New lens

Duckys54

In the next few days I will be going to the store to pick up a 50 f1.8 for my Canon 40D. When you go to buy a lens, what sort of stuff do you look at/do with the lens to decide whether or not you want to buy it?

Robinivich

Duckys54 wrote:

In the next few days I will be going to the store to pick up a 50 f1.8 for my Canon 40D. When you go to buy a lens, what sort of stuff do you look at/do with the lens to decide whether or not you want to buy it?

If you're asking from a "make sure it's not a dud" standpoint, there are limits to how much you can do without a computer, but making sure it autofocuses reasonably well (there are limits to that particular lens' abilities), and doesn't cause any real problems with the camera (like an error) might be a place to start.

Honestly, I'd just make sure you trust the dealer, and that you fully understand their return policy so when you get home, you can test in earnest (either with charts and rulers, or just having some real world fun ). If you want to return it, you know you can and how to do so.

A word on the 50 f1.8, wide open (at f1.8) the focus hit rate is low, and very fine detail is a bit hazy, but stopped down even a little (f2.8), it's a superb little lens, and at f5.6 it will probably be the best quality lens you own for a long time.

Duckys54

Robinivich wrote:

A word on the 50 f1.8, wide open (at f1.8) the focus hit rate is low, and very fine detail is a bit hazy, but stopped down even a little (f2.8), it's a superb little lens, and at f5.6 it will probably be the best quality lens you own for a long time.

So would you recommend the 1.4 if I were to shoot wide open more often?

Robinivich

Duckys54 wrote:

So would you recommend the 1.4 if I were to shoot wide open more often?

If you have the money, the 1.4 has better focus, build, image quality, and a wider aperture (+2/3 EV) BUT, it costs 3 to 4 times as much, which is why I'm shooting with the 1.8 .

I shoot lots of wide open shots with the 1.8. I don't make posters out of the results, but even if I did, the kind of shallow DOF low light photography that you might use these large apertures for doesn't require images that are technically perfect.

If you shoot multiples to compensate for AF goofs, and keep you subject away from the absolute borders of the frame, you'll get some very good images. And besides somewhat reduced contrast and sharpness, all other problems (can't think of any besides vignetting on this lens) can be fixed in post processing.

ziggy53

Duckys54 wrote:

So would you recommend the 1.4 if I were to shoot wide open more often?

I would most definitely recommend the EF 50mm, f1.4 USM over the f1.8. Build quality is a level of magnitude better, focus accuracy and speed is much better and the diaphragm is much better construction with better bokeh.

Since you have the 40D you can double check for focus accuracy somewhat by using autofocus and then switching to manual focus and then setting the camera to live view. Since live view is directly from the imager if you have to re-focus fron what the AF chose, then you may have problems with AF. Make sure you are trying to focus way beyond the closest focus distance for the particular lens.