New lens: Canon 35m 1.4L or 50mm 1.2L???

[MohaimenK]

I am on the haunt for a new lens. I was thinking of getting 35m 1.4L over replacing my 50mm 1.8 with a 50mm 1.4. Any suggestions by any user? Could sure use the help. But then again the Canon 50mm 1.2L is the same price range as the 35 1.4 so confused

 

[reznap]

With the money you spend on gear I wouldn't bother with the 1.4. I've seen lots of people (on forums) lose their autofocus on that lens due to the 'micro' USM motor in it. Consider the Sigma 50mm 1.4 if you don't want to go for broke with the 50L - it's super sharp wide open (better than Canon 1.4) and has a strong heavy build quality to it.

I've ONLY used a cheap 50 1.8 - so take my advice with a grain of salt. I'd either splurge and get the 50L or save a few $ and get the Sigma. I feel like I can comment on this stuff based on the amount of reading I've done on the gear

Here, check out this comparison of the Canon vs Sigma 1.4's
Canon EF 50mm f/1.4 USM Lens - Sigma 50mm f/1.4 EX DG HSM Lens Comparison - ISO 12233 Resolution Chart Results
(you can see the Canon gets better than the Sigma after f/2.8, but Sigma owns Canon at wider apertures)

The 50/35 question, you gotta figure that one out for yourself. Since you already have a decent working 50mm - maybe the 35's a good idea.

 

[Big Mike]

I've talked to a few people who don't like the 50mm L. They say the AF is dreadfully slow.

I haven't heard anyone say anything bad about the 24mm F1.4 L or the 35mm F1.4 L.

 

[Derrel]

I'D WAIT on the Canon 35/1.4-L...see if they update it to match Nikon's new 35mm f/1.4. The 50/1.2-L is a pokey,slow focuser...not sure what its reason for being actually is...
Canon and Nikon play the re-design game whenever one has a serious advantage over the other...it'd be foolish to buy a 35/1.4-L if Canon is going to redesign it and bring it up to modern standards in a year.

Sigma's 50mm f/1.4 is an outstanding optical performer compared against Canon's 50/1.2-L...the Sigma is by a couple of metrics, the better designed, better-performing lens. Both the 35 and 50 L-series lenses are "old designs", comparitively speaking.

 

[MohaimenK]

Thanks guys! I may just go with the 35mm 1.4 instead right now. Wait on the 50mm till they make a better version. I looked at some reviews on the lens on Fred Miranda and looks like a very popular lens for the wedding. Which is what I want for. Now I just gotta see how much my patience can hold me off till a version 2.

If I feel the need of a 50mm I may get the Sigma 1.4 instead. Some extremely good reviews on it.

 

[Big Mike]

What about the Canon 50mm F1.4? It's less than a quarter of the price of these other lenses and is still a respectable performer. Maybe not on the same level as the 24 & 35 Ls...but still good. Or, as Derrell mentioned, the Sigma.

 

[MohaimenK]

What about the Canon 50mm F1.4? It's less than a quarter of the price of these other lenses and is still a respectable performer. Maybe not on the same level as the 24 & 35 Ls...but still good. Or, as Derrell mentioned, the Sigma.

Yeah, Canon 35mm 1.4L and probably later either pair it off with the Sigma 50mm 1.4 (as I mentioned before I love this one over the Canon after watching the review)

Or I may just skip the 50mm and end up with the 85mm 1.2L II. That may be a good pair for the 35mm 1.4L

Like Scwattylens mentioned earlier today (off TPF), many wedding photographers end up replacing zoom lenses with prime lenses and that may end up happening down the road for me as well. But for now, 70-200 2.8, 24-105 4 16-35 2.8 and 35 1.4 should be more than enough for me to work with.

 

[Derrel]

Here's something I think might be an even-better idea: Sigma 30mm f/1.4, Sigma 50mm f/1.4, Sigma 85mm f/1.4...same color rendering across the three lenses...lower cost...better, faster autofocusing than the pokey Canon 50/1.2 and the pokey 85/1.2-L lenses...but the real advantage would be the ultra-fast 30mm focal length paired with the f/1.4 speed; 30mm and f/1.4 is exceptionally wide, and exceptionally fast. For event work, I would prefer to keep the color rendering of my lenses within the same "family".

Have you actually handled the Canon 85/1.2-L and seen how dog-slow its focus is compared with the "other" high-speed 85mm lenses??? And the Canon 50/1.2-L....same story...the autofocus is molasses-like compared with some of the "other" lenses in the class.

