I really want the 50/1.2 to work for me. It\'s my favorite focal length, and when I can get a shot in focus with this lens the colors, contrast and bokeh are amazing. But that\'s the problem: the AF is so unreliable.
I\'m now on my 3rd copy of this lens. I sold the first one (with full disclosure of focus issues). The second one I returned because the AF was so far off, and not fixable with MA. I just ordered another from Amazon because I can\'t quite give up on this lens. Not surprisingly (to me, at least), the focus seemed off.
I used FoCal to MA this copy yesterday. It came back with a -7 adjustment. Took a bunch of pictures yesterday and today with it at that setting. 60%+ are back-focused, which suggests the -7 adjustment was too much. I dialed it back to -2. Still focus issues.
I\'ve noticed that the AF problems are worse when the subject is <4-5 feet (which is quite often, because I like to work in close). This shouldn\'t be the focus shift issue people talk about, because I\'m shooting wide open 95% of the time at this distance. And it\'s not operator error; I have the 85/1.2 which has even narrower DOF wide open and I have a very high rate of keepers with that lens.
Just wondering if you have any tips for how I can MA this lens to get it to work for me? Or maybe I should just give up and settle for the 50/1.4, which is a decent (but not inspiring) lens. I\'ve just been so spoiled by the results of the 85/1.2 at f/1.2 and the incredible IQ and performance of the 35/1.4, which I also own, that I\'ve been hoping to match them at the 50mm focal length.
Perhaps that\'s just not possible.
Oct 18, 2012 at 11:58 AM
Previous versions of badlydrawnboy's message #11050824 « 50/1.2: three strikes and you're out? »
