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58mm f/1.4G bokeh = HEAVEN

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MichaelK81

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Just had to share this shot from a family session earlier last week. If this doesn't convince you that the 58mm f/1.4G is worlds apart from the 50mm f/1.4G as far as bokeh quality goes, nothing will!





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MICHAEL KORMOS PHOTOGRAPHY™, New York
Fresh & Modern Family Photography
www.michaelkormos.com

Michael Kormos Photography

Specializing in Maternity, Newborn, Baby and Family Photography in NYC.
www.michaelkormos.com
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Nice shot.

The 58mm bokeh is beautiful. I love it. That said, I think the 50mm 1.4 is garbage :)
 
Nice 58G shot - soft, dreamy, beautiful bokeh. I get it.

My question would be doesn't the older Sigma 50/1.4 (not the Art version) have the almost the same qualities and be able to produce shots like this at a third the price.
 
I agree - to my eye (I did a lot of comparison research) they do share many aspects of rendering. There are definitely key differences in coma control and flare resistance, and people have to decide for themselves if those attributes are worth the extra money. I should add that I've never owned the 58 1.4G, only looked at hundreds of samples and compared to output of the Sigma 50 1.4EX.
 
sfnikon said:
Nice 58G shot - soft, dreamy, beautiful bokeh. I get it.

My question would be doesn't the older Sigma 50/1.4 (not the Art version) have the almost the same qualities and be able to produce shots like this at a third the price.

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Jake
Click to expand...
A bit overused term it might be but I think this is a myth. Looking at many samples from this lens at some point I never got what makes some people see similarities between the old Sigma and the 58G for bokeh, or for that matter, between the old and the new 50A. The myth seems to have gathered pace after the old Sigma was discounted. It was discussed here before and even these quick examples are illustrative.

Compared to the new 50A there is also a prevailing difference between the two that jumps out of the nearly every comparison and is nicely demonstrated here when you scroll down to the bottom comparison.

I better add that I acknowledge that OOF rendering is quite subjective when it comes to its kind or instance but that’s beside the point.

= HEAVEN is also a myth. It has its qualities.

But a heavenly shot OP!

--
Hynek



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Sunwaysite

SunwaySite - Natural Landscape and Nature Photography
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MichaelK81 said:
Just had to share this shot from a family session earlier last week. If this doesn't convince you that the 58mm f/1.4G is worlds apart from the 50mm f/1.4G as far as bokeh quality goes, nothing will!

2640709323fe4014ae65004b3ae040f7.jpg

-
MICHAEL KORMOS PHOTOGRAPHY™, New York
Fresh & Modern Family Photography
http://www.michaelkormos.com
----------------------
2014 Workshops Announced!
http://www.michaelkormos.com/_workshops
Click to expand...
Michael... forget this lens, its just not good enough.

Don't you know that it doesn't even make DxOMark's "best" lens list, or that it was savaged in a Lens Tip review, etc?

Just because it produces hypnotic images that your clients adore is no excuse. That will only get you more business and more money... and prevent you from using the 'sharpest" lens available for each use case. As a pro, you should know the MTF rating and P-MPx scores off by heart! Come on man, I can't even count the eyebrows in that shot! :-O

Seriously, a beautiful rendering that will make the parents swoon, I'm sure. There is absolutely no other lens like it and this shot is yet another example of the ART of photography. Very nicely crafted. :-)
 
Rendering is beautiful, like alway with this lens. But I would sharpen the eyes a bit. They are too soft on a ipad and can also get much softer on a print making the rendering forgotten by a father caring more about the subject than the rendering.
 
Seriously, take a peek at this 100% crop. They're just a different kind of sharp (not the focus test-chart sharp).

Keep in mind kids are moving subjects (and that the camera is hand-held), so getting that spot-on focus at f/1.4 isn't always easy. Heck, I can see my wife and I in the eyes of this little girl. I'd say that's sharp enough :-)



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-
MICHAEL KORMOS PHOTOGRAPHY™, New York
Fresh & Modern Family Photography
www.michaelkormos.com

Michael Kormos Photography

Specializing in Maternity, Newborn, Baby and Family Photography in NYC.
www.michaelkormos.com
----------------------
2014 Workshops Announced!

Loading…

www.michaelkormos.com
 
I don't know how Nikon does it, but you can point this puppy right into the setting sun, and the lens flare it produces is soft, subtle, and unobtrusive. The 50 1.4, well, that's another story. And I shoot a lot of backlit sunset portraits!

-
MICHAEL KORMOS PHOTOGRAPHY™, New York
Fresh & Modern Family Photography
www.michaelkormos.com

Michael Kormos Photography

Specializing in Maternity, Newborn, Baby and Family Photography in NYC.
www.michaelkormos.com
----------------------
2014 Workshops Announced!

Loading…

www.michaelkormos.com
 
You almost had me there, had it not been for the smileys :-)

-
MICHAEL KORMOS PHOTOGRAPHY™, New York
Fresh & Modern Family Photography
www.michaelkormos.com

Michael Kormos Photography

Specializing in Maternity, Newborn, Baby and Family Photography in NYC.
www.michaelkormos.com
----------------------
2014 Workshops Announced!

Loading…

www.michaelkormos.com
 
Shallow depth of field is an artistic choice and I get that some love it and some don't. For me, this shot has too shallow dof. I find myself looking at the child's body, arms, ears and just feeling distracted by how out of focus 90% of the shot is. Just a personal preference and I don't doubt a client would pay for it.
 
Nice post Hynek... although I disagree with you on the 58 and old Sigma 50. Have you looked at hundreds of samples, not just a couple posted on this forum? I have. If you did that, the similarities would very quickly become obvious. But as I recall we've disagreed on this previously, so I doubt anything is going to convince you. Still no matter, the similarities are there for those who will look for them and makes the old Sigma 50 a true gem now.
 
Yes it’s a lens held in high regard for a reason. I have no problem to see it as a gem, absolutely not. We all have some. It’s particularly nice (bokeh) in and around the broad centre of the image and that can play nicely with the other parts for the whole result. And as you say we don’t have to agree on everything completely, not to mention losing respect for each other because of that or things like this..



--
Hynek



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Sunwaysite

SunwaySite - Natural Landscape and Nature Photography
www.sunwaysite.com www.sunwaysite.com
 
I am considering this lens but quite tempted by the Voigtlander 58mm 1.4 which looks similar for 1/3 of the price.
 
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