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f1.2 lenses?
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PostPosted: Thu Sep 03, 2009 4:24 pm    Post subject: f1.2 lenses? Reply with quote
Lets say someone wanted an f1.2 lens for no other reason than it would be cool to have a lens that said f1.2 on it. No specific purpose in mind. Are there any reasonably priced ones? The Canon AF ones are ridiculously priced, but I did see a 55mm f1.2 Nikkor for $210 the other day. Any others that should be considered? Is it silly to pursue that last half a stop when I have two f1.4 lenses?


PostPosted: Thu Sep 03, 2009 4:33 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
Quote:
I did see a 55mm f1.2 Nikkor for $210 the other day


Buy it! That is a nice price for that lens. If you don't like it you can sell easily without a penny lost.

That said........................
Quote:
Is it silly to pursue that last half a stop when I have two f1.4 lenses?


Yes and no.
If you need a low light lens for a shoot then it makes perfect sense to get what amounts to 40% (hope I did my math right) more light transmition.

If you just want that minimal depth of field look. Skip it and go with the 1.4's you have.

To be frank with you. If you are trying to focus a 1.2 on your 1000D in close range. Your not going to have much success.

I have given up the idea of 50mm f1.2 on a Reflex camera for close range.
Even with a custom screen in my 5D you only hit about 50% of the time under 3 meters.
These lenses are much more usable on a Rangefinder than a DSLR.

Stick with the 1.4 Wink


PostPosted: Thu Sep 03, 2009 4:36 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
Hallo,

a 1.2/55mm is a real hard job for a crop cam.
The viewfinder on a crop is mostly to small and either you have a
very good (in the meaning of exactly) focusing screen or the 1.2 Class is going to be a horrible trip.

To focus manually with open aperture 1.2 mostly is a bad idea.
A bright Viewfinder, the diopter and a focusing screen is a must have.
The DOF is very small!
Otherwise, if you have LV in the Cam that would be an alternativ try.

If you want to buy a 1.2, look for a Nikon 1.2, a Porst 1.2. Also a Olympus Zuiko seemed to be a good choice as far as i know.

greetz
Hinnerker

Last edited by hinnerker on Thu Sep 03, 2009 4:38 pm; edited 1 time in total


PostPosted: Thu Sep 03, 2009 4:37 pm    Post subject: Re: f1.2 lenses? Reply with quote
tkbslc wrote:
Lets say someone wanted an f1.2 lens for no other reason than it would be cool to have a lens that said f1.2 on it. No specific purpose in mind. Are there any reasonably priced ones? The Canon AF ones are ridiculously priced, but I did see a 55mm f1.2 Nikkor for $210 the other day. Any others that should be considered? Is it silly to pursue that last half a stop when I have two f1.4 lenses?


Yes, it is silly.


PostPosted: Thu Sep 03, 2009 5:00 pm    Post subject: Re: f1.2 lenses? Reply with quote
Attila wrote:
tkbslc wrote:
Lets say someone wanted an f1.2 lens for no other reason than it would be cool to have a lens that said f1.2 on it. No specific purpose in mind. Are there any reasonably priced ones? The Canon AF ones are ridiculously priced, but I did see a 55mm f1.2 Nikkor for $210 the other day. Any others that should be considered? Is it silly to pursue that last half a stop when I have two f1.4 lenses?


Yes, it is silly.


Says the penguin with the SMC 50 1.2 highlighted in red in his signature! Smile

Yeah, there are probably better things for me to look at, but that price on the nikkor may be hard to pass up. Hopefully someone else will buy it before I am further tempted.


PostPosted: Thu Sep 03, 2009 5:13 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
I think it would be wise for you to buy it try it. Then see that these lenses (1.2) get a lot of fuss for nothing.

As I said the price is safe for re-sale without loss.
Not usually the case with these lenses.
The Nikkor is one of the best of the "old" bunch.


PostPosted: Thu Sep 03, 2009 5:13 pm    Post subject: Re: f1.2 lenses? Reply with quote
tkbslc wrote:
Attila wrote:
tkbslc wrote:
Lets say someone wanted an f1.2 lens for no other reason than it would be cool to have a lens that said f1.2 on it. No specific purpose in mind. Are there any reasonably priced ones? The Canon AF ones are ridiculously priced, but I did see a 55mm f1.2 Nikkor for $210 the other day. Any others that should be considered? Is it silly to pursue that last half a stop when I have two f1.4 lenses?


