SEL50F18 Test at DVinfo.net

Lee Berger · January 4th, 2013, 03:12 PM

I received my Genus Variable ND filter today so I decided to a couple of tests. I bought my 50 mostly as in interview camera and I wanted to see how well the 50mm f1.8 lens would do outdoors and indoors. Unfortunately there is no one else around the office today so I had to use the only human subject available...myself. I'm closer to the camera in the indoor test, so it's not an apples to apples test. Gain is 0db, aperture is f1.8 in both situations. Shutter is 1/30 outdoor and 1/60 indoors. No variable ND indoors. Also I did not do any lighting indoors. I would probably frame somewhere in between for an actual interview. You can see a little moire in the upper frame on my glasses, but l I'm pleased with the look overall. I have an actual indoor interview to shoot next Tuesday and I'll post some video from that.

Chris Harding · January 5th, 2013, 11:13 PM

Hi Lee

Nice pinsharp images indeed!! The SEL50F18 also autofocuses too from the camera am I right??

I think that might be a nice lens for wedding receptions. I would really go for a 35mm F1.4 but they are way too expensive compared to the 50mm.

Look forward to your video results ...What PP are you going to shoot that at ...just the default??

Chris

Lee Berger · January 7th, 2013, 10:18 AM

Hi Chris:
The SEL50F18 does autofocus with face detection. Takes a few seconds for it to focus. I used PP4.

Noa Put · January 7th, 2013, 11:22 AM

looks great, looking forward to seeing some real life interviews if you are able to post that. Thx for sharing.

Lee Berger · January 16th, 2013, 08:57 AM

Here is a Teleprompter read I filmed for the local Community College's Foundation.

I used the Sony 50mm f1.8 prime. It's a no-budget project so I had to run camera and prompter. I got behind in the setup and this caused three errors: 1) I neglected to white balance, 2) I didn't fine tune the aperture (underexposed by 1.5 stops or so), and 3) I didn't notice that the speaker had some blemishes on his face that would not have been as noticeable if I backed off a bit.
I fixed the first two with color correction and the last using Patrick Sheffield's Makeup Artist plugin for FCP, Premiere, and AE. This got rid of the blemishes, but softened his face a bit. You'll notice how sharp his tie and lapel pin are. That because the filter only masks his face. I still think it looks quite reasonable and shows how well the 50 can work in this situation. Most of the B-roll was shot with a Z7U and a few with the Panny AG170.

Chris Harding · January 16th, 2013, 05:03 PM

Hi Lee

That looks good but yes you can see where the face has gone soft where you made the corrections..it was either leave the blemish and keep it razor sharp or soften the image... Just for interest do you not use makeup on interviewees ever?? A tiny amount of neutral face powder might have concealed the blemish a bit more. I tend to also come in a bit too tight so I like your camera position but you are probably right and should have backed off just a little.

I'm starting to use focus peaking a lot now as these 50's have a tiny DOF ..I prefer the yellow peak but still not sure whether to keep the level medium or high ...it does however tell you instantly if you might be focussing in front or behind the subject.

My SEL50 arrived yesterday ..I'll give it a whirl at either my Saturday or Sunday wedding

Chris

Lee Berger · January 16th, 2013, 05:14 PM

Hi Chris:
I do use makeup sometimes. If the budget is big enough I hire a makeup artist. If not I do my best. Unfortunately I didn't notice the blemishes (and there were many) until I got back to my office and looked at the raw footage. That's what comes from being a one-man-band. Usually I run the camera, have a prompter operator, and sometimes a sound engineer. Next time I'll budget more setup time and have someone else operate the prompter.

I have a V1U that has the same colored peaking options. I prefer the red that shows up in bright situations.

As I've noted in other posts, the SEL50 is a terrific value. I hope you enjoy it as well.

Thanks for your feedback.

Chris Harding · January 17th, 2013, 08:08 AM

Hi Lee

I just played around the yard today with my new 50mm lens and I can really see a big use for the shallow DOF during bridal preparation at weddings. Plus of course having a nice fast lens will be great at low light receptions too.

