Author Topic: Fifty Recommendation  (Read 9370 times)

JohnBrew

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Re: Fifty Recommendation
« Reply #15 on: October 20, 2016, 14:49:57 »
Zeiss 50 Makro-Planar (perhaps no longer available new).

Airy

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Re: Fifty Recommendation
« Reply #16 on: October 20, 2016, 15:11:32 »
Definitely not if flare is an issue : it increases on stopping down - that's why I moved to the Milvus 50/2. In the presented "use case" (portraits ==> short range ==> shallow DOF relative to subject size), stopping down will occur for sure, hence my warning.
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Frank Fremerey

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Re: Fifty Recommendation
« Reply #17 on: October 20, 2016, 15:38:21 »
I love the 1.8/50G for its IQ. But its bad mechanical. So I think of replacing it with a 1.4/58G as soon as I find a good used one
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JohnBrew

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Re: Fifty Recommendation
« Reply #18 on: October 20, 2016, 17:44:12 »
Definitely not if flare is an issue : it increases on stopping down - that's why I moved to the Milvus 50/2. In the presented "use case" (portraits ==> short range ==> shallow DOF relative to subject size), stopping down will occur for sure, hence my warning.

Not my experience. Mine produces very nice sun stars. I assume the optical formula didn't change going from ZF to ZF.2, but mine is the earlier version.

Airy

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Re: Fifty Recommendation
« Reply #19 on: October 20, 2016, 18:01:28 »
I (still) have the ZF*2*,  and it is known for having different coatings compared to the older ZF. I think Lloyd Chambers mentioned, on his website, that the former were better. Anyway he also stated that against-the-light performance was very good, which is not my disappointing experience (on stopping down).

Otherwise it is a good portrait lens (and a good allrounder) by I do not regret the upgrade.
Airy Magnien

elsa hoffmann

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Re: Fifty Recommendation
« Reply #20 on: October 20, 2016, 18:06:27 »
I will second the 85 f1.4
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Akira

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Re: Fifty Recommendation
« Reply #21 on: October 20, 2016, 18:10:34 »
Elsa, Frank mentions 58/1.4G.
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Jakov Minić

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Re: Fifty Recommendation
« Reply #22 on: October 20, 2016, 18:13:00 »
Akira, Jakov mentions 85/1.4  :D
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elsa hoffmann

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Re: Fifty Recommendation
« Reply #23 on: October 20, 2016, 18:15:41 »
Akira, Jakov mentions 85/1.4  :D

 ;D ;D ;D ;D yes I did mean the 85 not the 58 (not that I would mind one...)
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Andrea B.

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Re: Fifty Recommendation
« Reply #24 on: October 20, 2016, 18:20:03 »
Charlie, isn't 50 a little short for portrait work? Just curious.
I like 85 or 105 for the few that I do. Get an older Nikkor 85/1.8. Sharp when you need it. Fast enough to soften portraits just a bit if you need that.

Akira

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Re: Fifty Recommendation
« Reply #25 on: October 20, 2016, 19:29:41 »
;D ;D ;D ;D yes I did mean the 85 not the 58 (not that I would mind one...)

Akira, Jakov mentions 85/1.4  :D

 :o :o :o
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Airy

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Re: Fifty Recommendation
« Reply #26 on: October 20, 2016, 19:33:11 »
Charlie,

Distance from portrayed subject should be at least 1.5m (5ft) in order to avoid "deformation" (that however also depends on the onlooker's perspective, and therefore on the medium - print, screen, projection, etc.). That's just a thumb rule. PLease consider that subjects generally feel more comfortable and behave more naturally when at a longer distance.

By the same thumb rule, a 50mm would frame at least head + upper body (vertical framing) or head + chest (horizontal framing), or maybe slightly less if you cautiously keep the head not too far from the center (once again, to avoid perspective playing nasty tricks), and crop away part of the "overhead" later.

So a 50mm is still OK if "portrait" does not mean mugshot, but upper body shot - Mona Lisa & al.

If you were my neighbour, and not knowing more about your precise intentions beyond your initial post, I'd lend you my Voigtländer 58/1.4 with confidence; these "8 additional millimeters" would be most welcome. The 50/1.8G would be the next best candidate if money and versatility matter, but Andrea is right, it is a bight short.

I can only imagine the "use case" which is not detailed. If it is outdoors (backlight = seashore or similar), stepping back is easy, and a (much) longer FL won't hurt. 180mm-300m or so.

If it is indoors (subject placed near a bright window), stepping back may become difficult, but usually 2.5m-3m would be available. 50mm remain interesting for, say, nude shots, not for traditional head + shoulder portraits - 85mm FL is much more suitable then (on full frame !).

Getting a 85/1.8 is a good idea (they may be cheap), or possibly the old proven 105/2.5, but once again the "flare" issue with backlit subject needs caution. The 105/2.5 is rather good, but not the best here. Results are okay-ish for shooting organs in churches (with windows around and - Gof forbid - behind), but some PP is often required to limit the veiling flare. Those church conditions are however harsh and uncontrollable, so maybe indoors with gaze curtains it would fare better.

I do not know about the flare behaviour of the various 85/1.8. Under more conventional conditions, the old 85/1.8 AF-D is excellent from about f/2.2.

Ah and finally - if you are shooting DX, divide all FLs quoted above by 1.5. In such case, go for the 50/1.8G.
Airy Magnien

elsa hoffmann

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Re: Fifty Recommendation
« Reply #27 on: October 20, 2016, 19:53:23 »
Airy kind of said what I agree with. A longer lens renders a better image in terms of distortion (or whatever the correct english word is) It gives you a more rounded image. There are some articles on the web to show you what a portrait looks like with different focal lengths. For me - the 50mm is still too short to render the best portrait.

this article : http://jakehicksphotography.com/latest/2015/10/26/50mm-vs-85mm-which-is-the-best-focal-length-for-portraiture - I think explains exactly what I mean to say. (sorry my english aint as great as I wish for)
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Airy

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Re: Fifty Recommendation
« Reply #28 on: October 20, 2016, 19:58:15 »
By the way- a successful, contemporary French photographer calling himself "JR 28mm" published hundreds of portraits shot with guess what - a 28mm on a full-frame Canon. His style is unusual for sure.
Airy Magnien

Airy

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Re: Fifty Recommendation
« Reply #29 on: October 20, 2016, 20:01:02 »
Interesting link, Elsa. Another subject for meditation: when painters do portraits, what is usually the distance from their subject? The answer may apply to photographers too...
Airy Magnien