35/1.4 – This is ridiculous

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Archive 2008 · 35/1.4 – This is ridiculous

rachp
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p.3 #1 · 35/1.4 – This is ridiculous

Tentacle wrote:
Yakim Peled wrote:

[...]

If I'll write my real opinion on the screen at 10X I'll get banned from here. Politely I'll say that I find it marginally adequate at 5X.

And BTW, yes, I have tried it. I find it to be of limited help in handholding.

Granted, the screen itself isn't tack sharp, but I found it easy to find the point of maximum sharpness. YMMV I guess

10x may not be ideal for handholding but I agree with Tentacle on finding that sharpness. I think it is a great feature. Now, I just need the 85 f1.2

Jan 23, 2008 at 02:07 PM

borderlight
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p.3 #2 · 35/1.4 – This is ridiculous

Wrong lens, f-stop, and distance. Lenses set at f1.2 and 1.4 must be used with caution, and they do require some practice if you want to take full advantage their low light capabilities.

Jan 23, 2008 at 02:38 PM

cprofit
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p.3 #3 · 35/1.4 – This is ridiculous

When shooting with the 85L or 35L wide open I always toggle the focus points on the joystick. I set up the shot, light up the focus point on eye, and press the shutter. Works great on a crop or FF camera.

Jan 23, 2008 at 05:19 PM

elliotkramer
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p.3 #4 · 35/1.4 – This is ridiculous

I think you are focused well in front of the eye and the lashes in focus are part of the DOF. There is more DOF than you are showing. I use the lens all the time.

Jan 23, 2008 at 07:54 PM

rbraun
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p.3 #5 · 35/1.4 – This is ridiculous

Yakim. screw it. just shoot with reckless abandon and one of the shots will be good enough.

Jan 23, 2008 at 07:58 PM

Yakim Peled
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p.3 #6 · 35/1.4 – This is ridiculous

rbraun wrote:
Yakim. screw it. just shoot with reckless abandon and one of the shots will be good enough.

Sadly I'm too deeply rooted in the film days (i.e. think a lot and carefully compose before pressing the shutter button) to do that. I think this dog is too old to learn new tricks…

Happy shooting,
Yakim.

Jan 24, 2008 at 06:54 AM

Photon
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p.3 #7 · 35/1.4 – This is ridiculous

Yakim Peled wrote:
Russ and Jess, It's not that I am inexperienced in photography in general or with fast lenses in particular. It's just that I feel like I'm back on square one. It reminds me what my Kong-Fu teacher said to me once. After several years I got a brown sash and was telling him that I feel that I am up to my knees in water and see a vast ocean in front of me (i.e. I had a lot more to learn). I asked him how it would be with a black sash. He replied: "It's like only your tiptoes are in the water".

Happy shooting,
Yakim.

It's always like that! It's very much the same in music.

Aug 26, 2008 at 02:45 AM

Yakim Peled
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p.3 #8 · 35/1.4 – This is ridiculous

I guess you are right. Although I shoot for many years, I still find myself looking at pictures and saying to myself: "How on earth could I make such a silly mistake?" Luckily, there are not many of those….

Happy shooting,
Yakim.

Aug 26, 2008 at 06:03 AM

DoubleNegative
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p.3 #9 · 35/1.4 – This is ridiculous

Welcome to ƒ/1.4...

Aug 26, 2008 at 02:49 PM

outlawyer
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p.3 #10 · 35/1.4 – This is ridiculous

I know the 35 is fabulous at 1.4, but don't miss out on all its other apertures. It is more than a one trick pony.

Shane

So true. There's no reason to limit yourself to less than 10% of the lens's abilities, in my book anyway

Oct 31, 2008 at 05:39 PM

kidtexas
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p.3 #11 · 35/1.4 – This is ridiculous

Yeah, use the 35 at a smaller aperture. You say you want to use it at 1.4 but you don't like the results (in this case). Stop down then and get a picture that you like *with* a DOF that you like too. Who cares if its 1.4 or 2.2?

Oct 31, 2008 at 06:45 PM

sivrajbm
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p.3 #12 · 35/1.4 – This is ridiculous

joekraft wrote:
Yakim
Are you aware there are online resources that tell you the DOF you are working with given the shooting variables? : http://www.dofmaster.com/dofjs.html

Expoimaging makes some pocket guides I picked up recently but haven't had a chance to use yet. They look a little complex, but I am hoping that after a few uses the DOF calculations get a little more reflexive for me.

Thanks for the DOF links, very useful for myself and explaining DOF to others...
Thanks again

Oct 31, 2008 at 10:45 PM

Luis Pacheco
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p.3 #13 · 35/1.4 – This is ridiculous

Yakim
This is not ridiculous!
I understand you like no other. I bought a 35mm 1.4L and after getting it I was also less than thrilled (vis-a-vis my 17-55mm f2.8).
Jimmy Ho is right but nevertheless ...
I quit and I sold my 35mm. But may be I could have tried harder!
Yakim, just don't quit.
Happy shooting (with your 35mm)
Luis Pacheco

Nov 01, 2008 at 02:31 PM

Liscia
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p.3 #14 · 35/1.4 – This is ridiculous

With your dedication to improve I'm sure you'll soon become comfortable
shooting fast lenses at or near WO. I always enjoy reading your posts and
your comment about "How on earth....." applies to all of us, even the best.
Congratulations, your 35L will serve you well.

