Thursday July 9th 2009 10:30

Canon 50mm f1.2L - First Photographs

We'd been thinking of getting this lens for ages and finally decided to bite the bullet. Having picked up the lens from Calumet I wandered over to Glasgow's West End and popped in to the Universtiy to catch up with some old friends.

I noticed that a graduation ceremony had just finished so went over to the quads to take some pictures of graduates looking resplendent in their robes:

#1

#2

I'm really impressed with the smoothness of the bokeh and overall colour. Under certain conditions the narrow depth of field produces results which look a bit like those produced by tilt-shift lenses:

#3

Stopped down the lens somehow produces even sharper results:

#4

100% crop of the above:

#5

As I walked away from the quads I noticed the way the light caught the hood on this robe, so whilst continuing to walk past, I pointed the camera in the right general direction, clicked the shutter and hoped for the best:

#6

How long before these become financially unviable?

#7

I was trying to test reports I'd read relating to auto-focus issues. This was shot wide open:

#8

The following 100% crop of the above shows the camera got this one spot on.

#9

Having used this lens for a few months now I'm reaching the conclusion that focussing is better in natural light. If I turn the flash on, focus performance seems to suffer. I've not yet put this theory to the test.

#10

The depth of field really is very narrow at f1.2!

#11

I love the way the lens has handled the reflected light in this photograph.

The last word on narrow depth of field goes to Cookie Monster:

#12



Comments:

Sue Seidal - Thursday 1st July 2010 at 12:40:19

Whilst you're clearly a man who knows the difference between a bokeh and a circle of confusion, the singular of lenses is lens. Your excellence in photography is eclipsed by your mediocrity in speling. Phenomenal photos.

["Speling" errors now corrected -- Jered]

Jennifer - Sunday 1st August 2010 at 05:11:54

your camera takes some amazing pictures (i think my favorite one is the last one though)


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