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 p.1 #10 · 50 mm on 5D: Zeiss or Leica? | |
Derek Stanton wrote:
Frank,
I've tried the ROM version of the Leica 50mm Summicron, via adapter, on the 5D. I compared it with the Canon 50/1.4, and decided it wasn't worth the bother. The Canon was At Least as sharp as the Leica, from f2 to f5.6. And, the Canon's output was more consistently sharp because of focus. Manually focusing the Leica was not as reliable as the Canon's AF. The Canon is really only weak from 1.4 to 1.7, which the Summicron doesn't even offer. Treat the Canon as an f2 lens, and you should not be missing anything, assuming you have a good sample.
My firm feeling, having used a few different lenses via adapters, is that you don't gain anything/enough by using other manufacturers' glass with an adapter. It might be fine if you're trying to save money, and already own those lenses. But, the inconvenience, and the unreliability, coupled with zero benefit as far as image quality is concerned... i'm just not doing it anymore. If this idea is still in your head, you may want to try the reportedly superior Leica E60 ROM 50mm SummilLUX-R, which is supposed to be the best SLR 50 ever. I'm sure it'll be better wide open than the Canon, but then again, i would still trust the Canon's AF to compensate. And, if you're going to spend the $1500+ to get the newest Leica, you might want to consider the new Canon 50/1.2L, which is supposed to be better than the 1.4 at wider apertures. I just ordered one.
If f1.4 is very important to you, the 50L is your best bet. If you shoot slowly, and/or use a tripod, the manual focus, adapted solutions may work for you, but be sure to bracket your focus, and/or check the magnified LCD review to be sure you are within critical focus. ...Show more →
I agree that Canon 50/1.4 should be treated as a lens with slightly less max aperture (maybe around f/1.8) due to hazy looking images and a little lack of contrast, thats why I bought the 50/1.2 L which I'm very happy with (a lens I use wide open, most of the time).
I do not agree with the problems aquiring focus on manual lenses through adapter though, I have tried a number of Carl Zeiss lenses on my 5D with cheap autofocus confirmation adapters and I think its easy to nail focus even on lenses such as Sonnar 135/2.8 wide open (with quite narrow DOF).
I did a lot of research on getting alternative focus screens for my camera but I ended up getting an autofocus confirmation adapter, which is a very good solution. It seems I can use this feature to around f/8.
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