hotwire wrote:
If this is a lens primarily for use by your wife when she is using flash and umbrellas, then how often will she be shooting this lens wide open? Wouldn't a 24-70L be a better choice for the application?
She tried the 24-70L and hated it. She's not a zoom fan and she found that lens way to big and heavy for what it delivered. It's also way over-priced for what it is.
I spoke to her this evening and she said for now she'll just stick with the 50/2.5CM if she needs a 50. She really loves that lens, despite it's crappy focus ring (which she uses religiously because she doesn't like the sound of the lens).
So basically, now it looks like I'm just hunting for an excuse to sell some shit and buy the Sigma
Valorin wrote:
Good on you Paul, I'd keep the Rokkor too. One thing to keep in mind is that the Sigma 50 is more like 45mm so it's a decent ways off from a 58mm.
Ahh, it's a little wider, is it. Hmm. Did not know that. Thanks!
CKrueger wrote:
I have two lenses that I go out of my way to use whenever possible: my 300/2.8IS, and my Sigma 50/1.4. I've got plenty of other great lenses, but those two have that something special that makes it really hard to leave them behind, no matter what the subject might be that day. Both have that magical ability to turn something mundane into something interesting purely by virtue of their rendering. I suspect this is exactly how you feel about your 58/1.2. I considered going with the Rokkor, but went with the Sigma instead for its AF and electronic aperture control. I'm a sucker for USM (rather, HSM).
The Sigma has two downsides that I can see: its defocus CA, and the AF problem that some apparently have.
The defocus CA is something I'm sure you're familiar. Extreme high contrast edges will show it, and to be honest it does annoy me at times. But I can't say it has really ruined shots.
The AF problem.... well, I don't know about that. I know people have AF problems with all kinds of equipment, but I've never suffered much from it. Am I lucky? Is it operator error? Group delusions? I have no idea. But if you buy the Sigma, I recommend getting it from a place with a liberal return policy. My first copy is perfect (some of my Canon lenses benefited from AF microadjustment, but the Sigma didn't need any), but yours might not be.
If you like your Rokkor but could appreciate AF at times, the Sigma is your lens. But I would never tell you to sell your Rokkor; it's obvious you love that lens, and even if you like the Sigma even more, I suspect you'd miss the (relatively) tiny Rokkor and its 80's feel at times.
I suggest you give it a shot, when you've got the spare change lying around. If you don't love it, return it. No harm. But if you like it, you've got a great alternative tool to your Rokkor. From what I've seen of the photos your wife takes, putting a lens like the Sigma in her hands could produce some wonderful portraits....Show more →
Thanks Chris. I appreciate you taking the time to offer your perspective. We are definitely going to give the Sigma a spin and see what happens. I do have some other stuff that I can sell to fund it...
Have you considered the Voigtlander Nokton 58mm F1.4? It's supposed to be out in EF mount soon, manual focus but auto aperture. I do like my Contax N 50/1.4 better than anything AF I've tried, but it's a long wait for conversion.
CVickery wrote:
Have you considered the Voigtlander Nokton 58mm F1.4? It's supposed to be out in EF mount soon, manual focus but auto aperture. I do like my Contax N 50/1.4 better than anything AF I've tried, but it's a long wait for conversion.
... and then there's Samyang's promise of a 35mm f1.2 coming out for EF mount in the first quarter of this year.. Personally, I love my super-multi-coated Tak line-up but I'm tempted to sell them all for the Samyang 85 + 35 combo (if the 35 promises to be as great as the 85 seems to be) ...AND have $$ left over.
It's almost like tossing that small torx screwdriver: the moment you do - you need it BADLY. But don't take my advice - I tend to be a bit of a pack-rat.
Crikey, I can see some slapping around needs to happen here. Ok, first:
1) Man up! Make your own decisions! WTF is this about "my wife doesn't like this lens" blah blah blah... frigging grow a pair, already! ;-) Let her get her own gear if she's such a 'pro'. And not able to remember exposure compensation? When you have a digital camera and can chimp? Come on!
2) the only Canon EF 50/1.8 to talk about is the Mk.1. If it's a mk2, keep it to use as a loupe but otherwise get a Mk 1. Which, btw is a pretty decent lens overall, though the bokeh can be edgy. It's a way better value than the sigma.
3) Obviously keep the rokkor. that's a given. And It's the sigmasux, not the sigmalux. (Sigma screwed me over years ago and it still pisses me off.)
