50mm 1.2L vs 1.4

Been looking at pictures. the bokeh on the 1.2 is wow. 1.4 isn't shabby either.

Thinking bout selling my 1.4 for the 1.2. yay or nay?

I'm on a 5d mkii

Some will say it is, some will say otherwise. I believe it's worth it. Love mine! As far as bokeh is concerned, all three are great (even the 1.8) but there are plenty of other advantages/disadvantag​es to each... build quality, weight, "arguable" focus shift, etc.

I say yes...in fact, that's what I did last year and love the 50L - my favorite lens.

I think the pushback you hear from people is not whether it has advantages over the 1.4, but whether those differences are worth the significantly higher expense. And with all respect to others, like many questions of relative value, that can only be answered by you and your wallet...

My 50L shows focus shift on my 5D but is spot on with my 1D3. With my 5D, I need to use workaround tricks to get accurate AF which is fine with me. That said, 50L+1D3 is my standard setup.

This lens is amazing in every respect and after 85L, it has to be my top favourite (I'd love to have a 200 f/2 or a 300 f/2.8 but I don't have a real use for long lenses - my 300 f/4 doesn't get off the shelf much).

Given 5D2 has the same AF system as 5Dc, I'd suggest you take your camera to the store and try the copy before taking it home. Some would say micro-adjustment may help. Well it will add a compensation amount to AF and therefore, if it fixes the AF at close distance, it may adversely affect the AF at longer distances. Whether it will work or not depends on the amount of adjustment required which may or may not be absorbed in DOF at longer distances.

I was thoroughly unimpressed with the Canon 50/1.4. Choose between the Sigma and the L.

My colleague has the 50L and it is a VERY nice lens. I just got the sigma 1.4 yesterday, and it's also an amazing lens. I would say the sigma has better bokeh (rounder / smoother) probably due to 9 vs. 8 blades of the 50L and is slighter sharper in the center / corner (definitely less CA). however, the 50L has the 1/2 stop advantage and thats a BIG advantage. If it didnt have the focus issues I would have gotten one instead of the sigma.

SIgma 50 1.4 is just almost as good for 1/3 of the price
The bokeh actually looks just a bit better and is sharp even wide open, but with the 50L you get a full 1/2 stop of light, and that can be a BIG advantage soemtimes, as the above poster mentioned.

forthewinwin wrote in post #9908730
SIgma 50 1.4 is just almost as good for 1/3 of the price
The bokeh actually looks just a bit better and is sharp even wide open, but with the 50L you get a full 1/2 stop of light, and that can be a BIG advantage soemtimes, as the above poster mentioned.

The 50L has a 'wow' factor few other lenses have. Its colors are amazing.

It should be noted that Canon is planning a 50 1.4 II.

I have the sigma 30mm on crop now.
When I go FF I definetly want the 50L. At f2 is has a magical pop, incredible lens!

plasticmotif wrote in post #9908960
The 50L has a 'wow' factor few other lenses have. Its colors are amazing.

It should be noted that Canon is planning a 50 1.4 II.

hmmm. how does the 50L have that wow factor? maybe at 1.2 because the DOF is shallower than 95% of the lenses out there. but at 1.4, I see it on par with the sigma, with the nikon 1.4 D + G lenses. however, its bokeh is much better than the other "canon" 50s

ilumo wrote in post #9909803
hmmm. how does the 50L have that wow factor? maybe at 1.2 because the DOF is shallower than 95% of the lenses out there. but at 1.4, I see it on par with the sigma, with the nikon 1.4 D + G lenses. however, its bokeh is much better than the other "canon" 50s

Great, accurate color and contrast.

my canon 1.4 is still in the opened box. i love the 50L THAT much

plasticmotif wrote in post #9908960
The 50L has a 'wow' factor few other lenses have. Its colors are amazing.

It should be noted that Canon is planning a 50 1.4 II.

Really?
I'd not heard this piece of news, but if so, and the 1.4II is improved in all the vital areas - USM, build-quality, and an extra blade would be nice - then the Siggy and 50L could be in trouble.

Me....I love my EF1.4 because it's light, fast, accurate (after a short learning curve) and I bought it because the extra for the 50L at the time would have caused Missus Skygod to blow a gasket(!!!), but I know the motor will die at some point, so was planning on the 50L as-and-when.

But if there's a 1.4 MkII on the horizon............

The colors and contrast on the Sigma are as good as any L-series lens I've ever used (and better than some).

A new Canon 50/1.4 will not be both as good as the Sigma and comparably priced, because they'll kill their own 50L that way.

DrPablo wrote in post #9910159
The colors and contrast on the Sigma are as good as any L-series lens I've ever used (and better than some).

A new Canon 50/1.4 will not be both as good as the Sigma and comparably priced, because they'll kill their own 50L that way.

At this point, I don't think they care. The Sigma has eaten into their sales of new 50 1.4s. It's also probably one of the most problematic lenses for them to service.

A new 50/1.4 at or near the same price point of the Sigma wouldn't hurt the people who've already bought the 50L.

It's time for a 50 1.2 with a floating element to remove the focus shift issue anyway.