Another Glass Thread

[midnightexpress1]

i'm lookng to get another lens,at the moment i got

EF 100mm f/2.8L MACRO IS USM
EF 16-35mm f/2.8 L USM II
EF 70-200mm f/2.8 L IS USM II

what i'm looking at is

EF 24-70mm f/2.8 L USM or the (EF 50mm f/1.4 USM L - EF 50mm f/1.2L USM)

As you can see i'm missing the range of 35mm to 70mm.i'm leaning towards the 50m focal lens because i do a lot of indoor low light shots,night landscape city shots, and landscape.Also i'm plan to upgrade my camera to 5D soon.which way do you guys think i should go??


thanks in advance

[Benicio]

the 50mm f1.4 is an essential kit item imo :) Dont bother paying double the price for the f1.2 unless you have way more money than sense. It's also nice to carry around being smaller and lighter than the zoom lenses.

The 50mm is almost permanently fused to my camera these days.

How's the 70-200? Been meaning to get one of those.

[Bromeo]

If you're doing a lot of night landscape/landscape shots, the 16-35mm should fill that spot fine.

Is there something specific which you don't get from your current gear? You're also missing the super telephoto >200mm lengths, perhaps you need to get the 300mm-800mm primes?

[petercee]

Don't be fooled into thinking the 50mm f1.4 can be compared to the 50mm f/1.2 L

If your budget allows, the L will be rewarding you for many years. The extremely fragile 1.4 version of the 50mm would need a lot of babying to even last that long.

Your other option, the 24-70mm is a very good lens.

If your acquisitions don't yet include a quality tripod and head, it does sound like your photography will be demanding it.

[James Axford]

the 50mm f1.4 is an essential kit item imo :) Dont bother paying double the price for the f1.2 unless you have way more money than sense. It's also nice to carry around being smaller and lighter than the zoom lenses.

The 50mm is almost permanently fused to my camera these days.

How's the 70-200? Been meaning to get one of those.

Benicio, have you owned the canon 50mm 1.2? Because I do, and have for a fair while now.
And for me it's a far superior lens than the none L 1.4.
sharper in the earlier apertures (the apertures you're mostly using)
faster AF, also more accurate
tougher build
weather sealed
better flair protection from the coating on the lens.
More contrast

[Bromeo]

sharper in the earlier apertures (the apertures you're mostly using)
faster AF, also more accurate
tougher build
weather sealed
better flair protection from the coating on the lens.
More contrast

Abysmall corner sharpness
Pretty crap center sharpness past f/2 (so don't shoot during the day/ use a narrower aperture for creative effect)
Massive price tag which isn't justified when compared to the Sigma 50mm f/1.4

Besides, if you think price is no issue then you'd be shooting on a Noctilux and telling everyone that they need f/0.95.

[James Axford]

Abysmall corner sharpness
Pretty crap center sharpness past f/2 (so don't shoot during the day/ use a narrower aperture for creative effect)
Massive price tag which isn't justified when compared to the Sigma 50mm f/1.4

Besides, if you think price is no issue then you'd be shooting on a Noctilux and telling everyone that they need f/0.95.

I think you'll find the 50mm 1.2 very sharp in the centre all the way through stops.
corner sharpens isn't as good wide open but I've yet to need for it wide open, I think most people will tell you the same.
As for for siggy 1.4, it's a lot less reliable in the AF department than the canon 1.2. that's the major fault of it.

I never said price wasn't an issue, I just meant I could justify it compared to the canon 1.4.

[Benicio]

You guys are being a tad too precious about your glass.

The OP has a canon 550D, I myself have a 40D. These are nowhere near pro body cameras and as such, I would think the OP isnt looking to break the bank with hardcore top level gear but rather simply looking to pad out his current selection of glass.



I find the single most valuable tool on my computer is my recycle bin.
great quote!

[James Axford]

You guys are being a tad too precious about your glass.

