Canon EF 50mm f/1.2L USM
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Re: Canon EF 50MM 1.2L
Note the fringing around the leaves.
Other than that this is an amazing lens. Don't know if it's worth the money, but it's good for natural light portraits and stuff like that. It's sturdily built and very heavy, AF isn't particularly fast or reliable at long range which is a problem with such a thin DOF (I can't say if this is a general problem or one only mine has) but it also make it fun to use because it's demanding and hard and you really have to know what it does and when it starts performing poorly. I don't think I'd swap it for a smaller aperture version now that I've tried it.
Note the fringing around the leaves.
Other than that this is an amazing lens. Don't know if it's worth the money, but it's good for natural light portraits and stuff like that. It's sturdily built and very heavy, AF isn't particularly fast or reliable at long range which is a problem with such a thin DOF (I can't say if this is a general problem or one only mine has) but it also make it fun to use because it's demanding and hard and you really have to know what it does and when it starts performing poorly. I don't think I'd swap it for a smaller aperture version now that I've tried it.
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D
dwward
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Re: Canon EF 50MM 1.2L
I especially love the subway shots. Excellent.
The 50mm 1.2L has to be the most controversial lens in the history of photography (at least last decade?). People either love it or hate. Actually, even the people who love it always seem to qualify, or even apologize for their love. The focus issues are not unique to you or your lens, I think every review or comment I've ever read on the 50 1.2L complains about the AF.
I have the regular 1.4 which I love. I haven't been able to bring myself to take the plunge for the 1.2L. I haven't been able to justify the expense in my mind.
It would be great to see the same subway shots taken with the 1.4 to compare.
Can I ask what ISO you used in the subway shots?
Thanks for posting these pics.
/Don
I especially love the subway shots. Excellent.
The 50mm 1.2L has to be the most controversial lens in the history of photography (at least last decade?). People either love it or hate. Actually, even the people who love it always seem to qualify, or even apologize for their love. The focus issues are not unique to you or your lens, I think every review or comment I've ever read on the 50 1.2L complains about the AF.
I have the regular 1.4 which I love. I haven't been able to bring myself to take the plunge for the 1.2L. I haven't been able to justify the expense in my mind.
It would be great to see the same subway shots taken with the 1.4 to compare.
Can I ask what ISO you used in the subway shots?
Thanks for posting these pics.
/Don
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iris chrome
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Re: Canon EF 50MM 1.2L
Wow! I love the subway pics as well. They're so surreal, they remind me of one portion of one videogame (Final Fantasy VII) where the hero's party is navigating through the subways of the main city.
May I ask how you went about getting these shots? I doesn't look like it's an abandoned subway (because of the lights). Did you just sneak in? Also, can you tell us what kind of post processing went on with the images? I'm thinking some HDR but I might be wrong.
Wow! I love the subway pics as well. They're so surreal, they remind me of one portion of one videogame (Final Fantasy VII) where the hero's party is navigating through the subways of the main city.
May I ask how you went about getting these shots? I doesn't look like it's an abandoned subway (because of the lights). Did you just sneak in? Also, can you tell us what kind of post processing went on with the images? I'm thinking some HDR but I might be wrong.
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Re: Canon EF 50MM 1.2L
If you have AF-issues with this lens, you need to calibrate it, calibrate your camera or stop using it at 2,8-4,5!
The AF of my 50 L beats the cr@p out of my 85 L, both speed and accuracy, and it's a lot better than my (now sold) 35 L. It's the best AF of any 50mm. Color and contrast from wide open is just fantastic. Where it struggles is when approaching MFD, due to the lack of floating elements. But shoot at 1-1,5m, and it's not an issue.
I read a lot of negative stuff about this lens, and people saying the "50mm f1,4 is just as sharp" Well, then you have either forgot to remove the lens cap or haven't tried it at all. It's lightyears ahead of the 1,4 when it comes to sharpness, where it counts, between 1,2 and 2,8.
Superb build! and weathersealed, which the 85 and 35 isn't, big deal for me! The only lens I like as good is the newly bought 24 L II, now with that lens you can talk about AF issues from hell, replaced two copies and I've read reviews and hear of many with the same problem, the AF was set to "random" with those copies. Now that I have a working one, in combo with the 50 L , oh wow....
If you have AF-issues with this lens, you need to calibrate it, calibrate your camera or stop using it at 2,8-4,5!
The AF of my 50 L beats the cr@p out of my 85 L, both speed and accuracy, and it's a lot better than my (now sold) 35 L. It's the best AF of any 50mm. Color and contrast from wide open is just fantastic. Where it struggles is when approaching MFD, due to the lack of floating elements. But shoot at 1-1,5m, and it's not an issue.
I read a lot of negative stuff about this lens, and people saying the "50mm f1,4 is just as sharp" Well, then you have either forgot to remove the lens cap or haven't tried it at all. It's lightyears ahead of the 1,4 when it comes to sharpness, where it counts, between 1,2 and 2,8.
