topic Re: 50mm f1.4 in EF & RF Lenses

50mm f1.4

Nicole85 — Sat, 03 Dec 2016 12:19:22 GMT

I'm just switching to full frame. Unfortunately the 1.2 isn't in my budget right now. Is the 50mm f1.4 worth the investment if I have the 1.8? Eventually I'll save up to upgrade to the 1.2.

Re: 50mm f1.4

jrhoffman75 — Sat, 03 Dec 2016 13:01:05 GMT

https://www.slrlounge.com/canon-50mm-prime/

Re: 50mm f1.4

ScottyP — Sat, 03 Dec 2016 15:49:45 GMT

The Digital Picture says basically the same thing.

Re: 50mm f1.4

TTMartin — Sat, 03 Dec 2016 15:53:49 GMT

@Nicole85 wrote:
I'm just switching to full frame. Unfortunately the 1.2 isn't in my budget right now. Is the 50mm f1.4 worth the investment if I have the 1.8? Eventually I'll save up to upgrade to the 1.2.

That can depend on if you have the EF 50mm f/1.8 II or the EF 50mm f/1.8 STM.

If you have the EF 50mm f/1.8 II, upgrading to the EF 50mm f/1.8 STM would be worthwhile.

Re: 50mm f1.4

jrhoffman75 — Sat, 03 Dec 2016 16:01:42 GMT

Aren't the optics in both f/1.8 versions the same?

Re: 50mm f1.4

TTMartin — Sat, 03 Dec 2016 16:11:14 GMT

@jrhoffman75 wrote:
Aren't the optics in both f/1.8 versions the same?

Yes, the optics are the same but the contruction is completely different.

The EF 50mm f/1.8 STM has a metal mount.

The EF 50mm f/1.8 II has a AF system with a lot of 'slop' resulting in inaccurate AF. The EF 50mm f/1.8 STM's AF is much more precise.

The EF 50mm f/1.8 II has 5 straight aperture blades, the EF 50mm f/1.8 STM has 7 curved aperture blades resulting in a better bokeh when stopped down.

Re: 50mm f1.4

TTMartin — Sat, 03 Dec 2016 16:14:43 GMT

From the Digital Picture review of the EF 50mm f/1.8 STM comparing it to the EF 50mm f/1.8 II

Metal lens mount vs. plastic
7 rounded aperture blades vs. 5 non-rounded (no more pentagonal bokeh)
Improved overall build quality (my original 50mm f/1.8 II broke in half for an unknown reason)
Super Spectra Coating
A much improved manual focus ring
STM vs. Micro Motor (smoother and quieter)
FTM (Full Time Manual) focusing (as long as shutter release is half-pressed)
13.8" (350mm) MFD (Minimum Focus Distance) vs. 17.7" (450mm)
0.21x MM (Maximum Magnification) vs. 0.15x
49mm vs. 52mm filter size (though not much of an advantage from my perspective)
Narrower f/22 aperture available vs. f/16
Accepts normal bayonet-mount lens hood vs. threaded adapter

Re: 50mm f1.4

Waddizzle — Sat, 03 Dec 2016 17:00:37 GMT

@Nicole85 wrote:
I'm just switching to full frame. Unfortunately the 1.2 isn't in my budget right now. Is the 50mm f1.4 worth the investment if I have the 1.8? Eventually I'll save up to upgrade to the 1.2.

I guess it might depend upon which full frame camera you're talking about upgrading to, and how often you'll need an f/1.4 aperture. If you need to use a super wide aperture, then I'd go for the "L" lens. But, if you need to use f/1.2, then it is likely that you would not be asking this question. You would KNOW that you need it, without any doubt.

I use a 50mm f/1.8 STM on a 6D. It's a great lens.

If you're like me, most of my 50mm shots are shot outdoors in the daytime at f/8. The image quality is great. I'm no pro, just a avid enthusiast getting some exercise by walking around using a camera.

I say, either go for the f/1.2L or stick with the f/1.8 STM. Don't buy halfway.

Re: 50mm f1.4

ebiggs1 — Sat, 03 Dec 2016 17:39:23 GMT

Nicole,

Personally I would never buy any Canon 50mm f1.8 lens. Nada! I will admit the newest STM is a decent lens if all you consider is IQ for a 50mil.

I did own and use the f1.4 version for a long time and it is an OK lens. It is built better that the f1.8's but not any better IQ in real world shooting.