 

[MohaimenK]

well i was reading about issues with canon 50mm 1.2 but was reading that canon 85 1.2 mk2 has fixed the previous version's issues

 

[bentcountershaft]

Here's something I think might be an even-better idea: Sigma 30mm f/1.4, Sigma 50mm f/1.4, Sigma 85mm f/1.4...same color rendering across the three lenses...lower cost...better, faster autofocusing than the pokey Canon 50/1.2 and the pokey 85/1.2-L lenses...but the real advantage would be the ultra-fast 30mm focal length paired with the f/1.4 speed; 30mm and f/1.4 is exceptionally wide, and exceptionally fast. For event work, I would prefer to keep the color rendering of my lenses within the same "family".

I think (could be wrong) he's shooting with a 5d2 so the 30mm is out. For the price of L primes I'd give Zeiss a good look.

 

[Kimmy]

Hey there. I'll give u my 2 cents.. I have 4 50MM lenses. They are an EXCELLENT lens to use. My fave, is of course the Sigma 50MM f1.4.

It is a terrific lens. There are some bad copies out there, giving you very soft focus regardless of what you shoot it at, however, Sigma stands behind them 100% and will repair or exchange - they automatically come with a 3 year warranty, that is standard, and some companies depending where you purchase them from, come with a 4 year warranty. AND regardless who you buy it from, just send it back, tell them that you got a soft copy and have them send you another copy... it's a risk WELL worth taking..


It is my all time fave, walk around lens... but again, its big and heavy.

I would have bought the Zeiss, but I didn't have enough money, and I heard sooo many good things about the Siggy Fiddy (Sigma 50) that I would have felt like an ass hat NOT buying it.

Nice and sharp.
The bokeh is delicious.

It is a heavy lens though, but SOLID as a ROCK.
And it is HUGE - using a 77MM filter and cap.

It comes with a case too, and a nice one at that.

If you buy from BandH or Adorama, (in New York) you dont have to pay TAX or SHIPPING, and tax on a 500$ lens aint cheap!

This lens is worth 1K - easily.

I shoot with a Canon 50D.

Good luck! (p.s. there are going to be all kinds of deals going on out there - I would wait if you can until the 1st of the year!

Peace and Happy Holidays

Kimberly -

butttt... another option. CANON 24-70L THIS LENS IS SICK!!!!!!! (Im just sayin..) this is my NEXT MUST HAVE LENS!!!!

 

[Derrel]

Here's something I think might be an even-better idea: Sigma 30mm f/1.4, Sigma 50mm f/1.4, Sigma 85mm f/1.4...same color rendering across the three lenses...lower cost...better, faster autofocusing than the pokey Canon 50/1.2 and the pokey 85/1.2-L lenses...but the real advantage would be the ultra-fast 30mm focal length paired with the f/1.4 speed; 30mm and f/1.4 is exceptionally wide, and exceptionally fast. For event work, I would prefer to keep the color rendering of my lenses within the same "family".

I think (could be wrong) he's shooting with a 5d2 so the 30mm is out. For the price of L primes I'd give Zeiss a good look.

And to think, I thought he was shooting with his iPhone 4.0...

 

[bentcountershaft]

I think (could be wrong) he's shooting with a 5d2 so the 30mm is out. For the price of L primes I'd give Zeiss a good look.

And to think, I thought he was shooting with his iPhone 4.0...

The cool thing about the iPhone is that it fits ef, ef-s and fd lens mounts but with that zoom I'm not sure why that's necessary.

On a more serious note, from what I've read about the 50L, it sounds like it's a bit of a pain in the ass to deal with. The focus plane is curved, so working with a narrowish depth of field is probably more difficult than it would normally be. If you are in the focus then recompose camp I would imagine this lens would break you of that unless you shoot at f/8 all the time. I don't know if it's as slow to focus as the 85L but I don't remember ever seeing 50L and fast focus in the same sentence unless there was sarcasm involved.

To me it just doesn't sound like something a wedding photographer would want to deal with. Even for the posed shots you're usually under pressure to knock those out so that the wedding party can eat or what not. A good quality, fast focusing zoom like the 24-70 or 24-105 really earns it's keep in these situations. For studio work the L series primes are wonderful I'm sure, but outside the studio when the clock is ticking and Bridezilla's patience is wearing thin... maybe not so much.

 

[FineBlend]

Do you have a crop sensor? if so I would go for the 35, it's one of my most used lenses. If you have a full frame camera go for the 50.

Edit: the 85 1.2 puts out some of the nicest images of any L series lens I have used. It's almost as heave as a 70-200, but it's worth the extra weight.

 

[MohaimenK]

Finebend,

I have tue 5dmk2. I was doug some research and seems like 35mm is one o get for wedding photogs. I will most likely go with that. As for the 85mm 1.2, would you say it's not worth getting since I have the 70-200 2.8 Mk2? Since you own similar lenses?