Hard to dislike the 32mm f/1.4 lens (PICS)...

Sittatunga wrote:

SusanMcLaury wrote:

Newbie here - I was just about to purchase a Canon EOS M5 from B&H when I decided to come here first and check out the conversations. I have an ancient Canon 30D with some EF and EF-S lenses circa 2006, so I figured that the M5 would be perfect for this Grandma who has not done any photography for over 10 years.

But now I see you talking about a some new M cameras and lenses from Canon later this year. So my guess is that I should hold off on buying the M5 and wait to see what the new versions offer..... And... surely the price on the current M5 will drop....

Yes... I've answered my own question. Thoughts?

Procrastination is the thief of a good time. There will always be a better and cheaper gadget coming along in a year or two. If the M5 or an M50 or even an M500 does what you want at a price you can afford, then go for it and have the use of it now. If the price drops later as the result of a rumoured new model, it's unlikely to be by as much as the cost of renting one for that period. If you save up and wait for a newer M5 you'll end up wondering if it would be cheaper if you waited a bit more for Black Friday or the successor to the M50.

Great words to live by from Sittatunga.  There really is another better/cheaper camera just around the corner. That's always the case.  Life is short and Canon is fairly predictable.  New models of Camera and Lenses are generally more expensive and this will become the trend as Mirrorless expands and sales drop due to the effect of Smartphone Cameras.
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The mention I made is in relation to a reliable rumor source who has shown that two or possibly three new EOS M models were slated for release in the later part of 2019.  Canon may or may not release them this year.  We honestly don't know. It makes sense that we ought to see something this year.
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If you (or anyone) needs a new camera.  Buy one.  Get a deal if there's one to be had but don't lose out on pictures of important events just because you're waiting for prices to drop and new models to come out.  I was told by dealers to hold off buying a particular model of camera for years because they assured me a new model was to be released "within 3 months".  I received that advice for almost 4 years and then gave up waiting.  The pictures I took with that camera that I ended up buying were some of my favorite shots.

dh7 wrote:

Just got a used version of this lens for $300, but haven't picked it up yet. Curious to see if there is anything wrong with it.

That sounds like a great price.  I'm curious myself.  It may be that the owner needed to buy something and felt they could pass on the lens after only owning it a short time.  People often try to sell popular new lenses they've only recently bought because they know these lenses will sell faster.  I'll be curious to see what your thoughts are of the lens.

Thanks for the additional insights on your setup and workflow. Much appreciated.

I’m intrigued that TIFF plays a role for you. How does that work? Do you, perhaps, convert JPEG (from the camera) to TIFF (though that would seem upside down, at least traditionally). If so, why and to what end? Or do you use TIFF as an alternative to PSD? Etc.

Thanks.

Sittatunga wrote:

SusanMcLaury wrote:

Newbie here - I was just about to purchase a Canon EOS M5 from B&H when I decided to come here first and check out the conversations. I have an ancient Canon 30D with some EF and EF-S lenses circa 2006, so I figured that the M5 would be perfect for this Grandma who has not done any photography for over 10 years.

But now I see you talking about a some new M cameras and lenses from Canon later this year. So my guess is that I should hold off on buying the M5 and wait to see what the new versions offer..... And... surely the price on the current M5 will drop....

Yes... I've answered my own question. Thoughts?

Procrastination is the thief of a good time. There will always be a better and cheaper gadget coming along in a year or two. If the M5 or an M50 or even an M500 does what you want at a price you can afford, then go for it and have the use of it now. If the price drops later as the result of a rumoured new model, it's unlikely to be by as much as the cost of renting one for that period. If you save up and wait for a newer M5 you'll end up wondering if it would be cheaper if you waited a bit more for Black Friday or the successor to the M50.

If you prefer the M50 i would say: go for it now. This camera has digic 8, just like the next M camera will have IF it will be released within this year.

If you prefer the M5 i would say: maybe it is better to wait. If the "M5mkII" will have the dials of the M5 and other aspects of the M50 it is in my opinion more appealing than the current M5.

If you have nothing at hand right now waiting is not an option of course. Waiting you'll loose at least one summer.

John TF wrote:

Thanks for the additional insights on your setup and workflow. Much appreciated.

I’m intrigued that TIFF plays a role for you. How does that work? Do you, perhaps, convert JPEG (from the camera) to TIFF (though that would seem upside down, at least traditionally). If so, why and to what end? Or do you use TIFF as an alternative to PSD? Etc.