As an aside, gear-lust and acquisition is a fun means to its' own end, but only that. It's not a way to become a better shooter in general, and in almost every case the $ would be better spent on something else. That said, I like many others, easily fall into the trap of "must have that lens!" thinking it will bring about glory and stunning results only to find out, well,... maybe not so much. Having/owning/shooting with various exotic and unique lenses is it's own reward, but it's not likely the means to further one's abilities as a photographer. Rarely is the lens or equipment holding one back.
(I too need to thin the herd of lenses. Most of the above is tounge-in-cheek/humor intended in case you didn't notice. ;-)
You won't find the Sigma to have a great manual focus ring. It's adequate, but
not great in any way. If you go with the sigma, make sure its AF is reliable.
Assuming you can live with Zeiss planar bokeh, the ZE 50/1.4 is probably the
lens your wife would most enjoy using. But that assumes f/1.4 close-in performance
and creamy bokeh are not first priorities. Of course, it is overpriced, in my opinion.
If it can be done without duties (customs issues), I'd be happy to have you borrow
my Sigma to try it for a month. Contact me privately if you wish.
If you sell both the EF f/1.8 and the EF Macro f/2.5 you would get about $300. That gets you quite a ways to the Sigmalux. If you can swing just a couple hundred dollars you ought to be able to keep both. Personally, I like not only the color, but also the bokeh on the Rokkor better. Others may differ, but I would expect you to prefer the Rokkor bokeh as well. In addition, the focal length are more different than you might expect. I really like 58mm and the Sigma seems even wider than 50 (maybe 46 or 48), so there is even more rationale for keeping both. I hope this helps.
Donīt sell. I have used mine less in the last couple of months due to the Rollei 35 being glued to my camera. Whenever I use the Rokkor I love it.
FWIW I have the 50/1.8 mk 1 too. I like the little gem. I also have the 50/2.5 Compact Macro. That is another great 50. Produces quite nice 3D to.
Keep the Rokkor. All the trouble you have been to finding that keeper copy... You will not probably be able to get another 200XXXX. They are scarce.
I'm hoping you keep the Rokkor and somehow swing the Sigma too, even if you have both only for awhile. I'd love to see a comparison, and seeing and using them back to back like that may help you and your missus decide as well!
cogitech wrote:
So, I love my Rokkor 58/1.2. You all know how much I love it.
The thing is, my wife doesn't use it all that much. She has had great success with it in the past, but when it comes to using flash/umbrellas/triggers with it, she's just not quite willing to deal with FEC and such and she opts for something more "automatic" (although she most often uses manual focus anyway). I understand the appeal of this, of course. When I am around, I can set things up for her and let her roll, but when she's out on an assignment, she can't be trying to remember "all that stuff" when she's trying to shoot a magazine cover.
So, it seems to me that a Sigmalux might make a lot of sense. It seems to draw very much like the Rokinon 85/1.4 and we both love that lens. We could still use manual focus, but we'd have the benefits of auto aperture and "easier" metering.
We've decided to keep the EF 85/1.8 for situation like this when she wants an easier option over the Rokinon. We already have the EF 50/1.8, which is not really sufficient as an auto-alternative to the Rokkor. My wife basically refuses to use "the plastic piece of crap."
So, anyone can vote, of course, but I am interested in hearing from those of you who know both of these lenses well, and who know me (for better or worse). When I think of some of my favourite Rokkor 58/1.2 shots, I have to wonder if I would like them just as much with the Sigma 50/1.4... ...Show more →
Fun post Here are my recommendations...
I've owned Canon EF 50/1.8 I/II, 50/1.4, Rokkor 58/1.2 as well as Sigma 50/2.8, 50/1.4. Presently own Canon EF 50/1.2
And I've owned Canon EF 85/1.8, 85/1.2 II, Rokkor 85/1.7. Presently own Samyang 85/1.4.
The 50's:
While Canon EF 50/1.8 I is a bit better built than the "the plastic piece of crap" (version II), its still not that nice to manually focus (nada feel in the focus ring). And the bokeh is harsh.
The Canon EF 50/1.4 has better build but still not great for manual focus (I don't like the focus ring). Also the Sigma is a lot better wide open (less dreamy and more contrast). The only thing the Canon has got going for it is better autofocus (I've had a couple and of all my 50's the EF 50/1.4 has been the most accurate).
