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Archive 2006 · �Hands-On� EF 50/1.2L

Sam Bennett
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p.30 #1 · �Hands-On� EF 50/1.2L

10DFT wrote:
Here's a bit of information on the "cat's eye" effect on bokeh, as well as a mention of mechanical clipping of the OOF highlights due to the mirror chamber being too small for the speed of lens used (85/1.2 in this case).

http://www.pinnipedia.org/optics/bokeh.html

I still don't get how the clipping can occur from the box design itself, but... whatever. In any case, one of the things I've noticed is that it really takes special conditions to reproduce the chopping effect - the relationship between the focus point and the points of light coming through, etc. I've see it in some very close situations where I'm close to the subject and the lights aren't too far off, but if I'm at a normal distance from the subject and the lights are further off, no clipping. So I really question how prevalent of a problem it really is in normal use. I'm personally not seeing it in conditions except the unnatural test conditions I've put the lens through, so I'm not really going to worry about it.

Dec 11, 2006 at 09:37 PM

Tom_W
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p.30 #2 · �Hands-On� EF 50/1.2L

Actually, I would like to see a good demonstration of the mechanics of that effect as well. But I do note that the 85/1.2 in the example on that site shows the same clipping effect. Perhaps it's time to study the dimensions of the lens exit pupil vs. the dimensions of the mirror chamber.

Dec 11, 2006 at 09:54 PM

ward1066
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p.30 #3 · �Hands-On� EF 50/1.2L

I agree Sam, when I tried to duplicate the effect with the 85L, I had to try pretty hard and look for special lighting to get it. I think it is kind of like the bulls-eye bokeh of the 70-300 DO. I never saw that when I had that lens.

Dec 11, 2006 at 09:58 PM

Sam Bennett
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p.30 #4 · �Hands-On� EF 50/1.2L

Moving these photos to the next page...

Edited by Sam Bennett on Dec 11, 2006 at 10:55 PM GMT

Dec 11, 2006 at 10:29 PM

Sam Bennett
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p.30 #5 · �Hands-On� EF 50/1.2L

Alright, after looking through all the party photos in detail, I take back what I said about backfocusing. I cannot honestly say I'm seeing a systemic pattern of backfocusing at this point. So, for now I'm happy and I'm going to keep the lens for the time being, continue shooting and if I see more backfocusing in practical situations then I'll send the lens back to Canon. I think I'll probably go ahead and sell the 35L since I can't really justify keeping both around (love the 35mm on 1.6 crop, but 50mm is nicer on 1.3).

Here's a bunch of samples, all at f/1.2 - the reason I'm posting these is to show f/1.2 at a bunch of different subject sizes, etc. Is the lens "sharp" at f/1.2? Not really, but the images look great with that "ethereal" quality, imo - especially resized. By f/1.6 the lens is much sharper and at f/1.8 is very very usable (will be posting a great f/1.8 shot in a few minutes).

Technical notes... these were all done in Lightroom. I really don't like Lightroom for this kind of thing, but I don't have my full DPP + Noiseware workflow setup on my Macs yet, so... this'll have to do for now. Lightrooms contrast curve for skintones and hair just don't work, and the images look less sharp than they would in DPP, but... c'est la vie.

Anyway, the photos...

Canon 50mm f/1.2 @ f/1.2, 1/125th, ISO 400

Canon 50mm f/1.2 @ f/1.2, 1/160th, ISO 400

Canon 50mm f/1.2 @ f/1.2, 1/250th, ISO 1600

Canon 50mm f/1.2 @ f/1.2, 1/125th, ISO 1600

Canon 50mm f/1.2 @ f/1.2, 1/500th, ISO 1600

Canon 50mm f/1.2 @ f/1.2, 1/160th, ISO 1600

Canon 50mm f/1.2 @ f/1.2, 1/250th, ISO 1600

Canon 50mm f/1.2 @ f/1.2, 1/125th, ISO 800

Canon 50mm f/1.2 @ f/1.2, 1/320th, ISO 800

...unfortunately the nice f/1.8 shot was shot at 1/25th a sec, so not quiiiiite sharp enough to show off in a crop.

Looks great resized though...

Canon 50mm f/1.2 @ f/1.8, 1/250th, ISO 200 (processed in DPP)

Dec 11, 2006 at 10:54 PM

pcho
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p.30 #6 · �Hands-On� EF 50/1.2L

Sam Bennett wrote:
Alright, after looking through all the party photos in detail, I take back what I said about backfocusing. quote]

I Sam, I am with you. I thought I had the same problem and workout is was user error

as I was recomposing my picture after I have focused. With such shallow DOF it was a big mistake.

Here are a few of my newer shots.

all taken with 1dsmk2 and ISO 640 @F1.2

Perry

http://www.thepatienteye.com/albums/webforum/50mm1.jpg
http://www.thepatienteye.com/albums/webforum/50mm1c.jpg
http://www.thepatienteye.com/albums/webforum/50mm2.jpg
http://www.thepatienteye.com/albums/webforum/50mm2c.jpg

Dec 12, 2006 at 05:40 AM

mfurman
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p.30 #7 · �Hands-On� EF 50/1.2L

I am sorry to say but I do not see any sharpness in the images recently posted. It is my last post in this thread - I do not seem to contribute much. I thought that I should make this observation though - I do not understand how you guys could consider this lens to be sharp wide open.