The OP has a canon 550D, I myself have a 40D. These are nowhere near pro body cameras and as such, I would think the OP isnt looking to break the bank with hardcore top level gear but rather simply looking to pad out his current selection of glass.



great quote!

correct me if I'm wrong but he did mention the EF 50mm f/1.2L USM?
if so I think I have every right come argue the point.
I guess I can because I actually own the lens

[Steve Axford]

I also have the 50mm f1.2L. All I can say is that I don't regret the money spent on it and it certainly doesn't have "Abysmall corner sharpness (and) Pretty crap center sharpness past f/2 (so don't shoot during the day/ use a narrower aperture for creative effect)". What on earth gave you (Bromeo) that idea? I do think the lens really shines when used at large apertures, but isn't that where you will use it most? If you just want it for landscapes then you are probably wasting your money.

[Bromeo]

What on earth gave you (Bromeo) that idea?

Using the lens. I was shocked the first time I shot with it to see what it offered. I was initially tempted to purchase it for the useful focal length and creative possibilities that f/1.2 offers, but I thought better of purchasing it after using it for a shoot and finding it somewhat lacklustre.

I'm by no means a pixel peeper when it comes to my lenses, sharpness isn't everything to me, but paying such an amount of money for the 1.2 primes seems a waste to me and as such, I would not reccomend them to others. I especially don't believe that it is at all suitable for the OP, who doesn't appear to really need a new lens from looking at his gear and what he likes to shoot.

[Steve Axford]

Perhaps he wishes to expand his repertoire? - and perhaps you got a dud lens , though I haven't heard of that sort of thing before. I have never found any lack of sharpness in the lens.

[midnightexpress1]

thanks for the debate even if it got a bit heated, the only reason i want a 1.2 or 1.4 is because i get into very low light indoor areas and i don't want to use flash if i can help it but i know the 24-70mm f/2.8 is going to be more usefull.

Benicio
i love the 70-200mm lens that i got,i went in to buy the 70-200mm f/2.8 L but i walked out getting the 70-200mm f/2.8 L IS USM II after playing around with both of them,i can go very low on the shutter speed using the IS hand held.

James Axford

can you please post 2 pics,one wide open and the other the,other end of the scale using the 1.2

thank

[fabian628]

Maybe you could try the 35 f/1.4 or 24 f/1.4 Although you have this focal length, it is quite slow for indoors (f/2.8). The 35 f/1.4 is not bad for a crop sensor, or on full frame i am told.

[Steve Axford]

Here's one at about f1.6 or f1.8 (from memory). I rarely use it at f1.2, not because it isn't good, dut the dof is so shallow as to make it hard to get good results hand held - at least for close-up work. The great thing about the lens is the bokeh, which is better than the f1.4. I don't think I've used it at f16.

By the way, I doubt that you can decide from seeing other peoples photos.

http://steveaxford.smugmug.com/People/Java-people-at-work/MG6424-copy/282695323_VGkH7-L.jpg

[James Axford]

thanks for the debate even if it got a bit heated, the only reason i want a 1.2 or 1.4 is because i get into very low light indoor areas and i don't want to use flash if i can help it but i know the 24-70mm f/2.8 is going to be more usefull.

Benicio
i love the 70-200mm lens that i got,i went in to buy the 70-200mm f/2.8 L but i walked out getting the 70-200mm f/2.8 L IS USM II after playing around with both of them,i can go very low on the shutter speed using the IS hand held.

James Axford

can you please post 2 pics,one wide open and the other the,other end of the scale using the 1.2

thank

yes, sorry it did get a little heated...
I have a fair few shots wide open, but probably nothing of worth stopped down for f16....

here's wide open
http://www.jamesaxford.com/Other/Bokeh/theliat/759295919_x5Q5S-O.jpg

http://www.jamesaxford.com/Other/Bokeh/IMG96822/1068414383_TsxcR-O.jpg

this one at 1.4
http://www.jamesaxford.com/Other/Bokeh/IMG3356/900585433_GcahT-O.jpg

[midnightexpress1]

thanks guys for all the info

i managed to talk to a guy at canon and he told me (unofficially) that the EF 50mm f/1.2L USM did have problems but all stock since 2009 have no issues at all.i done my first wedding on the weekend as a favour to a friend, the 16-35mm f/2.8 L USM II and the 70-200mm f/2.8 L IS USM II lenes took excellent pictures in extream low light using 580EX 2 flash so i think i'm going to get the 24-70mm f/2.8 L USM also the 100mm f/2.8L MACRO IS USM is a very good lenes to take portrat photos,i must of took about 1000 shots,now the fun begins.:D:D