50mm f1.4

[blinking8s]

is the build a lot better than the f1.8 (ie not plastic)...my 1.8 snapped in half today...its done

would anyone suggest the f2.5 compact macro? is it only good for macro or can you use it as a good all purpose lens?

thanks

[EoSD30fReAk]

the 1,4 is much more solid than the 1.8!

it's almost one piece of glass :wink:

the 2.5 macro is ONLY for macro!! you can't take "normal" pictures with it!


ps how did you snap the 1.8 anyway :shock:

[DaveG]

the 1,4 is much more solid than the 1.8!

it's almost one piece of glass :wink:

the 2.5 macro is ONLY for macro!! you can't take "normal" pictures with it!


ps how did you snap the 1.8 anyway :shock:

Sorry, you CAN take "normal" pictures with the 50mm f2.8 macro. It certainly focuses to infinity.

The problem with that lens - as I see it anyway - it that it's slow for a normal use lens of this focal length, and as a macro lens it been replaced by $79 flatbed scanners. Most of the things that Iwould have used my 55mm Nikkor macro for - stamps, money and such are chucked onto the flatbed. The small but live things are better "macro-ed" to coin a phrase, with a 100 mm macro.

[blinking8s]

I had my elan 7n with the 1.8 on it mounted on the tripod...while setting up i somehow knocked the tripod over, the back of the elan took the impact with the ground...not very hard at all cause i caught the tripod on its way down...the elan doesnt even have a scratch on it...the shock from the impact must have been hard, cause the entire inner part of the lens has snapped, motor and all...

id love to the the 1.4 for the build of DOF, but the 1.8 is so darn cheap...sucks...i rarely have $300 spare

[timmyquest]

id love to the the 1.4 for the build of DOF, but the 1.8 is so darn cheap...sucks...i rarely have $300 spare

Thats the "female dog" of it...

I personally havnt had any issues with my 50mm f/1.8. I also dont intend on dropping my camera (i'm sure you didnt/dont).

I've yet to have a reason to desire the 50/f1.4

I'd much rather put that money towards something like the 135

[Nolz]

i thought i loved my 1.8...but thats before i picked up the 1.4.......its taken a few relationships and one 1.8 for me to realise what true love is :)

USM, build quality, focusing ring and the photos are IMO.....exceptional!

[EoSD30fReAk]

the 1,4 is much more solid than the 1.8!

it's almost one piece of glass :wink:

the 2.5 macro is ONLY for macro!! you can't take "normal" pictures with it!


ps how did you snap the 1.8 anyway :shock:

Sorry, you CAN take "normal" pictures with the 50mm f2.8 macro. It certainly focuses to infinity.

The problem with that lens - as I see it anyway - it that it's slow for a normal use lens of this focal length, and as a macro lens it been replaced by $79 flatbed scanners. Most of the things that Iwould have used my 55mm Nikkor macro for - stamps, money and such are chucked onto the flatbed. The small but live things are better "macro-ed" to coin a phrase, with a 100 mm macro.

have you ever used the 2.5 macro?????

i did and it definitly didn't focus to infinity! 8)

[thomascanty]

have you ever used the 2.5 macro?????

i did and it definitly didn't focus to infinity! 8)

Mine does.

[Jesper]

have you ever used the 2.5 macro?????

i did and it definitly didn't focus to infinity! 8)

If that's the case, then your 2.5 macro most likely was broken. Look at the Canon EF Lenses Home (http://www.usa.canon.com/html/eflenses/index.html). Choose the EF 50 f/2.5 Compact Macro from the drop down list. You'll get a popup window, which shows an image of the lens. On the image you can see it has an infinity mark on it.

The text even says "A superior-performance lens offering excellent optics and focusing from infinity down to one-half life size (0.5x).". So it should be able to focus to infinity.