Yes, it is silly.


Says the penguin with the SMC 50 1.2 highlighted in red in his signature! Smile

Yeah, there are probably better things for me to look at, but that price on the nikkor may be hard to pass up. Hopefully someone else will buy it before I am further tempted.


I had a couple of 1.2 Nikkor, Pentax , Cosina I kept Pentax due better than any others , but I never need really 1.2 speed.


PostPosted: Thu Sep 03, 2009 5:38 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
I think the extra half stop will not give you tremendous advantage in terms of light sensitivity, but many f/1.2 lenses produce unique looking shots - not necesserily better, just different, unusual, eye catching. Honestly if you just need normally looking images of good quality, IMHO you need to stay at f/2.8 and smaller (or f/1.4 and full frame DSLR for low light situations). Having said that, I myself have 4 lenses with f/1.2 and stubbornly keep shooting with them wide open, even though half of the images can go straight to the trash can. But that is just a temporary phase of crazy addiction I am go through with the fast glass Smile


PostPosted: Thu Sep 03, 2009 5:45 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
pirius wrote:
I think the extra half stop will not give you tremendous advantage in terms of light sensitivity, but many f/1.2 lenses produce unique looking shots - not necesserily better, just different, unusual, eye catching. Honestly if you just need normally looking images of good quality, IMHO you need to stay at f/2.8 and smaller (or f/1.4 and full frame DSLR for low light situations). Having said that, I myself have 4 lenses with f/1.2 and stubbornly keep shooting with them wide open, even though half of the images can go straight to the trash can. But that is just a temporary phase of crazy addiction I am go through with the fast glass Smile


Yes, you are right. The 1.2 class is a "effect lens" not more. Most of the pictures wide open are for the trash-can.

But in some situations they can build astonishing effects in boring scenes.
These are "nice to have" lenses. But in low light situations i like the small difference from 1.4 to 1.2 enormous. It gives me the little extra speed, in need in some situations, to make handheld shots.

greetz
Hinnerker


PostPosted: Thu Sep 03, 2009 6:00 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
pirius wrote:
I think the extra half stop will not give you tremendous advantage in terms of light sensitivity, but many f/1.2 lenses produce unique looking shots - not necesserily better, just different, unusual, eye catching. Honestly if you just need normally looking images of good quality, IMHO you need to stay at f/2.8 and smaller (or f/1.4 and full frame DSLR for low light situations). Having said that, I myself have 4 lenses with f/1.2 and stubbornly keep shooting with them wide open, even though half of the images can go straight to the trash can. But that is just a temporary phase of crazy addiction I am go through with the fast glass Smile


As an effect lens Nikkor was my best it has beautiful bokeh at wide open.


PostPosted: Thu Sep 03, 2009 6:15 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
I tried 1.2 but the pics are not perfect, there is like a glow around edges
from my non scientific test, I found that 2.8 is better and between 5.6 and 8 it is even better
http://forum.mflenses.com/rokkor-pg-581-2-wide-open-t17351.html


PostPosted: Thu Sep 03, 2009 6:15 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
pirius wrote:
I think the extra half stop will not give you tremendous advantage in terms of light sensitivity, but many f/1.2 lenses produce unique looking shots - not necesserily better, just different, unusual, eye catching.......


Yup, that is it. Below 2 pics with Canon EF 1.2/85L. Ok not a 50/55mm lens but the same discussion between 1.2/85 and 1.8/85. Never would sell this lens.





PostPosted: Thu Sep 03, 2009 6:19 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
Oh almost forget top lenses are fast. All maker make pro lenses fast as possible and consumer lenses to slower. So benefits not only the speed , these lenses are generally better ones than others. I think Rolf like this lens for it's superb IQ not for 1.2 speed.


PostPosted: Thu Sep 03, 2009 6:57 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
In the right hands the 1.2 can perform very nicley.

There are complaints about CA on the Noct lens until you reach f/2.8.

The PRICE is WAY high on the Noct lens, and in my mind just not worth it, but I still want it in my collection... Laughing

55mm 1.2 Noct-Nikkor

Nikkor 50mm 1.2

Last edited by spiralcity on Thu Sep 03, 2009 9:38 pm; edited 14 times in total


PostPosted: Thu Sep 03, 2009 7:05 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
The Canon FL 55/58 f/1.2s are the lowest priced that I know of.