If I can get this sort of shot while the bride is having her makeup done it will add a lot of impact to her video. I did find that I had to switch the focus now and again to manual so my focal point was exactly where I wanted it..the AF tends to focus just behind the object rather in front of it..but I'm still suitably impressed...Don Bloom will love this lens for weddings too!!

Chris

Noa Put · January 17th, 2013, 08:18 AM

With a fast lens like the 50 f1.8 you should never let the camera handle the focus because you can be sure you will get a lot of out of focus footage if the lens is wide open. This lens is actually a good reason to learn start to use the manual focus constantly :)

Chris Harding · January 17th, 2013, 08:30 AM

Thanks Noa

I found that out very quickly after the first shot indoors so the camera focus switch went to manual...I'm pretty much used to that anyway as my film camera days had nothing called "auto" anyway apart from a built-in light meter!! The old lenses were also neat as the DOF was incribed on the lens too!!

Chris

Lee Berger · January 17th, 2013, 08:56 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Chris Harding

The old lenses were also neat as the DOF was incribed on the lens too!!
Chris

Yeah on a lens like this where the only control is a servo focus you don't get any inscriptions on the lens. For Iphone there are several DOF calculators including one for free called Simple DOF. Not as convenient as looking at the lens.

Don Bloom · January 17th, 2013, 09:59 AM

This lens is on my list to order as soon as I get back. I have "heard" the real sweet spot of this lens is around f/4 to 5.6! If that's the case, the DoF should be enough to cover.

Chris Harding · January 17th, 2013, 07:04 PM

Hi Don

I can definately see the lens being used extensively with the girls getting ready!! At the ceremony as a B-cam not that much as I tend to shoot guest cutaways in twos or threes so I might need more DOF to make sure they are all in focus.

I also shoot the bride a video guestbook with short interviews and congratulations but I'm thinking maybe my camera to subject distance might just be a little to far away to get decent audio from the shotgun on the mic..the clips are quick and easy so I don't want the hassle of rigging a lav for 15 seconds of vision per clip ....I might test the 50mm out of the missus later and see if the audio is still OK if I step back a bit..also some people prefer to do these in groups of three for moral support so I do need to go a bit wider..Hmm I can see maybe a Sigma 19mm F2.8 being a better solution than the stock lens.

Almost time to go an relax so have a safe trip!!

Chris

Don Bloom · January 17th, 2013, 07:18 PM

Thanks I'll be off line and off the grid in about 10 minutes. See ya when I get back! Count 10 days from tomorrow!

O|O
\--/

(sailing, sailing over the whatever seas!)

Tom Van den Berghe · January 27th, 2014, 02:04 PM

I have the stocklens and 2 manauel lenses from samyang.

I really miss autofocus for shooting important things. It's so difficult to see on the LCD when I'm in focus or not. Sometimes I think I'm in focus and when I see it on my pc I notice it was a bit out of focus...

The stocklens has autofocus but is too slow in lowlight. This SEL50F18 has a 1.8 fast lens. (and now also available in a black color)
The samyang has a 1.5 lens so in low light the will be about the same I think.

But is this 50mm wide enough to film people in a church?
Is the stocklens not a 63mm lens?

January 4th, 2013, 03:12 PM	#1
Lee Berger Major Player Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: Tallahassee, Florida Posts: 326	SEL50F18 Test I received my Genus Variable ND filter today so I decided to a couple of tests. I bought my 50 mostly as in interview camera and I wanted to see how well the 50mm f1.8 lens would do outdoors and indoors. Unfortunately there is no one else around the office today so I had to use the only human subject available...myself. I'm closer to the camera in the indoor test, so it's not an apples to apples test. Gain is 0db, aperture is f1.8 in both situations. Shutter is 1/30 outdoor and 1/60 indoors. No variable ND indoors. Also I did not do any lighting indoors. I would probably frame somewhere in between for an actual interview. You can see a little moire in the upper frame on my glasses, but l I'm pleased with the look overall. I have an actual indoor interview to shoot next Tuesday and I'll post some video from that. Attached Thumbnails __________________ www.leebergermedia.com

