Issues with the 50mm f/1.4?

[Jayson]

Anyone have an issue?


Since buying the 100mm 2.8 macro and the 85mm 1.8, I have fallen in love with primes. So, I was considering an upgrade from my 50mm 1.8 II to the 50mm 1.4and wanted to make sure that I was making a good choice.


Thanks for all resonses.


Jayson

[Chuck Lee]

I have the EF 50 1.4. Great lens. However for a bit more I hear really good things about newSigma 50 1.4. The Canon EF 50 is very sharp from f2.0 on out. If you cannot tolerate a softer look at 1.4 (wide open) I highly suggest the Sigma. At dpreview.com you can do a side by side MTF chart comparison of the two. Remember, the EF 50 1.4 has been around for a long time. The Sigma is designed with coatings specialized for digital sensors. If I was buying a 50 1.4 for the first time, I'd have to go with the Sigma.


My2Abes

[Dallasphotog]

I don't have that lens at home, but we own a copy here at work. I like it, but we use it on 1.3 and 1.6 crop bodies and it always seems just a little too long for what I shoot (helicopters).


As for IQ, it always seems very sharp.


http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v639/hit4cycle4/Sample-3.jpg


Canon 1DMKII, Canon EF 50mm f/1.4, Canon 580EXII, Tv, f/5.0, ISO-200, 1/250


American Eurocopter BO-105 in the background

[RonG]

<span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small;"]I have the Sigma 50mm f1.4 lens and it is exceptional. I returned my first one for focusing issues but the second one was charmed. I use it to shoot basketball and low light dance / gymnastics. It focuses right on and does a better job with my 1d and 1dmarkIIn than with my 40d. While it was on my 1d body the camera strap broke and it plummeted 3 feet to the concrete floor with a thud striking the lens shade cracking it in two. The camera (a tank) and the lens were unharmed and a little super glue later so was the lens shade. If you get a good copy of the Sigma as I did you will enjoy it a lot. As I've written before there is nothing like shooting images at 1/40, f1.4, iso 3200./cfs-file.ashx/__key/CommunityServer.Components.UserFiles/00.00.00.26.99/bskbll2.jpg


<span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small;"]Canon 1D, Sigma 50mm f1.4, 1/500, f2.0, 8.5fps, 580EXII for fill

[Jayson]

That's a pretty cool shot.


I explored the possibility of the Sigma, but decided that I will try to stick with the Canon brand. I have read a lot of issues with the AF problems and don't really have time to mess with that. I had that experience with another 3rd party lens and don't want to mess with it again.

[Daniel Browning]

I like it a lot. If I'm shooting in contrasty situations, I'll stop down to f/2. But for many normal shots f/1.4 is great for thin DOF.

[jimgarvie]

I have the 50mm F1.4 and I love it especially for portrait shoots. At F2.0 and 2.2, the bokeh is lovely and the images sharp but flattering. Also lets me work close enough to the subject to discuss nuances of expression. Here's a recent sample.





/cfs-file.ashx/__key/CommunityServer.Components.UserFiles/00.00.00.32.52/8084W.jpg

[Sean Setters]

<span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small;"]I have the Sigma 50mm f1.4 lens and it is exceptional. I returned my first one for focusing issues but the second one was charmed. I use it to shoot basketball and low light dance / gymnastics. It focuses right on and does a better job with my 1d and 1dmarkIIn than with my 40d. While it was on my 1d body the camera strap broke and it plummeted 3 feet to the concrete floor with a thud striking the lens shade cracking it in two. The camera (a tank) and the lens were unharmed and a little super glue later so was the lens shade. If you get a good copy of the Sigma as I did you will enjoy it a lot. As I've written before there is nothing like shooting images at 1/40, f1.4, iso 3200.