PostPosted: Thu Sep 03, 2009 7:06 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
dof wrote:
The Canon FL 55/58 f/1.2s are the lowest priced that I know of.


Due incompatible mount with most DSLR and one of them not so good one too.


PostPosted: Thu Sep 03, 2009 7:34 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
poilu wrote:
I tried 1.2 but the pics are not perfect, there is like a glow around edges
from my non scientific test, I found that 2.8 is better and between 5.6 and 8 it is even better
http://forum.mflenses.com/rokkor-pg-581-2-wide-open-t17351.html

That's exactly why I like them. At f/1.2 it's really hard to perfectly correct all optical problems, so you get a lot of character in your shot. Minolta 58/1.2 is actually quite well corrected, comparing to others. Comparing to it, Oly Zuiko 55/1.2 is a very charming disaster Smile


PostPosted: Thu Sep 03, 2009 9:03 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
Attila wrote:
dof wrote:
The Canon FL 55/58 f/1.2s are the lowest priced that I know of.


Due incompatible mount with most DSLR and one of them not so good one too.


I have the FL 55mm f/1.2 converted to Sony/Minolta AF mount (still work in progress, need to add microchip, but it is possible to reach infinity focus, etc). Based on initial tests it seems very nice, easily sharp enough wide open with dreamy glow outside the focused area. Bokeh not as good as Rokkor 58mm f/1.2, though, but that's (in my opinion) one of the very best lenses in that department.


tkbslc wrote:
Lets say someone wanted an f1.2 lens for no other reason than it would be cool to have a lens that said f1.2 on it. No specific purpose in mind. Are there any reasonably priced ones? The Canon AF ones are ridiculously priced, but I did see a 55mm f1.2 Nikkor for $210 the other day. Any others that should be considered? Is it silly to pursue that last half a stop when I have two f1.4 lenses?


In my opinion the point in having an f/1.2 lens is the shallow depth of field and (often) interesting bokeh and glow effects, especially wide open. As I said above, the Rokkor 58mm f/1.2 has extremely good bokeh, and when stopped down even slightly it is also very sharp (actually it's sharp wide open, too, but there's a soft glow around everything). That would be my recommendation for an f/1.2 – if you need to convert it to some other mount, I've written a guide on how to do the conversion here. Sadly, the days when you could get one under 100 EUR are gone…

The Canon FL 55mm f/1.2 doesn't look like a bad choice, either, but the conversion of that lens is much more challenging than that of the Rokkor. (Well, perhaps to Canon EOS one would not have to adjust infinity focus quite as much.)


PostPosted: Thu Sep 03, 2009 9:41 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
I posted a link with some nice samples taken at 1.2 from the 50mm Nikkor and Noct-nikkor lenses.


PostPosted: Thu Sep 03, 2009 9:49 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
It's funny
In the old days (read: Film Days) fast lenses were for low light Razz


PostPosted: Thu Sep 03, 2009 10:04 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
I Recently bought a Canon FD 55mm 1.2. I shot a roll of Astia 100F on one of my favorite cameras, a Canon AL-1 and will have it developed this weekend. I'll scan and post asap.

Jules


PostPosted: Thu Sep 03, 2009 10:13 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
lulalake wrote:
I Recently bought a Canon FD 55mm 1.2. I shot a roll of Astia 100F on one of my favorite cameras, a Canon AL-1 and will have it developed this weekend. I'll scan and post asap.

Jules


Super! I am curious about both of them! I never shoot on Astia yet and I bought ten rolls.


PostPosted: Thu Sep 03, 2009 11:12 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
Those F1.2 lenses are fun to use, that's the only reason I use them, though
some of them give you surprise pleasure and disappointment. Very Happy Very Happy
here is today's catch> both were shot at F1.2 of course. click the photo to enlarge

MC Rokkor-PG 58mm F1.2 EF-mount + EOS 5D


Ai Nikkor 50mm F1.2S + Nikon D700


PostPosted: Thu Sep 03, 2009 11:17 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
I like Minolta better from these shoots. And you ?


PostPosted: Thu Sep 03, 2009 11:30 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
Yes, Minolta is a champ. Very Happy Very Happy Very Happy (don't throw me stones)
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