January 5th, 2013, 11:13 PM	#2
Chris Harding Inner Circle Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: Perth, Western Australia Posts: 8,441	Re: SEL50F18 Test Hi Lee Nice pinsharp images indeed!! The SEL50F18 also autofocuses too from the camera am I right?? I think that might be a nice lens for wedding receptions. I would really go for a 35mm F1.4 but they are way too expensive compared to the 50mm. Look forward to your video results ...What PP are you going to shoot that at ...just the default?? Chris

January 7th, 2013, 10:18 AM	#3
Lee Berger Major Player Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: Tallahassee, Florida Posts: 326	Re: SEL50F18 Test Hi Chris: The SEL50F18 does autofocus with face detection. Takes a few seconds for it to focus. I used PP4. __________________ www.leebergermedia.com

January 7th, 2013, 11:22 AM	#4
Noa Put Inner Circle Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Belgium Posts: 9,510	Re: SEL50F18 Test looks great, looking forward to seeing some real life interviews if you are able to post that. Thx for sharing.

January 16th, 2013, 08:57 AM	#5
Lee Berger Major Player Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: Tallahassee, Florida Posts: 326	Re: SEL50F18 Test Here is a Teleprompter read I filmed for the local Community College's Foundation. Update Draft 2 - YouTube I used the Sony 50mm f1.8 prime. It's a no-budget project so I had to run camera and prompter. I got behind in the setup and this caused three errors: 1) I neglected to white balance, 2) I didn't fine tune the aperture (underexposed by 1.5 stops or so), and 3) I didn't notice that the speaker had some blemishes on his face that would not have been as noticeable if I backed off a bit. I fixed the first two with color correction and the last using Patrick Sheffield's Makeup Artist plugin for FCP, Premiere, and AE. This got rid of the blemishes, but softened his face a bit. You'll notice how sharp his tie and lapel pin are. That because the filter only masks his face. I still think it looks quite reasonable and shows how well the 50 can work in this situation. Most of the B-roll was shot with a Z7U and a few with the Panny AG170. __________________ www.leebergermedia.com

January 16th, 2013, 05:03 PM	#6
Chris Harding Inner Circle Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: Perth, Western Australia Posts: 8,441	Re: SEL50F18 Test Hi Lee That looks good but yes you can see where the face has gone soft where you made the corrections..it was either leave the blemish and keep it razor sharp or soften the image... Just for interest do you not use makeup on interviewees ever?? A tiny amount of neutral face powder might have concealed the blemish a bit more. I tend to also come in a bit too tight so I like your camera position but you are probably right and should have backed off just a little. I'm starting to use focus peaking a lot now as these 50's have a tiny DOF ..I prefer the yellow peak but still not sure whether to keep the level medium or high ...it does however tell you instantly if you might be focussing in front or behind the subject. My SEL50 arrived yesterday ..I'll give it a whirl at either my Saturday or Sunday wedding Chris

January 16th, 2013, 05:14 PM	#7
Lee Berger Major Player Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: Tallahassee, Florida Posts: 326	Re: SEL50F18 Test Hi Chris: I do use makeup sometimes. If the budget is big enough I hire a makeup artist. If not I do my best. Unfortunately I didn't notice the blemishes (and there were many) until I got back to my office and looked at the raw footage. That's what comes from being a one-man-band. Usually I run the camera, have a prompter operator, and sometimes a sound engineer. Next time I'll budget more setup time and have someone else operate the prompter. I have a V1U that has the same colored peaking options. I prefer the red that shows up in bright situations. As I've noted in other posts, the SEL50 is a terrific value. I hope you enjoy it as well. Thanks for your feedback. __________________ www.leebergermedia.com