The images straight from the camera in JPEG form are quite pristine. There's very few artifacts and certainly no dithering. I treat the JPEG originals as a template or negative, in much the same way folks who shoot RAW treat their RAW files as templates or negatives.
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If I edit an image it will be in Lightroom that I do any initial tweaking. I can't save it off as a JPEG without degrading the image so I'll save it as a TIFF (which is a lossless file, just like RAW).  Of course, the difference between RAW and TIFF files is that RAW is technically not an 'image file' until it is converted to one.... and yet TIF/TIFF files are indeed Image Files - and can therefore be opened and viewed by any computer (without a need for decoding software).  If someone sent me a RAW file from another brand of Camera, I wouldn't likely be able to open or convert it without the correct driver.  When I import the TIFF into Photoshop for editing, cropping, noise reduction and/or resizing, I can then save off the final as a JPEG with a high enough level of quality that there's no visible image degradation. I can then trash the TIFF and retain both the original JPEG (Template) and the final reduced/edited JPEG for posting online or archiving.
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However, sometimes I may wish to save a full sized image for future tweaks or for printing. In those instances I'll tend to save a PSD (Photoshop Document) which contains layers. If I'm happy with my earlier edits but Know that I might need to print or send a full sized image for printing, I'll save the image as a single-layer TIFF.
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The weakest point is the quality of the original file. Here's SIX JPEGS that are straight out of the camera (see below). They are unedited other than the processing inside the camera. All my JPEG images from the camera are like this and I still have room to edit them and save them off. The only time a risk of image degradation comes into play is when choosing a Quality Level for saving the edited JPEGs for online posting. The quality of modern JPEGS from the camera are why I don't have a need for RAW.  Check out the sharpness in that first image.
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unedited image - straight from camera - no resizing or editing or cropping.

unedited image - straight from camera - no resizing or editing or cropping.

unedited image - straight from camera - no resizing or editing or cropping.

unedited image - straight from camera - no resizing or editing or cropping.

unedited image - straight from camera - no resizing or editing or cropping.

unedited image - straight from camera - no resizing or editing or cropping.

Yes it is your Post of this lens, that decided to buy the M 50, this lens instead of the Sony 6400. for all it costed now, I only would have the Sony with kit lens. I hope to have the camera on Wednesday and do some comparaisons, with  my old gear, with your settings.....

Indieke1 wrote:

Yes it is your Post of this lens, that decided to buy the M 50, this lens instead of the Sony 6400. for all it costed now, I only would have the Sony with kit lens. I hope to have the camera on Wednesday and do some comparaisons, with my old gear, with your settings.....

Keep your shutter speed at 1/80 or higher for most shooting with this lens.  If you are standing still, you can certainly shoot at lower speeds although it's such a bright lens that you'll seldom need to do this.
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Remember to select a Picture Style before you start using the new M cameras for JPEG shooting.  If you don't select a Picture Style in the Menu, your images will not be sharp or vibrant unless Canon has changed the settings before release.  I know that the M5 and M6 required this so the M50 is presumably the same.
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If I was already a Sony user, I'd have bought the Sony equivalent of this lens.  But the performance of the Canon 32mm exceeds the Sony in sharpness and with aberrations. I spent the weekend using mine alongside a Full Frame camera (fitted with a wider 24mm f/1.4L lens) and the results were very appealing from both using similar lenses.  The shots from each camera complimented each other.
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Enjoy your new gear when it arrives.  Would love to hear what your opinions are after using it.  Even if you're an experienced photographer, you should be impressed with the lens and the M50s abilities together.

Marco Nero wrote:

Indieke1 wrote:

Yes it is your Post of this lens, that decided to buy the M 50, this lens instead of the Sony 6400. for all it costed now, I only would have the Sony with kit lens. I hope to have the camera on Wednesday and do some comparaisons, with my old gear, with your settings.....

Keep your shutter speed at 1/80 or higher for most shooting with this lens. If you are standing still, you can certainly shoot at lower speeds although it's such a bright lens that you'll seldom need to do this.
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Remember to select a Picture Style before you start using the new M cameras for JPEG shooting. If you don't select a Picture Style in the Menu, your images will not be sharp or vibrant unless Canon has changed the settings before release. I know that the M5 and M6 required this so the M50 is presumably the same.
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If I was already a Sony user, I'd have bought the Sony equivalent of this lens. But the performance of the Canon 32mm exceeds the Sony in sharpness and with aberrations.