Superb build! and weathersealed, which the 85 and 35 isn't, big deal for me! The only lens I like as good is the newly bought 24 L II, now with that lens you can talk about AF issues from hell, replaced two copies and I've read reviews and hear of many with the same problem, the AF was set to "random" with those copies. Now that I have a working one, in combo with the 50 L , oh wow....
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Re: Canon EF 50MM 1.2L
Thank you again for the comments.
I agree that there may be some controversy regarding the 50 1.2.
Personally, I'd say I love it, it's quirky and difficult.
These shots are taken at ISO 250.
I got these shot by spending a month or two getting permission to venture down there with a maintenance crew at night, where they shut one of the tracks down to check for damages and debris.
They are for an article about what underground structures are under the city.
The processing doesn't not contain any HDR. I've processed with Capture One Pro and what gives the "HDR"-look may be a detail enchantment. But the light is pretty much as it was down there. I spent some time mucking about with WB and levels, but I don't have the original files here, so I'm hard press to say anything detailed before I get home.
Thank you again for the comments.
I agree that there may be some controversy regarding the 50 1.2.
Personally, I'd say I love it, it's quirky and difficult.
These shots are taken at ISO 250.
I got these shot by spending a month or two getting permission to venture down there with a maintenance crew at night, where they shut one of the tracks down to check for damages and debris.
They are for an article about what underground structures are under the city.
The processing doesn't not contain any HDR. I've processed with Capture One Pro and what gives the "HDR"-look may be a detail enchantment. But the light is pretty much as it was down there. I spent some time mucking about with WB and levels, but I don't have the original files here, so I'm hard press to say anything detailed before I get home.
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Re: Canon EF 50MM 1.2L
I never use it a anything but 1.2 - why else buy it!?
The AF works fine close range, never any problems. I want to have it calibrated but it's just a huge hassle and I don't want to be without it for more than a day, calibrating the camera I suspect will make it worse and affect close range AF.
Viggo said:
I never use it a anything but 1.2 - why else buy it!?
The AF works fine close range, never any problems. I want to have it calibrated but it's just a huge hassle and I don't want to be without it for more than a day, calibrating the camera I suspect will make it worse and affect close range AF.
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Re: Canon EF 50MM 1.2L
I'm really pissed at Canon for not doing the proper calibrations necesseary at the factory. I spent a year trying to calibrate all my lenses, first a couple of times each at Canon (along with my camera) and it got a lot better, but they weren't as tacksharp as I wanted them to be, and more important, the focus was just as unsure on my current mkIV as it was on my very early edition mkIII, it would try to re-focus on all subjects (Ai Servo permantely on) without reason.
But the second time I handed in the 24, they calibrated the camera AGAIN, and this time they just got it right and it's completely transformed, it's impossible to get images oof. SO, when you say it's a huge hassle to calibrate your camera and lenses (for free under warranty) I can't wrap my head around that statement.... You'll probably be shocked by just what a difference it makes.
I agree on which aperture to use the fast lenses, I have the 24 II L, 50 L and the 85 II L and I hardly ever use them smaller than 2,0. BUT the 50 gets used for a lot of different images, and I really like it at 5,6 when more depth is required. But the 24 at mfd, with a close subject and shallow dof is just something else.
I'm really pissed at Canon for not doing the proper calibrations necesseary at the factory. I spent a year trying to calibrate all my lenses, first a couple of times each at Canon (along with my camera) and it got a lot better, but they weren't as tacksharp as I wanted them to be, and more important, the focus was just as unsure on my current mkIV as it was on my very early edition mkIII, it would try to re-focus on all subjects (Ai Servo permantely on) without reason.
But the second time I handed in the 24, they calibrated the camera AGAIN, and this time they just got it right and it's completely transformed, it's impossible to get images oof. SO, when you say it's a huge hassle to calibrate your camera and lenses (for free under warranty) I can't wrap my head around that statement.... You'll probably be shocked by just what a difference it makes.
I agree on which aperture to use the fast lenses, I have the 24 II L, 50 L and the 85 II L and I hardly ever use them smaller than 2,0. BUT the 50 gets used for a lot of different images, and I really like it at 5,6 when more depth is required. But the 24 at mfd, with a close subject and shallow dof is just something else.
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hlphoto
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Re: Canon EF 50MM 1.2L
Calibration from the factory is simply not possible. Consider cameras men and lenses women. It's impossible to make all men and all women exactly equal, but it is possible to find a set that fits together nicely.
The difference with lenses is you can calibrate them as much as you want to make them fit with one certain camera, which as far as I know is only possible with an expensive and very select group of women.
Viggo said:
Calibration from the factory is simply not possible. Consider cameras men and lenses women. It's impossible to make all men and all women exactly equal, but it is possible to find a set that fits together nicely.
The difference with lenses is you can calibrate them as much as you want to make them fit with one certain camera, which as far as I know is only possible with an expensive and very select group of women.
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etto72
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Re: Canon EF 50MM 1.2L
I love this lens!!!
Both for natural light as for studio
_MG_5349.jpg by studiocharlot, on Flickr
_MG_5799.jpg by studiocharlot, on Flickr
_MG_0229.jpg by studiocharlot, on Flickr
_MG_4094.jpg by studiocharlot, on Flickr
I love this lens!!!
