I currently own the 1.8, and while I love what it does, whatever I'm shooting has to be tied down, dead, or inanimate.
Since my last project with it was a baby shoot, I didn't want to do any of them and I know I lost a lot of great photos since it just didn't focus in time.
So, I'm thinking about a replacement.
~Do we have anyone here who's owned the 1.8 and bought another one?
~The 1.2 is a bit out of my range, plus I've heard it's slow to focus, I figure the change left over from not buying it could go to another lens (looking at replacing all of mine actually!), but if you can convince me I might hold off till it is in my price range.
~Is the 2.5macro worth it over the 1.4? you lose a good few f stops, but, it's a macro. Fair trade if I was going to get one or the other? Discuss.
~How likely are you to trust a used lens off of ebay.
~Can you argue for the 85mm 1.8 or 1.2 (if I were to win the lottery which I never play) instead of the 55mm as a portrait lens, I know a lot of people prefer the 85 over the 55. Has anyone owned or used both?
Examples are welcome, especially if they can give a good comparison.
I know this topics been discussed 10.5gazillion times before, so thanks for weighing in one more time.
Well, I can't really answer any of your questions... I have the 50mm 1.4, and it's the only lens I've used in my project... if you want to check it out...
Ok... not a simple answer, but I'll give it a shot.
I had the 50mm f/1.8 and the 50mm f/1.4 (that now belongs to my wife, Koshi). I have the 85mm f/1.2 L II. I also use the 55mm f/2.5 macro daily, at work. I have used the 50mm f/1.2 and the 85mm f/1.8. So, based on that...
The 50mm f/1.2 is really, really slow to focus. It also has a design fault that can cause lost shots due to mis-focus at wide-open and near-wide-open apertures. But, when it works, the shots are absolutely magic. I was going to get one, but the focus issues have caused me to put it on hold until Canon makes a new version.
The 50mm f/1.8 is good, but I was much happier with the 50mm f/1.4. I actually bought the 1.8 for Koshi and the 1.4 for me, but as with any family with lots of camera gear we just use whatever is nearby, regardless of who "owns" it. The 50mm f/1.4 is fast to focus, has great anti-CA coatings, and is just that bit sharper. Value for money is there with either lens, but if you have a healthy budget the f/1.4 is definitely the way to go. I've seen plenty of pro photogs using that lens, and I still use it on occasion too.
The 55mm macro... is a good macro. Not amazing, but good. It is ok as a portrait lens too, but I would rather use the 50mm f/1.8. I do not think it is a good replacement for the 50mm, but it would suffice if you were only buying one of the two. It's a macro that can do portraits, but that is not its strength.
The 85mm f/1.8 is really nice. It is fast to focus, and is comparable to the 50mm f/1.4 in terms of quality. I know a lot of pro photogs who use this lens for children, especially, though on full-frame DSLR bodies. The bokeh and sharpness are not quite up to the standard of the 85mm f/1.2, but I am sure none of my clients would ever be able to tell if I used that instead of my f/1.2 glass.
The 85mm f/1.2 is amazing. It is, hands-down, my favourite lens. But, it is slow to focus. To go from infinity back to minimum focus distance takes around one full second. And the manual focus is electronic, which not only means you have to have the camera powered on to focus it, but also means that there is a very slight lag that can take some getting used-to. All that in mind, it has amazingly accurate focus, beautiful colour and saturation, and deals with CA etc wonderfully. It is sensational for backlit portraits.
@jinximages Jinx, I think I need to stop reading your comments on here as every time I do I seem to be add yet another thing on to my wish/things to save up for list.
@jinximages thanks for that, I'm still going to go in circles for sure. I've got a 30D which is not a full frame, I really want one but it's not likely to happen any time soon, especially if I want lenses. Never mind the husband would be very reluctant to buy me a new camera since this one was my engagement ring.
If you were to pick one 'portrait lens' would you pick the 85 or the 50? I think I might end up staying away from the 1.2 as much as I'd love to go that route, simply because I prefer to shoot candid, and with that focusing time plays a large part. Does the 1.2 decide to go to the other end of the focus spectrum like the 1.8 does rather than staying in the general area and just being slow about changes? (If that makes sense)
@emmar84 Canon does this on purpose, just so we have more and more on the 'ooo I need that one' list. I also want a wide angle, thinking on the 10-22 but not sure I'd really use it that much, other than the time or two a friend wants me to do real estate photos.
