33 1.4 for family pics indoors but....

Superscroll wrote:

Forgive my ignorance on this but I could use some advice. I have the 35F2 and very much like the focal length. Recently bought the 33 1.4 thinking i'd have less missed shots indoors with marginal lighting. Seems like with the 35f2 i get some crazy sharp stuff but also miss a focus a lot with people shots.

Well what i'm finding with the 33 1.4 is 1.4 is a great way to get a nose or glasses in focus while keeping hair, ears, chin, etc out of focus. Or with multiple people not quite the same distance away i get 3 of 4 people in focus and one out of focus. So then i push back to 2.0, 2.8, etc. At that point am i really getting any benefit from the more expensive lens? I tried some comparison portrait shots this morning in marginal light and damned if the 35f2 at 2.8 isn't every bit as sharp as the 33 if not more so. Caveat on that is i'm not looking at corners. The 33 stopped down is wicked sharp with good light outdoors and i do love landscapes (my fav really) but I bought the lens to help my indoor family shots game.

I will admit some frustration with focus on people shots using the Fuji and particularly the 35 and now 33. I guess it's fair to say i'm just not as successful with these lenses as i am my favorite lens, the 50-140. When i break out the big beast i know i'm gonna get some good shots regardless of situation. With these other two it's more of a hope.

So am i asking too much of the camera? What am i not understanding here?

To be brief, the wider maximum aperture of the 33 f1.4 allows you to shoot in lower light, and wide-open will give a shallower depth of field compared with the 35 f2. The latter has the advantage of compactness and light weight. The 33 has linear motors and focuses faster. There are potential benefits, even when using it stopped down to f2 or smaller, which will be necessary depending on the subject, distance and desired DoF. Whether it is money well spent will depend on your needs and style of photography. I have both, but I haven’t done comparative tests and am unlikely to do so. Over time I’ll have to decide whether I need them both. I do like using the 33 and the nice bokeh it gives.

For family groups indoors a wider angle view would normally be easier to manage, also with increased DoF at same aperture.

I cannot explain why you might be getter a better hit rate with the 50-140 than with either of the primes. Also a great lens but so different, and there may be many factors at play here. BTW which camera body are you using?