Real World Canon EF 35mm f/1.4L II Image Samples

[Canon Rumors]

Turkish photographer Mert Gündoğdu has written a first impressions review of the recently announced <a href="http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1180801-REG/canon_9523b002_35mm_f_1_4l_ii_usm.html/BI/2466/KBID/3296" target="_blank">Canon EF 35mm f/1.4L II</a>, along with a lot of excellent sample images from the lens, as well as various performance comparisons against the original Canon EF 35mm f/1.4L. The CA comparison is especially intriguing and shows Canon has done a superb job with the optics of the new lens.</p>
<p>The site is in Turkish, so you may need to use a translator, though the images speak for themselves.</p>
<p>Below are a few comparisons and samples from the article, to see the rest <a href="http://www.mertgundogdu.com/canon-35mm-f1-4l-ii-usm-incelemesi/" target="_blank">head over to Mert’s blog</a>.</p>

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<p> </p>
<p><strong>Preorder EF 35 f/1.4L II $1799: <a href="http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1180801-REG/canon_9523b002_35mm_f_1_4l_ii_usm.html/BI/2466/KBID/3296" target="_blank">B&H Photo</a> | <a href="http://www.adorama.com/CA35142.html?utm_term=UbK24x0al34oSlvW4eT8QxjoUkX3mDVXeWC-Ug0&utm_medium=Affiliate&utm_campaign=Other&utm_source=rflaid64393&cvosrc=affiliate.64393" target="_blank">Adorama</a> | <a href="http://amzn.to/1Uehm5w" target="_blank">Amazon</a></strong></p>

 

[infared]

IMPRESSIVE!

 

[jcarapet]

I need to see more examples out of this. In their comparison I am not seeing a significant improvement in sharpness on the side by side comparison. Beautiful regardless.

 

[[email protected]]

While the new 35mm looks great, I'm quite impressed with the old 35mm. I believe it is still a competitor and the best thing, you will be able to pick one up at a great price.

 

[TWI by Dustin Abbott]

I need to see more examples out of this. In their comparison I am not seeing a significant improvement in sharpness on the side by side comparison. Beautiful regardless.

The only shot that stands out to me is the crop of the two coins. Look at the smaller, bronze looking coin in the lower right. Sharpness is night and day there.

My biggest personal question is going to be whether the new 35L retains the excellent drawing of the former. The Sigma ART is much sharper, but it is debatable whether it produces better pictures (as a whole). I want the new 35L II to retain the former while adding the sharpness of the Sigma.

 

[Viggo]

I need to see more examples out of this. In their comparison I am not seeing a significant improvement in sharpness on the side by side comparison. Beautiful regardless.

The only shot that stands out to me is the crop of the two coins. Look at the smaller, bronze looking coin in the lower right. Sharpness is night and day there.

I noticed that to, but when I compared the shots of the batteries, is clearly a different focus point. I thought maybe that was the case with the coins also, because it's not that far off the focusing point and the difference couldn't be bigger, maybe a shift in the dof? Because in the other shots I too did not see that huge difference.

 

[Luds34]

I need to see more examples out of this. In their comparison I am not seeing a significant improvement in sharpness on the side by side comparison. Beautiful regardless.

The only shot that stands out to me is the crop of the two coins. Look at the smaller, bronze looking coin in the lower right. Sharpness is night and day there.

My biggest personal question is going to be whether the new 35L retains the excellent drawing of the former. The Sigma ART is much sharper, but it is debatable whether it produces better pictures (as a whole). I want the new 35L II to retain the former while adding the sharpness of the Sigma.

Yes, I noticed that as well (The battery test showed it a bit too, but to a much lesser degree). Of course that coin was in the far corner. For most real world shooting, wide open corner sharpness isn't usually very important. If you are shooting a scene where you want everything in focus and sharp, you are not typically shooting at f/1.4. And, especially for a 35mm prime, shooting wide open is usually isolating your subject anyway, so anything in the corners is already going to be out of focus and the corner softness could even be a benefit.