Both for natural light as for studio
_MG_5349.jpg by studiocharlot, on Flickr
_MG_5799.jpg by studiocharlot, on Flickr
_MG_0229.jpg by studiocharlot, on Flickr
_MG_4094.jpg by studiocharlot, on Flickr
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Re: Canon EF 50MM 1.2L
If that were true, how come all my lenses ended up at "0" when it comes to microadjustment after the body was properly calibrated ON IT'S OWN..... It also became much more stable in AF performance. With all my lenses I was willing to accept some were behind and some in front and some dead on, but after they got the body right, all my lenses hit too. I think the microadjustment of lenses is to cover up the sloppy calibration of bodies, not lenses.... I coul get lenses to hit dead on, but still unstable AF in Ai Servo. Not anymore.... I don't think it's as easy as to say "you can have a +2 lens and a -2 body and it will work perfectly"
hlphoto said:
If that were true, how come all my lenses ended up at "0" when it comes to microadjustment after the body was properly calibrated ON IT'S OWN..... It also became much more stable in AF performance. With all my lenses I was willing to accept some were behind and some in front and some dead on, but after they got the body right, all my lenses hit too. I think the microadjustment of lenses is to cover up the sloppy calibration of bodies, not lenses.... I coul get lenses to hit dead on, but still unstable AF in Ai Servo. Not anymore.... I don't think it's as easy as to say "you can have a +2 lens and a -2 body and it will work perfectly"
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Re: Canon EF 50MM 1.2L
I got this lens not long ago and am enjoying it. I haven't had many focusing issues. When I do, it's usually because I am moving, not the lens (wish I had IS on it sometimes).
Sometimes on deep contrasts with white, there is aberation. Though I've found it that unless its on smaller things, it's not all that bad. All photos below are straight out of the camera (after raw conversion).
A couple of my kids:
july118 by Macadameane, on Flickr
july117 by Macadameane, on Flickr
The photo below was taken at an outdoor mall at night.
july120 by Macadameane, on Flickr
I got this lens not long ago and am enjoying it. I haven't had many focusing issues. When I do, it's usually because I am moving, not the lens (wish I had IS on it sometimes).
Sometimes on deep contrasts with white, there is aberation. Though I've found it that unless its on smaller things, it's not all that bad. All photos below are straight out of the camera (after raw conversion).
A couple of my kids:
july118 by Macadameane, on Flickr
july117 by Macadameane, on Flickr
The photo below was taken at an outdoor mall at night.
july120 by Macadameane, on Flickr
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steven63
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Re: Canon EF 50MM 1.2L
I have this lens also and when its on (your focus is spot on), it's really really good. I haven't had a chance to pair it with my recently purchased 5dmII but I have a photo shoot tonight that will present the perfect opportunity to use that combination extensively. I'm looking foward to the scrumtious files they will give.
I have this lens also and when its on (your focus is spot on), it's really really good. I haven't had a chance to pair it with my recently purchased 5dmII but I have a photo shoot tonight that will present the perfect opportunity to use that combination extensively. I'm looking foward to the scrumtious files they will give.
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amarlez
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Re: Canon EF 50MM 1.2L
This is probably a good forum to ask this question. Not trying to be snide, I'm seriously curious because I don't know, but what is the advantage of this lens over the f/1.4?
The 1.4 is pretty solidly built, focuses sufficiently fast, and even has a better MTF chart than the 1.2. Yet the 1.2 is four times the price. I have to be missing something because a 1/3-stop advantage and marginally better build and autofocus can't be worth $1200.
This is probably a good forum to ask this question. Not trying to be snide, I'm seriously curious because I don't know, but what is the advantage of this lens over the f/1.4?
The 1.4 is pretty solidly built, focuses sufficiently fast, and even has a better MTF chart than the 1.2. Yet the 1.2 is four times the price. I have to be missing something because a 1/3-stop advantage and marginally better build and autofocus can't be worth $1200.
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Re: Canon EF 50MM 1.2L
The 50mm f/1.4 suffers from a noticeable halation (a softness or 'glow' especially at contrast transitions) from f/1.4 to about f/2. The 50mm f/1.2L is weather-sealed, and has a more robust AF. But really, with the L lens, you're paying for the creaminess of the bokeh - check out the bokeh tests on photozone.de for the 50/1.4 vs. the 50/1.2L.
Personally, I think the 50mm f/1.2L is a bit overpriced for what it is...but if you want beautiful bokeh, you pay the price...
amarlez said:
The 50mm f/1.4 suffers from a noticeable halation (a softness or 'glow' especially at contrast transitions) from f/1.4 to about f/2. The 50mm f/1.2L is weather-sealed, and has a more robust AF. But really, with the L lens, you're paying for the creaminess of the bokeh - check out the bokeh tests on photozone.de for the 50/1.4 vs. the 50/1.2L.
Personally, I think the 50mm f/1.2L is a bit overpriced for what it is...but if you want beautiful bokeh, you pay the price...
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