Reviews of the 35/1.8 Macro RF?

gimp_dad wrote:

J A C S wrote:

gimp_dad wrote:

J A C S wrote:

gimp_dad wrote:

1. the user review looks like it was taken using EFCS which can affect bokeh quality (see the chopped off bokeh balls),

He says that this was not the case on p.2. Also, EFCS creates a very different effect of gradually dimmed bokeh balls in the direction of movement of the shutter. What we see here is the effect of mechanical vignetting.

With all this talk about the benefits of the new mount and this lens used as a poster child vs. the 35/2 IS, it is interesting to see that this lens preforms more of less the same as the latter with a better IS maybe.

Ok. Didn't see that. Thanks for the clarification.

That said, I never expected this to be a 35/1.4LII replacement. I am happy with the incremental benefits over the 35/2IS and will use it similarly for non-critical uses where size and weight are the priority.

BTW, can you confirm the improved IS? I was never able to get good shots with my 16-35/4 IS at, say 1/8 sec. or so and Bryan at TDP says that he can get to 1 sec.?

I haven't run any comparison tests but can feel a major difference between most of my Canon lenses and the three newer ones I own with "5-stop" IS: the RF35/1.8IS, RF24-105/4LIS and EF70-200/4LII. These all have this substantially more solid feel when the IS kicks in. I don't get the same feel from my new 85/1.4LIS but I'm not bothered by that since I only use it for people and would't go below 1/60 (or preferably 1/100) for people anyway.

One of the reasons I'm not being more definitive than that is that I have had a pretty big drop off in hand steadiness which has progressed over the last two years. I'm not that old (mid fifties) but years of using computers all day has finally caused me to pay a toll in steadiness (especially my right hand). Also, my steadiness is not super consistent. Sometimes I am almost as good as I used to be and sometimes I feel like 5-stops of IS gets me about 1 stop better than the 1/FL rule (meaning I'd probably need 1/(FL * 3) or so without IS).

So overall, I feel that the RF35/1.8IS has much better IS than my EF35/2IS but I think I had shots a couple of years ago with my 35/2IS around 1/6s that I couldn't do now. And, I have also achieved in that range or even better (like 1/4s) with my 16-35/4LIS at 16mm but using the best of 5 attempts. Again this was 2 or 3 years ago.

Honestly, I feel like the RF35/1.8IS is a jack of all trades but master of none. I don't expect to use it very often but it will take over the role that was previously reserved for my RX1R2 (i.e. the minimum weight while still bringing a FF camera). For that role, I think it will be just fine. Photographing things (buildings, landmarks, etc.) usually makes me want IS and not need a super wide aperture, but the penalty for that F1.8 is not high so it can offer me the opportunity to take a street shot in a pinch.

Here's my attempt.  Not quite perfect at 0.4s but much better than I could do with the 35/2IS even in my steadier days.

Focus was on the "r" in Birds. Handheld while seated but arms not supported, by a relatively unsteady person (me).

Only thing I did in DPP4 was crop out superfluous parts of the frame.