So in short, and especially if you are an event photography, people should be able to pick up the old 35mm for some good prices and get one heck of a lens.

 

[Viggo]

I need to see more examples out of this. In their comparison I am not seeing a significant improvement in sharpness on the side by side comparison. Beautiful regardless.

The only shot that stands out to me is the crop of the two coins. Look at the smaller, bronze looking coin in the lower right. Sharpness is night and day there.

My biggest personal question is going to be whether the new 35L retains the excellent drawing of the former. The Sigma ART is much sharper, but it is debatable whether it produces better pictures (as a whole). I want the new 35L II to retain the former while adding the sharpness of the Sigma.

Yes, I noticed that as well (The battery test showed it a bit too, but to a much lesser degree). Of course that coin was in the far corner. For most real world shooting, wide open corner sharpness isn't usually very important. If you are shooting a scene where you want everything in focus and sharp, you are not typically shooting at f/1.4. And, especially for a 35mm prime, shooting wide open is usually isolating your subject anyway, so anything in the corners is already going to be out of focus and the corner softness could even be a benefit.

So in short, and especially if you are an event photography, people should be able to pick up the old 35mm for some good prices and get one heck of a lens.

I strongly disagree, corner sharpness is everything. It matters A LOT when doing off center composition.

 

[tron]

I need to see more examples out of this. In their comparison I am not seeing a significant improvement in sharpness on the side by side comparison. Beautiful regardless.

The only shot that stands out to me is the crop of the two coins. Look at the smaller, bronze looking coin in the lower right. Sharpness is night and day there.

My biggest personal question is going to be whether the new 35L retains the excellent drawing of the former. The Sigma ART is much sharper, but it is debatable whether it produces better pictures (as a whole). I want the new 35L II to retain the former while adding the sharpness of the Sigma.

Yes, I noticed that as well (The battery test showed it a bit too, but to a much lesser degree). Of course that coin was in the far corner. For most real world shooting, wide open corner sharpness isn't usually very important. If you are shooting a scene where you want everything in focus and sharp, you are not typically shooting at f/1.4. And, especially for a 35mm prime, shooting wide open is usually isolating your subject anyway, so anything in the corners is already going to be out of focus and the corner softness could even be a benefit.

So in short, and especially if you are an event photography, people should be able to pick up the old 35mm for some good prices and get one heck of a lens.

I strongly disagree, corner sharpness is everything. It matters A LOT when doing off center composition.

In the coins picture only the one in the extreme corner is soft. Off center composition cannot be that off (I am talking about event photography only).

 

[TeT]

on sharpness alone, definite improvement. What will be fun is when the 35 Art v 35 L II comparisons come out.

Total IQ is improved over the original 35 L as well. IQ should compare favorably against the best of class 35mm lenses currently available..

 

[chromophore]

My observations:

The biggest thing that stood out for me was the reduction in chromatic aberration. I didn't even compare the sharpness of the images--what I noticed was a significant reduction in green and magenta fringing in the out-of-focus areas. However, it is not entirely absent. In the close-up of the laptop image, you can still see some magenta fringing on the highlight; in the battery image, you can notice a slight amount of green.

It is impossible to evaluate or compare the peripheral sharpness of the lens from these images because you cannot determine if the focus point is exactly the same across the shots. I have no doubt the new lens is sharper, but I am saying you can't really tell from these sample shots. Ideally, we would want a 100% image of a test chart.

Field curvature is not possible to evaluate with these images, either.

Until we can see more sample images and get a better sense of the characteristics of this lens, I would not jump at buying one. $1800 is rather high and it is definitely going to go down after six months.

 

[adventureous]

It will be interesting to see a comparison of this lens and the 24-70 2.8 II at 35mm and f4.5 - f5.6 - f8.0 etc.

