Decided to sell my Nifty

[stevegreen]

Made the decision today to sell my 50mm f/1.8 and get the Sigma 30mm f/1.4 as I have read some excellent reviews of this lens and the bokeh is something to behold. Faster for an upcoming family event that I have been asked to take photos at and a nicer focal length to work with generally. I have always found the 50mm to be a bit long for what I wanted.

Depth of field madness ensues!!!

 

[Tobers]

Looking forward to this. But just how much more DOF will you get with 1.4 -v- 1.8?

Comparison shots when you're ready please

Edit: Ah - it's a 30mm as well. Still, v.interested in the results....

 

[stevegreen]

From what I have seen, it's stinkingly sharp as well. I have gone for the f/1.4 for speed more than anything. I need to develop my style to be able to make the most of the depth of field and make it effective photographically.

 

[onefivenine]

It's more the quality of the bokeh that will stand out due to 8 aperture blades versus 5.

 

[senu]

30mm will give you a wider scope
However slightly off topic the Canon 50mm 1.4 and 1.8 are not quite identical. The difference in 1 1/2 stops isnt that much but the 1.4 is better made in most ways

 

[Liquid101]

It's a great lens, lovely shape and very balanced on the body.

A fast 30mm is going to be more useful than a 50mm - but I find my 20mm is a jack of all trades

 

[onefivenine]

30mm will give you a wider scope
However slightly off topic the Canon 50mm 1.4 and 1.8 are not quite identical. The difference in 1 1/2 stops isnt that much but the 1.4 is better made in most ways

again... 8 aperture blades in the 1.4 - that's what makes the bokeh so creamy. The opening is almost circular as opposed to pentagonal.

 

[jonnypb]

I ditched my 1.8 for the canon 1.4. The 1.4 is so much better IMO. Quicker AF and more accurate, colours produced are slightly better, faster and useable at 1.8 whereas the 1.8 was usable at 2.2ish. I did look at the 30 1.4 and it seems a great lens

 

[onefivenine]

Made the decision today to sell my 50mm f/1.8 and get the Sigma 30mm f/1.4 as I have read some excellent reviews of this lens and the bokeh is something to behold. Faster for an upcoming family event that I have been asked to take photos at and a nicer focal length to work with generally. I have always found the 50mm to be a bit long for what I wanted.

Depth of field madness ensues!!!

Steve, just thought I would mention that although you'll get a wider angle of view it may not be so ideal for close headshots/portraits.

The perspective will not be the same as the 50mm (that is basically the same as the human eye). So the closer you get to folk, the wider their heads will become! It might not be very flattering!

Sounds like it's the crop factor that limiting you.

What you probably want - I know I do - is a 5D with the 50mm! One day... one day...

 

[Yandros]

Steve, just thought I would mention that although you'll get a wider angle of view it may not be so ideal for close headshots/portraits.

The perspective will not be the same as the 50mm (that is basically the same as the human eye). So the closer you get to folk, the wider their heads will become! It might not be very flattering!

Sounds like it's the crop factor that limiting you.

What you probably want - I know I do - is a 5D with the 50mm! One day... one day...

Erm, I'm pretty sure you're wrong there. 30mm on x1.6 crop will be the same perpective as a 50mm on a full frame. Check out the discussion below, or google crop factor and perspective. A stiff drink might be required first though ...

http://photo.net/bboard/q-and-a-fetch-msg?msg_id=00GI2v

 

[onefivenine]

Erm, I'm pretty sure you're wrong there. 30mm on x1.6 crop will be the same perpective as a 50mm on a full frame. Check out the discussion below, or google crop factor and perspective. A stiff drink might be required first though ...

http://photo.net/bboard/q-and-a-fetch-msg?msg_id=00GI2v

No mate. The crop factor means you see less of the image - 1.6x less for Canon.

It can't possibly change the perspective created by the glass... think about it.

Don't believe everything you read in forums.

 

[jonnypb]

If we had the following setup

5D + 50mm lens
400D + 30mm lens

and we were to take a portrait pic of someone, cameras same distance to the subject would the end photo that you print out on 7x5 not be the same??

 

[onefivenine]

If we had the following setup

5D + 50mm lens
400D + 30mm lens

and we were to take a portrait pic of someone, cameras same distance to the subject would the end photo that you print out on 7x5 not be the same??

The image/light travelling through the lens remains the same whatever body it is on. But with a crop body you cut off a portion off it and only see the centre part.

The point is that with a 30mm lens you'd need to be so much closer to the subject to do a headshot that the distortion may be an issue. Balloon heads spring to mind.

 

[Yandros]

No mate. The crop factor means you see less of the image - 1.6x less for Canon.

It can't possibly change the perspective created by the glass... think about it.

Don't believe everything you read in forums.

