Canon 35mm f/1.4L vs 50mm f/1.2L Vs Canon EF 24mm f/1.4 L II USM Lens

[gandhi]

Guys
I am planning to get a lens for potraits , wedding photography etc. Which of the above lens is the best one?
Thanks in advance

[neuroanatomist]

For portraits the 50 mm is going to be the best choice of the three lenses you list. The others are too wide except for environmental portraits where you want to include a lot of the background. I'm assuming you're talking about using these on a full frame camera. If you mean a crop body, then the 35mm is a normal lens which would work fine as well.

I do like the 35mm on my 5DII for ambient light situational shooting such as a nighttime walk around lens.

On full frame, classic portrait lenses start at 50 mm and usually 85 mm or 135 mm are considered good portrait focal lengths.

[Dr Croubie]

For a full-frame, 24-35 are group-shots only, 35-50 into the realms of full-half body, 85 is for heads and shoulders, only more if you've got the room to step backwards or are shooting from the back of the church/synagogue/mosque/townhall. Whereas if you've got a 7D or other crop-body, 24 is still groups, 35-50mm would be the way to go, 35 for full to half-body shots, 50 for heads and shoulders, 85+ if you've really got the room and/or don't mind tight-framing.
All 3 you've listed there are really fast max apertures (noone else even makes a 50/1.2 for slr currently), really sharp in the centres but they all go very soft in the corners of a Full Frame. The Zeiss and Samyang 35/1.4 are a lot better, if you can handle the Manual Focus (for a wedding, probably only useful for groups, you can focus while everyone is getting themselves set up and posing).
In the 50mm range buy the 50/1.2L if you really need the f/1.2, otherwise consider the 50/1.4 for sharper corners (although you get coma instead), with the money saved you can buy a lot of accessories. Other options like the Zeiss and Sigma 50/1.4 are also sharper-centre-soft-edges, zeiss is MF and sigma is very hit-and-miss with AF from what i've read.
But then, for portraits, you probably actually do want softer edges, for all the reviews i've read of the 50/1.2L with its soft corners, i've seen some pretty amazing shots taken with it...

[gandhi]

Thanks for the expert comments. Do you think any of the above lenses will serve the purpose of potraits as well as group photos at weddings

[Dr Croubie]

Depends, we still don't know what body you have...
35mm on 7D makes a decent half-body portrait lens, I wouldn't go any closer for faces, perspective will get distorted and you really will be in their personal space. If you can step back a bit then it makes a perfectly acceptable group-shot lens as well. Always depends on how far you can step back.
On a full frame, same deal for 50mm. On fullframe a 35 will do better for groups, but don't forget that perspectives get more distorted the wider you go. I took some family photos on the weekend (the missus' dad's birthday), with a 7D at 18mm (so 28mm Fullframe equivalent), group of 7 standing shoulder-to-shoulder with 3 sitting in front, from about 2-3m away (no more room for the tripod any further back), and the 3 sitting in front looked a fair bit bigger than the ones behind. It wasn't a professional shot, but was just on the border of looking 'weird', I would have moved the camera back and gone to at least 24mm (38mm FF) if I could have.

What lenses and bodies do you own currently, actually? If you can practise at any events, then take any zoom-lens you have (no matter how bad quality) and see how far you get away from people at what focal lengths. Maybe a good-quality zoom is the better idea anyway, if you need a 'do-it-all' lens and can only afford one, consider the EF-s 17-55 f/2.8 for crop, or 24-70/2.8 for FullFrame cameras.

[gandhi]

I have a T1i, but I am looking to get a FF very soon (actually waiting on 5D mark III) , I have 100mm IS L lens and 135mm L lens. I want a prime lens for closer shots and potraits and also to take photos at weddings and birthdays at closer distance ( not far like 100 or 135)

[neuroanatomist]

The L lenses you have are both great, but both are likely too long for portrait lenses on a crop body.

What's your budget? You might consider the 35L + 85/1.8.

Why a prime? Do you have a good zoom? The 24-70/2.8L is another option to consider, although honestly I think the EF-S 17-55mm is the best choice for your use - it will do group shots on the wide end, portraits on the long end, and is very sharp. I understand you plan on getting a FF camera 'soon' - but, you might have a *long* wait for the 5DIII, since it hasn't even been announced. If you were getting a 5DII soon, or the 1D X, that would be different. But I believe in getting the best lens for the current need. There's a rebate on the 17-55mm now, you can always sell it later at minimal loss.

[Keith B]

Along the lines of what Neuro said, if you are upgrading to FF in the future, don't commit to one prime. When I bought my first dSLR it was a crop and the primes I got use to performed completely different when I upgraded to a full frame. I was all disoriented because they were completely different on FF. More than likely with a zoom you will end up shooting at a certain (ball park) cropping and then when you get the FF, times that sweet spot by 1.6 then by the corresponding prime lens.

[gandhi]

I am thinking of getting 35mm 1.4, I read on a website that canon has applied for a patent for the new type of 35mm 1.4, is that true and when do you think it will come in the market?

[neuroanatomist]

I am thinking of getting 35mm 1.4, I read on a website that canon has applied for a patent for the new type of 35mm 1.4, is that true and when do you think it will come in the market?

Perhaps next year. Perhaps never. Canon has published two successive patents for a new 100-400mm lens, and they have not updated that one (yet). Given the recent track record, even if they announce a 35mm f/1.4L II tomorrow, we likely will not see it actually available for several months after the announcement. Here's a summery of recent releases:

• EF 8-15mm f/4L Fisheye, announced 8/2010, available 7/2011. Delay = 11 months.
• EF 300mm f/2.8L IS II and EF 400mm f/2.8L IS II, announced 8/2010, available 8/2011. Delay = 12 months.
• EF 500mm f/4L IS II and EF 600mm f/4L IS II, announced 8/2010, available...who knows (Canon says, "We will announce a concrete release date when it becomes clear." Delay = 16 months so far and no end in sight.
  

So, if you're interested in the 35L, there's really no point in waiting, unless you're not really all that interested...

The current version is an excellent lens. It could use weather sealing, and perhaps a little more corner sharpness wide open, both of which will likely be addressed if an updated version is released. But honestly, I think the one I have is just great.