/12456900233_106187b3d4_c.jpg

5. shot at f1.2 with -20 micro adjust
http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2869/12457240364_63369c1ca9_c.jpg

6. shot at f2.0 with 0 micro adjust
http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3828/12456896973_a002e9a934_c.jpg

7. shot at f2.0 with -5 micro adjust
http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7290/12456723555_8869e52348_c.jpg

8. shot at f2.0 with -10 micro adjust
http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7348/12456895233_cfb3b4b84a_c.jpg

9. shot at f2.0 with -15 micro adjust
http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7352/12457236074_cd2b781542_c.jpg

10. shot at f2.0 with -20 micro adjust
http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7407/12457235294_2f4f8ccf06_c.jpg

11. shot at f2.8 with 0 micro adjust
http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3746/12457233874_8286c2cdf6_c.jpg

12. shot at f2.8 with -5 micro adjust
http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2852/12457233064_8b3197a342_c.jpg

13. shot at f2.8 with -10 micro adjust
http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3712/12456717845_b31bf97f68_c.jpg

14. shot at f2.8 with -15 micro adjust
http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7410/12457231384_187564559f_c.jpg

15. shot at f2.8 with -20 micro adjust
http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7458/12457229444_dbea1341ab_c.jpg

thanks a lot




Feb 11, 2014 at 08:09 AM
Karl Witt
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p.1 #2 · p.1 #2 · Canon 50mm 1.2 sharpness question


I don't own the lens but have always wanted to
I don't know how sharp it can be at f/1.2 but those shots don't look too good to me, I assume there is no filter on the lens?
Sharpness is there at f/2 in the -10 range to me and at f/2.8 at -15 as I see it.......

Other owners will likely be more helpful.
Would focusing screen in camera play into the shots at f/1.2?
Karl



Feb 11, 2014 at 08:21 AM
jcolwell
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p.1 #3 · p.1 #3 · Canon 50mm 1.2 sharpness question


What is the distance to the target?


Feb 11, 2014 at 08:24 AM
remoras
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p.1 #4 · p.1 #4 · Canon 50mm 1.2 sharpness question


jcolwell, I made sure I wasnt too close to the sheet of paper because I read somewhere that getting too close to the focus limit could cause problems. I believe it is about 1m (about 3 feet) away.




Feb 11, 2014 at 08:28 AM
Mikael Risedal
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p.1 #5 · p.1 #5 · Canon 50mm 1.2 sharpness question


50/1,2 is not known for the sharpness , http://www.photozone.de/canon_eos_ff/472-canon_50_12_5d?start=1

some subjects can be reproduced very nicely, dreamy



Feb 11, 2014 at 09:19 AM
remoras
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p.1 #6 · p.1 #6 · Canon 50mm 1.2 sharpness question


Mikael,
I can't believe so many people are happy with this lens if my sample shots are "within the norm".
Are you confirming that my sample shots at f1.2 are normal?



Feb 11, 2014 at 09:39 AM
Langran
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p.1 #7 · p.1 #7 · Canon 50mm 1.2 sharpness question


Are they 100% crops? Maybe it's not one of shooting test charts with but my real world experience with the lens is that it's great. I couldn't actually tell you if what you've got is normal, I don't tend to shoot test charts like that but personally I don't see an issue with it. I also own the 135L and it is undoubtedly sharper wide open but stop the 50L down to f2 and they're much closer.

Rather than absolute sharpness I've always considered focus accuracy to be far more important



Feb 11, 2014 at 10:28 AM
Shield
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p.1 #8 · p.1 #8 · Canon 50mm 1.2 sharpness question


Remoras - doing all your AF microadjustment tests merely test the AF accuracy.

Switch into live view mode and get some shots to isolate that variable. That uses CDAF and should be much better. Or punch in and manually focus.


My 50/1.2 is fine and plenty sharp in the center, even wide open.






Edited on Feb 11, 2014 at 10:35 AM · View previous versions



Feb 11, 2014 at 10:31 AM
remoras
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p.1 #9 · p.1 #9 · Canon 50mm 1.2 sharpness question


When I look at the test shots one by one, they actually look OK. But when you flip through them, going back and forth. The difference is huge. Download number 5, 10 and 15 to your computer. Flip through them.
But if this is normal I will have to look at other solutions. Because for me it is not good enough.



Feb 11, 2014 at 10:32 AM
gdanmitchell
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p.1 #10 · p.1 #10 · Canon 50mm 1.2 sharpness question


How do your large prints look?


Feb 11, 2014 at 10:35 AM
remoras
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p.1 #11 · p.1 #11 · Canon 50mm 1.2 sharpness question


Shield wrote:
Remoras - doing all your AF microadjustment tests merely test the AF accuracy.

Switch into live view mode and get some shots to isolate that variable. That uses CDAF and should be much better. Or punch in and manually focus.

My 50/1.2 is fine and plenty sharp in the center, even wide open.


Yes, sorry. I actually do not know if it is the lens or the camera. I just have a feeling that my images are not as sharp as they should be. Micro adjusting did help quite a bit. The difference is clear on f2 and f2.8. But micro adjust did not help at all for f1.2 All 5 images are a bit blurry even in de center.



