Digital darkroom
about | support
home
 

 

Canon EF 35mm f/1.4L USM Post a Review
Reviews Views Date of last review
168 328935 Mar 31, 2003
Recommended By Average Price
96% of reviewers $1,157.28
Build Quality Rating Price Rating Overall Rating
9.41
8.28
9.5
ef_35_14_1_

Description:
L-series professional f/1.4 wide-angle lens with an aspherical lens element to correct aberrations. The floating system enables high picture quality to be obtained over the entire focusing range. Autofocusing is quick and quiet with rear focusing and ring USM. Full-time manual focusing is also possible.

Focal Length & Maximum Aperture: 35mm 1:1.4
Lens Construction: 11 elements in 9 groups
Diagonal Angle of View: 63°
Focus Adjustment: Rear focusing system with USM
Closest Focusing Distance: 0.3m / 1 ft.
Filter Size: 72mm
Max. Diameter x Length, Weight: 3.1" x 3.4", 20.5 oz. / 79.0 x 86.0mm, 580g
Keywords: EF 35mm f/1.4L USM
Darkroom software:
Stair Interpolation  PC | Mac Intellisharpen II  PC | Mac Dynamic Range Increase  PC | Mac
BW Workflow Pro PC | Mac FM Frames PC/Mac Noise Reducer (ISOx Pro) PC | Mac
Velvia Vision PC | Mac Web Presenter Pro PC | Mac Warm-Cool PC/Mac
Color Fringing RX PC | Mac Digital Soft Focus PC/Mac Color noise remover PC/Mac


 


Page:  1 · 2 · 3 · 4 · 5 · 6 · 7 · 8 · 9 · 10 · 11>  next
   
maiaibing
Offline
Image Upload: Off

Registered: Jun 25, 2009
Location: Japan
Posts: 10
Review Date: Jan 8, 2010 Recommend? yes | Price paid: Not Indicated | Rating: 10 

 
Pros: colors, fast focus, build, bokeh,
Cons:

This lens delivers wonderful results. It is the perfect standard lens for a crop camera and it creates beautiful pictures on FF.

The bokeh is great, it's truely razor sharp from f/1.8 and only marginally soft wide open. It's focus is soundless and lightning fast.

I shoot mainly portraits with the 35L wide open and at f/1.6.and people are really impressed. Have also had many pictures published in all kinds of media from book covers over newspapers to TV with this lens.

Did I mention that the colors are deep and saturated too?

It can go close and take pictures at available light from amazing perspectives. For indoor use is shines at taking pictures of family and friends with both crop and FF.

Of all my lenses it is the one I will always bring along - and the one I use the most. It's worth every cent you pay for it.

It may show some CA, PF etc. wide open as others have mentioned, but so does the 50L, 85L and the 135L (a sacrifice made to improve the bokeh). For this reason I often tend to shoot @ f/1.6 for just a little better colors and contrast.

The 35mm 2.0 is a close as Pluto when it comes to functionality and image IQ.


Jan 8, 2010
View profile View recent posts Add maiaibing to your Buddy List  
Sobax
Offline
Image Upload: Off



Registered: Mar 11, 2004
Location: Canada
Posts: 256
Review Date: Dec 20, 2009 Recommend? yes | Price paid: Not Indicated | Rating: 8 

 
Pros: Sharp even at 1.4, great colors and contrast.
Cons: 1st and 2nd copies with huge front focus....3rd perfect. Seems like there is some really bad copies on the market.

My advice: BUY IT LOCALLY ...not online....and DO NOT give it to Canon if you get bad copy...just go to the store and exchange. took me 7 weeks and 6 trips to Canon Service my 2nd copy (1st the same ) had a front focus....Canon service was not able to repair it...after 7 weeks the admit it and gave me new copy the 3rd one (which is great).
Cheers
Could be 10/10 but to much problems with those bad copies that I had.


