Canon EF 50mm f/1.4 USM

1/60, ISO 640, @ f/1.4 on 1DMk2

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V clean there dan
looks like you got a sharp copy

rekn you would have gained a stop or so by getting the cat around 180 degrees in that nice window light/lamp :]

davo_robbo wrote in post #6527356
V clean there dan
looks like you got a sharp copy

rekn you would have gained a stop or so by getting the cat around 180 degrees in that nice window light/lamp :]

Hmmm perhaps... he doesn't like having his photo taken though, and you try telling a cat what to do!

Exposure: 0.02 sec (1/50)
Aperture: f/1.8
Focal Length: 50 mm
ISO Speed: 400

i dont think it is

I am so puzzled, the reviews I've read on this lens are so mixed. SLR Gear makes it look pretty bad, there are plenty of comments that it's not any good wide open and then I see photos here which look very good.

I'd be interested in using it on my FF 5D and probably mostly interested in shooting it wide open at f1.4. Is this a good combination. Normally I avoid the 50-mm focal length, the 50 1.2 really hasn't come across also as being an iffy investment and although not as heavy as the 85L it's still chunky.

Macroshot I'm really loving what you are posting, are you shooting these with your 40D?

One of the uses that interests me is to use it with extension tubes for shooting flowers really close up. It's important that it's small and not blocking light and I've plenty of longer lenses to do this with but trying to approach things I can do at the wider end with my G9 but instead with my 5D!

Please keep the photos coming!

Jannie wrote in post #6555850
I am so puzzled, the reviews I've read on this lens are so mixed. SLR Gear makes it look pretty bad, there are plenty of comments that it's not any good wide open and then I see photos here which look very good.

I'd be interested in using it on my FF 5D and probably mostly interested in shooting it wide open at f1.4. Is this a good combination. Normally I avoid the 50-mm focal length, the 50 1.2 really hasn't come across also as being an iffy investment and although not as heavy as the 85L it's still chunky.

Macroshot I'm really loving what you are posting, are you shooting these with your 40D?

One of the uses that interests me is to use it with extension tubes for shooting flowers really close up. It's important that it's small and not blocking light and I've plenty of longer lenses to do this with but trying to approach things I can do at the wider end with my G9 but instead with my 5D!

Please keep the photos coming!

I think any prime coupled with the 5D will perform very well. Not to mention the 5D provides slightly more shallow depth of field. I think the 50mm is sharp enough but when I shoot mine in high contrast environments, I can definitely point out the flaws when pixel peeping.

Jannie wrote in post #6555850
I am so puzzled, the reviews I've read on this lens are so mixed. SLR Gear makes it look pretty bad, there are plenty of comments that it's not any good wide open and then I see photos here which look very good.

I'd be interested in using it on my FF 5D and probably mostly interested in shooting it wide open at f1.4. Is this a good combination. Normally I avoid the 50-mm focal length, the 50 1.2 really hasn't come across also as being an iffy investment and although not as heavy as the 85L it's still chunky.

Macroshot I'm really loving what you are posting, are you shooting these with your 40D?

One of the uses that interests me is to use it with extension tubes for shooting flowers really close up. It's important that it's small and not blocking light and I've plenty of longer lenses to do this with but trying to approach things I can do at the wider end with my G9 but instead with my 5D!

Please keep the photos coming!

Check out the DPreview review of this lens. They certainly think its commendable...

http://www.dpreview.co​m/lensreviews/canon_50​_1p4_c16/

If you mess with the MTF chart, you'll see that the lens is sharp starting at 2.0 on up (to 8) but is way, way better on the 5D.

If you want critical sharpness on this lens, shooting at an aperture of 2.8 is where you need to shoot (on a crop body).

Jannie wrote in post #6555850
I am so puzzled, the reviews I've read on this lens are so mixed. SLR Gear makes it look pretty bad, there are plenty of comments that it's not any good wide open and then I see photos here which look very good.

Macroshot I'm really loving what you are posting, are you shooting these with your 40D?

One of the uses that interests me is to use it with extension tubes for shooting flowers really close up. It's important that it's small and not blocking light

Jannie - I read all the reviews after seeing the images posted as well. I see nothing on mine that indicates a problem at f/1.4. The first couple of days were nothing but wide open!! And more significantly, I don't notice a major difference when stopped down either (like my 135 f/2 for example).

I have a 5D (don't own the 40D though) and find this lens is very, very nice for the money, especially paired with the 5D.

I was curious as to how well it did macro using the extension tubes and was pleasantly surprised. I sold my 100 f/2.8 macro because I wasn't happy with my results. I found the 50 f1/.4 to be very compatible with the tubes. Hope this info helps.

***************
Adding a couple of links if you haven't seen these yet:
http://www.photozone.d​e …4-usm-test-report--review
http://www.the-digital-picture.com …-1.4-USM-Lens-Review.aspx

Jannie wrote in post #6555850
I'd be interested in using it on my FF 5D and probably mostly interested in shooting it wide open at f1.4. Is this a good combination. Normally I avoid the 50-mm focal length, the 50 1.2 really hasn't come across also as being an iffy investment and although not as heavy as the 85L it's still chunky.

Corners will be soft but center sharpness is great wide open. Frankly, when I'm shooting at f/1.4 I don't care one iota about corner sharpness, so it's a perfect lens on my 5D

At 1.4:

spelunker wrote in post #6558876
At 1.4:

What is it?

lol seems to be a corner of a desk