50mm - "Bokeh Machine..."

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Archive 2008 · 50mm - "Bokeh Machine..."

krobatshov
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p.1 #1 · 50mm - "Bokeh Machine..."

Being in search for a lens capable of producing "nice" bokeh, I'm not sure which of the above mentioned lenses to get - my fav. is the zeiss 50 1.4, but reviews seem to be rare, since it's new...

How about the canon lenses? The lens will be used on the 1d3 for "fun"/conceptional purposes, no commercial work, no pixel peeping etc... - what's important to me is clear rings / great bokeh - MF is not a problem in my case...

thanks for your help,

Dec 14, 2008 at 12:02 AM

UCDEngBoss
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p.1 #2 · 50mm - "Bokeh Machine..."

I have not used any lens on your list except the Canon EF 50mm f1.8 II. The bokeh is not very good. With only 5 aperture blades it is anything but creamy. It has been noticeably distracting in many of my photos. Hope this helps.

Dec 14, 2008 at 12:09 AM

colinm
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p.1 #3 · 50mm - "Bokeh Machine..."

Not the EF 50/1.8.

It's only got 5 aperture leaves and generates absolutely hideous patterns. Not a big deal if your backgrounds are nice and understated, but if you've got light in the background it becomes nasty quickly.

Dec 14, 2008 at 12:11 AM

DIS Ottawa
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p.1 #4 · 50mm - "Bokeh Machine..."

Sigma 50 1.4. See the thread started by Yakim Peled where he compares the Sigma and the Canon 1.4 and 1.8.

Dec 14, 2008 at 12:14 AM

Mike Tuomey
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p.1 #5 · 50mm - "Bokeh Machine..."

50L - it's up there with the 85L, imho. but such a price ...

Dec 14, 2008 at 12:25 AM

sboerup
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p.1 #6 · 50mm - "Bokeh Machine..."

50L is only worth it's bokeh. I wouldn't have bought it if it didn't have 85L like bokeh. It's fast, but not terribly sharp wide open, and suffers from mild CA wide open as well. But, the bokeh is what you are paying for. Not much competes with it: 85L, 200 f/2L, 135L

Dec 14, 2008 at 12:29 AM

Lotusm50
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p.1 #7 · 50mm - "Bokeh Machine..."

Tomioka/Yashinon/Richenon/Revuenon/Cosina 55mm f1.2

some like the Rokkor 58 f1.2. The Zeiss ZF/ZE 50/1.4 is fairly decent but doesn't provide the best bokeh in all situations. The Zeiss ZF/ZE 50/2.0 Makro-Planar, however, is noticeably better and excellent in as situations.

If you like spending a lot of money there is always a Summilux, not to mention the Zeiss 55 f1.2 Jahre.

On the other end of the cost spectrum, some of the East German and Russian standard lenses, while not particularly sharp, can deliver quite nice bokeh.

Dec 14, 2008 at 12:37 AM

RobertLynn
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p.1 #8 · 50mm - "Bokeh Machine..."

I actually like the bokeh from my nifty fifty.

Dec 14, 2008 at 06:00 AM

Lance Couture
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p.1 #9 · 50mm - "Bokeh Machine..."

RobertLynn wrote:
I actually like the bokeh from my nifty fifty.

Have you shot it wide open with say, trees in the background, Robert?

It actually has pretty nervous bokeh. One reason I ditched it and went with the 1.4 version.

I would go with the Sigma, but with all of the front/back focus horror stories... eh... no thanks.

Dec 14, 2008 at 06:27 AM

mh2000
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p.1 #10 · 50mm - "Bokeh Machine..."

I like my 50/1.8 fine too... for what it is, while the EF 50/1.4 was more annoying to my eyes (even with a few more aperture blades).

Yeah, the 50L and Sigma 50 look great for bokeh... I think the Zeiss will be harsh.

Leica Summicron and Summilux are both nice on my eyes. The Super-Takumar 50 is pretty as well.

And back to Canon, both the TS-E 45 and 24-70L are very nice for bokeh IMO. I think the TS-E 45 is a real sleeper lens (maybe because so many people find a normal lens boring... unless it is f1.2).

Dec 14, 2008 at 06:31 AM

cdgerston
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p.1 #11 · 50mm - "Bokeh Machine..."

The Sigma 50 f/1.4. It's among the best I've ever used.

Dec 14, 2008 at 06:34 AM

mh2000
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p.1 #12 · 50mm - "Bokeh Machine..."

EF 50/1.8 wide open with a tree in the background:

This image is copyrighted by the owner

I've shot both the EF 1.4 and 1.8 extensively... both are a mixed bag. The way the nervousness from the 1.4 is rendered annoys me much more than the way it gets rendered in the 1.8 somehow... Neither is a "bokeh star."

Dec 14, 2008 at 06:35 AM

Karokan
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p.1 #13 · 50mm - "Bokeh Machine..."

I had a canon 50 f1.4. took it to B&H to compare with the ZE. bought the ZE. Sold the canon the next day. But now im having nightmares with MF

Dec 14, 2008 at 06:38 AM

philber
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p.1 #14 · 50mm - "Bokeh Machine..."

Karokan wrote:
I had a canon 50 f1.4. took it to B&H to compare with the ZE. bought the ZE. Sold the canon the next day.

+1

Same here. Had Canon 50mm f:1.4 and 85mm f:1.8, and now own 2 CZ ZEs. They outperform the Canons in every respect, and nowhere as much as wide open.
But be ready that focus confirm "only" works for me some 65% of the time, meaning I have to "hunt" back and forth with the focus ring a couple of times around the focus point until I get the AF of my 40D to confirm.
I compared the CZ 50mm to my beloved 35L, and, for me, the IQ of the Zeiss is at least as high, and it definitely has more contrast

Dec 14, 2008 at 07:08 AM

Drew_Persson
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p.1 #15 · 50mm - "Bokeh Machine..."

It's a personal thing, but I much prefer the Sigma 50mm f/1.4 to the Canon f/1.4.

Dec 14, 2008 at 08:01 AM

Steve Spencer
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p.1 #16 · 50mm - "Bokeh Machine..."

I voted for other. I think the Minolta Rokkor 58mm f/1.2 has the nicest bokeh. If you go to the alternative gear forum and look at the admirable blur thread you will see many examples. You can also look up information on how to convert this lens to Canon mount as well.

Dec 14, 2008 at 01:16 PM

gravy graffix
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p.1 #17 · 50mm - "Bokeh Machine..."

here is a example like stated above, while nervous, i actually liked the effect i got.

50mm 1.8

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Dec 14, 2008 at 02:17 PM

gravy graffix
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p.1 #18 · 50mm - "Bokeh Machine..."

wow sorry about the size, not sure why it came up like that

Dec 14, 2008 at 02:20 PM

PetKal
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p.1 #19 · 50mm - "Bokeh Machine..."

mh2000 wrote:
EF 50/1.8 wide open with a tree in the background:

That's an exceptionally fine portrait, hopefully exemplifying a notion that good non-commercial photography doesn't hinge on gear prices nor manic postprocessing.

Dec 14, 2008 at 03:24 PM

Tom Abbott
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p.1 #20 · 50mm - "Bokeh Machine..."

PetKal wrote:
mh2000 wrote:
EF 50/1.8 wide open with a tree in the background:

That's an exceptionally fine portrait, hopefully exemplifying a notion that good non-commercial photography doesn't hinge on gear prices nor manic postprocessing.

While the pic is nice, It looks postprocessed to me.

Dec 14, 2008 at 03:30 PM

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