But the EF 50mm 1.2L is in a clas all by itself. IMHO, it is the only 50mil there is. And, I don't care whose lens you compare it to. If you need f1.2, you need f1.2. There is nothing like it.

Bottom line if you don't buy the f1.2L, it doesn't matter which 50 mil you get or have. They are all the same, actually a limited use focal length. Save your money for the f1.2L.

Re: 50mm f1.4

ScottyP — Sat, 03 Dec 2016 19:27:43 GMT

The price factor is huge here. $100.00 vs. $300.00 for the f/1.8 vs. the f/1.4 is not that big. The jump to $1,400.00 for the "L" is very big.

I really dont think "buy the "L" lens or buy nothing at all" is a viable answer to 90% of Canon DSLR owners.

I would say not to go for the 1.4.

You already have the older 1.8. Even so, since it is only a hundred bucks, and since there have been all the upgrades listed above, I think you could justify buying the new STM lens. If you can sell your old one for $40 or $50 on Craigslist then it really is a pretty painless upgrade.

Re: 50mm f1.4

ebiggs1 — Sat, 03 Dec 2016 22:53:47 GMT

Scotty,

"I really dont think "buy the "L" lens or buy nothing at all" is a viable answer to 90% of Canon DSLR owners..."

It depends on whether you want good or do you want the best? The very expensive price point, I admit, is getting you much more than just a f1.2 vs a f1.8 or f1.4. You can't choose or select a lens on a single spec. At least a reasonably intelligent person shouldn't. You must consider the entire package.

Of course, I wouldn't think the f1.2L is a good fit to a SL-1 for instance. But I would never buy an SL-1. That is a point to consider, too.

I would venture a guess, I am the only regular contributor here that owns the f1.2L and uses it? How can non-owners/users say one way or the other? They can't.

Re: 50mm f1.4

TTMartin — Sat, 03 Dec 2016 23:48:08 GMT

Why would you ever choose the EF 50mm f/1.2L over the EF 85mm f/1.2L II?

If you 'need' the razor thin depth of field and a fantastic bokeh the EF 85mm f/1.2L II is a superior choice.

For a 50mm lens today for most people the EF 50mm f/1.8 STM is a superior choice given the price difference relative to the performance difference.

Peoples assumptions here about what lenses others have and haven't used aren't accurate. A couple of my coworkers were all L lens guys. I was able to borrow their lenses and did. After trying the EF 50mm f/1.2L, I wasn't overwhelmed. The EF 85mm f/1.2 (I) was nice for portraits, but, its focus was to slow for other uses.

For my usage the EF 85mm f/1.8 was a superior choice over both of those, as it is a fine portrait lens, and its fast focus performance made it suitable for gymnasium sports.

I was never a fan of the EF 50mm f/1.4. The EF 50mm f/1.8 II wasn't that great of a choice either, but, at least its price reflected that. Until the EF 50mm f/1.8 STM was introduced my 50mm of choice was the EF 50mm f/2.5 Compact Macro.

Re: 50mm f1.4

RobertTheFat — Sat, 03 Dec 2016 23:44:28 GMT

@ebiggs1 wrote:
Scotty,
"I really dont think "buy the "L" lens or buy nothing at all" is a viable answer to 90% of Canon DSLR owners..."

It depends on whether you want good or do you want the best? The very expensive price point, I admit, is getting you much more than just a f1.2 vs a f1.8 or f1.4. You can't choose or select a lens on a single spec. At least a reasonably intelligent person shouldn't. You must consider the entire package.

Of course, I wouldn't think the f1.2L is a good fit to a SL-1 for instance. But I would never buy an SL-1. That is a point to consider, too.

I would venture a guess, I am the only regular contributor here that owns the f1.2L and uses it? How can non-owners/users say one way or the other? They can't.

Of course we can. One way is by paying attention to you. More than once in this forum you've pronounced the lens excellent in quality but difficult to use effectively. And we all know that an f/1.2 lens is bound to have a very shallow depth of field at full aperture; that's just elementary physics.

Some of us, I suppose, don't have that lens because we can't afford it. But most of us don't have it because we don't need it; it provides no particular benefit for the type of photography we do. And it becomes less and less useful as cameras get better and better at handling low light. If you happen to want or need its shallow depth of field (e.g., if you want to take portraits where the subject's eyes are in focus and his ears and the tip of his nose are blurry), then the lens is useful. Otherwise it's pretty much a dinosaur.

