Family shoot from yesterday - my very first almost disaster ! & the wonderful 50 1.4

I think in my thread in "kids talk" - Titled: Ask me what you want - I may have spoken too soon when I said "I have not come across a kid I couldn't crack" meaning a kid that I couldn't make smile.

Yesterday was almost that day ! 21 month old & an 8 week old - those age combinations are enough to make a photographer shudder !

Anyway - Gorgeous child & baby, lovely home on the water, I was excited ! Lovely natural light everywhere - I packed my strobe, but didn't need it.

The only way we could get this child to smile was to push him ( fast) on the swing, while putting clothes pegs on our noses - yes I have tried everything !!!!

I purchased the 50 1.4 the day before - I must say I am thrilled with this lens ! The swing was going very fast & the lens coped so well with nailing the focus each time.

I took along my 24-70 2.8L & 85 1.2L - they ended up staying in my bag !
The 50 was excellent for all the shots I did, from the newborn on the bean bag - to the boy in the swing - to the family photo where the little boy refused to sit - but he ran in and gave his mum a huge hug, it was so quick, he was in and out within seconds & the 50mm found the focus straight away.

here's some samples for anyone thinking about the canon 50mm 1.4 USM - I paid $559 AU and I'm very impressed ! Have a go at the eye contact & smile I got out of the baby !

Wonderful Images......as always I have been really thinking that I would add this lens to my gear after seeing numerous great shots on this site and this is just another awesome example. Are these images cropped at all? I have wondered if the relative shortness of the lens forces you to "get in their faces" to get a good composition on the shot. Just wondering.

wonderful photos, I really like #1 and I know how hard it is to make kids smile sometimes! great sharpness in all photos! I love your work Seonna!

Nice Job !! - you certainly nailed the focus with this new lens.

I have owned mine for a couple of years now and love it, however it spends more time in Brisbane at one of my sons house than at mine. I had to have the USM replaced under warranty when it was about 3 months old, but hasn't missed a beat since then.

Are you using it on the 5D, interested to see how you feel it compares to the 85L. As I already had the 50 1.4 I went for the 135L thinking the 85 was too close in range. Love the 135 but not much use inside. I do have more trouble nailing the focus with it than the 50 though for some reason.

Wow, that baby is gorgeous. He has such a grown up face! You did awesome getting what you did

It's interesting to hear you describe the 50 f/1.4's AF as "fast," I recently acquired the lens to replace my nifty fifty (may he rest in peace!) and found that the autofocus and the full time manual to feel a little lacking. The picture are fine, but the AF just feels...."gritty" I guess would be the word.

yes, I'm using it on the 5D2 - The 85L is gorgeous, nothing compares ! lol

I am very happy with the 50 1.4 - for the price, it's fast and tack sharp wide open, I have tested it hardcore and can't fault it.

So far so good for me, I think it was put through it's paces photographing the kid on the swing, I also tested it in bright light with little contrast - and it didn't hunt for focus like my 24-70 does, it nailed it every time.

It's very clear - this was taken today, early/mid morning in shade exif :

Camera: Canon EOS 5D Mark II
Lens: EF50mm f/1.4 USM
Exposure: Manual exposure, 1/640 sec, f/2.8, ISO 320