how much is 0.3 of an f stop worth?

Gemok

Gemok

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Hey Guys
I'm looking to increase my lens collection for minolta to include a quick lens for avaliable light shots.

After reading a few threads on a minolta forum the 50mm 1.7f and 50mm 1.4f are both highly recomended. Looking on ebay the 1.7 often goes for £40-£50 but there's a 1.4 on there now got a couple of days to go and already up to £90 I recon it'll easilly get to £150 judging by the way ebay prices rocket in the last minute. In you opinon is 0.3 of an f stop worth £100?
 
In you opinon is 0.3 of an f stop worth £100?
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The simple answer is no.

The longer answer is maybe. In some cases the lens with .3 of a stop more might well be better constructed or have better quality glass giving you a real benifit beyond the tiny aperture difference. On the other hand, it could be worse so well worth doing a bit of research around the net to try and get clued up. :)
 
I can only use the Canon equivalent as an example. The Canon 50mm 1.4 is far more expensive than the 50mm 1.8 and is supposed to be a tad sharper. Whether it's worth the extra depends on how badly you really need the low light capability. Don't forget the lens is also your viewfinder so that's a big consideration in low light conditions. I love my 1.4 because it's hand-holdable in just about any light, but the 1.8 wouldn't be far behind it. If you're really going to do a lot of low light stuff then the 1.4 is probably worth it. If it's occasional use only then the 1.8 makes more sense financially.
 
ok that was pretty much what I was thinking the 1.7 should be great for what I need and my level of skill :). Coupled with the anti shake my cam has it should be a competent performer. I just wanted to make sure I wasn't missing any details that the more experienced of you knew. I'll keep my eye on the 1.4 just incase it doesn't rocket of course ;)
 
1.7 to 1.4 is pretty much 1/2 a stop :)
 
the other thing to remember is the potentially different bokeh. i'm looking at the nikon 85mm f1.8 but some seem to say the bokeh is better on nikons f1.4. i'm not sure of the truth in this but i do know that i get some nasty oof highlights with my 50 1.8. maybe someone that's tried both can help on that?
 
Get one of you lenses with the largest aperture & take a photo in-doors with the camera set to AV mode & check the shutter speed. Decrease the aperture by 0.3 of a stop & see what the shutter speed is now .

Bit of a bodge experiment but will give you an idea of what the aperature difference will give you (ignoring even shallower DOF)
 
noah said:
i get some nasty oof highlights with my 50 1.8. maybe someone that's tried both can help on that?
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I haven't tried both Noah, but by 'nasty' do you mean those hexagon shaped highlights rather than nice round ones? That's purely down to the number of blades in the diaphragm, and something else to consider when you're choosing. Round oof highlights look infinitely better, but you need more diaphragm blades to achieve that.
 
Having a faster lans usually means that it's sweet spot comes in soon too. I.e. a Canon 1.8 50mm doesn't get really sharp until bout f3+, but I think CT has said his 1.4 comes in at the f2+ point.
 
Usually the slower lenses tend to be sharper as it's easier to manufacture them that way. If you don't need the extra speed go slow. My 35mm Summicron for my Leica is the f/2 version and is considerably sharper than the faster lens in the same range.

50mm f/2s and f/1.8s tend to be sharper and cheaper than the corresponding f/1.4
 
CT said:
I haven't tried both Noah, but by 'nasty' do you mean those hexagon shaped highlights rather than nice round ones?
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i'm not sure what it is really. they're definately circles not hexagons, i think its just when you get extreme highlights in the bokeh. not sure if its just a normal phenomenon as the 50 1.8 is the only super fast lens i have.

that's an interesting point rob, i hadnt realised that. good to know.
 
Also look at how many 'leaves' the aperture diaphragm has when buying a lens - the more the better, as more leaves will make a more complete circle. Some video lenses only have three leaves, meaning that OOF highlights appear as little triangles (and thus sparking many spurious UFO sightings among dumb Americans). Six or eight is usual for modern Jap lenses, but Hasselblad and Leitz lenses sometimes have more.
 
thanks for the advice guys I knew it'd more complicated than I thought :) just need sony to start shipping lenses so ebay prices dip a bit
 
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