This lens really is the answer to "why are modern lenses so big?" I can shoot this and the 50 1.2 wide open, with the major difference being when look at the back of my screen I can tell that the subject is sharp and in focus. The 58's kind of an "I have to check on my computer screen to make sure" type of lens. I'll post some images later, not like a super I'm getting rid of this thing rant, it's just an, I can see where the complaints are coming from post.
JadedWriter wrote:
This lens really is the answer to "why are modern lenses so big?" I can shoot this and the 50 1.2 wide open, with the major difference being when look at the back of my screen I can tell that the subject is sharp and in focus. The 58's kind of an "I have to check on my computer screen to make sure" type of lens. I'll post some images later, not like a super I'm getting rid of this thing rant, it's just an, I can see where the complaints are coming from post.
It was probably on this board somewhere on one of the earlier pages, but I recall reading the advice to hold on to the lens a few more months if you're feeling frustrated with it. I did that and I'm glad I did because I was very frustrated at first with the softness. I started only shooting with it at f2.0 to get the sharpness and found there was not much loss of its beautiful fall-off. Now I'm back to shooting it at f1.4 and find I can get the sharpness I want if I'm careful with it. The 50mm f1.2 is reliably sharp, but there's something beautiful about those extra 8mm and the rendering of the 58mm lens. At some point I figure the masses will be less concerned about the sharpness of a lens and pay more attention to the rendering. This lens is a very special one, but not a master of all.
I hope you do keep it for at least a year to see where it fits with your style! BTW, that last shot in B&W is stellar!
I prefer the 50 1.2 because I consistently know what I'm getting and can maximize the 1.2 of it. I panic more with the 58 than I do the 50, but I'm more Ok with the 58 when I'm at an editing station. The 1.2 is tack sharp and has nice fall off (to me). As long as I don't need critical sharpness the 58's fine. Really might be a street lens where I don't care and a "pending" for work related stuff. I'll sus it out more. I do like the images it produces, takes in color excellently actually, nothing's just perfect. urbanwild wrote:
It was probably on this board somewhere on one of the earlier pages, but I recall reading the advice to hold on to the lens a few more months if you're feeling frustrated with it. I did that and I'm glad I did because I was very frustrated at first with the softness. I started only shooting with it at f2.0 to get the sharpness and found there was not much loss of its beautiful fall-off. Now I'm back to shooting it at f1.4 and find I can get the sharpness I want if I'm careful with it. The 50mm f1.2 is reliably sharp, but there's something beautiful about those extra 8mm and the rendering of the 58mm lens. At some point I figure the masses will be less concerned about the sharpness of a lens and pay more attention to the rendering. This lens is a very special one, but not a master of all.
I hope you do keep it for at least a year to see where it fits with your style! BTW, that last shot in B&W is stellar!...Show more →
Chasing perfection and versatility with lenses has been a futile and expensive hobby for many of us here
I think you'll find the 58mm is more consistent the more you get used to it, but yes, the 50mm 1.2 is the way to go if you don't want to worry about it.
JadedWriter wrote:
I prefer the 50 1.2 because I consistently know what I'm getting and can maximize the 1.2 of it. I panic more with the 58 than I do the 50, but I'm more Ok with the 58 when I'm at an editing station. The 1.2 is tack sharp and has nice fall off (to me). As long as I don't need critical sharpness the 58's fine. Really might be a street lens where I don't care and a "pending" for work related stuff. I'll sus it out more. I do like the images it produces, takes in color excellently actually, nothing's just perfect.
Yeah the 58's kind of something you shoot if you don't have to worry about whiny retouchers. urbanwild wrote:
Chasing perfection and versatility with lenses has been a futile and expensive hobby for many of us here
I think you'll find the 58mm is more consistent the more you get used to it, but yes, the 50mm 1.2 is the way to go if you don't want to worry about it.
1) you haven’t owned it long enough to jell with it;
2) it doesn’t “miss” focus on mirrorless. (So when you eventually convert 100%, you will relish it.)
The most recent set's from the Z9. The thing misses. Used it on my D5 earlier today and a part of me thinks this lens just jells better on lower MP cameras, but that's just my assumption. When the lens hits it's fine. Did less panicking oddly earlier so I guess I'm just getting used to it now. gear-nut wrote:
@JadedWriter@ —
1) you haven’t owned it long enough to jell with it;
2) it doesn’t “miss” focus on mirrorless. (So when you eventually convert 100%, you will relish it.)
JadedWriter wrote:
The most recent set's from the Z9. The thing misses. Used it on my D5 earlier today and a part of me thinks this lens just jells better on lower MP cameras, but that's just my assumption. When the lens hits it's fine. Did less panicking oddly earlier so I guess I'm just getting used to it now.
