Quick Canon 7D question before I buy tonight. About lenses...

[Dylan Couper]

Originally Posted by Ben Tolosa

Wow, that is great to know. I am about to make the purchase, hopefully tonight before I go to bed. The 7D has a rebate price, so that will give me a few extra bucks. I am between the 50mm f/1.4 and the 50mm f/1.2.

Is it really worth it to go with the f/1.2?

I can make the extra effort and go with it, because it is an investment. Just wondering if it is REALLY worth it, you know what I mean?

I know it is a better built and better glass, but it is $1100 more!!

I'll kindly appreciate your input...

THANKS VERY MUCH

I own both a 50mm f1.4 and a 50mm f1.2
The f1.2 is NOT worth the extra money to all but a very small niche. Get the 1.4 and use the leftover money for a fast 35mm and/or 28mm lens, both of which will be very important to your filmmaking, along with an 85mm f1.8

[Bryan McCullough]

Originally Posted by Liam Hall

Bryan, you can stop down...

Thanks. ;)

But if I'd decided I'm hardly ever going to use 1.4 then the price difference becomes significant.

Everyone has different needs, I'm just pointing out where I've landed for the stuff I shoot.

[Ben Tolosa]

Originally Posted by Bruce S. Yarock

Ben,
I never had the luxury of owning or using a 1.2. I've seen nice footage that other guys have shot at night with that lens and it's great, but I can't afford one. You can't go wrong, however, with the 50 1.4, and you could always sell it later if you wanted to tale the 1.2 plunge.
I'm originally from Waterbury, by the way.
Bruce Yarock
P.S. Don't forget the adjustable nd filter ( fader nd). It's a must for out door shooting.

Hi Bruce,

Waterbury, cool. I actually did rehears in Waterbury with Tom Stevens (Actor, Director) for a play about a month ago in that old white church over Main Street. Nice town and nice coffee from the old gas station...

I think and I am going to end up getting a 50 1.4 and a 85 1.8 for now. And later on, I might consider a 24 1.4L for wide shoots. But I will need to save for several months for get there. I took me quite some time to gather 3k.


Once again, thanks very much for your advice, very much appreciated.

[Ben Tolosa]

Originally Posted by Bryan McCullough

Everyone has their own preferences, I personally prefer using my 50mm 1.8 over a 1.4. I shoot mostly interviews/documentaries and the 1.4 has such an incredibly thin depth of field that it was tough to work with. In controlled narrative situations I can see it working better.

As it is the 1.8 is tough, but I find I can work with it whereas the 1.4 was kicking my butt. It's also about a third of the price, which is nice.

There's a great thread on lenses over in the T2i forum, the discussion is applicable to the 7D as well.

http://www.dvinfo.net/forum/canon-eo...-3-lenses.html

Very nice thread. I did read it and was very helpful. I think the 1.4 will be a better option for me now, rather than the 1.2. Although the 1.2 is a nicer built. Does the glass in the 1.2 is the very same one as the 1.4? I am 'just' talking about the glass...

Thanks very much for the input!!

[Ben Tolosa]

Originally Posted by Liam Hall

Bryan, you can stop down...


To the OP, If you want a 50mm prime get the f/1.4 not the f/1.2. But I'd advise getting the Canon 17-55mm f/2.8 as your first lens.

Hope that helps:)

Hi Liam,

Yes, it does help. I was thinking about the 70-200mm but not sure if IS or not IS. Doubles the price...

Thanks very much!!

[Manus Sweeney]

Maybe you should consider a 35mm? I find its the most useful and aesthetic everyday focal length for the 7d, (closest to the focal length of the human eye?).. much prefer it to a 24, 28 or 30mm.. but just my preference!

My new favourite lens is the MIR 24N 35mm f2, lovely sharp and bright colours with a 270 degree focus throw thats smoother than anything else i've used.

Originally Posted by Ben Tolosa

Hi Bruce,

Waterbury, cool. I actually did rehears in Waterbury with Tom Stevens (Actor, Director) for a play about a month ago in that old white church over Main Street. Nice town and nice coffee from the old gas station...

I think and I am going to end up getting a 50 1.4 and a 85 1.8 for now. And later on, I might consider a 24 1.4L for wide shoots. But I will need to save for several months for get there. I took me quite some time to gather 3k.