@emmar84 Haha! You know, I think that's just a part of being addicted to photography. ;)
@neda No problem! :) The 85mm is the superior portrait lens, but it is a "long" lens on a 30D. The 50mm will give a more natural field of view on that camera. When I first "went digital" I had a 20D, and for that camera the 50mm f/1.4 was my favourite. I still think it is probably the best standard portrait lens for that camera (or any of the X0D series). In regards to focus hunting (the issue with the lens focussing out then back then out again) - no. But I need to caveat that - hunting is more often a result of the camera, lighting conditions, and the lack of an AF assist mechanism (like when you have a speedlight installed, it projects an IR grid helping your camera to focus quicker). The thing is, if you do have a hunting issue in a given situation, the slower-focussing f/1.2 lenses will annoy you far more. Sometimes there is no way around it and you just have to switch to manual focus.
I also see your comment about the 10-22mm - I have that lens too, and it is superb. But, like you suggest, I haven't used it since the last time I did real estate photos (over a year ago). If you enjoy landscapes, it is perfect. But, it is EF-S, so when you get a full-frame camera down the track you won't be able to use a 10-22mm on it.
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I had the 50mm f/1.8 and the 50mm f/1.4 (that now belongs to my wife, Koshi). I have the 85mm f/1.2 L II. I also use the 55mm f/2.5 macro daily, at work. I have used the 50mm f/1.2 and the 85mm f/1.8. So, based on that...
The 50mm f/1.2 is really, really slow to focus. It also has a design fault that can cause lost shots due to mis-focus at wide-open and near-wide-open apertures. But, when it works, the shots are absolutely magic. I was going to get one, but the focus issues have caused me to put it on hold until Canon makes a new version.
The 50mm f/1.8 is good, but I was much happier with the 50mm f/1.4. I actually bought the 1.8 for Koshi and the 1.4 for me, but as with any family with lots of camera gear we just use whatever is nearby, regardless of who "owns" it. The 50mm f/1.4 is fast to focus, has great anti-CA coatings, and is just that bit sharper. Value for money is there with either lens, but if you have a healthy budget the f/1.4 is definitely the way to go. I've seen plenty of pro photogs using that lens, and I still use it on occasion too.
The 55mm macro... is a good macro. Not amazing, but good. It is ok as a portrait lens too, but I would rather use the 50mm f/1.8. I do not think it is a good replacement for the 50mm, but it would suffice if you were only buying one of the two. It's a macro that can do portraits, but that is not its strength.
The 85mm f/1.8 is really nice. It is fast to focus, and is comparable to the 50mm f/1.4 in terms of quality. I know a lot of pro photogs who use this lens for children, especially, though on full-frame DSLR bodies. The bokeh and sharpness are not quite up to the standard of the 85mm f/1.2, but I am sure none of my clients would ever be able to tell if I used that instead of my f/1.2 glass.
The 85mm f/1.2 is amazing. It is, hands-down, my favourite lens. But, it is slow to focus. To go from infinity back to minimum focus distance takes around one full second. And the manual focus is electronic, which not only means you have to have the camera powered on to focus it, but also means that there is a very slight lag that can take some getting used-to. All that in mind, it has amazingly accurate focus, beautiful colour and saturation, and deals with CA etc wonderfully. It is sensational for backlit portraits.
A couple of shots with the 85mm f/1.2:
If you were to pick one 'portrait lens' would you pick the 85 or the 50? I think I might end up staying away from the 1.2 as much as I'd love to go that route, simply because I prefer to shoot candid, and with that focusing time plays a large part. Does the 1.2 decide to go to the other end of the focus spectrum like the 1.8 does rather than staying in the general area and just being slow about changes? (If that makes sense)
@emmar84 Canon does this on purpose, just so we have more and more on the 'ooo I need that one' list. I also want a wide angle, thinking on the 10-22 but not sure I'd really use it that much, other than the time or two a friend wants me to do real estate photos.
@neda No problem! :) The 85mm is the superior portrait lens, but it is a "long" lens on a 30D. The 50mm will give a more natural field of view on that camera. When I first "went digital" I had a 20D, and for that camera the 50mm f/1.4 was my favourite. I still think it is probably the best standard portrait lens for that camera (or any of the X0D series). In regards to focus hunting (the issue with the lens focussing out then back then out again) - no. But I need to caveat that - hunting is more often a result of the camera, lighting conditions, and the lack of an AF assist mechanism (like when you have a speedlight installed, it projects an IR grid helping your camera to focus quicker). The thing is, if you do have a hunting issue in a given situation, the slower-focussing f/1.2 lenses will annoy you far more. Sometimes there is no way around it and you just have to switch to manual focus.
I also see your comment about the 10-22mm - I have that lens too, and it is superb. But, like you suggest, I haven't used it since the last time I did real estate photos (over a year ago). If you enjoy landscapes, it is perfect. But, it is EF-S, so when you get a full-frame camera down the track you won't be able to use a 10-22mm on it.