X-mas: 16-35mm 2.8 ii vs. canon 50mm 1.2

[K-amps]

The 16-35 is no good for portraits... the 50 no good for wide shots... if you are budget limited...

Why not get both a refurb 16-35ii for wide angle and a 85 1.8 for portraits for the price of a new 50 1.2?

 

[PackLight]

My worry, is not having a sufficient lens for a future upgrade, but I could always ask to borrow money from my parents or hold off till.

I just realized, this really was a thread about writing a letter to Santa Claus.

Really the two lenses are both lenses, both made by Canon but not really comparable to each other for your decission. Your question is should you get a really wide lens now, or a 50mm prime. I say go with the prime....unless you need a wide lens

 

[EvilTed]

I have both and use them on a 5D MK3.
I personally dislike the 16-35 almost as much as the 24-105 kit lens that I sold.
I don't know what it is with Canon zooms, but I really dislike the IQ from them.
The only one I like is the 70-200 F/2.8 II but it still doesn't please me as much as the primes.

The 50 1.2 is a hard lens to get to grips with.
I was getting lots of focus problems, it appeared soft and dreamy etc and then I switched to back button focus.
It's like a new lens and is razor sharp even wide open @ 1.2.

My vote is for the 50 but it is also a heavy pig to haul around all day, so be warned...

ET

 

[jhanken]

My input is get both the Canon 17-40L and the Sigma 50mm 1.4 for about the same or less than your choices, then when you are ready/able to get your next lens, sell one of these, take maybe a $100 loss on the trade, and get the appropriate Canon upgrade for the one you sold. Then repeat for the second lens you aspire to. The key here is for all that time, you will have enjoyed about 90% of the benefit of having your cake and eating it too with both lenses, and at the end of it you basically get to the same place for about the same cost.

The Sigma lens is friggen awesome, btw. Truly stupendous. And it focuses faster than the 1.2. You may decide to suffer the indignity of not sporting the red ring and just own that sucker for good.

Also, I find that if you take reasonable care of your lenses, eBay is a great way to monetize what you don't need any more. People actually get silly with how much they will pay for used stuff, often paying more than the rebate prices for new lenses with warranties.