Nothing like quite not being certain you got the shot or not, or missing a shot you can't repeat. On a little $ lens, forgivable, on a $$$$ lens? Not acceptable, but here we are. I love mine, but we don't always get along. I've considered letting it go many times, but if I do I may never have anything that draws like it and knowing myself, will likely end up buying it again. Good luck.
The guy I shot bought those images and has yet to complain about it. If I ever use it for work and get a complaint regarding it or work complains about what I shot from it yesterday I'll contemplate switching it out. I'll probably try to worry about it less until then. SiMuMe wrote:
Nothing like quite not being certain you got the shot or not, or missing a shot you can't repeat. On a little $ lens, forgivable, on a $$$$ lens? Not acceptable, but here we are. I love mine, but we don't always get along. I've considered letting it go many times, but if I do I may never have anything that draws like it and knowing myself, will likely end up buying it again. Good luck.
JadedWriter wrote:
The most recent set's from the Z9. The thing misses. Used it on my D5 earlier today and a part of me thinks this lens just jells better on lower MP cameras, but that's just my assumption. When the lens hits it's fine. Did less panicking oddly earlier so I guess I'm just getting used to it now.
Interesting... Mine has never missed for me on my Z7ii. Must be sample variation — or perhaps I just got lucky?
You shooting standards portraits or street photography...also missed a bit on standard portraits since the guy couldn't stay still to save his life. gear-nut wrote:
Interesting... Mine has never missed for me on my Z7ii. Must be sample variation — or perhaps I just got lucky?
Both posed and street, even kids at parties. I normally use auto or wide people AF. I do occasionally get a miss on kids running around, but I get that with the 70-200/2.8S too. My 58 pretty much works as well as the 70-200 for me all the time.
I don't know what it is then. Thing seems to be pretty consistent on the D5, Z9...it's kind of all over the place granted I never tried AF fine tuning it on that body. D850 is probably the worst one, though I probably have to figure a better correction value on that camera. Like I get the feeling this lens has a different correction value per camera and I kind of don't have the time to AF fine tune this lens across like 6 different bodies. gear-nut wrote:
Both posed and street, even kids at parties. I normally use auto or wide people AF. I do occasionally get a miss on kids running around, but I get that with the 70-200/2.8S too. My 58 pretty much works as well as the 70-200 for me all the time.
JadedWriter wrote:
I don't know what it is then. Thing seems to be pretty consistent on the D5, Z9...it's kind of all over the place granted I never tried AF fine tuning it on that body. D850 is probably the worst one, though I probably have to figure a better correction value on that camera. Like I get the feeling this lens has a different correction value per camera and I kind of don't have the time to AF fine tune this lens across like 6 different bodies.
This is true for my experience as well that you will need to calibrate each of your bodies, which can get tired and frustrated very quickly. Among the bodies that I use, the 58/1.4 stays on my D4s most of time, which is very consistent to nail the focus at f/1.4. On my D810, D850, and Z7, I don't get that consistence reliably.
As a side comment for all the Nikkor F mount fast primes, I personally feel each and every one of them are great lenses with unique characters but the focus accuracy of the DSLR since D800 really degrades the values of these lenses. I am keeping all my F mount lenses and hoping to adapt them to Z bodies without the tedious focus calibration process.
This is kind of keeping up with my thought process that this lens is geared towards lower MP cameras. Behaves fine on my D5, which is 20mp, probably fine on the Z6II and D750 and you only start to notice something being a bit "off" when you start going up in the MP range. It's whatever. If I care enough I'll probably just pick up the Sigma 50, but keep this, since I can probably find a Sigma Art for like $500 at this point. The weight savings of this lens isn't something you just get rid of. ocean2059 wrote:
This is true for my experience as well that you will need to calibrate each of your bodies, which can get tired and frustrated very quickly. Among the bodies that I use, the 58/1.4 stays on my D4s most of time, which is very consistent to nail the focus at f/1.4. On my D810, D850, and Z7, I don't get that consistence reliably.
As a side comment for all the Nikkor F mount fast primes, I personally feel each and every one of them are great lenses with unique characters but the focus accuracy of the DSLR since D800 really degrades the values of these lenses. I am keeping all my F mount lenses and hoping to adapt them to Z bodies without the tedious focus calibration process. ...Show more →
When used on my Z7 I find the 58mm f/1.4 G is very consistent, that is consistently softer wide open than my 50mm and 85mm f/1.8 S lenses when used wide open. This is exactly what I expected from the lens, but I don't tend to use it for subjects where this matters: I didn't buy the 58 as a substitute for the excellent f/1.8 50 and 85 S lenses. I'd possibly be using the 50mm f/1.2 S now if only it was half the girth and heft, but as it is it frightens the natives.
That said - and this I believe is obvious from images I've posted to this thread - I tend to think of sharpness as an overrated quality.
But hey, each to their own, horses for courses etc.