Yup, thought about it...you're still wrong! My physics degree may be a little rusty these days, but it comes in handy occasionally.

Check you photography books then rather than forums...

And I quote... "If you capture the same scene from exactly the same position with a 28mm wide angle lens and then a 300mm telephoto, perspective will be exactly the same. This can be proven by enlarging a small section of the wide angle shot that covers the same area as the telephoto shot. However by changing the camera position, perspective can be altered completely to give different results"

Your position relative to the subject changes the subject, not the glass. A 300mm lens allows you to be much further away from the subject, and it is this change of distance that creates the compression of perspective, not the lens characteristics.

 

[onefivenine]

Hmmm I must have got confused somewhere perhaps!

Ok, physics lessons aside, the wider the angle, the more distorted the subject appears. I'm thinking of the differences between head-shots I've taken with the 50mm lens versus the 10-22mm, and my own weird logic says that the 30mm will be somewhere in between. Do you see what I'm getting at?

 

[onefivenine]

Your position relative to the subject changes the subject, not the glass. A 300mm lens allows you to be much further away from the subject, and it is this change of distance that creates the compression of perspective, not the lens characteristics.

I think this explanation actually sums up quite well what I was trying to say in the first place.

That, with the 30mm lens you will need to move that much closer to the subject it will alter the image, and not be so good for portraits.

 

[Yandros]

I think this explanation actually sums up quite well what I was trying to say in the first place.

That, with the 30mm lens you will need to move that much closer to the subject it will alter the image, and not be so good for portraits.

Yeah, except I meant to say "Your position relative to the subject changes the PERSPECTIVE". (teach me for posting after midnight!)

This is a really good example where "common sense" lets you down, because people don't (or can't) routinely walk backwards and forwards relative to the subject, or if they do, have forgotten the perspective at the previous location. Because a zoom or prime lens change is instantaneous, we (wrongly) assume that the lens is the culprit.

Getting back to the plot though, this means that a cropped 30mm and full frame 50mm have the same perspective effects. In other words, 50mm EFFECTIVE focal length is roughtly equivalent to the human eye, irrespective of whether this is acheived by full frame, sensor crop or a crop in Photoshop. As you say though, superwide lenses are far more prone to distortion, but that means is very important to not confuse distortion with perspective.

 

[stevegreen]

Interesting stuff.

This is the kind of thing that I think I will end up with a close shot

 

[Tobers]

You're looking good there Steve!!

 

[stevegreen]

Just had me teeth done mate

As I said earlier in the thread, one of the reasons for the replacement is due to the speed of the lens considering I have been asked to take some pictures at a family party which is being held in a village hall. I won't be doing close up portraits like the one posted above but the extra width that the 30mm will give me over the 50mm will be most useful.

Can't wait to get this lens now............and, I had my replacement tripod head arrive this morning, replaced under warranty, no questions........kudos to FotoSENSE

 

[richard plumb]

how about DOF? Although its faster, won't you be limited with DOF wide open to get any more than a single face in focus?

Although as its also wider you should naturally get more DOF so does it end up roughtly the same as the 50mm, just faster?



edit: just quickly checked a DOF calculator and at 1.4 @10ft you'll have nearly 2ft in focus. not bad! Thats compared to about 9 inches with the 50mm 1.8 at the same distance.

So you get more DOF *and* faster. Result

 

[stevegreen]

edit: just quickly checked a DOF calculator and at 1.4 @10ft you'll have nearly 2ft in focus. not bad! Thats compared to about 9 inches with the 50mm 1.8 at the same distance.

So you get more DOF *and* faster. Result

The bokeh is super smooth too, have a look at the Flickr Group

 

[Liquid101]

Yeah, except I meant to say "Your position relative to the subject changes the PERSPECTIVE". (teach me for posting after midnight!)

This is a really good example where "common sense" lets you down, because people don't (or can't) routinely walk backwards and forwards relative to the subject, or if they do, have forgotten the perspective at the previous location. Because a zoom or prime lens change is instantaneous, we (wrongly) assume that the lens is the culprit.

Getting back to the plot though, this means that a cropped 30mm and full frame 50mm have the same perspective effects. In other words, 50mm EFFECTIVE focal length is roughtly equivalent to the human eye, irrespective of whether this is acheived by full frame, sensor crop or a crop in Photoshop. As you say though, superwide lenses are far more prone to distortion, but that means is very important to not confuse distortion with perspective.

If you want a real world test, I'm happy to set something up. I have access to both.

 

[T0MAT01]

That sounds like a good idea for a thread Liquid.

 

[onefivenine]

That sounds like a good idea for a thread Liquid.

Seconded! Go for it liquid!

Yandros - I think we we both getting at the same thing!

Steve - hurry up and get the lens!