Canon 50mm shootout

skygod44 wrote in post #9493512
Hey Kenji, it's not failed, but I love 50mm with a wide aperture, so I use it a LOT!
That means, it's going to die at some point....and I like to think ahead....


Meanwhile, I'm counting down to the 7D and 200Lf2.8!!!!!
Can't wait!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Oh! Heh, the 50mm f/1.4 has a reputation for a bad AF system that tends to go on it frequently (Heck, I bought one brand new and it was dead out of the box)

You'll love the 7D and 200L though Kinda wish i still had my 200L sometimes with it

Awesome stuff. Thank you much for your efforts. Very cool!

Great review, thanks so much for posting this.

I've gone through the 50 f1.8 and now the 50 f1.4, the f1.4 offers more accurate focusing and less hunting but I've always felt that colors looked a little flat and exhibited less "pop" compared to say the 35L. For the 50mm range, I use a Leica summicron-R f2, really nice saturation and pop, but of course no auto-focus which can be a a real drag sometimes.

I've been seriously considering the 50L lately too!

Just hoping that Canon would update it soon.

I'd just like to point out that this is a bit lackluster as a bokeh test. First, bokeh isn't just about specular highlights, or if you intended to just comparing that, the candleholder to the right of the Mountain Dew is a much better basis for comparison. You can see how even the highlights are for the 50L, where as the other two have donuts.

What's missing is something detailed enough in the background to draw out double lines. This is where the 50/1.4 and 50/1.8 are sorely lacking.

Interesting, but it is hard to make judgments using the sample targets. There is no way to judge corner sharpness, and the subject is just grey and orange.
While useful, it won't tell you how the lenses deal with skin tones, funny lighting, and how they do in the corners.
I know that the 50f1.8 can take good photos in good light when stopped down.
It would be really interesting if it did better at f2 than the other lenses.
How is contrast on these lenses at smaller apertures?

Very interesting test. As stated above it doesn't really cover other important shooting variables but it sure makes you wonder if one lens is 15x better in IQ because it sure is 15x more money !!!

nice comparison
thanks for your effort

I really can't tell the difference besides the zoomed in bokeh test where the 50 1.2 obviously has smoother circles. Besides that, I can't justify how much the 50 1.2 is. I think some sharpness tests at corners and such would bring some more insight.

Thanks for taking the time to write and post this. Your comparison pics were produced very professionally with consistent framing. Well done!

Just wanted to add my thanks for a very interesting comparison!

Thanks for the feedback everybody!

The test actually started because I was contacted by a photography teacher who asked me if I had any images that clearly showed the difference the aperture blades did for the images, especially bokeh and highlights. I ended up using 50mm lenses because I could get my hands on 3 very different 50mm lenses and thus illustrate the differences with the exact same images from each lens.

I am already in the early planning stages for a second iteration of this test where I will be testing on live models (I have shot prettier things than retrobot). My only concern is that I will have to shoot under some serious lighting, starting out at F/1.2 and 1/8000sec in order to get usable shutter speeds once I get to F/16. I could just crank up the ISO I guess, or adjust the pilot light on my strobes, but I need to make sure it does not change the color balance.

The REALLY interesting bit, and the thing that sets these lenses apart the most (besides the price) is the AF. The nifty is a light weight gem producing great images but the AF sounds like a model train pulling too much weight up a steep slope. AND is very prone to hunting. I have access to a 1D III as well as a 1Ds mk III so the "limited" AF of my 5D won't be the bottleneck. But how the h311 do I test AF performance consistently? I would love to get the exact same images from every lens (like I did in this test) but if I go out shooting moving cars, that will be pretty much impossible.

Hmm... unless, of course... I could set the 1Ds mk III on a tripod, focus the lens at MFD. Then attach my wireless eBay-tastic remote. The trigger part of that remote could then be hooked up to an optical sensor that triggers the camera as a car drives by it. That way, if only I can get a car to drive by the same exact spot at the same exact speed around 30 times in a row without taking so long that the ambient light changes, I could get similar images AND test the AF. I just might have to build this contraption, just for the hell of it

SiaoP wrote in post #9494662
I really can't tell the difference besides the zoomed in bokeh test where the 50 1.2 obviously has smoother circles. Besides that, I can't justify how much the 50 1.2 is. I think some sharpness tests at corners and such would bring some more insight.

Ditto. I'm SO happy I bought the 50L before seing these images

the f/1.8 makes pentagon bokehs..the L lens perfect circle. .... I like the pentagon bokehs though.

Just a little side note...

When I had shot the last 50mm frame (50L at F/16) of the first setup, the guy whose studio I used asked me if I would try the same thing with his 24-70L. Having owned 3 copies of the brick myself, I was happy to oblige. We mounted it to the camera, set it at 50mm and let her rip.

All you prime loving zoom-bashers (that includes me) might want to sit down for this one.

24-70L @ F/2.8 Full resolution
24-70L @ F/4 Full resolution
24-70L @ F/5.6 Full resolution
24-70L @ F/8 Full resolution
24-70L @ F/11 Full resolution

Granted, the focus was right bang in the center of the image and corner sharpness is impossible to tell from these images. But considering that these are from a zoom lens, an old design that many POTN'ers want to see updated, I think it is doing pretty well wide open... Too bad they don't make a 24-70 F/2.0L, I'd be all over that one

zone555 wrote in post #9495394
Thanks for taking the time to write and post this. Your comparison pics were produced very professionally with consistent framing. Well done!

Thanks!

I have aspergers syndrome... Consistency, accuracy and systematic work is right up my alley