charles.K wrote:
Excellent portraits! You obviously won't be limited your lens choice.
Definitely, the 50MP is sharper than the 50L, but this may not be the desired effect for portraits. I have used the 50MP for group portraits and horse shots, and I love it. For portraits, I am preferring the 50MP as I use it more. I am sure Adamwilde would agree.
The 50L is also, an excellent lens for portraits. I find even with AF, I now use the MF with Eg-S screen to make sure I have the target in focus.
And sometimes it is the rendering that comes with the zeiss, and again very personal, maybe is what you prefer, and the ZE 50/1.4 is great in that respect.
Yes, color rendering, micro-contrast, 3D are the things I have read a lot about Zeiss... images I see here, on Zeiss Images page and on Flickr are very attractive. And is one of reasons I am looking seriously at these lens now. 21mm is no brainier, as is 100 and 35mm, but I have hard choice in-between 50mm's...
Diploneis: The 50 MP is similar to the 100 MP in rendering style - the biggest difference between them is the focal length.
Jeffrey: I have the Canon 50/1.4 as well and it has always been my least liked prime. The build quality is repulsive, the image rendering is not very attractive and the AF sucks. Yes, it is really sharp from f/5.6 and up but what 50 isn't? That lens made me think I hated the 50mm focal length. When I got the Zeiss 50 MP, I realized that I did not hate the FL at all - I just hated that particular lens. Currently it's collecting dust and will continue to do so indefinitely. I consider the EF 50/1.4 to definitely be the worst prime lens I've ever owned.
Diploneis wrote:
Thank you Charles for such a detailed answer! I have EF 50 F1.4 and I am not too happy about it. It is soft wide open as well and built quality is lousy. And even I managed to get pretty decent shots out of it (I attached two at the end) I am looking for something sharper and with better built quality. So now do you think 50mm MP is sharper than 50L?
Since I'm on the warpath for defending the 50 MP ZEs honor I'll say this, it's the sharpest 50 I've ever used wide open. Fantastic colors, and when you know how to work it, the bokeh is amazing.. It's probably the best 50 lens money can buy (though the M 50 LUX new version seems awesome).
I've owned 50 1.4, 50 1.0L, 50 1.2L, 50 1.8 (BTW the 50 1.8 is the sharpest canon 50 they make IMHO but it lacks in every dept but wide open sharpness in center). Keep in mind I said wide open, so don't everybody judge me.
I also have the 50 1.4 ZE, which I'm assuming you're talking about, and to be truthful I'm not to crazy about it, but again I only shoot portraits so that might be why I pick the MP ZE over it... Though again, I've gotten some great results with it slightly stopped down.
What about the people, who have access to both the 50 1.4 and the 50MP, take a quick comparison shot of the same scene with both lenses?
Both shot at 2.0 of course.
Would be VERY interesting to compare the two shots.
JakobT wrote:
What about the people, who have access to both the 50 1.4 and the 50MP, take a quick comparison shot of the same scene with both lenses?
Both shot at 2.0 of course.
Would be VERY interesting to compare the two shots.
Samuli Vaahonen did that when presenting a "blindfolded" test for us, to see the differences. I don't remember if it was this thread or the 3D thread.
If I'm not mistaken, the MP had higher contrast and sharpness, but did vignette a lot more and had a less calm bokeh. This was at some meters distance, and will not apply when shooting closer up.
There was a comparison with pictures of a blue vase and some figurine or something, in front of a window. I remember the 50MP looked ever so slightly flatter than the 50/1.4.
Doesn't the 50MP have the same characteristic as the ZE28, with the DoF rapidly increasing at the borders at medium distances, or do I remember this incorrectly?
JakobT wrote:
What about the people, who have access to both the 50 1.4 and the 50MP, take a quick comparison shot of the same scene with both lenses?
Both shot at 2.0 of course.
Would be VERY interesting to compare the two shots.
Jakob T
Had I seen this before dinner I could have done it.
I'll try to get a portrait shot tomorrow of the fiance with both lenses. However, sometimes she doesn't let me, so I may end up having to take some type of other shot.. I'll try to do something that's relevant to my work though. So you get an idea of why I think the 50 MP ZE superior.
Regarding the 50 MP vs 50 Planar, Samuli's medium distance forest tests can be found here. For comprehensive tests I can warmly recommend Lloyd Chambers' excellent Zeiss Z* lens guide.
Anway, more vacation photos from the Devil's Pass in Gorski Kotar:
50 MP:
21 Distagon:
I've posted a B/W version before, here is the color version:
These images have been very difficult to white balance - most of the light has been filtered through the leaves giving everything a strong green tint. It would have been easy to correct had it not been for the places where the sun broke through. Entirely correcting for the green tint resulted in a magenta hint in some regions.
denoir wrote:
Regarding the 50 MP vs 50 Planar, Samuli's medium distance forest tests can be found here. For comprehensive tests I can warmly recommend Lloyd Chambers' excellent Zeiss Z* lens guide.
Thank you, must have missed that going through the thread.
adamdewilde wrote:
Had I seen this before dinner I could have done it.
I'll try to get a portrait shot tomorrow of the fiance with both lenses. However, sometimes she doesn't let me, so I may end up having to take some type of other shot.. I'll try to do something that's relevant to my work though. So you get an idea of why I think the 50 MP ZE superior.
Speaking of 50 mm lenses, here are two test shots comparing the Canon EF 50/1.4 bokeh with the Zeiss 50/2 MP. Both shot at f/2, tripod, live view focus, shutter release, identical processing etc..
Crap, I have to cancel my order for 1.4. I still have time. I wanted 1.4 but I think this is not just bokeh, it's the overall contrast, sharpness and color that makes 50MP worth it.
Plenty of chatter about sharpness in various 50's, but it's always discussed at wide open or below 5.6. I never shoot portraits and nearly always stay in the f8 range and above. The differences get a lot smaller there.
Nice shots Luka!
I have a similar problem with green cast, when I'm in the rain forests, in the hinterland on the Gold Coast, taking shots having the sun breaking the canopy. I find it improves dramatically, when there is some cloud cover, or later in the afternoon, which defeats the reason why you are hiking on a clear sunny day in the first place.
Good comparison of the shot between the Canon 50/1.4 and the ZE 50MP.
The 100MP still blows me away. Nice shot of the statue
Makten, your shot of salmon is making me hungry.
Another perspective on the 50mm FL are the Reid Reviews, the link to it:
The reviews compare fast 50mm for Canon, as there are comparisons of MF 50's for Nikon, as well a review on the ZF/ZE 50/1.4. The Lloyd site is excellent also. These are subscription sites.
Important note though, is you can compare all the information, but it really comes down to your style and knowing what you want in the lens.
The Z*50MP is an exceptional lens. Have fun deciding
You obviously won't be limited your lens choice.
Unfortunately not fresh, but alright still.