 

[cpsico]

I have mine ordered from B&H, After finally getting the latest 24-70 2.8 II i am very excited about canons latest and greatest L lenses!!

 

[afitch]

It will be interesting to see a comparison of this lens and the 24-70 2.8 II at 35mm and f4.5 - f5.6 - f8.0 etc.

You buy a 35mm 1.4 to use it at 1.4.

 

[cpsico]

It will be interesting to see a comparison of this lens and the 24-70 2.8 II at 35mm and f4.5 - f5.6 - f8.0 etc.

You buy a 35mm 1.4 to use it at 1.4.

Did you see the complete lack of color fringing in the test shots!!! Very excited for great unique shots !!

 

[adventureous]

It will be interesting to see a comparison of this lens and the 24-70 2.8 II at 35mm and f4.5 - f5.6 - f8.0 etc.

You buy a 35mm 1.4 to use it at 1.4.

I am glad you are here. Now I can stop thinking for myself.

 

[docsmith]

It will be interesting to see a comparison of this lens and the 24-70 2.8 II at 35mm and f4.5 - f5.6 - f8.0 etc.

You buy a 35mm 1.4 to use it at 1.4.

....and f/1.6 through f/22

 

[sanj]

It will be interesting to see a comparison of this lens and the 24-70 2.8 II at 35mm and f4.5 - f5.6 - f8.0 etc.

You buy a 35mm 1.4 to use it at 1.4.

I am glad you are here. Now I can stop thinking for myself.

Hahahahahaha. Well said.

 

[sanj]

I need to see more examples out of this. In their comparison I am not seeing a significant improvement in sharpness on the side by side comparison. Beautiful regardless.

The only shot that stands out to me is the crop of the two coins. Look at the smaller, bronze looking coin in the lower right. Sharpness is night and day there.

My biggest personal question is going to be whether the new 35L retains the excellent drawing of the former. The Sigma ART is much sharper, but it is debatable whether it produces better pictures (as a whole). I want the new 35L II to retain the former while adding the sharpness of the Sigma.

Yes, I noticed that as well (The battery test showed it a bit too, but to a much lesser degree). Of course that coin was in the far corner. For most real world shooting, wide open corner sharpness isn't usually very important. If you are shooting a scene where you want everything in focus and sharp, you are not typically shooting at f/1.4. And, especially for a 35mm prime, shooting wide open is usually isolating your subject anyway, so anything in the corners is already going to be out of focus and the corner softness could even be a benefit.

So in short, and especially if you are an event photography, people should be able to pick up the old 35mm for some good prices and get one heck of a lens.

I strongly disagree, corner sharpness is everything. It matters A LOT when doing off center composition.

If not everything, at least very very important.

 

[Luds34]

I need to see more examples out of this. In their comparison I am not seeing a significant improvement in sharpness on the side by side comparison. Beautiful regardless.

The only shot that stands out to me is the crop of the two coins. Look at the smaller, bronze looking coin in the lower right. Sharpness is night and day there.

My biggest personal question is going to be whether the new 35L retains the excellent drawing of the former. The Sigma ART is much sharper, but it is debatable whether it produces better pictures (as a whole). I want the new 35L II to retain the former while adding the sharpness of the Sigma.

Yes, I noticed that as well (The battery test showed it a bit too, but to a much lesser degree). Of course that coin was in the far corner. For most real world shooting, wide open corner sharpness isn't usually very important. If you are shooting a scene where you want everything in focus and sharp, you are not typically shooting at f/1.4. And, especially for a 35mm prime, shooting wide open is usually isolating your subject anyway, so anything in the corners is already going to be out of focus and the corner softness could even be a benefit.

So in short, and especially if you are an event photography, people should be able to pick up the old 35mm for some good prices and get one heck of a lens.

I strongly disagree, corner sharpness is everything. It matters A LOT when doing off center composition.

In the coins picture only the one in the extreme corner is soft. Off center composition cannot be that off (I am talking about event photography only).

+1

You beat me to it.