•Hands-On• EF 50/1.2L

FM Forum Rules
Canon SLRs, primes, and zooms lenses reviews

FM Forums \| Canon-mount SLRs \| Join Upload & Sell	Search Used
1 2 3 … 62 63 64 … 67 68 end

Archive 2006 · •Hands-On• EF 50/1.2L

mbailey
Offline
Upload & Sell: Off

p.63 #1 · •Hands-On• EF 50/1.2L

Now F/2.8

Feb 18, 2007 at 11:11 PM

mbailey
Offline
Upload & Sell: Off

p.63 #2 · •Hands-On• EF 50/1.2L

As you can see, the lens hit the target at f/1.2 in the extreme forward portion of the DOF. At f/2.8 the lens missed the target slightly with the DOF starting ~2mm behind the target. Both lenses were the same here. Now here is the wrinkle, which I have mentioned before. If I changed from the center point to one of the minor points on my 5D, the DOF is much better centered around the target. This is at f/2.8 with my lens.

Feb 18, 2007 at 11:16 PM

mbailey
Offline
Upload & Sell: Off

p.63 #3 · •Hands-On• EF 50/1.2L

Iam going to stick a shot from the same camera, same position, using a 50mm f/1.4 here as a control. The f will be 2.8.

Feb 18, 2007 at 11:21 PM

mbailey
Offline
Upload & Sell: Off

p.63 #4 · •Hands-On• EF 50/1.2L

Now I will move to the fabled battery test. The target is the second battery on the left. The range is less than 1 meter. The first shot is the 50L at f/1.2

Feb 18, 2007 at 11:27 PM

mbailey
Offline
Upload & Sell: Off

p.63 #5 · •Hands-On• EF 50/1.2L

As you can see, the 50L nailed the target at f/1.2. The f/2.8 shot is also a hit but is less of slam-dunk. The third battery is just about as good in focus as the second. Some may feel the third battery is actually in a little better focus than the second.
F/2.8

Feb 18, 2007 at 11:29 PM

mbailey
Offline
Upload & Sell: Off

p.63 #6 · •Hands-On• EF 50/1.2L

If you had any doubt about back-focusing in the last pic, this should answer it. This is again shot at f/2.8 using a minor focus point instead of the center point.
Perfect eh?

Feb 18, 2007 at 11:34 PM

mbailey
Offline
Upload & Sell: Off

p.63 #7 · •Hands-On• EF 50/1.2L

Again as a control, I will throw in a shot from the 50f/1.4 shot at f/2.8. No surprises here...EDIT - Notice that focused correctly the 50L is hair sharper than the 50 f/1.4.

Edited by mbailey on Feb 18, 2007 at 09:41 PM GMT

Feb 18, 2007 at 11:38 PM

Radiohead
Offline
Upload & Sell: Off

p.63 #8 · •Hands-On• EF 50/1.2L

Very interesting - am I right in thinking the potential for a firmware fix arises.

Feb 18, 2007 at 11:40 PM

Radiohead
Offline
Upload & Sell: Off

p.63 #9 · •Hands-On• EF 50/1.2L

Very interesting - am I right in thinking the potential for a firmware fix arises.

Feb 18, 2007 at 11:41 PM

ward1066
Offline
Upload & Sell: On

p.63 #10 · •Hands-On• EF 50/1.2L

which minor point are you using? The one to just the right or left of center? and are you still using that point centered on the battery when you AF? thanks

Feb 18, 2007 at 11:42 PM

mbailey
Offline
Upload & Sell: Off

p.63 #11 · •Hands-On• EF 50/1.2L

Ok, I shifted gears here to try something I had not done before. I had read on Castleman that as you moved away from minimum focus range the back-focusing problem resolved. I chose to shoot at 1.5m on Coke bottles. Again the target is the second bottle from the left. We start at f/1.2

Edited by mbailey on Feb 18, 2007 at 06:52 PM GMT

Edited by mbailey on Feb 18, 2007 at 06:54 PM GMT

Feb 18, 2007 at 11:45 PM

mbailey
Offline
Upload & Sell: Off

p.63 #12 · •Hands-On• EF 50/1.2L

Well, it looks like it missed at f/1.2. Now look at f/2.8 also a miss. This is getting to be prime single portrait range at 1.5m!

Feb 18, 2007 at 11:48 PM

mbailey
Offline
Upload & Sell: Off

p.63 #13 · •Hands-On• EF 50/1.2L

For fairness I included the 50 f/1.4 shot at f/2.8. It also back focused some on this target so this may not be an easy target to hit. I dont know why...

Feb 18, 2007 at 11:57 PM

mbailey
Offline
Upload & Sell: Off

p.63 #14 · •Hands-On• EF 50/1.2L

I moved back to ~2m and shot again with the 50L at f/2.8. The back-focusing seems to be fading out at this distance.

