Am I looking for the impossible Canon EF lens?

[dincha2]

Hello. Thank you very much for reading my request, which might be difficult to resolve. I am looking for an EF lens with autofocus and a focal length between 35mm and 50mm that has characteristics similar to the Zeiss 35mm f2 Distagon or the Zeiss 50mm f2 Makro-Planar. The characteristics I'm looking for include the ease of achieving an image where depth and distance between objects in the photo are perceived despite being in two dimensions. I have attached some images showing how the focused subject has a sense of volume and realism, almost as if we could pull it out of the image with our hands. I would like the size to be compact if possible. My size limit would be the Sigma 50mm f1.4 EX (not Art) or the Canon 50mm f1.2L. I am not looking for maximum sharpness by any means, but rather that three-dimensional feeling. I have tried other EF lenses that are very sharp, like the Sigma Art 35mm f1.4, but the result is very flat. Very sharp, but a generic image without anything special. I also use the Leica M system, and with Leica and Voigtlander lenses, I can easily achieve this effect, but I cannot adapt those lenses to my Canon DSLR. Additionally, I am looking for lenses with autofocus. Sorry if this is a difficult question, but if there is anyone who has used a lens I might have overlooked, I am all ears. Some examples:

[shadowsports]

Greetings,

What camera are you shooting with?

[ebiggs1]

"What camera are you shooting with?"

I suspect Rick has asked the overlying question. This is most likely a camera 'feature' more than a lens. The characteristics of any 50mm lens is basically the same unless it has some sorta additional internal corrector lenses which I do not see in any 50mm lens mentioned.

[ebiggs1]

If the Sigma 50mm f/1.4 DG HSM Art Lens doesn't do it for you I can not imagine any 50mm lens that would or best it.

[zakslm]

dincha2,

I'm going to recommend you look at the Canon EF 50mm f1.8 II "Nifty-Fifty" lens.  It's a relatively inexpensive plastic mount lens that punches well above its weight in terms of image qualtiy and in my opinion, produces results ivocative of classic film camera lenses like the type of lenses you mentioned.

Hope this helps.

LZ

[kvbarkley]

I think so.

Subject/background separation is one of those intangibles usually attributed to Leica and Zeiss lenses. Canon has never been complemented on this as far as I am aware. With the advent of computer designed lenses, I doubt that this characteristic can even be designed for, so it takes a distant back seat to sharpness and lack of distortion.

[kvbarkley]

I think the term you are looking for is "micro-contrast"

https://lenspire.zeiss.com/photo/en/article/micro-contrast-and-the-zeiss-pop-by-lloyd-chambers

[ebiggs1]

"... you are looking for is "micro-contrast" or a simple slider in Photoshop and/or Lightroom. I think a lot of that comes from the advertizining department.

[stevet1]

dincha2,

If you are not able to find a lens that meets your needs right now, could I suggest a technique you could try in the short term?

You could apply the Creative Filter called Miniature. You can do this ahead of time by choosing that in your Mode dial, or after--the-fact during playback. I just happened to upload a sample of that technique in the Gallery-Share Your Photos section called Standout.

Steve Thomas 

[normadel]

Dincha2:

ALL EF and EF-S lenses are autofocus (or manual focus). That's what the EF stands for.

The rest depends on spacing between subjects in the photo. I believe s wide-angle lens will give more separation between objects at different distances than a longer lens, depending on the distances. I don't know why two lenses of the same focal length would be any different in this regard