I am so torn!!! Zeiss 50 MP or 50L?

Love the 50mm focal length! Currently own a Sigmalux but have been wanting to upgrade to either one.

How does 50L @ f2 compared to Zeiss? Is the Zeiss sharp wide open? And what about the so-called 'unique zeiss rendering'??

If I am going Zeiss, I'll probably keep the Sigma for AF.

Somehow my mind tells me that I won't be wowed by the L, but there's a chance that the Zeiss will bring in some surprise...

Help me

Time to experiment with zeiss then. Whats wrong with your sigma 50mm??? If you have rare perfect copy of the simga 50mm I see zero reasons for a person to buy a 50L. The Sigma at f/1.4 appears to produce a tad more bokeh than a canon 50 f/1.4.

I just appreciate AF I guess..... also I'll concentrate on composition and capture facial expression rather than putting some effort in manually focusing to concentrating on landing a sharp image. Each to their own.

The Zeiss is sharp wide open. What do you find deficient in the Sigmalux that has you looking to upgrade?

I had both, for what I did there was a need for AF. If you are ok with the MF I would get the Zeiss. I do have other ZE lenses I use, for my needs in the 50mm range I needed AF so ended up selling the Zeiss 50 MP. Zeiss color rendering is amazing I am sure you will love this.

Just answered a similar question here https://photography-on-the.net …/showthread.php​?t=1222821

If your choice is definitivelly between 50mm's i'd advice the Zeiss. I went trough the same question recently and decided on the Zeiss. Wish could have both (shooting at 1.2 should be nice) but the Zeiss is a better all round performer and don't miss AF (been using Zeiss MF primes for about 2 years now) and does really nice butterly bokeh Macros.

The Canon is definitivelly sharper and does have the zeiss look if we can call it that; Check out this picture which is probably 90% what came out of camera (removed vignette, added contrast). Taken at F2. Heck, didn't even had to bump the colors.

http://500px.com/photo​/12522831

AlanU wrote in post #14921691
Whats wrong with your sigma 50mm??? If you have rare perfect copy of the simga 50mm I see zero reasons for a person to buy a 50L.

Well tbh with you, I just find the sigma soft wide open! I tend to pixel peep a bit and it's simply not up to par compared to say f2.8. I know that's not a fair comparison but everything just seems so soft.

My copy seems to focus ok, well maybe slight ff/bf. But I have to say that I don't shoot test chart often and check the lens to death. Simple focus chart suggests it's ok but soft? So I'm not totally sure whether there is or isn't a problem there....

that's a hard question.

i have both, and i bring both.

the zeiss is super useful in taking food pics. but i can't rely on it for people pics (i have an EG-S screen)

mike cabilangan wrote in post #14923998
the zeiss is super useful in taking food pics. but i can't rely on it for people pics (i have an EG-S screen)

Yea i know what you mean. I had a look at the Zeiss 50 MP photo sample thread and saw a lot of great food pics from Michael Shum who have sadly left

However it's partly great due to the macro ability and his pp. I honestly do not see a lot of so called unique zeiss look if that actually exist.

Is it really that hard for people pics? What about people that is standing still? I guess nailing the focus when focusing on the eye is hard unless liveview 10x??

There's a point where you just can't get any more info over the internet. Sooner or later, other people's images and opinions cease to add more value. There is a point where you have to just try the lens.

Buy one of each used. Try them together. Shoot the same scene with both. Live with them. Keep the one that wows you, resell the other for little or no loss.

My used Zeiss 2/35 will arrive in a few days. After a while I'll know if I'm selling it or my 35L.

kin2son wrote in post #14924227
Yea i know what you mean. I had a look at the Zeiss 50 MP photo sample thread and saw a lot of great food pics from Michael Shum who have sadly left

However it's partly great due to the macro ability and his pp. I honestly do not see a lot of so called unique zeiss look if that actually exist.

Is it really that hard for people pics? What about people that is standing still? I guess nailing the focus when focusing on the eye is hard unless liveview 10x??

honestly, i don't see the "look"

i keep it because it's sharp at f/2, has a nice MFD ...
but if there's an AF lens out there that will do the above, this one is gone.

I have the Sigma 50/1.4 and the ZE 50/2 MP.

If you look at the mtf for the Zeiss, it gives 60% contrast at 40 lp/mm wide open. There's a bit of field curvature that makes it look softer in the corners, but that's just a measure of how well the subject suits the lens. The Zeiss has essentially no focus shift as you stop it down.

Not having used a 50L, I can't address your question directly but I can say that getting everything from the Zeiss requires you to use magnified live view focusing and a loupe. It's not a big deal.

noisejammer wrote in post #14924393
I can say that getting everything from the Zeiss requires you to use magnified live view focusing and a loupe. It's not a big deal.

Can anyone comment on that?

It is a big deal to me and will be a deal breaker if that's the case. (note - I do have the eg-s focusing screen in my 5D2.)

kin2son wrote in post #14924488
Can anyone comment on that?

It is a big deal to me and will be a deal breaker if that's the case. (note - I do have the eg-s focusing screen in my 5D2.)

most of the 50's focus ring throw are in the macro range, leaving very little adjustment in the "normal" ranges, no worse than MF'ing AF lenses though

if you want normal range 'accuracy', the 50 1.4 from zeiss might be the better buy.

mike cabilangan wrote in post #14924587
most of the 50's focus ring throw are in the macro range, leaving very little adjustment in the "normal" ranges, no worse than MF'ing AF lenses though

if you want normal range 'accuracy', the 50 1.4 from zeiss might be the better buy.

So what do mean? One has to use liveview to be able to focus properly? eg-s screen isn't good enough?

I disregard the 50 1.4 zeiss as it's soft from f1.4 -> f2 and it's not in the same class as the MP.

kin2son wrote in post #14924616
So what do mean? One has to use liveview to be able to focus properly? eg-s screen isn't good enough?

I disregard the 50 1.4 zeiss as it's soft from f1.4 -> f2 and it's not in the same class as the MP.

for my eyes with focus confirmation beep ... no it isn't enough.