Once again, thanks very much for your advice, very much appreciated.

[Ben Tolosa]

Originally Posted by Olof Ekbergh

Hi Ben, the 1.6 multiplier means that as the 7D has a smaller imager there is a cropping of the image from any given lens. The depth of field stays the same but your field of view is smaller. So in effect your 50mm lens will seem like a 80mm lens (that is a really good portrait size).

When you buy canon lenses, you can use full frame lenses EF lenses on any of Canons cameras, but you can not use EF-S lenses on a full frame camera like the 5DmkII.

Here is a link to a really good review of the Canon 50 f1.2 and the others as well.
Canon EF 50mm f/1.2 L USM Lens Review
I would spend some time on this site reading about the lenses, there are good comparisons and sample shots from all of them. Also great explanations of imager size and how the different lenses handle out of focus blur, this is where a more expensive lens really stands out.

You have to decide yourself what is most important to you, in lenses. There are many choices.

I personally have a 5DmkII and a 7D, as well as a couple EXcams and a few older cams as well. I really like both the 5DmkII and the 7D. I use them both for video and stills. I use the 5 for wide shots and the 7 when I need more telephoto.

These are the lenses I use for the Canons.

17-40 f4 L a really good wide especially for the 5DmkII and one of the best bargain L's, OK it is not so fast but it works very well for me.

24-70 f2.8 L, this is my most important video lens for the Canons. If I could only buy 1 lens for video this is it. I would then add a fast 50 and then a wider angle.

50mm f1.4, I would prefer the 1.2, but this is a very good lens, my compromise.

70-200 f2.8 L IS, I love this lens as well for video and it is my favorite portrait lens.

100mm f2.8 macro, a great for close work, really close that is.

100-400 f4-5.6 L, great for wild life remember it becomes a 160 to 640mm lens in the 7D (some people will argue my choice of language here, but the field of view is equivalent to a full frame 640 with a little more depth of field).

I also have the 2X tele extender
I also have some older Canon glass, and I had a Nikon 1.4 I gave away when the 5DmkII got full manual control, about a year ago.

I have been shooting with Canons since the 60's. I still have a few film bodies. Getting into DSLRs is just the beginning of a glass collection obsession for most people. I think I have about 20 lenses just kicking around.

But above I give you an idea of what I use for video. I hope this helps. And don't sweat the first few lenses to much. You have to figure out how you shoot and what is important to your style, and bank account.

Dear Olof,

Hey, thanks again for all of this very valuable input. My budget is about 3k. So, I believe I am going to go with the 7D body, the 50mm f/1.4 and the 70-200mm f/4L... (what do you think?)

Then, later on this or next year, I might grab the 85mm f/1.8 and either the 24mm f/1.4L II or the 35mm f/1.4L...

I believe that will start me good with film and portraits :)

But hey thank you for all of this information that was crucial for me to make a decision.

You have a fantastic weekend!!

[Ben Tolosa]

Originally Posted by Dylan Couper

I own both a 50mm f1.4 and a 50mm f1.2
The f1.2 is NOT worth the extra money to all but a very small niche. Get the 1.4 and use the leftover money for a fast 35mm and/or 28mm lens, both of which will be very important to your filmmaking, along with an 85mm f1.8

Dylan,

Hey thanks very much for sharing your experience with me and with us. I get your point and I am getting the 50mm f/1.4 and the 70-200mm f/4L IS...

The 85mm f/1.8, the 24mm f/1.4L II and the 35mm f/1.4L will most likely be my future investment.

Really thanks very much for your input, which was a big influence on my decision on taking the 1.4

Have a great weekend Dylan :)

[Ben Tolosa]

Originally Posted by Manus Sweeney

Maybe you should consider a 35mm? I find its the most useful and aesthetic everyday focal length for the 7d, (closest to the focal length of the human eye?).. much prefer it to a 24, 28 or 30mm.. but just my preference!

My new favourite lens is the MIR 24N 35mm f2, lovely sharp and bright colours with a 270 degree focus throw thats smoother than anything else i've used.

Hi Manus,

Definetely will considerate for the near future (need to start saving again). I am about to get the 50mm f/1.4 and the 70-200mm f/4L IS...

I appreciate your suggestion and have a wonderful weekend as well!!