Nov 01, 2008 at 03:05 PM

Mike1
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p.3 #15 · 35/1.4 – This is ridiculous

Yakim, it's a 1.4 aperture lens, it takes a while to master it, just like the 85 f1.2, f1.8, the 50 f1.2, f1.4, & f1.0, you're playing with a lot of variables. Just have some fun experimenting with it.

Nov 01, 2008 at 03:28 PM

retrofocus
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p.3 #16 · 35/1.4 – This is ridiculous

Congrats, finally somebody is realizing that is is a simple user issue to handle this shallow DoF correctly! I only use MF every time I take photos at f1.4 with my Canon 50 mm f1.4 lens. AF ist too unreliable at such wide open apertures, especially with amateur DSLR cameras.

Nov 01, 2008 at 04:01 PM

bluetsunami
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p.3 #17 · 35/1.4 – This is ridiculous

I shoot with a 50mm f/1.4 on a Rebel XT and yeah, even when the I focus on something that the camera should bang out easily, it'll hunt a bit or lock on but not correctly. Don't have this issue when stopped down.

Even on the Rebel XT, I'll try to eyeball it with AF lock on then tweak with with MF>

Nov 01, 2008 at 04:06 PM

retrofocus
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p.3 #18 · 35/1.4 – This is ridiculous

bluetsunami wrote:
I shoot with a 50mm f/1.4 on a Rebel XT and yeah, even when the I focus on something that the camera should bang out easily, it'll hunt a bit or lock on but not correctly. Don't have this issue when stopped down.

Even on the Rebel XT, I'll try to eyeball it with AF lock on then tweak with with MF>

Fully agree. I made the same experience with this combination (Rebel XT+50 f1.4). Stopped down at f>2.0 AF works very reliable. The combination of locking the AF at open apertures and then tweaking with MF works, too.

Nov 01, 2008 at 04:24 PM

sirimiri
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p.3 #19 · 35/1.4 – This is ridiculous

akovacsi wrote:

Excuse me here, but I too admitted a while ago that I started having erectile dysfunction problems (after finding out my imaginary Canon 1D Mark III has AF issues) and yet, no one came up to me and patted me on the back complementing me on how manly man I was...
Canon uses ED glass!!! :-)

And to Yakim, that's great that you are improving with your "familiarity" with then lens' features. I bought about three lenses in a very short time due to rebates last year, and truth be told sometimes I feel (still) like there might be an issue or two with them, for instance, MFD, but I don't use all of them enough to get familiar as quickly as I'd like.

It's good that you posted about it.

Nov 01, 2008 at 05:03 PM

timster
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p.3 #20 · 35/1.4 – This is ridiculous

I've shot with a 5D and 35L for about two and half years now.

f/1.4 is downright amazing, no kidding. When you need all the available light, its good to have f/1.4 to fall back on.

But I've also come around to the fact that photos are more contrasty, sharper, and colorful if you stop it down a wee bit.. f/1.8 - f/2.2, and you don't lose too much DOF either. You also have a bigger margin of error when it comes to nailing focus.

So now when I have the light to spare, I'll stop it down to f/1.8 - 2.2.

Nov 01, 2008 at 05:29 PM

philber
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p.3 #21 · 35/1.4 – This is ridiculous

I carry around a DOF calculator in the form of "photocalc" software (there are others as well), which I bought on the Apple Appstore and downloaded to my iPhone. It is a nice way to have it with me without bringing another gizmo. It tells me that your DOF was 2", i.e. some of your shot was going to be OOF. Now, I love my 35L, and shoot it at all apertures. Are you saying that a 24-105L is going to be exactly the same at 35mm and f:4.0 and above? Beause if that is the case, I need to revisit my monogamous relationship with primes...
And thanks for the thread!

Nov 01, 2008 at 06:05 PM

bobbytan
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p.3 #22 · 35/1.4 – This is ridiculous

Yakim, are you aware that you can stop down and use a smaller aperture? Okay, I am just trying to be funny here. But just because you CAN shoot at f1.4 does not mean that you HAVE to shoot at f1.4. I bought the 85L II and shoot at f2 most of the time .... as I usually need a little more DOF than what I can get with f1.2 and f1.4. Remember too that you normally get the best sharpness and resolution when you stop any lens down by about a couple of stops. And I like the fact that with f1.2 and f1.4 lenses you have a brighter/clearer VF so you can focus and compose better. And when you really need the speed, it's there for you. Shooting a little further away from your subject will give you more DOF - so that's a workaround.

Nov 01, 2008 at 08:04 PM

lindabrowne
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p.3 #23 · 35/1.4 – This is ridiculous

Is anyone aware this is a very old thread brought back to life? I wonder how Yakim is doing with this lens now. Nice images and good points in this thread.

Nov 01, 2008 at 10:34 PM

anthonygh
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p.3 #24 · 35/1.4 – This is ridiculous

shrink1 wrote:
hey, that's nothing! try the 50mm 1.2, and then, to top it off the 85mm 1.2. DOF is so narrow, you have to focus on a single eyelash...

Starts to sound ridiculous when you think about it..surely the purpose of a camera lens is to make it possible to take good images..not set massive technical challenges?

I have the 50mm1.4 and I have stopped using it below 2.8..I’m not interested in the pin sharp single eyelash!!

Nov 02, 2008 at 12:06 AM

Mike1
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p.3 #25 · 35/1.4 – This is ridiculous

lindabrowne wrote:
Is anyone aware this is a very old thread brought back to life? I wonder how Yakim is doing with this lens now. Nice images and good points in this thread.

Now that I've checked the date of the 1st post, you're right!!!

Nov 02, 2008 at 05:00 AM


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