Canon 50mm 1.4 USM Lens

CT

CT

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I just picked up a mint 2nd hand version of this lens, despite being sorely tempted to go for the 1.8 version which is undeniably cracking value for money. I've read so many mixed accolades and brickbat reviews of the 1.4 that I very nearly gave it a miss.

Anyway, a quick test shot....1000th sec at 1.4 ISO 100
rhod.jpg


It's a tad soft at 1.4 as you'd expect confirmed by the above shot. Lovely bokeh though and it seems to give nice colour saturation.. Stopped down to f2 it's sharp as a tack and your girlfriend wouldn't thank you for taking too many close-ups with it. :shock:

Barrel distortion is one criticism levelled at the lens and it does exhibit it where there are straight lines in the shot, particularly in close up. A minor detail IMO compared to the fast available light capability the lens gives you.

Noisy rough focusing is another complaint from some owners. Obviously different lenses will vary, but mine is quiet and smooth - no probs at all - not on the 20D anyway.

I've tried shooting right into the Sun and lens flare (another criticism from some users) is hardly evident let alone worse than you'd expect.

It's early days, but so far I'm really chuffed with it and look forward to getting some good available light shots.
 
CT

Glad you've got a good one. :)

I've been looking at the 50mm lenses and I'm usure which to go for tbh, the f1.8 is stupidly good value for money at under 60quid against a couple of hundered for the 1.4

any chance of doing a few portrait shots with it, as my intention for it would be indoor family shots in the main.

lens choice is a puzzle for me at the moment, i need something to go between the 17-40 and my current 75-300is, so a nice fast 50mm would be ideal i think.
 
I'll have to see who I can nail to a chair long enough! [smilie=p: G Tomo is due round in a bit.

I know what you mean about choosing lenses - there's a huge choice though fortunately. You could think about a macro lens around the same focal length which would get you into photographing bugs dangly bits and also serve as a useful portrait lens with the 1.6X factor on a DSLR, although you're not going to get one as quick as the 50mm 1.4.
 
I was thinking of a macro too, again the choice is frustrating

the 50mm compact macro would be a nice mid way lens, it's not a true macro as it's not a 1:1

The new Ef-S 60mm macro would end up at around 96mm and be pretty usefull to, while this one was an f2.5 (iirc) it's not as fast as either of the 50mm non macro lenses, it's brighter than my 17-40L which is f4.0




/wanders off moaning about lens choice :LOL:
 
digitalfailure said:
The new Ef-S 60mm macro would end up at around 96mm and be pretty usefull to, while this one was an f2.5 (iirc) it's not as fast as either of the 50mm non macro lenses, it's brighter than my 17-40L which is f4.0
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I keep looking at that lens too - I think it's 2.8? which is pretty good. I've already got one EF-S lens though and I just worry about collecting too many of them if Canon drop the 1.6X format, although most people in the know seem to think it's here to stay.

If it's pure available light capability you're after though, don't forget your lens is also your viewfinder. I've no doubt the Canon 50mm F1 would give give pretty poor results wide open, but I bet the viewfinder clarity is awesome in poor light.
 
I don't think we'll see the end of the EF-S for a fair few years tbh, I remember reading a press statement when the 300d was launched and the head bloke at canon was putting his weight behind the EF-s format.

I'd be expecting ALL non pro Canon Dslr's to come on to the APS-c format and utilise the shortback lenses, keeping the 1 series on the 35mm frame and the standard Ef fomat.

Inside 2 years and they've already got a few -S lenses out 8)
 
digitalfailure said:
I'd be expecting ALL non pro Canon Dslr's to come on to the APS-c format and utilise the shortback lenses, keeping the 1 series on the 35mm frame and the standard Ef fomat.
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That would make a lot of sense given what they must have spent on developing these lenses. One of the things that stopped me getting a DSLR for ages was the field of view crop at the wide angle end with the 1.6X crop. These short back lenses have solved the wide angle issue.

The other thing is that with 35mm film, exhibition print size, 20 X 16 inches, was always considered a good test of the format. The 20D is certainly capable of producing good prints at that size and from a smaller source. I can't see me needing to print any larger than that.
 
The 20D has no problems with that size.

The manager of a local camera shop used to have a 10D which produced the goods at that size and bigger [smilie=w: so the extra 2mp should only make things better. 8)
 
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