My terrible Canon 50mm/EF1.4 first experiense

Hi guys and gals, my very first post here.

I am a total newbie with the older Canon Rebel XS and 18-55 kit lens. After reading a lot I decided to buy 50mm EF 1.4 lens. The main reason was supposedly great performance in low light that does not require flash, plus impressive bokeh as nice extra.

I am sitting at the dinner table next to big bay window into backyard covered with 5 inch snow at 1 pm, shooting photos of things on the table. That’s day light plus reflection from snow. I have Tv=1/80 priority and with IS0=100 or 200 I get aperture 1/4. When I have Tv=1/80 and ISO=800, I get aperture 2.8 or 4 that's 'sweet spot' of the 50/EF1.4. I cannot believe that I have to use such high ISO (800) during day with 50 mm lens. The lens behaves like there is a thick UV or Natural Density filter that drastically reduce the light.

I expected always ISO 100 or 200, Av priority mode between 2.8-5.6 and auto shutter speed well below 1/80 so no tripod required. Were my expectations totally wrong?

How do you explain such poor performance of 50/EF1.4 in day light? Either my Rebel XS censor degraded after three years or I've got a bad lens. Honestly, I never paid attention to EXIF info when I was shooting on 'P' with my kit lens. Quality was acceptable so I do not think that it's a problem with my Rebel XS. That's either me or the lens.

Thanks,
Glen

the lens isn't deciding what the lighting conditions are...

glen_dc wrote in post #16638691
I expected always ISO 100 or 200, Av priority mode between 2.8-5.6 and auto shutter speed well below 1/80 so no tripod required. Were my expectations totally wrong?

Your expectations are wrong. F2.8-5.6 is the same on EVERY lens in terms of exposure. If the lighting requires ISO 800 at f2.8, then it's that way on every lens. This is not a lens issue.

And, you could have used ISO 200 by using f1.4, that's why the lens was designed with a large aperture.

You could reduce your shutter speed if you want to use a wider aperture No lens is going to increase the available light.

Welcome to POTN. What mode are you shooting in? What metering are you using? What focus point? Are you outside the MFD of the lens? If you are shooting between 2.8 and 4 indoors at ISO 100, it's probably unrealistic to expect higher shutter speeds. Post a couple of uncropped examples that have EXIF intact as that will help better understand if it's a camera, lens, or user issue.

Heya,

Nothing wrong with the lens.

Not to be rude, but sounds like you don't know how to set exposure and look at metering.

Set it to Av mode (or go straight to manual mode), Aperture 1.4, ISO 100. Set metering to spot metering. Focus, one shot. When you go to shoot the image, make sure your center point is set to whatever object you are framing up. Meter on it, then recompose if you wish. Take a shot. Look at the histogram. See if you need to adjust exposure. This will tell you the suggested exposure for your F1.4/ISO100. Then simply adjust for a better histogram in manual mode.

Very best,

glen_dc wrote in post #16638691
Hi guys and gals, my very first post here.

I am a total newbie with the older Canon Rebel XS and 18-55 kit lens. After reading a lot I decided to buy 50mm EF 1.4 lens. The main reason was supposedly great performance in low light that does not require flash, plus impressive bokeh as nice extra.

I am sitting at the dinner table next to big bay window into backyard covered with 5 inch snow at 1 pm, shooting photos of things on the table. That’s day light plus reflection from snow. I have Tv=1/80 priority and with IS0=100 or 200 I get aperture 1/4. When I have Tv=1/80 and ISO=800, I get aperture 2.8 or 4 that's 'sweet spot' of the 50/EF1.4. I cannot believe that I have to use such high ISO (800) during day with 50 mm lens. The lens behaves like there is a thick UV or Natural Density filter that drastically reduce the light.

I expected always ISO 100 or 200, Av priority mode between 2.8-5.6 and auto shutter speed well below 1/80 so no tripod required. Were my expectations totally wrong?

How do you explain such poor performance of 50/EF1.4 in day light? Either my Rebel XS censor degraded after three years or I've got a bad lens. Honestly, I never paid attention to EXIF info when I was shooting on 'P' with my kit lens. Quality was acceptable so I do not think that it's a problem with my Rebel XS. That's either me or the lens.

Thanks,
Glen

You are correct in saying that 1.4 lenses are better in indoor low light, but you have to take into account that is at 1.4.
5.6 will act the same on any lens...

