What would you be looking for in a 50mm L that the f/1.4 doesn't give you?

What other lens is an ideal portarit lens on a 20d? zoom or prime?

Opinion would be very much sort. Thanks in advance

Dig up the formerly stickied 50/1.2L topic, it will be a few pages back, hit the "Print post" button and scroll through the massive topic to get an impression.

What's best for your idea of portrait shooting ... well, it depends on your ideas about portraiture. 35, 50 and 85 mm works. Some even like 135 or 200 mm. If you have space to move with your feet, you can easily work with primes. If space is a constraint, or if flexibility is essential, then of course a zoom is the more practical solution.

The main advantage of the L lens is probably better build quality, weather-proofing etc rather than the slight speed increase. From what I've read, there doesn't appear to be a significant difference in image quality or speed of focusing between these two. In fact the f1.4 might have be sharper at f2.8 and below.

Oh, and of course the L is a lot more expensive

From my experience, a month, with the EF50/1.2L not only build, bulk, weight and price differs. The 50L is the better lens, to my taste, when comparing the rendering of the OOF parts of pictures. This is valid for highlights as well as for other things normally screaming for attention. The 50L draws these softer and with less double lining. Other differences is the higher contrast at large aperture openings and much less flare/ghosting.

These differences are easy to detect and I don't think you an exclusive eye or years of lens testing to see it.

For absolute sharpness, or resolution/contrast, at the lenses sweet spots i don't see any difference. It may even be that the EF50/1.4 is "sharper" at some aperture values. I don't know as I only have the 5D to use them with. What I do know is that the difference is nothing to care about for me the way I take pictures. The other differences are of much greater value. If they are worth the price difference is up to the user to decide.

The big drawback with the 50L is that the AF is a hit or miss operation. My impression is that the AF function differs depending on distance, light and what aperture you are using. At f/1.2 it is often okey. Stopping down a bit sometimes makes things go wrong, but not always.

(the usual disclaimer: That is my experience with my copy used with my camera. My 5D has no problems focusing with the 50/1.4, 35/1.4 or 85/1.8.)

The image quality differences are minimal. Sharpness is nearly the same in much of the aperture range. However, the 50L color is better unmolested, and most notably there is much less vignetting wide open on the 50L. It also has a far superior feel, build quality, USM, can do f1.2 (1/3rd stop faster), and the bokeh is different and smoother at all aperture ranges. The only area I could find a notable difference is focusing at or near infinity wide-open -- the 50L was sharp and clear, where as the 50 f1.4 has a purplish haze that clouds all detail.

I like the new 50L a lot, but for many I could see it not being worth the extra $1300.

Jonas B wrote:
The big drawback with the 50L is that the AF is a hit or miss operation. My impression is that the AF function differs depending on distance, light and what aperture you are using. At f/1.2 it is often okey. Stopping down a bit sometimes makes things go wrong, but not always.

(the usual disclaimer: That is my experience with my copy used with my camera. My 5D has no problems focusing with the 50/1.4, 35/1.4 or 85/1.8.)

Please correct me if I am wrong... I thought the AF is done with the max aperture and not based on what the user sets it.. coz the aperture closes only when the actual shot is taken...

Joseph C J wrote:
Jonas B wrote:
The big drawback with the 50L is that the AF is a hit or miss operation. My impression is that the AF function differs depending on distance, light and what aperture you are using. At f/1.2 it is often okey. Stopping down a bit sometimes makes things go wrong, but not always.

(the usual disclaimer: That is my experience with my copy used with my camera. My 5D has no problems focusing with the 50/1.4, 35/1.4 or 85/1.8.)

Please correct me if I am wrong... I thought the AF is done with the max aperture and not based on what the user sets it.. coz the aperture closes only when the actual shot is taken...


The AF action is, as always, done with the lens open. You are not wrong. It's the lens that seems "wrong" to me.

Maybe there is a small focus shift with different aperture openings? When focusing close the DOF is not big enough to cover up for small shifts? I haven't looked into this in detail and cannot explain in detail what my copy does. I know it misbehaves, and that also at distances around 1-3 meters where it often back focuses. When taking a f71.2 picture of a focus test chart everything is fine. Some rainy day I'll have a closer look.

In the end I reall like the lens, it has became my most used and I'm not interested in going back to the EF50/1.4. The pictures are great, when focused.

Joseph C J wrote:
Please correct me if I am wrong... I thought the AF is done with the max aperture and not based on what the user sets it.. coz the aperture closes only when the actual shot is taken...

check the •Hands-On• EF 50/1.2L thread, then skip to somewhere around page 150 and go from there.   you can read about the AF problem and discoveries we've had with this lens.

-erik

If it was $1000 not $1600 I would already own the lens. I have the 50/1.4 and it's a fine lens, better on my 5D than my previous 300D.

I would be looking for:
Creamier bokeh
Much better flare control
The extra light
More secure focusing
Better build
Better contrast
In general what differs an L from a consumer lens.

The 50L has gotten a lot of bashing because the 50/1.4 is actually quite good lens. Never heard people bashing the 85L because the 85/1.8 almost equally sharp at f/1.8 or has faster focusing. It doesn't matter. L glass is not only about sharpness. It's the total package.

The internal focussing would be the main reason why I'd buy that lens. My 50 1.4 already broke twice... Focussing issues... The ring would jam and the motor would be clueless... Even MF wouldn't work.