Rokkor 58mm f/1.2 vs Canon 50L

I hate these kind of threads but Im kind of at a crossroads right now with my gear.

I was unhappy with the AF performance on my 5DII so I recently got the Eg-S focusing screen. I found that manual focusing is much easier and more accurate than auto focusing and I find that Im probably going to manual focus from now on.

With that said I look at my gear and wonder why Im keeping the 50L? I mean I love it to death, its my favorite lens and the only reason why Im still even with Canon and not sportin' a D700 right now. I just cant see the logic in have a $1300 lens that I wont even autofocus with when there's alternatives at a much better price minus the AF capability. So here I am, making a cliche "this vs that" thread. I want to know honestly how you owners of the 58mm f/1.2 feel about it. I want to know all the pros and cons, please dont hold back. I am seriously debating picking one up and selling the 50L.

I know Nicksan knows how much I love the 50L and swear by it, so maybe he can understand the craziness of this. Where's gasrocks? I know he's all about old manual lenses...

I own a SMC Pentax 1:1.2 50mm as my f1.2 MF 50. And I love it. But, first off, the slightly tighter FL of 58mm is a favorite of many (myself included... I LOVE it on my Carl Zeiss Jens Biotar T 2/58). On the other hand, 50L offers AF, which even if it is used sparingly, some AF is better than none at all... and this is coming from a MF-fan.

Honestly, if you LOVE the 50L, don't get rid of it UNTIL you've had a chance to use it ALONGSIDE the Rokkor 58/1.2 and decide for yourself which is better for you. Furthermore, the Rokkor's (MC or MD) don't adapt easily to Canon bodies, you either have to permanently conver (as in REPLACE) the mount of the lens, or convert (as in REPLACE) the mount on the body. So it's not exactly for the timid. If you're serious about it, you might want to hunt down a lens that has already been converted and give it a shot for a couple weeks or so to see if its for you.

Thats why I went with the SMC Pentax 1:1.2 50mm over the Rokkor. Although its bokeh and sharpness isn't as well regarded as the Rokkor, its much easier to adapt for use, and I particularly like its compactness.

nureality,

Thanks for your response. Im not too worried about converting it, Im just looking for performance. I was defnitely going to shoot both side by side to get a feel for them, but I just wanted to see some responses before I even set out on a search for one.

Do you feel that 50mm or 58mm is a better focal length as far as giving a "normal" field of view? Ive never taken the time to compare the two.

what, exactly, is your complaint with the 5DII's AF?

In well lit conditions on subjects with plenty of contrast, the outer af points cant lock focus or will hunt for 5-7 seconds before locking focus. Its not the lenses either because the lenses worked beautifully on my 1DII, 1VHS, my wife's 400D, etc.

Its garbage and infuriates me that a $2700 camera has AF issues in situations where there's really no excuse.

Well, I'm sure you knew, before buying, that the 5D wasn't the greatest with it's outer points in low light conditions so I'm not sure why you're so angry. It's quite obvious that the 1DII has far superior AF despite it's age. If you want full frame, why not pick up a 1DsII and have better AF rather than using the wonderful 50L as an MF lens all the time.

I am a fan of the Rokkor 58/1.2 myself. But, without modifying the camera (mirror shaving) it will not work at infinity on a 5D. I'll assume the story is the same on the 5DII.

BTW, if anyone does decide they want a Rokkor, I've got an already EOS converted one that I'm going to be selling soon. (Ring not shaved, though, so it's only good to about 15 feet before mirror hangups on full frame).

Well I know the AF on the 5D wasnt the greatest but owners of the 5DII say the af was improved. They said it focuses better in low light, tracks better, etc. However Its still not working too well for me. Im not expecting 1-Series perfomance out of it either. When there is a bright orange reflective belt on a black backpack in a well lit room, and the outer af point cant lock on, at all, thats when I get mad.

Another option Im weighing is selling the 5D and picking up a used 1DIII. I would get the 1DsII but I REALLY appreciate lenses micro focus adjustment as a feature. I also love the high iso performance of the 5DII, absolutely love it.

Im just really angry at canon that they didnt make the AF noticebly better onthe 5DII. Almost angry to the point of switching to the D700.

Jman13 wrote in post #8423347
BTW, if anyone does decide they want a Rokkor, I've got an already EOS converted one that I'm going to be selling soon. (Ring not shaved, though, so it's only good to about 15 feet before mirror hangups on full frame).

Whats your price? PM me and we'll talk if youre serious about selling it.

I've often thought about switching to the D700, but the prices and limited lens selection Noink offers really turns me off. Another question, why not use the center point more often instead of the outer points? I'm just being curious here, not knocking in any way.

Cl!ckFoto wrote in post #8423371
I've often thought about switching to the D700, but the prices and limited lens selection Noink offers really turns me off. Another question, why not use the center point more often instead of the outer points? I'm just being curious here, not knocking in any way.

Have you ever acutally played around with a D700? Its basically everything I want in a camera. It has FF, great high ISO performance, the ability to basically set any function to any button, links spot metering to any of the 51 AF points... I could go on. The Nikon lens selection really isnt as vast as Canon, thats for sure. I dont know, its jsut really hard for me for look at my 5DII and keep convincing myself Im happy with it.

The reason I dont use the center focus point is because I like to shoot wide open or at wider apertures 99% of the time. Because of this I cant really focus and recompose due to the DOF being so thin my subject will be out of focus. Also center composition really isnt my thing.

I know youre not knocking or anything, ask away anything you want. Ill give you reasons and examples of situations, no problem .

I have not played with a D700 myself but two friends of mine own one and love every second of it and really it's all I would want in a camera too and like I said, Nikons lens selection is the thing keeping my from jumping ship. As far as focus/recompose, as long as you move laterally to your subject when recomposing, the focal plane should not change, keeping your subject in focus. Might take some practice but certainly would eliminate the need for an outer point. I do understand your frustrations though.

That's ironic that you mention the 50L as the reason for you to stick with Canon. It was the opposite with me. It was what I went throught with my 50L that almost had me knocking on Nikon's door...almost. The 200L cured all those thoughts.

JAcosta wrote in post #8423392
Have you ever acutally played around with a D700? Its basically everything I want in a camera. It has FF, great high ISO performance, the ability to basically set any function to any button, links spot metering to any of the 51 AF points... I could go on. The Nikon lens selection really isnt as vast as Canon, thats for sure. I dont know, its jsut really hard for me for look at my 5DII and keep convincing myself Im happy with it.

The reason I dont use the center focus point is because I like to shoot wide open or at wider apertures 99% of the time. Because of this I cant really focus and recompose due to the DOF being so thin my subject will be out of focus. Also center composition really isnt my thing.

I know youre not knocking or anything, ask away anything you want. Ill give you reasons and examples of situations, no problem .

Though I would agree that the D700 is the more robust one, the crosstype points are all bunched up in the middle columns, so not as robust as it seems.

Still, looks MUCH better than the the one in the 5D MKII...which is utter crap compared to my 1DMKIII...