[Steve Wolla]

Originally Posted by Ben Tolosa

Hi Liam,

Yes, it does help. I was thinking about the 70-200mm but not sure if IS or not IS. Doubles the price...

Thanks very much!!

Ben,
Get the 70-200 f2.8L IS USM....that's the way to go. The IS really does help, IMHO. Its a great lens in every way.

[Ben Tolosa]

Originally Posted by Steve Wolla

Ben,
Get the 70-200 f2.8L IS USM....that's the way to go. The IS really does help, IMHO. Its a great lens in every way.

Hi Steve,

Yes, that is the one I want actually. But, it is 650+ more than the f/4L IS ...

I've got this video from another thread in this forums:

IS Or Not on Vimeo

That video convinced me very clearly of the IS need. Specially on my case...

Is there is a considerable difference between the f/4L IS and the f/2.8L IS?


Thanks for the suggestion Steve!!

[Jon Braeley]

The f/2.8L IS is seriously heavy - the f4L is half the weight but you give up a lot of speed difference.

It depends on what you shoot. I just shot an interview on the f4 in a fairly dimly lit wooded scene and I was at 5.6 and the ISO 320 and I just made it - but it is pin sharp!
For most daylight stuff its perfect.
If you do hand-held work the 2.8 will tire you out fast.

[Olof Ekbergh]

Originally Posted by Ben Tolosa

Dear Olof,

Hey, thanks again for all of this very valuable input. My budget is about 3k. So, I believe I am going to go with the 7D body, the 50mm f/1.4 and the 70-200mm f/4L... (what do you think?)

Then, later on this or next year, I might grab the 85mm f/1.8 and either the 24mm f/1.4L II or the 35mm f/1.4L...

I believe that will start me good with film and portraits :)

But hey thank you for all of this information that was crucial for me to make a decision.

You have a fantastic weekend!!

That sounds like a good start. The 50 is really a good deal and so is the 70-200 f4 IS. The 70-200 is also a lot lighter than the f2.8 version. And the IS is justas good on the slower lens.

A wide angle will fill out that collection nicely when your pocket allows for it.

Just remember to think about how you are going to get really good audio. You may not need it right away, but you will at some point. I have the Microtrack II and it is pretty good, the zoom is very popular as well.

Good luck, if you ever get over to the Mt. Washington Valley, North Conway area. Give me a call and visit my studio, and you can try out my lenses and shoulder rig with follow focus etc. ( I am testing several prototypes), and maybe have lunch or whatever. Info and #'s on my website.

[Ben Tolosa]

Originally Posted by Jon Braeley

The f/2.8L IS is seriously heavy - the f4L is half the weight but you give up a lot of speed difference.

It depends on what you shoot. I just shot an interview on the f4 in a fairly dimly lit wooded scene and I was at 5.6 and the ISO 320 and I just made it - but it is pin sharp!
For most daylight stuff its perfect.
If you do hand-held work the 2.8 will tire you out fast.

Thanks very much Jon, last night I bought the f/4L IS finally...

Thanks, your post also helped me decide...

[Ben Tolosa]

Originally Posted by Olof Ekbergh

That sounds like a good start. The 50 is really a good deal and so is the 70-200 f4 IS. The 70-200 is also a lot lighter than the f2.8 version. And the IS is justas good on the slower lens.

A wide angle will fill out that collection nicely when your pocket allows for it.

Just remember to think about how you are going to get really good audio. You may not need it right away, but you will at some point. I have the Microtrack II and it is pretty good, the zoom is very popular as well.

Good luck, if you ever get over to the Mt. Washington Valley, North Conway area. Give me a call and visit my studio, and you can try out my lenses and shoulder rig with follow focus etc. ( I am testing several prototypes), and maybe have lunch or whatever. Info and #'s on my website.

Hey, well thank you very much for the invitation!

I will someday ride to Mt. Washington, hopefully on my Harley. I will definitely let you know and will love to check out your studio. I checked your website and it shows lots of love :)


Last night I bought the 7D, the 50mm f/1.8 and the 70-200mm f/4 IS. My next step (when I have money again, maybe couple of months or next year) I will get the sound equipment. Just need to decide which shotgun mic. Anything cheaper than the 416 but better than the AT875...

Read you soon and I might meet you someday :)

Kind Regards and thanks very much for all the advice!