Canon 1.4 vs. Canon 1.8

[achua00]

Hey folks, does anyone have any recommendations on which is better...the Canon 1.4 vs. the 1.8? I have the 1.8 but I am wondering now if I should've invested in the 1.4 because some of my images come out sharp but not as sharp as I've seen some of these photos around the forums.....I think I am able to take decent photos using the manual mode but I hate it when some are sharp and others aren't. Should I switch?
Thanks.

 

[o hey tyler]

Hey folks, does anyone have any recommendations on which is better...the Canon 1.4 vs. the 1.8? I have the 1.8 but I am wondering now if I should've invested in the 1.4 because some of my images come out sharp but not as sharp as I've seen some of these photos around the forums.....I think I am able to take decent photos using the manual mode but I hate it when some are sharp and others aren't. Should I switch?
Thanks.

I am assuming you are talking about the 50mm f/1.4 vs the 50mm f/1.8. If that's the case, I suggest you learn a bit more about lens nomenclature and the dynamics of taking a sharp photograph. It could just be due to user error. Could you post a photo you are not satisfied with? Preferably with the EXIF Data intact.

Personally, I use the 50mm f/1.4 because it has a slightly larger maximum aperture, and it has much better build quality than the 50mm f/1.8. The f/1.8 feels kind of chintzy. But if you're having a tough time getting focused photos with a kit lens with a max aperture of f/3.5, the super narrow DoF of a 50mm won't aid you.

 

[vtf]

If you are using the 50mm 1.8 at 1.8 (wide open) it has such a small focus plane that its very easy to get one eye in focus and the other eye oof. What were your aperature settings and if possible post some photos. If this is the case, you will have the same issues with the 1.4.

 

[Big Mike]

This was probably the most asked question on photography forums, back before 'What digital camera should I buy' took it over.

So you could probably Google it and find plenty of old, archived questions & answers...but the first two replies sum it up pretty well. Firstly, you have to diagnose if your problem is actual due to the lens, or just a result of user error and a very thin DOF. More often than not, it's the latter.
And as mentioned, besides the slight increase in maximum aperture, the big difference between the two is build quality. The 50mm F1.8 feels like a toy in comparison to the 50mm F1.4. And the F1.4 has USM focus while the F1.8 does not.

 

[ulrichsd]

Adorama's newsletter this month had an article where they tested the sharpness of the 50mm f1.4 vs 1.8 and they said that the 1.8 was a bit sharper at middle apertures for both Canon and Nikon. So if you are only going for sharpness and value over build quality and narrow depth of field, then the 1.8 may be the way to go.

 

[ulrichsd]

Here's the link:
50mm Lens Shoot-Out: f/1.8 or f/1.4? from Adorama Learning Center

 

[achua00]

Thanks for the link!!
Ok let me figure out how to post a few examples of what I'm referring to in terms of not being tack sharp.
yes, I was referring to the Canon f/1.8 and f/1.4; I was just trying to type fast.

Here's the link:
50mm Lens Shoot-Out: f/1.8 or f/1.4? from Adorama Learning Center

 

[bottguardo]

The AF on the 1.8 is terrible. If this is a factor, I would certainly upgrade to the 1.4.

 

[achua00]

http://www.flickr.com/photos/45136505@N06/5547313510
This doesn't look so sharp to me, I put the data in the comments field (is this how you guys do it? I don't use Flickr too much, I think there's a way where you can view it on flickr's site too).

http://www.flickr.com/photos/45136505@N06/5547313492

This one looks ok....or does it look OOF to you guys too?

 

[Ryan L]

A few more things. No distance scale on the 1.8, manual focus is very difficult, no usm on the 1.8, 1.4 I think has a micro usm.

 

[SrBiscuit]

The new Adorama catalog I recently got has a great 1.4 vs. 1.8 article, and the conclusion is that on either lens, the sweet spots are nowhere NEAR 1.4 or 1.8, and that unless you need that extra TINY bit of dof difference, the 50 1.8 is the better lens and is still the best bang for the buck. I don't the catalog with me, otherwise I would mention some of their points specifically.

IDK, for ME the extra money just aint worth it. I love my 1.8. (Granted, I have the Nikon.)

 

[o hey tyler]

IMG_4475 | Flickr - Photo Sharing!
This doesn't look so sharp to me, I put the data in the comments field (is this how you guys do it? I don't use Flickr too much, I think there's a way where you can view it on flickr's site too).

IMG_4517 | Flickr - Photo Sharing!

This one looks ok....or does it look OOF to you guys too?

The reason your shots are out of focus is because you're shooting with the lens close up at the maximum aperture (f/1.8). This is a recipe for disaster for subjects that are moving. Try shooting on f/2.8 or 3.2 and see if that improves your sharpness.

 

[achua00]

Ok thanks so much for the tip!! Ok but in order to get sharpness AND a nice bokeh...should I stand further away and use the aperture you recommended or then can I go to f/1.8?

 

[o hey tyler]

Ok thanks so much for the tip!! Ok but in order to get sharpness AND a nice bokeh...should I stand further away and use the aperture you recommended or then can I go to f/1.8?

Shooting wide open is never fully utilizing the optics of a lens. It would be easier to shoot further away at f/1.8, yes. But I'd still stop down my lens to f/2.2. I shot this standing a good distance away from my subject the other day on f/2.8 using the 50mm f/1.4

And I shot this a bit closer on f/2.2 (it was quite windy)

 

[vtf]

IMG_4475 | Flickr - Photo Sharing!
This doesn't look so sharp to me, I put the data in the comments field (is this how you guys do it? I don't use Flickr too much, I think there's a way where you can view it on flickr's site too).

IMG_4517 | Flickr - Photo Sharing!

This one looks ok....or does it look OOF to you guys too?

Both of these shot at wide open or near it. Try it at f4-6 its sweet spot. You have the same issue we hear every week. The girl is at an angle to your camera making one eye further back. The focus plane is in millimeters at that short distance, therefore you can get her left side in focus but completely miss the right side. Go outside or use flash so you can stop down the aperture. You can go slower on the shutter if your subject can be still.

I would work on focus before worrying about boken.