I can definately relate to the need of something more automatic and I do recommend the Sigma 50/1.4, especially since your wife most often uses manual focus anyway (the Sigma has a nice manual focus ring) and it has great bokeh. I was happy with mine but re-aquired the EF 50/1.2 because I missed f/1.2 sometimes.
~~~ I voted to buy the Sigma and keep the Rokkor if you can (and if its a stretch, let go of the Rokkor). ~~~
The 80's:
Can relate here too. The Canon EF 85/1.8 has such blazingly fast and accurate autofocus (I've owned a couple, all have been good) - its nice to have that ability when you need it. And to use the Samyang/Rokinon under more controlled conditions. I might re-aquire the EF 85/1.8.
Loved the Canon EF 85/1.2 II but it felt like a giant ball of steel and glass and I was almost scared using it (what if I dropped it). I was definately hesitant using it, but I am one of those n3rds who wants to keep my gear in mint condition. I get bummed out if I get a scratch on a lens hood
Marcel VanEerd wrote:
... and then there's Samyang's promise of a 35mm f1.2 coming out for EF mount in the first quarter of this year.. Personally, I love my super-multi-coated Tak line-up but I'm tempted to sell them all for the Samyang 85 + 35 combo (if the 35 promises to be as great as the 85 seems to be) ...AND have $$ left over.
It's almost like tossing that small torx screwdriver: the moment you do - you need it BADLY. But don't take my advice - I tend to be a bit of a pack-rat.
Yes, I think I'll be getting that 35/1.2 (even if it's a 1.4), regardless of what I decide at 50mm
Ed Sawyer wrote:
Crikey, I can see some slapping around needs to happen here. Ok, first:
1) Man up! Make your own decisions! WTF is this about "my wife doesn't like this lens" blah blah blah... frigging grow a pair, already! ;-) Let her get her own gear if she's such a 'pro'. And not able to remember exposure compensation? When you have a digital camera and can chimp? Come on!
Thanks to you, I slept on the couch last night. After reading this I slapped her and told her "get your own god-damned gear". It didn't have the desired effect. (Should I have waited until we were making love )
2) the only Canon EF 50/1.8 to talk about is the Mk.1. If it's a mk2, keep it to use as a loupe but otherwise get a Mk 1. Which, btw is a pretty decent lens overall, though the bokeh can be edgy. It's a way better value than the sigma.
Well the MkI goes for closer to $200 these days, has no warranty, is buzzy as hell, has a bad focus ring, and harsh bokeh. I'm not so sure that's a much better value than the Sigma, which is superior in basically every way and costs $500, with a 5 year warranty.
3) Obviously keep the rokkor. that's a given. And It's the sigmasux, not the sigmalux. (Sigma screwed me over years ago and it still pisses me off.)
I have to try to disregard Sigma-bias. I know they have had issues in the past, but I try to remain objective and take it on a lens-by-lens basis.
As an aside, gear-lust and acquisition is a fun means to its' own end, but only that. It's not a way to become a better shooter in general, and in almost every case the $ would be better spent on something else. That said, I like many others, easily fall into the trap of "must have that lens!" thinking it will bring about glory and stunning results only to find out, well,... maybe not so much. Having/owning/shooting with various exotic and unique lenses is it's own reward, but it's not likely the means to further one's abilities as a photographer. Rarely is the lens or equipment holding one back....Show more →
I agree. This is more a case of trying to be practical, by getting as many of the features and functions that both my wife and myself desire packed into a lens line-up that doesn't fill 6 camera bags.
(I too need to thin the herd of lenses. Most of the above is tounge-in-cheek/humor intended in case you didn't notice. ;-)
Now you tell me! Maybe you should be the one to apologize to my wife.
Anden wrote:
Donīt sell. I have used mine less in the last couple of months due to the Rollei 35 being glued to my camera. Whenever I use the Rokkor I love it.
FWIW I have the 50/1.8 mk 1 too. I like the little gem. I also have the 50/2.5 Compact Macro. That is another great 50. Produces quite nice 3D to.
Keep the Rokkor. All the trouble you have been to finding that keeper copy... You will not probably be able to get another 200XXXX. They are scarce.
Fat Dave wrote:
I'm hoping you keep the Rokkor and somehow swing the Sigma too, even if you have both only for awhile. I'd love to see a comparison, and seeing and using them back to back like that may help you and your missus decide as well!
That's the way I'm thinking. It would be interesting to compare them (although I do trust in our fellow members' own evaluations/comparisons). I suspect I will like them both, for different reasons and situations, but this won't make the bag(s) any lighter.
) 
