comments @ f1/.2?

Turkish coffee in a coffee pot, cup of coffee both on a silver tray.A lantern in the background, time is at the beggining of sunset.

I was about 1 meter or 3 feet or so from the subject.

I think it's too shallow for this photograph. The coffee cup is completely out of focus except for the back rim, and the pot next to it has too little detail showing. I really think the photo would work better shooting around f/3.5 or so on this one. It actually makes me think 'wow, here's a photo shot at f/1.2 because he COULD shoot at f/1.2, not because there was a need for it.' Nice bokeh, though!

Just because you can, doesn't mean you should! Wide open is great when you need all the light you can get...but seldom otherwise.

I think the photo does a great job of demonstrating the DOF that this lens is capable of as well as the pleasing bokeh. For this particular shot, though, it should have been stopped down a bit. Thanks for sharing.

rklepper got it!

I understand what you guys are sayin cdi-ink and Jman, seems like I shot it at f/1.2 because I could. But thats not why I shot it. I was playin around with wide apertures...

Im not sure why I posted it, I guess I was looking for comments such as the one from rklepper,but maybe in more detail or different perspective.

I think I feel I want to say that DoF is almost non-existant in this photo because I was photographing at closest focusing distance (.9m).

I dont know, I was just mixed with two different feelings towards the shot. First, wow DoF is tiny when close-up ( I learned this with my mp-e 65) and second, makes me wonder what kind of DoF exists with the 50 f/1.0 at min. focusing distance.

DOF is fun to play with, I must admit. I didn't take my 50 off of 1.4 for a nice long while.

Yeah, the DoF is a little too narrow for the shot... It also seems to lean a little to the right. But I like the setup! With a little more in focus that'd make a great shot.

I'd love to comment that but my comments don't get past f/1.4.

On a more serious note though, I'd have to agree with others; shallow depth of field is not to be abused, for demonstration purposes it's just great, but otherwise, use it wisely. It's like... you're this hardcore kung-fu fighter, now, do you punch and kick in the air and sometimes people just to prove you can do it? I'd rather think you save it for occasions when really necessary. I'm not trying to beat you to dust, trust me, but that's just the way it is. I've done too many shots like yours up there and I discovered shallow depth of field doesn't impress many people, they are, however impressed, if the subject is well positioned, sharp and background is in creamy blur so that the subject stands out almost in a 3D kind of fashion...

Can any one think of a particular scenario or setup where f/1.2 would be perfect? To the point that if f/1.2 was not accessible, the potential shot would not be worth taking?

ive been thinkin about such scenario for a while now! Nothing natural that ive come upon so far has been set perfectly enough in regards to proportion and distance to achieve the perfect f/1.2 shot.

Karusel,I know exactly what you mean, thats why I love DoF Preview!

Yes I can do that too.....

f/1.2

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busterboy, is ur bokeh messed up or is it just me?

Sure - if you can't possible get the shot any other way, if you're further from your subject, your subject is more two dimensional than three... There will be lots of times where ƒ/1.2 will be the ace card.

busterboy's bokeh is not messed up; what you see is the result of USM. Plus, in some cases bokeh is unpleasant no matter what the lense, for instance, strong sunlight through tree branches and leafs etc.