Dec 20, 2009
View profile View recent posts Visit Homepage Add Sobax to your Buddy List  
2bruce
Offline
Image Upload: On



Registered: May 18, 2005
Location: United States
Posts: 262
Review Date: Dec 13, 2009 Recommend? | Price paid: $1,037.00

 
Pros: awesome colors, bokeh, low light, IQ,
Cons: none

this lens is amazing as a walkabout hard to beat on 5d mk 11
see shots
http://gallery.me.com/brucegilling#100441


Dec 13, 2009
View profile View recent posts Visit Homepage Add 2bruce to your Buddy List  
waterboiler
Offline
Image Upload: Off



Registered: Jun 15, 2005
Location: Canada
Posts: 132
Review Date: Dec 12, 2009 Recommend? yes | Price paid: Not Indicated | Rating: 10 

 
Pros: Speed, Image quality, Build, AF Speed
Cons: Only thing that held me back for year was price

I bought this lens for low light work and am very happy with it. I mostly use it for events - quite often with a bit of flash. For night / indoor events like wedding receptions, it is the 1st lens I break out on a FF body. You do need to be careful at f/1.4 - DOF is quite shallow so it does not work well for group shots close up but stop it down a bit for those situations.
I do like it as a general purpose walk-around lens. The speed is second to none and while I miss the range of my 24-105 zoom at times, I never get tired of the shots I get at f/1.4 in lower light situations. A lot of travel type shots are taken in locations with 'no flash' rules - this is the lens for those situations.
While expensive ( compared to the similar Canon 50/1.4 ) I suspect this is the price you pay for the image quality ( general & edge sharpness ) but I do find it a bit over priced.


Dec 12, 2009
View profile View recent posts Add waterboiler to your Buddy List  
vk2109
Offline
Image Upload: Off



Registered: Jan 5, 2005
Location: United States
Posts: 32
Review Date: Oct 13, 2009 Recommend? yes | Price paid: $1,299.00 | Rating: 10 

 
Pros: Build Quality, F1.4, Size, Bokeh and Color
Cons: Price I would say :-(

I got this lens as I wanted to have a low light prime lens. I used to shoot around 35-40mm with my 24-70L so I got this lens and wasn’t disappointed at all. The lens is really sharp and produces so nice colors. With this lens you can shoot in low light without bumping your ISO. I always keep it as a complement to my 24-70L. One thing that is hard to master at the beginning is the shallow depth of field and at F1.4 shooting family group photo isn’t the best solutions.

Overall it’s a great lens and you really feel you are holding a piece of rock (actually glass !!!)



Oct 13, 2009
View profile View recent posts Add vk2109 to your Buddy List  
bluefox9er
Offline
Image Upload: Off



Registered: May 10, 2007
Location: United Kingdom
Posts: 242
Review Date: Oct 11, 2009 Recommend? yes | Price paid: Not Indicated | Rating: 10 

 
Pros: sharp,sharp,sharp and low light dream come true
Cons: price..it's DISGUSTINGLY over priced

I stand by the many, many, many positve virtues of this lens..it's incredibly sharp wide open and renders the most amazing shots my camera has ever taken.

the *only* negative is the price. for some stupid reason canon hae otally over priced this lens..I am certain the pricing is set because it's a lens that a pro shooter would have and usually rite off on expenses, much like hiltons/sherratons etc charging $100 fo lunch etc.

phenomenal lens , but at price that makes you wonder how crazy this world has become


Oct 11, 2009
View profile View recent posts Visit Homepage Add bluefox9er to your Buddy List  
kelvinjayw
Offline
Image Upload: Off

Registered: Oct 6, 2009
Location: United Kingdom
Posts: 0
Review Date: Oct 6, 2009 Recommend? yes | Price paid: $1,800.00 | Rating: 8 

 
Pros: My copy is incredibly sharp, even at f/1.4.
Cons: More CA than I thought there would be wide open and purple fringing

My first test shots left me slightly horrified by the amount of CA the 35L produced at f/1.4. On close up shots, areas of high contrast on metallic objects showed purple fringing, and out of focus areas showed a green/magenta cast. I was not impressed.

But after a few more days of testing though, the sheer quality and sharpness of this lens won me over. I checked my copy against that of other owners, and saw that my copy was similar in performance to theirs.

Away from lens torture tests and used in regular shooting situations, the 35L is capable of producing amazing results. On a full frame 5D2 it creates stunning shots, where the ultra shallow DOF and razor sharpness really does create a 3D quality. I love it, especially for B&W environmental portraits.