Feb 11, 2014 at 10:36 AM
Shield
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p.1 #12 · p.1 #12 · Canon 50mm 1.2 sharpness question


Remoras - to isolate the camera or lens, first of all stop worrying about the (less accurate but faster) PDAF of focusing via the viewfinder. Go into live view mode and either zoom in and manually focus OR just use the (slower/more accurate) CDAF of the live view AF.

Microadjusting the PDAF should be done later on. You need to figure out if you have a bad lens or not first.



Feb 11, 2014 at 10:39 AM
remoras
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p.1 #13 · p.1 #13 · Canon 50mm 1.2 sharpness question


Shield wrote:
Remoras - to isolate the camera or lens, first of all stop worrying about the (less accurate but faster) PDAF of focusing via the viewfinder. Go into live view mode and either zoom in and manually focus OR just use the (slower/more accurate) CDAF of the live view AF.

Microadjusting the PDAF should be done later on. You need to figure out if you have a bad lens or not first.



thanks. I will do this again tomorrow.
Now that you mention it. I did manual focus and I do remember it being much sharper.

It is getting too dark now. I will give it a try tomorrow.
I assumed it was the lens because my other lenses are all sharp(er).



Feb 11, 2014 at 10:43 AM
robert61
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p.1 #14 · p.1 #14 · Canon 50mm 1.2 sharpness question


Photogs I know buy this lens not for it's sharpness, but for its blur (bokek), which it does exceptionally well.


Feb 11, 2014 at 10:43 AM
mogud
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p.1 #15 · p.1 #15 · Canon 50mm 1.2 sharpness question


Have you shown your test shots to Canon? Did you confirm that you are using a filter or no filter? If you are using a filter with the 50L, I would take the filter off.

I own this lens and while this lens is not the 24-70 II as far as sharpness is concerned, it does produce some rather sharp images even wide open which I have done many times.

I suggest that you return the lens to Canon and include your test shots. What "within range" means is that Canon won't recalibrate the lens if it is within a particular tolerence specific to the lens. Mine back focused slightly and I did have Canon re-calibrate the lens and they did confirm it was back-focusing. Once re-calibrated, it needs no AFMA.

Hope you can get things resolved as my 50L is one of my most used lenses.



Feb 11, 2014 at 10:48 AM
remoras
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p.1 #16 · p.1 #16 · Canon 50mm 1.2 sharpness question


mogud wrote:
Have you shown your test shots to Canon? Did you confirm that you are using a filter or no filter? If you are using a filter with the 50L, I would take the filter off.

I own this lens and while this lens is not the 24-70 II as far as sharpness is concerned, it does produce some rather sharp images even wide open which I have done many times.

I suggest that you return the lens to Canon and include your test shots. What "within range" means is that Canon won't recalibrate the lens if it is within a particular tolerence
...Show more


Hey mogud,
I also love 50mm. But I am not in love with my 50mm 1.2 which is unfortunate. I have always been a big fan of 50mm.
I do not use filters on any of my lenses. A few years ago I did buy UV filters for all my lenses and now they have been laying around. I should sell the filters because I do not use them anymore.

I also have the 24-70 II and I have to agree that it is very very sharp. I own a lot of the Canon primes and I am happy with all of them except with the 50mm.

Tomorrow I will redo the test manually focusing.

I have never been a fan of 3rd party lenses. But the new sigma looks promising. It is very possible that I will swap.



Feb 11, 2014 at 10:55 AM
arize84
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p.1 #17 · p.1 #17 · Canon 50mm 1.2 sharpness question


I have owned this lens twice; and it will never win awards for sharpness. It renders beautifully but I would not use it for landscapes. It's a people documentary lens. The AF mechanism is also not always reliable. The Sigma 50 1.4 is much more clinically sharp with noticeable increase in resolution but it does not render as artistically as the 50L


Feb 11, 2014 at 11:18 AM
Shield
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p.1 #18 · p.1 #18 · Canon 50mm 1.2 sharpness question


arize84 wrote:
I have owned this lens twice; and it will never win awards for sharpness. It renders beautifully but I would not use it for landscapes. It's a people documentary lens. The AF mechanism is also not always reliable. The Sigma 50 1.4 is much more clinically sharp with noticeable increase in resolution but it does not render as artistically as the 50L


The AF on the 50L has to be far more consistent than the Sigma 50. I owned the latter in a different mount and it was all over the place AF-wise...



Feb 11, 2014 at 11:25 AM
panicatnabisco
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p.1 #19 · p.1 #19 · Canon 50mm 1.2 sharpness question


I was going to post a long write up about the 50L but I realized just saying "Its a 50L, its just how it is" just sums it up. Expecting it to behave like a normal lens is where the problem starts

remoras wrote:
Mikael,
I can't believe so many people are happy with this lens


So many people shoot other things than test charts



Feb 11, 2014 at 12:07 PM
remoras
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p.1 #20 · p.1 #20 · Canon 50mm 1.2 sharpness question


panicatnabisco wrote:
I was going to post a long write up about the 50L but I realized just saying "Its a 50L, its just how it is" just sums it up. Expecting it to behave like a normal lens is where the problem starts

So many people shoot other things than test charts


I sense that you feel that you are being targeted
I am glad that you are happy with the lens but the subject should not matter. I want to test if the lens is sharp, I could have used a person or any other object to do the testing.



Feb 11, 2014 at 12:12 PM
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