need to decide on a 50 mm

abbypanda wrote in post #16364152
I have a 7d and 5diii. I used the 7d on those pictures today, which is nice b/c the fast fps is good for moving dogs I think, esp shelter dogs that arent trained. I try to tire them out then stand on a chair. I noticed today I got a few good ones of each in focus, but also a lot that missed. I did them all at 1.2. That's one reason I go to the shelter: helps the but it's also a lot of practice for me. Not only did it help me with just shooting but the conditions are not ideal: crappy pen and harsh light. So it's helped me be creative in my placement and also post processing to make it look as nice as I can.

I do not know how to micro adjust but someone else told me to do that. how do i do it?

Microadjustment is quite easy once you get the hang of it, there's several different methods, below is a great link to read up on:

http://ophrysphotograp​hy.co.uk …allensmicroadju​stment.htm

What I typically do is the last method on that page I linked you to, except ill tape a bill on a wall perpendicular to the focal plane, instead of using a L bracket...

Also, be sure to test around the minimum focus distance, close to infinity, and somewhere in the middle.. This may give you different values, and if it does, use the average of the three (ex: if you get, say +3 +5 and +7, use +5 to get the closest value) OR use the value closest to the distance you mostly place your subject...

All this might seem complicated at first, but once you do it a couple time, its a breeze..

PM me if you need any help!

Lot of great replies here already, so i thought I add my thoughts:

When it comes to autofocusing 50mm lenses, clearly the 50L is the best. It has for sure the best autofocus, compared to Sigma 50, Canon 50/1.8 and 1.4. And all of these leave something to be desired (autofocus wise). 50L used to have bad reputation here, and for a reason. 50Ls lenses produced from 2006-2009 showed lot of problems. It appears that after those early batches Canon finally gots things right, and now 50L is pretty good when it comes to autofocus.

Optically is more complicated. I consider Sigma a 95% match for 50L. Both have great bokeh (imo better than Canon 50/1.4 or 50/1.8). Great bokeh is something you want from a 50mm lens. And to make things more complicated, once I bought the Sigma 35/1.4, a decision was easy: I sold the 50L. Don't get me wrong, the 50L Is a great lens with great bokeh. However, it's not without it's faults. I just couldn't justify it's steep price. It's a lot of money. And it's sharpness is clearly a notch below the Sigma 35mm. 35mm is generally a more universal focal lenght to use. I've since I found whole series of classic 50mm lenses which seem to produce equal or in some cases even more appealing bokeh to my eye than the 50L; for example Rokkor 58/1.2 and lately the classic CZJ 58/2 I just purchased .

Here is a link worth reading regarding 50mm and bokeh:
http://gathering.tweak​ers.net/forum/list_mes​sages/1452930/

So my suggestion: if you already don't have a 35mm lens, get that first. Next year there is whole bunch of new 50mm lenses to be released most likely. According to rumors: a new Samyang 50mm f/1.2, Sigma 50mm f/1.4 (Art), possibly a new Canon 50mm f/1.4 with IS (finally!?). Very exciting if all of these turn out to be true. Personally I am really looking forward for the Samyang 50/1.2 as a possible replacement for 50L. Lack of autofocus has never been a problem for me.

DanAnCan wrote in post #16364232
Microadjustment is quite easy once you get the hang of it, there's several different methods, below is a great link to read up on:

http://ophrysphotograp​hy.co.uk …allensmicroadju​stment.htm

What I typically do is the last method on that page I linked you to, except ill tape a bill on a wall perpendicular to the focal plane, instead of using a L bracket...

Also, be sure to test around the minimum focus distance, close to infinity, and somewhere in the middle.. This may give you different values, and if it does, use the average of the three (ex: if you get, say +3 +5 and +7, use +5 to get the closest value) OR use the value closest to the distance you mostly place your subject...

All this might seem complicated at first, but once you do it a couple time, its a breeze..

PM me if you need any help!

Thank you for this and as soon as I finish editing my school pictures I am going to check into this. I really appreciate that.

Tmuussoni wrote in post #16364862
Lot of great replies here already, so i thought I add my thoughts:

When it comes to autofocusing 50mm lenses, clearly the 50L is the best. It has for sure the best autofocus, compared to Sigma 50, Canon 50/1.8 and 1.4. And all of these leave something to be desired (autofocus wise). 50L used to have bad reputation here, and for a reason. 50Ls lenses produced from 2006-2009 showed lot of problems. It appears that after those early batches Canon finally gots things right, and now 50L is pretty good when it comes to autofocus.

Optically is more complicated. I consider Sigma a 95% match for 50L. Both have great bokeh (imo better than Canon 50/1.4 or 50/1.8). Great bokeh is something you want from a 50mm lens. And to make things more complicated, once I bought the Sigma 35/1.4, a decision was easy: I sold the 50L. Don't get me wrong, the 50L Is a great lens with great bokeh. However, it's not without it's faults. I just couldn't justify it's steep price. It's a lot of money. And it's sharpness is clearly a notch below the Sigma 35mm. 35mm is generally a more universal focal lenght to use. I've since I found whole series of classic 50mm lenses which seem to produce equal or in some cases even more appealing bokeh to my eye than the 50L; for example Rokkor 58/1.2 and lately the classic CZJ 58/2 I just purchased .