Feb 19, 2007 at 12:00 AM

mbailey
Offline
Upload & Sell: Off

p.63 #15 · •Hands-On• EF 50/1.2L

I then thought this may just be a difficult focusing scenario that I have inadvertantly created. I wonder if the 85L could resolve these bottles at 1.5m. First shot 85L at f/1.2...

Feb 19, 2007 at 12:11 AM

mbailey
Offline
Upload & Sell: Off

p.63 #16 · •Hands-On• EF 50/1.2L

Here is the 85L at f/2.8. I guess that answers that. The 50L being in the same price range as the 85L should have resolved the bottles.
85L f/2.8

Feb 19, 2007 at 12:13 AM

ghuff
Offline
Upload & Sell: On

p.63 #17 · •Hands-On• EF 50/1.2L

Hi mbailey,

Thanks for doing the tests! Looks lots like what I have seen from all the copies I have tested also. (5 of them tested now)

I was in Dallas earlier this week and a local store there had a UV0101 and UU1000 lens that they let me test. I set up a battery test along with a high contrast box target and used center point AF (the center point AF was targeted on the Black portion of the Canon Close Up Lens box). Here is an f/2.8 shot (cropped) from the UV0101 lens.

The third battery from the left was aligned exactly with the face of the Canon Close Up Lens box. As you can see, the lettering on the second battery from the left was much closer to being in focus. It was approx 1" behind the third battery and the focus target. The total distance from the target for this shot was about 30 inches...

And yep....I'm waiting for what I hope will be a firmware fix before I buy another lens...

This image is copyrighted by the owner

Feb 19, 2007 at 12:14 AM

mbailey
Offline
Upload & Sell: Off

p.63 #18 · •Hands-On• EF 50/1.2L

After I totally disgusted myself with these results, I asked myself I wonder what the 50L would do on my XT? Boy was I surprised...
Focus chart at f/4.0

Feb 19, 2007 at 12:19 AM

mbailey
Offline
Upload & Sell: Off

p.63 #19 · •Hands-On• EF 50/1.2L

XT+50L at f/2.8 - Battery test

Feb 19, 2007 at 12:20 AM

mbailey
Offline
Upload & Sell: Off

p.63 #20 · •Hands-On• EF 50/1.2L

Bottle test at 1.5m. XT+50L at f/1.2

Feb 19, 2007 at 12:23 AM

mbailey
Offline
Upload & Sell: Off

p.63 #21 · •Hands-On• EF 50/1.2L

Bottle test at 1.5m. XT+50L at f/2.8

Feb 19, 2007 at 12:24 AM

mbailey
Offline
Upload & Sell: Off

p.63 #22 · •Hands-On• EF 50/1.2L

I guess if you are having trouble with your 50L you just need to get an XT!!

After wracking my brain it seems that the 50L has a problem focusing using the precision points (ie center point on 5D) which sensitive to f/2.8 and faster lenses. The minor points are sensitive to f5.6. To my knowledge the XT only has non-precision f/5.6 type points. This seems very likely a software issue and maybe could be fixed with a firmware adjustment to the body or lens. I will post a few more conclusions later

I hope I got all the photos in the right holes. If you spot an error, please let me know.

Feb 19, 2007 at 12:33 AM

ghuff
Offline
Upload & Sell: On

p.63 #23 · •Hands-On• EF 50/1.2L

Hi mbailey,

My 350D also did much better, but I still could get it to fail....except it failed on further distances...like 48", instead of something in the 20s...

You might try your 50Ls and 350D with further distance tests, using center point AF and see how it comes out.

Bottom line...I still think there is still something amiss with the way the focus sensors / firmware handle this lens...

Feb 19, 2007 at 12:37 AM

mbailey
Offline
Upload & Sell: Off

p.63 #24 · •Hands-On• EF 50/1.2L

ward1066 wrote:
which minor point are you using? The one to just the right or left of center? and are you still using that point centered on the battery when you AF? thanks

Iam using the lower point (below the center point) which is centered on the battery. But you can use any of the minor points on the 5D and get these results assuming the point you use is centered on the target.

Feb 19, 2007 at 02:44 AM

mbailey
Offline
Upload & Sell: Off

p.63 #25 · •Hands-On• EF 50/1.2L

ghuff wrote:
Hi mbailey,

My 350D also did much better, but I still could get it to fail....except it failed on further distances...like 48", instead of something in the 20s...

You might try your 50Ls and 350D with further distance tests, using center point AF and see how it comes out.

Bottom line...I still think there is still something amiss with the way the focus sensors / firmware handle this lens...

Gary - Thanks for the input. I will try the XT from further than 1.5m.

Feb 19, 2007 at 02:52 AM


FM Forums \| Canon-mount SLRs \| Join Upload & Sell 1 2 3 … 62 63 64 … 67 68 end