January 17th, 2013, 08:08 AM	#8
Chris Harding Inner Circle Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: Perth, Western Australia Posts: 8,441	Re: SEL50F18 Test Hi Lee I just played around the yard today with my new 50mm lens and I can really see a big use for the shallow DOF during bridal preparation at weddings. Plus of course having a nice fast lens will be great at low light receptions too. If I can get this sort of shot while the bride is having her makeup done it will add a lot of impact to her video. I did find that I had to switch the focus now and again to manual so my focal point was exactly where I wanted it..the AF tends to focus just behind the object rather in front of it..but I'm still suitably impressed...Don Bloom will love this lens for weddings too!! Chris Attached Thumbnails

January 17th, 2013, 08:18 AM	#9
Noa Put Inner Circle Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Belgium Posts: 9,510	Re: SEL50F18 Test With a fast lens like the 50 f1.8 you should never let the camera handle the focus because you can be sure you will get a lot of out of focus footage if the lens is wide open. This lens is actually a good reason to learn start to use the manual focus constantly :)

January 17th, 2013, 08:30 AM	#10
Chris Harding Inner Circle Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: Perth, Western Australia Posts: 8,441	Re: SEL50F18 Test Thanks Noa I found that out very quickly after the first shot indoors so the camera focus switch went to manual...I'm pretty much used to that anyway as my film camera days had nothing called "auto" anyway apart from a built-in light meter!! The old lenses were also neat as the DOF was incribed on the lens too!! Chris

January 17th, 2013, 09:59 AM	#12
Don Bloom Inner Circle Join Date: Jan 2003 Location: Chicago, IL Posts: 6,609	Re: SEL50F18 Test This lens is on my list to order as soon as I get back. I have "heard" the real sweet spot of this lens is around f/4 to 5.6! If that's the case, the DoF should be enough to cover. __________________ What do I know? I'm just a video-O-grafer. Don

January 17th, 2013, 07:04 PM	#13
Chris Harding Inner Circle Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: Perth, Western Australia Posts: 8,441	Re: SEL50F18 Test Hi Don I can definately see the lens being used extensively with the girls getting ready!! At the ceremony as a B-cam not that much as I tend to shoot guest cutaways in twos or threes so I might need more DOF to make sure they are all in focus. I also shoot the bride a video guestbook with short interviews and congratulations but I'm thinking maybe my camera to subject distance might just be a little to far away to get decent audio from the shotgun on the mic..the clips are quick and easy so I don't want the hassle of rigging a lav for 15 seconds of vision per clip ....I might test the 50mm out of the missus later and see if the audio is still OK if I step back a bit..also some people prefer to do these in groups of three for moral support so I do need to go a bit wider..Hmm I can see maybe a Sigma 19mm F2.8 being a better solution than the stock lens. Almost time to go an relax so have a safe trip!! Chris

January 17th, 2013, 07:18 PM	#14
Don Bloom Inner Circle Join Date: Jan 2003 Location: Chicago, IL Posts: 6,609	Re: SEL50F18 Test Thanks I'll be off line and off the grid in about 10 minutes. See ya when I get back! Count 10 days from tomorrow! O\|O \--/ (sailing, sailing over the whatever seas!) __________________ What do I know? I'm just a video-O-grafer. Don

January 27th, 2014, 02:04 PM	#15
Tom Van den Berghe Major Player Join Date: Feb 2010 Location: BELGIUM Posts: 405	Re: SEL50F18 Test I have the stocklens and 2 manauel lenses from samyang. I really miss autofocus for shooting important things. It's so difficult to see on the LCD when I'm in focus or not. Sometimes I think I'm in focus and when I see it on my pc I notice it was a bit out of focus... The stocklens has autofocus but is too slow in lowlight. This SEL50F18 has a 1.8 fast lens. (and now also available in a black color) The samyang has a 1.5 lens so in low light the will be about the same I think. But is this 50mm wide enough to film people in a church? Is the stocklens not a 63mm lens?