[Kenski]

Have you ever heard the expression, you get what you pay for??? Why do you think the 50mm 1.4 is more expensive?? It is better... Why do people buy the Canon 70-200 f2.8 over the Sigma 70-200 f2.8?? It costs more!!! It is better... I played with the 1.8 and the 1.4 side by side and compared them, well, a buddy and I did, both on digital rebels and the 1.4 blew the 1.8 out of the water and we never went down to the 1.4 stop because we wanted to keep the testing as equal as possible. Thats not even talking about the BUILD. all the 1.8 guys out there who say the 1.8 is SOOOO light and you don't even know it is on the camera... Uhhhh, that tells you something right there... CHEAP... If you are that weak that you can't walk around all day with the 1.4 on there, you have problems... I walked around 7 hours and took 450 pictures in one day at a car show with the 50mm f1.4 and had NO problems.

MACRO'S are for CLOSE shooting... Yeah, you can take portaits with them but that is not what they were really intented for so why? Would you use a spoon to cut your steak??? If you are on a budget put away $25 a week or stop eatting McDonalds for lunch that stuff will kill you anyways!

[EoSD30fReAk]

have you ever used the 2.5 macro?????

i did and it definitly didn't focus to infinity! 8)

If that's the case, then your 2.5 macro most likely was broken. Look at the Canon EF Lenses Home (http://www.usa.canon.com/html/eflenses/index.html). Choose the EF 50 f/2.5 Compact Macro from the drop down list. You'll get a popup window, which shows an image of the lens. On the image you can see it has an infinity mark on it.

The text even says "A superior-performance lens offering excellent optics and focusing from infinity down to one-half life size (0.5x).". So it should be able to focus to infinity.


i called the guy that owns the lens and he said that it does focus to infinity :oops: :oops: :oops:

my mistake :roll: :oops:

[maderito]

$75 X 4 = $300.

You can get two more 50/1.8's and still come out ahead.

I have the 50/1.4 and have used the 50/1.8. There just isn't a 4 fold difference in build quality. Image quality is very close. Canon needs to update the 50/1.4 to the latest USM technology and consider IS. That would make the choice between the cheapo 1.8 and the 1.4 more interesting.

[Kenski]

$75 X 4 = $300.

You can get two more 50/1.8's and still come out ahead.

I have the 50/1.4 and have used the 50/1.8. There just isn't a 4 fold difference in build quality. Image quality is very close. Canon needs to update the 50/1.4 to the latest USM technology and consider IS. That would make the choice between the cheapo 1.8 and the 1.4 more interesting.

IS on the 50MM? If you need IS on this 50MM then you need to walk around with a tripod all the time or you shoot in complete darkness...

[abel]

i have a f1.8 and recently bought a f1.4 and i am glad i made the switch. the bokeh on the f1.4 is much smoother because of the 8blade aperture vs the f1.8's 5 blade system.

i find the f1.4 build much more superior because its not plastic. definitely has a more solid feel to it. i also like the f1.4 because of the of manual focus ring, the f1.8 doesnt offer that.

i also noticed that the f1.4 was quicker to snap in focus than my f1.8. i shot a couple of concerts with my f1.8 and my last two big concerts with my f1.4 and it was hands down better. the f1.8 would often "hunt" a bit before locking focus while the f1.4 locked in without hesitating. when only getting about 3-15 min to shoot a concert i needed the extra focusing speed.

http://www.nitrocross.com/temp/dmbbig.jpg

doenst matter too much but the f1.8 is much louder than the f1.4. :)

i still have my f1.8 that i plan to sell... i am VERY happy with the $300 50mm f1.4.

good luck

[abel]

mini review and use comments...

http://www.photo.net/equipment/canon/ef50

[maderito]

$75 X 4 = $300.

You can get two more 50/1.8's and still come out ahead.

I have the 50/1.4 and have used the 50/1.8. There just isn't a 4 fold difference in build quality. Image quality is very close. Canon needs to update the 50/1.4 to the latest USM technology and consider IS. That would make the choice between the cheapo 1.8 and the 1.4 more interesting.