For example, I tested the same thing indoors on my 6d/zeiss 85mm 1.4
Set it at 5.6.. auto shutter/av/no flash
all handheld.. iso 200 nope/iso 400 no/iso 800 no.. 1600 a little better. and at 3200 it's fine.

Thanks for replies. I called Canon lens support, pretty much the same thing as you say. The guy advised to upgrade camera to have better ISO and eliminate crop factor. Also, indoor is indoor, no matter how bright day is outdoor.

A lot to learn once you ditched auto.

glen_dc wrote in post #16640649
The guy advised to upgrade camera to have better ISO and eliminate crop factor.

Ahahahahaha...

Very best,

glen_dc wrote in post #16640649
Thanks for replies. I called Canon lens support, pretty much the same thing as you say. The guy advised to upgrade camera to have better ISO and eliminate crop factor. Also, indoor is indoor, no matter how bright day is outdoor.

A lot to learn once you ditched auto.

Your camera is fine. Your lens is fine. You don't need to upgrade either of them. The crop factor has nothing to do with the situation you've described.

A f1.4 lens performs better in low light, but only if you use it at f1.4. If you use it at f5.6, it's the same as your kit lens at f5.6.

Even a f1.4 lens can't manufacture light; it's up to you to set up your camera to deal with the light you have.

Before spending more money on gear, either take a class or buy a basic photography book and learn how to use a DSLR. You need to understand how f-stop, shutter speed and ISO work together to produce an image, and how to use your camera to control depth of field. Once you get the hang of it, it's easy.

The most useful $100 I ever spent on photography was a four-week online class on how to use my camera.

glen_dc wrote in post #16640649
Thanks for replies. I called Canon lens support, pretty much the same thing as you say. The guy advised to upgrade camera to have better ISO and eliminate crop factor. Also, indoor is indoor, no matter how bright day is outdoor.

A lot to learn once you ditched auto.

I had the xsi and it was a wonderful camera.
Some of my favorite shots came with that camera.
If you don't have a flash, invest in a good flash/diffuser(gary fong?) and maybe an led light panel or 2... You can pickup panels for $25-30!

As I stated, it doesn't matter what camera it is, it's not going to get a good shutter speed at iso 400/800 in darker indoor environments at 5.6
Try 2.8/3.5 and 800, since most of the 1.4 primes are track sharp around 2.8
The upgrade on a camera is for cleaner iso at higher levels, like 6400.
I did a baptism on the 6d/24-105 (there was quite a bit of ambient light and it still cranked it up to 6400-12,800) at f4-5.6


One day when I'm rich and have kids I'll use a .95 nocton for that barry lyndon shot at my kids birthday parties

ceegee wrote in post #16640689
Before spending more money on gear, either take a class or buy a basic photography book and learn how to use a DSLR. You need to understand how f-stop, shutter speed and ISO work together to produce an image, and how to use your camera to control depth of field. Once you get the hang of it, it's easy.

The most useful $100 I ever spent on photography was a four-week online class on how to use my camera.

This is the best advice you will get. If you want to read on your own, I highly recommend the book Understanding Exposure by Bryan Peterson. You can find it on Amazon for around $16.

eddie3dfx wrote in post #16640778
Try 2.8/3.5 and 800, since most of the 1.4 primes are track sharp around 2.8
)

The 50mm f1.4 is really sharp starting about f2. That's where I shot mine indoors. F1.6 is pretty good, so that's what I'd use if you are really low on light.

I'm assuming he bought the lens to because of the f1.4 aperture, so it's a shame to be afraid to use it at or near wide open.

glen_dc wrote in post #16640649
A lot to learn once you ditched auto.

Pick up the book "Undersyanding Exposure by Bryan Peterson". It will help your understanding of the exposure triangle!

glen_dc wrote in post #16640649
Thanks for replies. I called Canon lens support, pretty much the same thing as you say. The guy advised to upgrade camera to have better ISO and eliminate crop factor. Also, indoor is indoor, no matter how bright day is outdoor.

A lot to learn once you ditched auto.

1st mistake..calling Canon since they will sell you something.

You can get a 5D3 or 1Dx and a Canon 50f1.2 and still produce the same results if you are not metering correctly and not understanding ISO/Aperture/Shutter speed.