Re: 50mm f1.4

Waddizzle — Sun, 04 Dec 2016 00:10:04 GMT

Guys, don't lose sight of the original question. It is NOT which 50mm should I buy. The question is if I already have the 50mm f/1.8 STM, is it worth upgrading to the f/1.4? Or, is the f/1.2 worth it?

If you already have the f/1.8 STM, not unless you shoot wide open aperture most of the time, I say stick with the f/1.8. If you need the f/1.2, then I don't think you would be asking which is better, the f/1.4 or the f/1.2.

So, my answer is upgrade the f/1.2, or buy nothing, at all. My recommendation has been to buy nothing. You don't need f/1.2.

Re: 50mm f1.4

ScottyP — Sun, 04 Dec 2016 00:43:17 GMT

@ebiggs1 wrote:
Scotty,
"I really dont think "buy the "L" lens or buy nothing at all" is a viable answer to 90% of Canon DSLR owners..."

It depends on whether you want good or do you want the best? The very expensive price point, I admit, is getting you much more than just a f1.2 vs a f1.8 or f1.4. You can't choose or select a lens on a single spec. At least a reasonably intelligent person shouldn't. You must consider the entire package.

Of course, I wouldn't think the f1.2L is a good fit to a SL-1 for instance. But I would never buy an SL-1. That is a point to consider, too.

I would venture a guess, I am the only regular contributor here that owns the f1.2L and uses it? How can non-owners/users say one way or the other? They can't.

I would think it is obvious that not everyone can afford to invest $5,000 to $10,000 on photo gear. Those people should not be told to go find another hobby if they can't afford to go first class.

Re: 50mm f1.4

diverhank — Sun, 04 Dec 2016 13:43:52 GMT

@Nicole85 wrote:
I'm just switching to full frame. Unfortunately the 1.2 isn't in my budget right now. Is the 50mm f1.4 worth the investment if I have the 1.8? Eventually I'll save up to upgrade to the 1.2.

I have the 50mm f/1.8II but I have tried the 50mm f/1.4 for comparison. I can tell a marked improvement using the 1.4...but certainly only subtle. We all tend to pay a lot more for just that little improvement sometimes.

I don't use the 50mm focal length too much so I don't plan to get anything else...the f/1.8 was too cheap I couldn't resist. If you use the FL a lot, I'd get a used 1.4 for about $200 - the friend that loaned me his 50/1.4 paid that for his. One known problem with the 50mm f/1.4 is that the focus ring can go out of alignment really easy with the slightest bump, rendering you unable to focus and the cost of repair is almost as high as the lens cost.

Re: 50mm f1.4

ebiggs1 — Sun, 04 Dec 2016 14:34:19 GMT

"I don't use the 50mm focal length too much..."

I agree. It isn't a friendly focal length. It is a more specialized one. It is a portrait lens on my 1D Mk IV.

Re: 50mm f1.4

ebiggs1 — Sun, 04 Dec 2016 14:57:12 GMT

"If you 'need' the razor thin depth of field and a fantastic bokeh the EF 85mm f/1.2L II is a superior choice."

Not on a 1D Mk IV. The 85mm f1.2l is a fantastic lens on a FF. It is slow to focus but that is again part of the package. I made mention that you must consider the entire package.

Another mistake most all of you seem to make is, both f1.2L lenses have all the other f-stops. It is just that no other lens has f1.2. That seem to be a difficult point to sink in. It is a more challenging lens to use. Again part of the deal. If you aren't up to it, either f1.2L isn't for you. The price not withstanding!

Re: 50mm f1.4

Waddizzle — Sun, 04 Dec 2016 15:19:34 GMT

"Another mistake most all of you seem to make is, both f1.2L lenses have all the other f-stops. It is just that no other lens has f1.2. That seem to be a difficult point to sink in. It is a more challenging lens to use."

I don't know how you reached the conclusion that people don't seem to realize that the f/1.2L lenses have a full range of f-stops.

Re: 50mm f1.4

TTMartin — Sun, 04 Dec 2016 16:03:14 GMT

@ebiggs1 wrote:
"If you 'need' the razor thin depth of field and a fantastic bokeh the EF 85mm f/1.2L II is a superior choice."

Not on a 1D Mk IV. The 85mm f1.2l is a fantastic lens on a FF. It is slow to focus but that is again part of the package. I made mention that you must consider the entire package.

Which is why I went on to say:

For my usage the EF 85mm f/1.8 was a superior choice over both of those [EF 50mm f/1.2L and EF 85mm f/1.2L], as it is a fine portrait lens, and its fast focus performance made it suitable for gymnasium sports.