I think you are right, however, i can't find anywhere a direct comparison. All reviewers can say is:

- if you have a M camera, the ef-m 32mm is a very good choice

- if you have a Sony aps-c camera, the sigma 30mm is a very good choice

This isn't helpful at all for those who choose a system not only for the camera, but also for the lenses, which in my opinion is a better approach choosing a system.

I spent the weekend using mine alongside a Full Frame camera (fitted with a wider 24mm f/1.4L lens) and the results were very appealing from both using similar lenses. The shots from each camera complimented each other.
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Enjoy your new gear when it arrives. Would love to hear what your opinions are after using it. Even if you're an experienced photographer, you should be impressed with the lens and the M50s abilities together.

thunder storm wrote:

Marco Nero wrote:
If I was already a Sony user, I'd have bought the Sony equivalent of this lens. But the performance of the Canon 32mm exceeds the Sony in sharpness and with aberrations.

I think you are right, however, i can't find anywhere a direct comparison. All reviewers can say is:

- if you have a M camera, the ef-m 32mm is a very good choice

- if you have a Sony aps-c camera, the sigma 30mm is a very good choice

This isn't helpful at all for those who choose a system not only for the camera, but also for the lenses, which in my opinion is a better approach choosing a system.

The person I was responding to indicated that he was not yet locked into a system.  If someone owns a Sony system, it makes more sense to buy their 30mm f/1.4 than to change platforms and buy into the EOS M system just to access the 32mm f/1.4 (though some are now doing this).  I believe the reviews of the Sony 30mm show that it has several weaknesses in optical performance that are better resolved with the Canon 32mm f/1.4 lens.
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The Sony 30mm f/1.4 is well liked by the Sony crowd.  I'm confident that I'd have bought it if I was using the Sony system.  Reasons for me to ignore Sony in the past included issues with the Metabones adapter and a weak native lens selection (you either get poor quality optical performance or you have to pay more for the licensed lenses).   Since I shoot a little Astrophotography, Sony is at the bottom of my list due to ongoing problems with star-eating algorithms on several models of Sony mirrorless... an issue that was never rectified with successive releases of newer "improved" bodies, despite the threat of Class Action suits and large petitions by Sony users who were angry that they were being ignored.  That's just a few of the reasons why I chose to pass on Sony. I prefer Sony electronics for my home, just not for photography.  A Sony user might find the EOS M lens selection to be a bit limited and the AF to be slower than what they're used to.  This is slowly leveling out though with the latest models of EOS Ms and their new DPAF sensors.  This is also why many Sony users are jumping ship to buy EOS M cameras and their EF-M lenses.  Another member here noted that Sony users were leaving just to be able to use the EF-M 32mm f/1.4 lens now that they've had a chance to see samples on various review sites.
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If someone is out to buy a small mirrorless APS-C system that is compact, I'd recommend the EOS M system for it's key Prime lenses alone.  They cover most general uses plus a few specialist lenses for Macro and Ultra-Wide etc. The body of the camera (even though the performance with AF and image quality is derivative of the processor and feature-set) is less important than the lens.  The lens is always the weakest link.  Without good quality glass, the images suffer.

Marco Nero wrote:

Setting up the camera:
For shooting with any of the newer EOS M cameras, you need to select a User Defined PICTURE STYLE setting as a template and then adjust it to your own preference. I selected FINE DETAIL and this applies a respectable amount of color saturation, sharpening and contrast to the images. I then altered the setting slightly by moving the Color Tone slider one click to the right. This applies a little more warmth to the otherwise cool (cyan) looking images. Note that Sharpness Strength is normally 4 by default (I think) so I've only pushed it one notch to get to 4. Even 0 has some degree of contrast automatically applied.
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User Defined Template (Picture Style) = FINE DETAIL.
Sharpness Strength = 4
Sharpness Fineness = 1
Sharpness Threshold = 1
Contrast = 0
Saturation = 1
Color Tone = 1
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Unfortunately, there is no FINE DETAIL in the M10 menu. I believe the NEUTRAL is the most closest to Fine Detail?

Ys this lens is good. Still discovering the lens on my side. One downside, the kit lens is difficult to use if you have this one.

My big problem wit the kit lens is it need really a lo, a lot of light. So using it to replace the Sony RX 100, on the go, is difficult, because this one handles well in low light. I have to put the Iso's too much for my liking with the Kit lens. it is also a bit soft.