I love it when people champion this lens. Can’t put my finger on it, but there’s just something about the 50mm 1.8 that I really like. Feels cheap, focussing is weird with the little element that pops out the front but somehow it works really well.
Similar experience. Bought it and almost immediately regretted it (no returns at Sony stores here in Korea) because of the noisy, odd front element. Then started walking around and realized its weight and good performance as a lens made up for all that.
I shoot my main talking heads shots at weddings ceremony’s with the 1.8 with focus peaking. It’s a great lens. In fact that 50mm doesn’t come off my B-roll camera all day. ( A7siii ) No couple is ever saying why didn’t you use the the 1.2 🤷🏻♂️
@@stutuckerphotography ah thanks for that. I'm more a photographer and little bit of home videos, so, man, I've got to work on story tell8ng in my videos and photos instead of listing over f1.2 gear. Second thing I found is f1 8 lens are much smaller well for Canon and the best camera and lens combo is the one I have on hand. For family abd street photos, I don't think I'd enjoy carrying a f1.2 lens all thr time and it'll end up staying in. The bag.
Thanks for making this video. I have been in the market for upgrading my Sony 50mm f1.8 recently (as I has the Canon f1.2 for my Canon DSLR and I miss the background rendering). I compared the 50mm f1.8 with the Sony 55mm Zeis, the Sony 50mm f1.4 Zeis, the Samyang 50mm f1.4 all at the same time in the camera shop (I could not justify the 50mm 1.2G) and I settled on the 55mm f1.8 Zeis in the end because of size/weight/cost balance.
I pretty much did the same thing years later and got the Zeiss. But instead of Samyang I compared it to my Sigma 50mm f1.4 ART for Canon DSLR on a MC-11 adapter.
I love this comparison, not even a Sony shooter. Keeps it real and I should focus on my story telling more than watching videos and lusting over f1.2 lens
No noticeable difference between the two lenses. I have the 55mm f/1.8 and still love that little thing. It does everything I ask it to do and is super sharp. That new 16-35 power zoom sure looks interesting. If you do a review of it, would you mind putting it on a gimbal that has the zoom capability? I think that might be a game changer for some. Love your videos mate!
Should be getting one for review in a few weeks. 100% I’ll be putting it on a gimbal and to work for some real estate jobs. Expect a decent review with plenty of real world use 👌🏻👌🏻👌🏻
@@chrisbrockhurst I used the 16-35 power zoom on a gimbal (helping out Gordon Laing at Cameralabs a few weeks ago) and the Zhiyun Crane M3 just about balanced with it on an A7iv. It was pretty much the max capacity for it though.
@@chrisbrockhurst I didn't notice anything jarring Chris because I was too wrapped up in your narrative. I thought it was a clever and original way to do a 'side by side' comparison of the two lenses. You continue to flex your creative muscle!
Yeah. Within the flow of storytelling I can’t say most if any viewers would really notice. Video is definitely more forgiving too. No time to peep pixels at 24 frames a second. Very creative way to prove the point.
Great video! I did a video for a class I was taking where I compared the 50mm F1.8 to a CCTV C-Mount 50mm F1.4, and optically the CCTV lens actually performed better for video. Manual focus only, but if you're making a talking head style video, it really doesn't matter. Just goes to show that you can still get great performance with a budget lens ($35!) if you're willing to make certain compromises. Are the more expensive better lenses? Of course they are. But if you evaluate your needs for the shot you want, and can accomplish your task with an option that doesn't break the bank, why wouldn't you do that? Ever since I made that video, that CCTV lens has had a permanent home in my camera bag.
Chris, you are working the heck out of that 50f1.8 lens! Definitely value for money! Like others I have the 55 f1.8 and am pleased with what I get from that but sometimes I think I should get a 50 ....or a 40mm - never too many lenses, ha,ha!
Good video, I was seduced by the 50mm f1.2 but shooting it side by side with 50mm f2.5, in many situations I didn't see an appreciable difference. Yes in closer work, the background blur was more noticeable (obviously) on the f1.2. But an interesting thing that came up for me, when shooting a couple, the woman wanted more of clothing in focus to 'see' the detail in the dress she wearing. So stopping down, differences became significantly less and weight and cost difference was massive. So I sold my f1.2. Your mileage may vary.
F1.2 is more useful if you are zoom lenses lover XD don't worry that much of no variable fl length change when you have so low aperture which is versatile on its own
Well i have gm 1.2 but I used a lot of years the zeiss 55 1.8 and I think its the best 1.8 the only downside minimal focus distance but its sharp , light and great af , the 1.2 its almost the best in everything but heavy haha
For me, the difference between those two lenses is huge for stills. It makes a big difference for the look of a portrait when only the eyes are in focus and the nose and ears are already blurry. Also the background is less disturbing.