<span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small;"]/cfs-file.ashx/__key/CommunityServer.Components.UserFiles/00.00.00.26.99/bskbll2.jpg


<span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small;"]Canon 1D, Sigma 50mm f1.4, 1/500, f2.0, 8.5fps, 580EXII for fill
<div style="clear: both;"]</div>





You might want to consider gelling your flash with a 1/2 (or full) CTO gel when you do this next time. The lights in the gym are very warm, and your flash is daylight balanced (and thus cooler). If you gelled the flash, you could balance the color of the flash with the ambient and then easily adjust the white balance globally if desired.


Just an idea. :-)

[Chuck Lee]

Welcome home Sean. How was Chicago? Has your head cleared yet?

[Sean Setters]

Welcome home Sean. How was Chicago? Has your head cleared yet?
<div style="CLEAR: both"]</div>



Head's just fine. The beer haze only lasted for a day or so. ;-)


It was a fantastic trip, but even more expensive than I was anticipating. Food, museums, the Skydeck, cabs, etc.--certainly not cheap. Oh well, I wouldn't take back a cent I spent. The weather was great.


I did miss my camera equipment on a few occasions. Someday I might have to go back (camera and strobe equipment in hand) just to take advantage of some of the great backgrounds.

[crosbyharbison]

You might want to consider gelling your flash with a 1/2 (or full) CTO gel when you do this next time. The lights in the gym are very warm, and your flash is daylight balanced (and this cooler). If you gelled the flash, you could balance the color of the flash with the ambient and then easily adjust the white balance globally if desired.


Just an idea. :-)
<div style="clear: both;"]</div>








I also do a lot of terribly light indoor sports shots with the 50 and some flashes and the gel sound like a great idea. thanks.





I also like the dreamy soft look of the 50 1.4 wide open. Here are 3 examples:


http://img248.imageshack.us/img248/3008/crosbyharbison1.jpg



http://img248.imageshack.us/img248/7852/crosbyharbison2.jpg




http://img196.imageshack.us/img196/4975/crosbyharbison3.jpg

[RonG]

I tried the Gellin idea but color was never close because of fluctuations in the lamps so I decided I could live with it. I read Jerry Lodriguss' page on it but I'm a doof.


http://www.astropix.com/SPORTSPIX/NSC/TIPS09.HTM ("http://www.astropix.com/SPORTSPIX/NSC/TIPS09.HTM)

[peety3]

I tried the Gellin idea but color was never close because of fluctuations in the lamps so I decided I could live with it.
<div style="clear: both;"]</div>





"I don't recommend setting a custom color balance with a gray card because then you won't know which gel filtration to apply to the strobe to match the color."


I'm no pro at this trick, but it normally leads me in the right direction. I pull out my gray card (actually it's a white/gray/black card, which kinda helps, such as the ones from PhotoVisionVideo) and shoot it, then view the histogram. I adjust color temp via the manual mode (i.e. setting the temp in degrees K), trying to get the red component directly above (i.e. the same brightness) the blue component. Adjusting the K to lower numbers moves the red component lower ("left"). Once I get them close, I then tweak the green component using the WB Shift option to get the green in line with red/blue. When I'm done, I have a pretty good idea of the color temp and green shift of the ambient lighting, and that guides me towards the gel that I want. Tedious (at first), quicker with practice, but without a shot of a gray card pulled into Lightroom or some other tool that'll tell you color temp and shift, it's the method available at my disposal on-site. :)

[crosbyharbison]

I forgot to mention:


The 50 mm f/1.4 is pretty fagile, not as bad as the 1.8 but its not exactly built like an L. There are numerous stories of very short drops damaging the interal AF; its happened to me luckly while still under warrenty. So just be careful with it; its a great lens.

[Chuck Lee]

Nice little white balance tutorial there peety!!


Thanks...


Yeah, gyms can be a real pain in the !$$%. Sodium vapor plus halogen plus incandescent plus flourescent plus sometimes daylight. Depending on where the player is he could be 4-5 different shades. Shoot raw, white balance in post. I do agree with Sean. a simple 1/4-1/2 CTO gel from Rosco would have turned that already excellent photo into an extraordinary photo. Warming gels do work wonders.