Here is a link worth reading regarding 50mm and bokeh:
http://gathering.tweak​ers.net/forum/list_mes​sages/1452930/

So my suggestion: if you already don't have a 35mm lens, get that first. Next year there is whole bunch of new 50mm lenses to be released most likely. According to rumors: a new Samyang 50mm f/1.2, Sigma 50mm f/1.4 (Art), possibly a new Canon 50mm f/1.4 with IS (finally!?). Very exciting if all of these turn out to be true. Personally I am really looking forward for the Samyang 50/1.2 as a possible replacement for 50L. Lack of autofocus has never been a problem for me.

I will check out that link and thank you. One thing that led me to the L was the AF. I read a post somewhere comparing the canon 1.8, 1.4, 1.2 and the sigma. The sigma seemed to me to have a better bokeh, but I had a sigma macro once. It was great, pretty, sharp, etc. AF sucked. I made this thread thinking someone might convince me to buy the sigma over the 1.2 and save me some $, but there wasnt enough convincing from anyone with the sigma. The fast AF is what I need for animals and kids. I prefer to shoot things that move.

The 35 is a good recommendation. I have the rokinon adn love it. But I'm no expert at MF. After taking my 1.2 to the shelter to test on those wild dogs I was amazed. I got many good shots like the one I posted and one is going "viral" from the shelter page with shares. But I like to stand on a chair adn do that pose. I feel it makes the dogs look cute and since scene is not appealing I try to do whatever I can to get it out. With that said I am a small person. the 50 was kind of hard to get that shot in even on a chair. One of these days I'm gonna fall off. I couldnt stand over a dog and do it without a chair, no way. I may have to bring a step ladder.

But for that reason I am also considering at some point maybe the canon 28 1.8 is that what it is or the 24 mm, whichever one. No time soon but I think maybe that might be a better focal length? Not sure. I hate to buy another 35. I probably should, but then I'd have to sell the rokinon. That would prob be a better biz decision but my husb bought me the rokinon for a surprise awhile back to do videos, and for that reason I kinda hate to just offload it....

anyone got thoughts on a prime 28 mm or whatever it is? I think it might be a future option to let me stand over the dogs and such.

Nice dog shots. 50L is generally 'sharp enough' @ f/1.2; especially as you get away from MFD.

To stick to Pup trend, this shot is f/1.2 @ MFD, shoes the floating element ghostliness fairly well I think...

I ordered a Sigma once. Off the charts MA needed. Went back, never looked back. The 50L with it's low blade count makes bloomed highlights look ugly. It's heavy. I'm using a Zeiss c/y mount. Those 50mm things won't focus anyway so why bother trying? The EF 50mm 1.4 can be OKish except that it fringes like a mofo. If I don't need low light I use my TS-E 45mm, that's a good looking ~50mm.

Wait for a Sigma Art?

the 50L f/1.2 shots above; on my camera on 3-4 MA tests; Out of the box I came up with -1 or 0 each time. My most accurate lens. (I bought FoCal the day the lens showed up at my door and did all my lenses)

w0m wrote in post #16368786
Nice dog shots. 50L is generally 'sharp enough' @ f/1.2; especially as you get away from MFD.

To stick to Pup trend, this shot is f/1.2 @ MFD, shoes the floating element ghostliness fairly well I think...

While this shot is a few feet back; f/1.2 1/60, ISO 4000 (lit nearly entirely by the candle)

Would I shoot landscapes with it @ f/1.2? No; but that's not what it's for...

Very nice, thank you. I really like the look on the dogs. Makes them look so cute. I think I got lost on some of the post you made below what is FoCal?


And If I understood right it was like off just a bit on the micro adjust is that right. And this is probably going to make me sound really dumb but I'm gonna ask b/c I'm sure I'll learn something:

Do you really need Micro adjustment outside of still portraits? I was shooting at 1.2 full sun with a 7d. My shutter speed was ultra fast and the 7d is up to 8 fps. I say that b/c even with an antsy dog it held still enough to fire several shots. Some are good focus some not so much. But when shooting that fast, wont you always get one or 2 that's good anyway? By the time you account for hand shake and slight subject movement and combined with a fast fps and shutter speed, arent I guaranteed to get some within focus regardless of MA... only b/c it's impossible to be exactly still even if I wanted to? I hope I asked my question well. I'm not sure if I did a good job explaining what I'm thinking.

Oh and I just noticed the candle shot was lit by candle mostly you said. I am ready to try this thing in low light. That was 1 thing about my sigma macro... didnt focus so well low light.

Here's 2 more from the same session with shelter dogs. Hope you all dont mind. I loved them all so much I want to share and I can't wait to use this lens again this week!

w0m wrote in post #16368786
Would I shoot landscapes with it @ f/1.2? No; but that's not what it's for...

didn't have a tripod with me, so handheld @1.2

IMAGE LINK: http://www.flickr.com …s/charlie617/10​040193713/

Charlie wrote in post #16369095
didn't have a tripod with me, so handheld @1.2

IMAGE LINK: http://www.flickr.com …s/charlie617/10​040193713/
Crowded School Carnival by charlie617, on Flickr

from a distance, it's plenty sharp, even wide open.

I remember seeing this pic I like it a lot

Charlie wrote in post #16369095
didn't have a tripod with me, so handheld @1.2

IMAGE LINK: http://www.flickr.com …s/charlie617/10​040193713/
Crowded School Carnival by charlie617, on Flickr

from a distance, it's plenty sharp, even wide open.

Great shot. I bet it would look great in b&w too!