is £179 a good price for sony 50mm f1.4

[SunnySony]

Hello,

My first post!

I purchased a Sony A65 with an 18-55mm over Christmas and am looking for my first quality prime.

I have noticed that there is a Sony 50mm f1.4 lens for £179.99 on ebay. Is this a good price or should I try and hold out for something cheaper.

Thanks for your help.

Sophia

 

[TrojMacReady]

Hello,

My first post!

I purchased a Sony A65 with an 18-55mm over Christmas and am looking for my first quality prime.

I have noticed that there is a Sony 50mm f1.4 lens for £179.99 on ebay. Is this a good price or should I try and hold out for something cheaper.

Thanks for your help.

Sophia

Great price, go for it!

If I didn't already own one....

 

[SunnySony]

Thank you! How useful do you find f1.4? I want to build an f1.4 collection but think I may be setting my sights to high given the general prices!

 

[TrojMacReady]

Thank you! How useful do you find f1.4? I want to build an f1.4 collection but think I may be setting my sights to high given the general prices!

Most lenses appear soft at F1.4, especially when pixelpeeping as sensor resolutions go up.

And of all the F1.4 Sony lenses in the line up, the 50mm isn't the sharpest wide open.

But all the above being said, it's still very usable around the center at F1.4, which is for example great for close up portraits, especially in low light. It's also a bit improved over the Minolta 50mm F1.4 (on which it's based) when used at the largest apertures.

Here are a two examples wide open:

 

[SunnySony]

Thank you amazing pictures --- really amazing.

Was there a Minolta 1.4 or was it just a 1.7? I think it may be 1.7.

I have to say I have been really excited about making the move from canon to Sony.... my canon camera's just seemed like dinosaurs compared to the sony!

 

[TrojMacReady]

Thank you amazing pictures --- really amazing.

Thanks!

Was there a Minolta 1.4 or was it just a 1.7? I think it may be 1.7.

They both exist. The F1.7 has a smaller filter thread (49mm if I remember correctly), where as the Minolta and Sony both have a 55mm thread and share the same mechanical layout.

I have to say I have been really excited about making the move from canon to Sony.... my canon camera's just seemed like dinosaurs compared to the sony!

 

[TrojMacReady]

Thank you amazing pictures --- really amazing.

Thanks!

Was there a Minolta 1.4 or was it just a 1.7? I think it may be 1.7.

They both exist. The F1.7 has a smaller filter thread (49mm if I remember correctly), where as the Minolta and Sony F1.4's both have a 55mm thread and share the same mechanical layout.

I have to say I have been really excited about making the move from canon to Sony.... my canon camera's just seemed like dinosaurs compared to the sony!

 

[SunnySony]

Thanks, thanks - triple thanks.

There seems to be 3 at the moment so I will have a sleep on it. Seems like a dead cert though really... The sleepless nights will come when saving up for the 24mm ;-)

 

[Peter McNeill]

You also might wish to consider the Sony 85mm f2.8. May not be 1.4 but for it's price it is a gem. Unless you want a macro in that range which in that case the Tamron 90mm or Sigma 105mm macros are hard to beat price wise.
--

 

[payo36]

It costs 122 pound in Sony Style shop in Thailand.
Confirm that it's a good lens.

 

[Ed at Ridersite]

At 50mm, you really have five choices:

Sony 50mm f1.8 SAM
Sony 50mm f1.4
Minolta 50mm f1.4
Minolta 50mm f1.7
Sigma f1.4

All are pretty nice lenses. I don't know much about the Sony 50mm f1.8, but the f1.4 lenses provide better bokeh than the f1.7. But, the f1.7 is the real bargain @ less than $100 US. You can read reviews here starting with the 3rd lens down:

http://www.dyxum.com/lenses/results.asp?IDLensType=1&offset=40

I have a Minolta 50mm f1.4 and use it a lot - great lens for candids on APS-C.
--
AEH
http://aehass.zenfolio.com/
Question: What do you do all week?
Answer: Mon to Fri. Nothing, Sat & Sun I rest!

 

[alchall]

Are you sure that's not for the f1.8 version? I know stuff is expensive in the UK but the f1.4 retails for more than double that over here new....

 

[alchall]

At almost 1/2 the new price then it's a bargain (assuming there's nothing seriously wrong with it of course!).

If you want it, can afford it and the sellers credentials are good then I would go for it if I were you....

 

[OzK]

Good proce.

 

[Corkcampbell]

it is not good for video - too much focus noise. The 35mm 1.8 and 85mm 2.8 (recommended by another poster) are somewhat quieter, and also smaller and lighter. I have all three, and like them; the 85mm and 50mm are both good for portraits.

A suggestion: You may want to get a Minolta 50mm 1.7 (usually quite cheap on eBay), and then spend the money you saved on the 85 2.8, or 35mm. I have one of the Minoltas and it's wonderful, not that much slower than the 50mm 1.4 and a fraction of the cost. Good colors. If I had known that the new 85mm and 35mm lenses were coming out I probably wouldn't have bought the 50mm 1.4 (since I had the Minolta), which was more expensive at that time than it is now.

 

[SunnySony]

Thanks for this.

I purchased from the seller in person who was relatively local he reduced to £170 which made it even more of a bargain (something about saving fees!) I think I'll be focusing on getting a Zeiss 24mm next!

Thanks to everybody for their help!

Sophia