IS on the 50MM? If you need IS on this 50MM then you need to walk around with a tripod all the time or you shoot in complete darkness...
When's the last time you handheld an ISO 400, f/2.0, 1/15 second shot in a low light setting? IS gives you 2 or so stops more latitude. I'll take that anytime.

[Kenski]

$75 X 4 = $300.

You can get two more 50/1.8's and still come out ahead.

I have the 50/1.4 and have used the 50/1.8. There just isn't a 4 fold difference in build quality. Image quality is very close. Canon needs to update the 50/1.4 to the latest USM technology and consider IS. That would make the choice between the cheapo 1.8 and the 1.4 more interesting.

IS on the 50MM? If you need IS on this 50MM then you need to walk around with a tripod all the time or you shoot in complete darkness...
When's the last time you handheld an ISO 400, f/2.0, 1/15 second shot in a low light setting? IS gives you 2 or so stops more latitude. I'll take that anytime.

I know what IS can do, like I said, if you really need that on a 50mm lens though, you have some serious problems.

Also, that review is a HORRIBLE review... That review left me asking myself more questions then it did anything.. I still didn't know which lens I wanted.. that is why I got a 1.8 and a 1.4 and two rebels and went and shot images side by side in ALL conditions and then looked at them. the 1.4 blew the 1.8 away and we never went down to 1.4.... we stayed at 1.8 and higher the entire time.

[abel]

i seldomly shoot at 1.4, for concerts and such i usually shoot at f2 or f2.5 but i still find my f1.4 to produce better images than the f1.8 in those conditions so thats why my f1.8 is on the self ready to be sold.

each person has their own feelings about their lenses, i think it all has to do with application. there are some things i need that i can get with the f1.4 that u cant with the f1.8. some may be able to live with it, thats fine. i cant. some concerts i only get to shoot for a single song. thats like 3 minutes. i cant affored to sit there and have my f1.8 hunting for a focus lock half of the time.....

both lenses are nice in their own regard. i mean the f1.8 is like $70. you just cant beat that price! the f1.4 is nice and i dont regret it at all..

i think you will be happy with either lens

[Bob Sherwood]

I am a professional with 2 studios. I shoot the Fuji S2, he Canon Digital Rebel and the Canon 20D. THe 50 MM 2.5 macro can most definately be used to shoot portraits in the studio.....do it every day. It is an excellent lens and is tack sharp....guaranteed.

[DaveG]

the 1,4 is much more solid than the 1.8!

it's almost one piece of glass :wink:

the 2.5 macro is ONLY for macro!! you can't take "normal" pictures with it!


ps how did you snap the 1.8 anyway :shock:

Sorry, you CAN take "normal" pictures with the 50mm f2.8 macro. It certainly focuses to infinity.

The problem with that lens - as I see it anyway - it that it's slow for a normal use lens of this focal length, and as a macro lens it been replaced by $79 flatbed scanners. Most of the things that Iwould have used my 55mm Nikkor macro for - stamps, money and such are chucked onto the flatbed. The small but live things are better "macro-ed" to coin a phrase, with a 100 mm macro.

have you ever used the 2.5 macro?????

i did and it definitly didn't focus to infinity! 8)

Try taking the extension tube off.

[Kenski]

I am a professional with 2 studios. I shoot the Fuji S2, he Canon Digital Rebel and the Canon 20D. THe 50 MM 2.5 macro can most definately be used to shoot portraits in the studio.....do it every day. It is an excellent lens and is tack sharp....guaranteed.

I'm not saying you can't use it for portrait shots but its like someone using a butter knife as a screwdriver, yes it can work but why when there is a better tool for the job.... It cost alittle more but you are getting a better tool...

[tofuboy]

I just bought the 50 f/1.4 from b&h (among a few other things)... should be here next Wednesday or Thursday. but now my wallet feels a bit light x_x;;