Do you remember the Yongnuo 50mm f/1.8? Tony Northrup made a quick comparison with the original, Canon’s EF 50mm f/1.8 (aka Nifty-FIfty). The Yongnuo is available on Amazon and eBay, and since recently also B&H Photo has Yongnuo products in catalog, they also have the Yongnuo 50mm f/1.8 listed. Unfortunately in the meantime, with all the press, the Yongnuo has the same price as the Canon 50mm f/1.8.
George Lepp and three other Canon Explorers of Light had a chance to test shot the new Canon EOS 5DS and EOS 5DS R for photos that have been shown at Canon’s booth at WPPI Convention in Las Vegas. Mr. Lepp says:
My response to the new camera was that it will be very important to those that can use the technology that is available. If you don’t need a camera with tremendous resolution for large prints or exceptionally high data for cropping, then this will be too much camera for you. It will tax your computer with 300 MB 16bit files. Even the 8bit files are 150 MB when open. The RAW files are approximately 60 MB in size. The dynamic range when working on the files in Canon’s DPP and Photoshop CC 2014 was quite good and pretty much matches my EOS 7D MKII. I did not use any high ISOs on this shoot, but I expect it to be similar to the 7D MK II. This doesn’t bother me because I seldom go beyond 1600 ISO unless I’m doing night sky scenics. I use a tripod whenever possible so the issue with increased obvious movement of the subject due to small pixels and great enlargement is not a problem. I was worried that my current lenses wouldn’t be up to the task of the 50 MP sensor. The new EF 100-400mm MK II is definitely sharp enough, even with a 1.4X attached, and I have an EF 11-24mm on the way. The EF 24-105mm might be the weakest link as my EF 500mm at the upper end will be good with the extra resolution. As for the 5DS vs. the 5DS R, we didn’t see any moire problems in any subjects with the “R” version. If you shoot weddings, maybe the “S” is a smart choice. I didn’t have a chance to see how much sharper the “R” is over the “S”.
This lens has some challenges. The relatively low price of existing 50mm f/1.4 lenses (despite a few outliers) has created less wiggle room for Samyang/Rokinon, so as a result this lens is not the budget value of many other lenses from the Korean manufacturer. I do wish that it was $100 cheaper; I think more people would take a chance on it at that price, but I wouldn’t be surprised if Rokinon’s margin is pretty slim on this lens. They’ve obviously invested some pretty serious engineering dollars to get an excellent optical instrument. The Rokinon 50mm f/1.4 AS IF UMC is not any cheaper than the Canon EF 50mm f/1.4, nor the Nikon G, nor the Sony Alpha 50mm, nor the original Sigma 50mm f/1.4 HSM, but it is optically superior to them all. The challenge for most photographers will be the fact that this lens does not include autofocus.
The Rokinon sells for around $400 at Amazon. Price check for your country: [shopcountry 27421]
Budget compact cameras rarely set the world alight with exceptional performance or innovative features, but the IXUS 160 is even more lacklustre than the norm. Aside from including a respectable amount of manual shooting options and a few nifty features, it’s an unremarkable camera.
Image quality is average at best, with reasonable performance in good light, but disappointing indoor and low light results. The lack of proper image stabilisation only compounds the problem, and focussing can be a pain when shooting close-ups.
The IXUS 160 isn’t especially enjoyable to use either. It’s got some good-sized buttons and a logical menu structure, but you’ll have to put up with slippery ergonomics and a thoroughly average LCD screen.
Photographer Tim Dodd got a brand new Canon 11-24mm f/4L lens and reviewed it. The Canon 11-24mm is the widest rectilinear lens ever produced. From Tim’s conclusion:
Canon has produced a lens that’s as sharp or sharper than its prime counterparts. Although slower (F stop wise). It has chromatic aberration and distortion well under control. Vignetting is probably its biggest fault. But, that’s probably the easiest thing to have fixed in post, so I’m not shaken by that.
[…] I’ll be using this lens primarily for architectural and real estate shoots. It’ll also be a travel companion, although I don’t use wide angle lenses for my landscape shots. It also won’t replace my 24mm F1.4L for weddings and events because I need the additional brightness of the prime. There’s just too many times that I’m hand holding at F1.4, ISO 3200, 1/50th of a second and I have NO room for a slower F stop, let alone a lens that lets in 8 times less light.
The review comes with a lot of sample pics at all focal ranges and ISO settings. This is a real-world review that puts the Canon 11-24mm in the midst of the action.
German site d-pixx (translated) posted a rich set of sample pictures shot with Sigma’s new 24mm f/1.4 Art lens. Scroll down for the pics, original size available. The Sigma 24mm can be pre-ordered at BHphotoandAdorama.
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