Weight doesn’t matter to a point: the Sony 50mm 1.2 and 1.4 are both like a quarter the weight of the Nikon. The weight between these two was immaterial.
old-gregg wrote:
Do you mind me asking: what changed? You said weight doesn't matter, but I was in another thread earleir were you mentinoed that you had transitioned away from Nikon because their fast lenses were heavy, and you specifically mentioned the 50mm f/1.2S. Why reproduce the same heavy setup?
Sony 50mm f/1.2GM is THE king! The 50mm f/1.4GM is barely better than the 55/1.8 ZA at 1.5x-2x the price. If you want the 50/1.4GM, just get the 55/1.8 and save your money. No real-world difference whatsoever! CA... blah-blah-blah! Nobody cares! The results look identical! Meanwhile, the 50/1.2GM creates actual magic and really delivers. Nothing else even comes close.
Forgive me, but I’ve never been a big 50mm fan, but recently forced the use of this focal length and think this is no more than a prejudice of disuse. I have used the fast 85mm in my Canon days and love the bokeh of the slower Loxia 85mm. Where you have space, such as in shooting outdoors, it seems that the 85mm GM II provides amazing bokeh with optics that rival, or exceed the 50mm f/1.2 GM at a lower weight and price. Anyone using this lens vs the 50mm for some of your shooting?
I had the f/1.2 one, I really liked it but after the 50/1.4 GM came out, I thought I wanted the weight savings, and a "better" pairing with my 35/1.4 GM, but I didn't like the 1.4 the same way. I recently picked up the f/1.2 again (even the price diff used is rather small at this point).
Depending what you shoot, how you shoot, distance to subject, light conditions, etc you may not be able to discern the difference in certain shots (between the 1.2 and the 1.4), but others, it is visible. At least to us as photographers. The clients will probably won't notice, or at least not be able to put their fingers on it.
To me, the 1.2 has special sauce. That is the simplest way of putting it. I shot a 70th birthday on the French coast 2 weeks ago. While the f/2.8 zooms did the job, got me group shots during the day and activities, the 1.2 got me the real keepers at receptions, speeches, etc, especially as daylight went away. That lens just has more character. And sauce.
Take a look at Fredrik Axling's shoots on Instagram.
Edit: the only lens I would trade my 50/1.2 GM for is the Leica Summilux-M 50/1.4 ASPH. To me, that lens that same magic/sauce as the 1.2 GM (hence, the render slight differently, so not THE same sauce, but a different sauce. You know what I mean...)
bwcolor wrote:
Forgive me, but I’ve never been a big 50mm fan, but recently forced the use of this focal length and think this is no more than a prejudice of disuse. I have used the fast 85mm in my Canon days and love the bokeh of the slower Loxia 85mm. Where you have space, such as in shooting outdoors, it seems that the 85mm GM II provides amazing bokeh with optics that rival, or exceed the 50mm f/1.2 GM at a lower weight and price. Anyone using this lens vs the 50mm for some of your shooting?
Yes I think about this all the time when doing outdoor shoots. My main 1-2 punch is to bring a 35mm for the environmental portraits, some low angle to do leggy shots and then the 85mm to do head shots and throw off the background even more. I am a dual system user thus for Sony (Viltrox 35/1.2 and Batis 85/1.8) and Canon (EF 35/1.4 and EF 85/1.2 II). The last couple of shoots I decided just to take either the EF 50/1.2 L and the last one with Sony just my Sonnar 55/1.8 (and A7V).
Love the Sonnar but I like more background separation in some cases thus adding a used (a few of them listed on my FB Marketplace) 50/1.2 GM. However because I am so impressed by the Viltrox 35---I'll also consider their future f/1.2 offering. I am also a Sigma guy and the 50/1.2 DG DN ART is currently on sale. So I'll wait for the Viltrox and decide then.
bwcolor wrote:
Forgive me, but I’ve never been a big 50mm fan, but recently forced the use of this focal length and think this is no more than a prejudice of disuse. I have used the fast 85mm in my Canon days and love the bokeh of the slower Loxia 85mm. Where you have space, such as in shooting outdoors, it seems that the 85mm GM II provides amazing bokeh with optics that rival, or exceed the 50mm f/1.2 GM at a lower weight and price. Anyone using this lens vs the 50mm for some of your shooting?
Yeah! I just recently switched from the 50 1.2 to the 85 1.4ii and honestly I'll go back to the 50 next season. I've always been a 85mm or even 135mm guy, but wanted to try 50. The 50 really surprised me in its flexibility and added context to the scene while maintaining great subject separation.
I was excited about the 50 f1.2 when it was announced and got it. The images was gorgeous and it was a special lens to me. Af, bokeh, everything about it was good except for the size and weight. I ended up selling it when the 1.4gm was announced, thinking I'm better off with the smaller size and weight. Not having the 0.2 aperture wider didn't make me cry. I'm fine with just 1.4. if I could afford to keep the 1.2 I would. It stayed behind while I took the 55 1.8 on my trips.
baan wrote:
I was excited about the 50 f1.2 when it was announced and got it. The images was gorgeous and it was a special lens to me. Af, bokeh, everything about it was good except for the size and weight. I ended up selling it when the 1.4gm was announced, thinking I'm better off with the smaller size and weight. Not having the 0.2 aperture wider didn't make me cry. I'm fine with just 1.4. if I could afford to keep the 1.2 I would. It stayed behind while I took the 55 1.8 on my trips.
Yes, shouldn't everyone have both the 50/1.2 and the 55/1.8? The latter for those days when weight matters more than image quality.
