50mm f/1.4 or 50mm f/1.8

[Madison]

The photographer is more important than the lens.

True that.
I'd still take the 1.4 over the 1.8 though. The 1.4 is still very affordable, faster, better built, has nicer bokeh (see the comparison of bokeh in the review that Brian did over in the reviews section) and is a very fast and good performer in low light situations. Image quality is also noticably better than the 1.8.

[I chase light]

I may be stating the obvious, but prime lenses (those with one focal length) give L image quality at a fraction of the price. Either one of these lenses is worth much more than its cost. The 1.8 is a blast, don't get me wrong, but just for a couple hundred bucks more, I prefer the 1.4.


Other than the speed issue, whichis significant IMO, the main reason I vote for the 1.4 is that it has a UltraSonic (versus micro, right?) motor. I find the 1.8 motor to be slow, noisy and clumsy to focus at times. The cost/quality ratioof this lens far outweighs its drawbacks, but I notice the motor, which I never notice with a USM.


To me, each f stop below 4 becomesmore useful for 2 things: shots you don't set up but "get," like parties (weddings), sports, street life, and other "events;" and DOF issues like portraiture. The USM of the 1.4 is better for the first and its eight blades produce bokeh considered to be more pleasing than the five of the 1.8.


---James

[greggf]

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The 1.4 is quite the awesome lens...I have used both, and for the price, the 1.8 is nice...but the 1.4 absolutely shines, especially on FF!!! Here is one of the very first pics I took with it when I got my first 5d...and some of my little guy, later on. the first one of my dog taken at 1.4, the one of my son taken at 2.0.[img]/cfs-file.ashx/__key/CommunityServer.Components.UserFiles/00.00.00.22.00/IMG_5F00_5331-_5B00_1600x1200_5D00_.jpg[/img]

[Colin]

Question...





Does anybody know if the 50mm f/1.4 DOESN't have the back focus behavior exhibited with the 50mm f/1.2L ?


I should just check to see if the f/1.2 still has that problem now that it's back from the factory... Then I can stop wondering if it's simply doomed [U]

[Tim]

I've never used the 1.4, but I can say that 1.8 is just about the best bang for the buck. I just don't have the extra few hundred dollars, definitely if the additions are mostly not related to optical quality.