IMO 50mm 1.2 is a character lens. You buy it to shoot 1.2 and mostly to shoot portraits with a shallow depth of field. Question is, do you really need a portrait lens to be that sharp? There are much cheaper 50mm 1.2 options, such as Canon EF 50mm 1.2, that works well through adapter on Sony, as well as older manual lenses (I own Canon FD 50mm 1.2). They'll give the same shallow depth of field for much less money. Surely not as sharp as Sony, and loaded with optical imperfections, but again, how sharp a portrait lens really needs to be.
I think just before the epidemic cta it changed. But clarity on RU-vid no difference but amount of light or camera settings might have been different. One looked more washed out than the other. But loved the skit. I have the 50mm 1.8
Do you think the 50 1.8 mark ii will come out anytime soon? It's quite an old lens so while I would love to pick it up, I feel like the second I do, the mark ii will get released potentially with a motor update and maybe weather sealing to line it up with other nifty 50s.
I skipped to the honest review, went back to the unboxing bit, and I noticed that there were bits that were more magenta than the other. That's about it though
Thank you for the review. I just bought the Sony - FE 50mm F1.8. This will be a good tester for me and determine if I will get the more expensive one later down the line. Seems like a good lens regardless if the Sony - FE 50mm F1.8 is a cropped sensor.
Fabulous clever storytelling intro, Chris! Way to keep us engaged and make your point. (And no clue on the two lenses thing). Oh, and the review is great, too. Going with the 50 1.8 and using the savings to buy 49 lattes at Starbucks.
The real 50 1.2 killer now is the Samyang 50 1.4 II :). The 50 1.8 is kinda the worst 50mm for E mount out there. Samyang 45 1.8 is much better and not that much more expensive..
@@chrisbrockhurst I think if you are into the 50mm as a focal length you will like them both :). The 45 1.8 is a great cheap option and also small and lightweight. And the 50 1.4 II is a very capable tool too. I ended up keeping it after I reviewed it.
@@mnkwazi yep, it is a budget lens. But the compromises are the right ones for me. It has softness in the corners when you shoot close ups and the build quality feels a little cheaper but it is crazy lightweight because of the plastic build and has no focus breathing so for me it is a great all rounder.
I wish you would have fix the white balance (prior or in post edit) first so that I can see the true difference because everybody fixes the white balance.
@@chrisbrockhurst I'm not going to watch this again, but I've used it (years ago). The MTF chart plus testing done by DXO and Lense Rentals shows it's performance flaws. At that price, it's a great hobby lens, but in my honest opinion, there's no comparison versus the 1.2 GM. Maybe you have the best copy ever made or maybe it's improved since I had used it. I enjoy your videos. Thanks!
@@Waresy23 but in a real world situation can the difference be spotted? Charts are one thing but in actually most new lenses, you can't REALLY tell the difference in image quality/colors alone. Especially after color grading/editing in post it's ALMOST impossible besides the possibility for a different DOF. I have owned both the 1.8 & the 1.2 GM. I can honestly say I can't tell the difference and im looking to sell my GM now because it just wasn't worth it for me as I only use my 50mm for portraits and stills.
@@Adrianinhd When I first switched to the Sony system, I picked up this lens and the 85mm. With sharpness, It was night and day between this and the 85mm. I could definitely tell the difference, especially when editing. It also struggled to find focus in low light situations. Search for this lens on RU-vid and you'll hear the same from most users. Just my experience. I couldn't use it. I waited 4 years for the 1.2 GM which felt like a lifetime, but it was worth it.
@@Waresy23 For me sharpness was better for sure but it wasn't nearly $2000 better. Most of my misses were my fault with the 1.8 because i honestly just was shaky cause i usually held heavier lenses when i used DSLR's idk. Most modern lenses to me are technically very similar and the difference is in their character not their ability. I rarely ever had any misses on my 50 1.8 after choosing a different focus area on my A7iii in 2019. But to each their own!
Absolutely hate the 50mm 1.8, for video at least. Ridiculously noisy, forever hunting and changing its mind. In MF maybe it’s as good as an old bottle stuck in front of the camera. But in terms of AF it’s like a grumpy old dog, moodily grinding its teeth.
@@AlexPaikadailovephotography Tried first with A7iii and gave up. Recently switched to A7s iii and dug out the lens, hoping it was just a bad combination but the performance is still terrible. I can’t understand the good reviews. Maybe I got a particularly bad one but every second user complains of the noise and ‘hunting’ so it’s far from a rare issue.
@@PoetryFilms Have you treid to update software on that lens? As far as I know, there was an update some time ago that brought new life into AF on this lens.