I don't think this lens is for everyone, it's quite a specialist piece of equipment. I wasn't sure it was for me at first, but the more I use it and get to know it, the more I like it. I'd recommend renting it before buying it.


Oct 6, 2009
View profile View recent posts Add kelvinjayw to your Buddy List  
victoriae
Offline
Image Upload: Off

Registered: Sep 13, 2009
Location: United Kingdom
Posts: 0
Review Date: Sep 17, 2009 Recommend? yes | Price paid: Not Indicated | Rating: 10 

 
Pros: An amazing lens, superb colour and contrast easy to use.
Cons: A little CA in some shots

Without a doubt my favourite L lens and i use this with all 3 bodies (5D,50D,1D MK iii) and always gives excellent pictures.
Colour and contrast is the best of any of the L's i have. Very easy to use when compared to the 50mm 1.2 and 85mm 1.2. This would be the last lense that i would sell and the first to replace if it went walkies. I cannot recommend it enough.
MK ii version? they will have their work cut out to do better i think.


Sep 17, 2009
View profile View recent posts Add victoriae to your Buddy List  
Haring
Offline
Image Upload: Off

Registered: Sep 11, 2009
Location: United States
Posts: 2
Review Date: Sep 17, 2009 Recommend? | Price paid: Not Indicated

 
Pros: Color, sharpness, ....
Cons: Price

UPDATE! I just had a wedding session over the weekend. I totally covered the whole range with the 35L and 85L (85L was placed onto a 40D to cover the longer range). I also have a 17 40L and a 28 70L. I am going to out the 28 70 on ebay this week! the 35L is an amazing lens!
There are a couple of excellent shots on my site. http://www.haringphotography.com
Look for the blond girl and the guy on the beach in the engagement session. The wide lens was the 35L but the other pictures were created with the 85L 1.2…:):):)
I hope it helps.


Sep 17, 2009
View profile View recent posts Visit Homepage Add Haring to your Buddy List  
Haring
Offline
Image Upload: Off

Registered: Sep 11, 2009
Location: United States
Posts: 2
Review Date: Sep 11, 2009 Recommend? yes | Price paid: Not Indicated | Rating: 9 

 
Pros: BEST PRIME from Canon so simple
Cons: price?

I use this along with a 85L for low light photography. Before I had the 24mmL. This is MUCH better. Image sharpness and contrast is superb. Blurr is great. Colors are amazing. It is expensive but you just buy it and try to forget its price...

Sep 11, 2009
View profile View recent posts Visit Homepage Add Haring to your Buddy List  
swnow
Offline
Buy and Sell: On



Registered: Jul 29, 2009
Location: United States
Posts: 198
Review Date: Sep 8, 2009 Recommend? yes | Price paid: Not Indicated | Rating: 10 

 
Pros: If you plan to keep only 1 lens of Canon, this is the One to keep. This lens is even better than Leica.
Cons:



Sep 8, 2009
View profile View recent posts Add swnow to your Buddy List  
GeneO
Offline
Image Upload: Off



Registered: Jul 10, 2003
Location: United States
Posts: 8471
Review Date: Aug 19, 2009 Recommend? yes | Price paid: $1,275.00 | Rating: 9 

 
Pros: Fast aperture, Sharpness very good wide open as well as overall color, contrast
Cons: Vignetting even on 1.25x crop, but livable. Cost. QA

I bought this lens to fill a FL void. I like it very much. Great color, contrast and sharpness.

Vignetting is livable (and I even like the effect, but of course I would rather have none and add the effect in PP than the other way around). But to be expected at this aperture and focal length,

It was off by 12 MA clicks out of the box. Works fine adjusted on my 1D3, but unusable on 1D Mk2n. Need to send it in, shouldn't have to have.

Would have been a 10 if I didn't have to send it in.



Aug 19, 2009
View profile View recent posts Visit Homepage Add GeneO to your Buddy List  

   

ef_35_14_1_


Page:  1 · 2 · 3 · 4 · 5 · 6 · 7 · 8 · 9 · 10 · 11>  next