Dec 12, 2006 at 06:38 AM

Sam Bennett
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p.30 #8 · �Hands-On� EF 50/1.2L

mfurman wrote:
I am sorry to say but I do not see any sharpness in the images recently posted. It is my last post in this thread - I do not seem to contribute much. I thought that I should make this observation though - I do not understand how you guys could consider this lens to be sharp wide open.

As I said earlier, I do not consider it "sharp" wide open. But I didn't expect it to be. I don't consider the 35L "sharp" wide open either. I've never really seen an 85L shot that I considered "sharp" wide open, for that matter. Again, I think it's a matter of unrealistic expectations.

Dec 12, 2006 at 09:03 AM

Hacker
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p.30 #9 · �Hands-On� EF 50/1.2L

I'll post some this weekend to test. Just got the lens today.

Dec 12, 2006 at 09:06 AM

rbraun
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p.30 #10 · �Hands-On� EF 50/1.2L

Michael, if you want total sharpness you need a tripod. Sam posted cool spontaneous dynamic shots. One should not really look for sharpness in those type of shots but perhaps look for focusing speed, rendition and overall 'signature' .

I've got some shots here but again please do not look for sharpness. I'm usually shooting very low light, low shutter speed on mostly moving subjects.


	http://static.flickr.com/138/319760891_738430e64a_o.jpg


	http://static.flickr.com/123/320435900_ff50563a38.jpg


	http://static.flickr.com/124/319712200_59d447bf27_o.jpg

Dec 12, 2006 at 09:41 AM

CMOS
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p.30 #11 · �Hands-On� EF 50/1.2L

rbraun,
Very nice compositions. Can you tell us what aperatures you used?
Thanks.

Dec 12, 2006 at 10:04 AM

rbraun
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p.30 #12 · �Hands-On� EF 50/1.2L

Thank You

first: 1/50, 5.6, 1600iso
second: 1/5, 1.2, 1250 iso
third: 1/100, 5.6, 1600iso

Edited by rbraun on Dec 12, 2006 at 03:17 PM GMT

Dec 12, 2006 at 10:14 AM

mfurman
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p.30 #13 · �Hands-On� EF 50/1.2L

rbraun said:I've got some shots here

I was to "shut-up" but had to say that these are very good, film like pictures.

Dec 12, 2006 at 10:17 AM

rbraun
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p.30 #14 · �Hands-On� EF 50/1.2L

Thanks Michael. My main reason for this lens is to get a reliable L performer. My 50/1.4 is a good lens but keeps breaking down. I now only use it with manual focus.

Dec 12, 2006 at 10:26 AM

Sam Bennett
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p.30 #15 · �Hands-On� EF 50/1.2L

Yeah, great looking shots. I suspect they're not "sharp" at 100%, but I think that's largely beside the point.

Dec 12, 2006 at 10:37 AM

alfarmer
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p.30 #16 · �Hands-On� EF 50/1.2L

rbraun: any post-processing on the third one?

Thx,
ALF

Dec 12, 2006 at 12:00 PM

alfarmer
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p.30 #17 · �Hands-On� EF 50/1.2L

Here are some casual (no tripod) sharpness tests as well:

http://www.photo.net/photodb/photo?photo_id=5324044

Nowhere near as cool as rbraun's pics, but this is one of the things I do when first getting a lens. Dunno if it helps the discussion or not, but this is also the kind of thing I'd do with the 50L if I'd purchased one.

Both shots are wide open, so it is indeed possible to be tack-sharp wide open and there are a number of copies of Canon lenses that don't pass this test. Sample variance? I've no idea, but I keep the ones that work this well and return/exchange the others...

ALF

Dec 12, 2006 at 12:27 PM

rbraun
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p.30 #18 · �Hands-On� EF 50/1.2L

The third oner is shot with monochrome profile, 2 nothes up on contrast (my standard profile for shooting) and a little dodging on the hand.

Dec 12, 2006 at 12:32 PM

tmronin
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p.30 #19 · �Hands-On� EF 50/1.2L

call me wacky...but "wide open" at 2.8 and "wide open" at 1.2 are not the same. i would assume that the 50/1.2 is "tack-sharp" at 2.8 as well.

but i could be wrong...

Dec 12, 2006 at 12:39 PM

Sam Bennett
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p.30 #20 · �Hands-On� EF 50/1.2L

Yeah, I've said this before (in this thread, I think) but when people talk about the 85/1.2L and 35/1.4L being "sharp wide open", it's in comparison to other primes at those apertures - not to lenses where "wide open" means f/2.8. The primes are only relatively sharp. So that's why I said the 50/1.2 isn't sharp wide open, but relatively speaking it's fairly sharp - as Andy showed, it's sharper at f/1.2 than the 50/1.4 is at f/1.4. At f/1.8 it starts being what I consider to be "sharp".

If you go into buying primes expecting that their wide-open sharpness will even be comparable to the better zooms out there (70-200/2.8 IS, 17-55/2.8 IS) you're bound to be disappointed.

Dec 12, 2006 at 01:00 PM

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