Lenses for the Canon Digital Rebel XTi

[HoldyourfireAl]

Canon EF 50mm f/1.2 L USM Lens for Canon Digital SLR Cameras

List Price: $1,799.99
Price: $1,379.00
You Save: $420.99 (23%)



Product Description

From the Manufacturer
The EF 50mm f1.2L USM is a peerless new standard lens featuring an ultra-large aperture for a narrow depth of field and soft background blur so loved by photographers everywhere. The EF 50mm f1.2L USM is suitable for any shooting situation; its lens coating and construction are optimized to minimize the ghosting and flare that frequently occurs when lenses are used with digital cameras. This high-performance, weather-resistant lens delivers all the superb image resolution and contrast you expect in a Canon L-Series lens.




Product Description
Sharing the widest aperture of any lens in Canon's current EF range, this EF 50 mm F1.2L USM Lens offers extremely fine control over depth-of-field and superb low available light performance. Having Canon's latest AF technologies, the lens lives up to the brand's reputation for superior response high-speed auto focus, while a circular aperture produces an excellently even background blur.

Don't be scared. It is good lens., October 19, 2007
By Dong W. Kim "evil twin" (ca) - See all my reviews


I am not a professional photographer, or make living with taking pictures. I am just a person who loves to take pictures & enjoys good pictures. And, I know how expensive this lens is, and YES, I am very aware of "Back Focusing" issue with this lens that others worry. I have been using this lens for 3 weeks now, and have been experiencing good & bad about this lens. (I believe "back focusing" issue was way too much inflated.) I have EOS 5D, and wanted to take full advantage of FF factor, and this was why I took a plunge instead of getting acclaimed 35MM or 85MM.

Good:
Picture quality - from f1.2 thru f2.8, the lens works superbly. AF is fast & faster compared to 50mm 1.4. Above f2.8, the pictures become a touch soft, but it exceeded my expectation. In low light condition, this lens is virtually unbeatable.
Weight & Feel - Anoth factor that sold me to this lens is its overall feel. Very balanced & well weighted. And, its build quality is good.

Bad:
Back Focus - Yes, it does back focus in very (very) close distance. Within 20 inches, you may experience back focusing more than half of the time. (Others say within 30 inches or so, but I never experienced more than 20 inches far.) I asked myself how many times (in reality), I would try taking pictures within such distance.
Cost - Yes, this is expensive lens. 4 times more than very good 50mm 1.4.

I love to take portraits (especially for my new born baby) , and this was my main reason that I upgraded from 50mm 1.4 to 50mm 1.2. I would recommend this lens if you are into portraits. If you want more than what I am into, you may be disappointed. Did I make a good investment? Yes, I believe I did.

[HoldyourfireAl]

This is an example of P1X4R's use of the 50mm f/1.2 L
lens. It's very expensive, but I think it takes the sharpest pics I've ever seen!

P1X4R...would you agree that this is the sharpest lens for the Rebel XTi or is it just very good for low light environments? Is there a cheaper lens that can achieve the same sharpness?

[P1X4R]

truthfully Al.. it's the person behind the camera.

[P1X4R]

hehe. j/k (well, half kidding anyway).

each lens will have it's own characteristics. if i were you i would rent them and try them out first before you decide to make the purchase. it's a lot of dough to invest in. just be sure you don't fall into buyer's remorse.

speaking from experience.. this is an amazing lens and i don't regret investing money into quality. that's just me though.

[HoldyourfireAl]

Originally Posted by P1X4R

truthfully Al.. it's the person behind the camera.

Yeah, yeah! Without Photoshop or some other post production software, there's no way to get a regular lens to tak a pic THAT sharp!

[P1X4R]

yes, the L's do produce richer colors and yes you can do post processing to get your pics to pop out more but there are techniques that can help.

for this pic there wasn't too much PP done on it. i was using Digital Photo Professional that comes packaged with all Canon digital SLRs. just a simple RAW to JPG conversion. i'll admit the lens "utilized" whatever low light the room had to expose the final look of the picture.

i just bumped up the f/stop to get everything into focus and used a sturdy tripod/remote switch setup with the camera. that's all.

[HoldyourfireAl]

Who rents lenses?

[geto10]

Too bad we don't have a rental service here in Sweden.

[P1X4R]

not exactly a lens but more of a lens add-on.. i recently purchased a canon extension tube which would enable a lens to perform macro functions. well, i tried it out today. i got some decent shots out of it but i think i'm going to return it. the one thing that it does which annoys me is it disables infinity focus thereby locking the lens in macro mode.

no worries. it was a good experience to play with but just not for me. i believe it's a cheap alternative to allowing a lens to have macro. i just don't like having to take it off to get back the normal focal range. i'd recommend just getting a dedicated macro lens. your mileage will vary of course. for those who are hardcore macro shooters then it's essential gear to have to get maximum magnification.

[hazmatt]

a good read, helpful info about extension tubes here....