35L / 1.3x

Being immersed by bokeh/dof images, esp. in the wide angle area, I'm about to purchase either of the following lenses: 24L+50mm prime (not sure if L or not) / 35L

the 35L seems to be a good compromise here - coming from 1.6x, 35mm used to be in the middle of nowhere - trying the focal length on my 17-40/1D3 combo, it seems to be ok, but bokeh wise - since the 17-40L is just f4... - I don't have any response -

Anyone got samples? wide open samples, I mean ? (bokeh/dof stuff only pls...)
I'd be grateful to read some reports/experiences made with the 1d & the lenses mentioned too - (real world stuff...no luminous landscape stuff )

and - no - I'm not into pixel peeping - stopping down is not intended with these lenses

thx in advance

35L is not the best bokeh imo...I mean its ok, but it still comes off as a little harsh sometimes, though I'm not certain if it is large DOF that's causing this, or harsh bokeh

The 50L has very nice bokeh as does the 85L

I have the baby-brother 35 f/2, and it's an excellent length on the 1.3 crop.

I have found that, when I look at a scene, all the things I can focus my brain on at one time are captured by the 35mm focal length on the 1.3x. Certainly your peripheral vision contains quite a bit more, but when you look at the things on which you are really concentrating, the 35 pretty much covers them all.

As a fixed focal length, it feels very natural to me as putting the viewfinder to your eye gives you more or less what you are "seeing."

I would love to have the 50 1.4 just for the extra stop of light, but I'm not really convinced it's a very useful length on the 1D3. It would probably make a great posed-portrait lens, but I do very little people shooting, so it would probably gather dust for my use.

I'm far from a pro or an expert, but this is just what I've found in my time with this focal length.

Okay I'm going to try my 35L on the MKIII for a while, I've avoided it (love it on the 5D) because the focal length seemed odd and didn't think I would use it. I shot with the 85L walk around yesterday with the MKIII and found it almost useless, but when it comes to shooting people it's more fantastic on the MKIII than the 5D in my experience, the 1.3 makes everything that makes that lens great on the 5D becomes even better at 1.3.

If your main concern is getting shallow DOF with great bokeh then the 50L is the way to go.

thx for the replies - since most of my work was in the 85mm+ area, wide angle photography was just for occassional events, where bokeh didn't matter - it's the lens I use for motion blur or just "obligatory" stuff to be taken, e.g. grp pics...

Jannie wrote in post #7352337
Okay I'm going to try my 35L on the MKIII for a while...

I'd be grateful to see some pics then

Here you go! 1D3 with 35L

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Here's two more!

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seems to be just one step back from the actual vision - with reasonable bokeh - not as restrictive as on 1.6x -

looks like I've found my future general purpose lens
Minh, thx for the samples

rcaq wrote in post #7353695
seems to be just one step back from the actual vision - with reasonable bokeh - not as restrictive as on 1.6x -

looks like I've found my future general purpose lens
Minh, thx for the samples

You're welcome! I want your 85L badly!:p

I absolutely LOVE the 35L on 1.3x. Great focal length, and a brilliant lens. I think the bokeh is quite good for a lens of that focal length. I don't notice any edging to specular highlights, and overall it's usually very creamy. It can be slightly busy with busy backgrounds, but the 85L and my Sigma 150 are the only two lenses I've used that DON'T have that pop up from time to time.

Here's a sample from my 35L at f/1.6 on the 1DII: