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50mm14 or 50mm17

G

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I'm using a yashica fx super 2000 with yashica lens 50mm f1.9 and want to change to a CZ lens, preferably 50mm/1.4 or 50mm/1.7.

B&H have the 1.4 @ US$274 and the 1.7 @ US$164.

I live in asia, and by the rate of exchange is 1.6 in favor of USD, so the difference is pretty much alot. Can anyone recommend which lens is more value for money?
 
> I have never performed any objective comparison tests but my subjective assessment is that the 1.7 is every bit as good as the 1.4 if you don't need the speed. I wonder just how much, if any better the 55/1.2 is compared to the 50/1.4. Any takers who might be in the fortunate position to know and comment? Similarly with the 85/1.2 vs the 1.4 that most of us are familiar with. Getting back to the two 50's, I have read a number of times comments to the effect that the 50/1.7 was specifically designed as an affordable alternative to the 1.4 and that Zeiss ensured there was no compromise on
 
>[Hi Gary,

I have just the Planar 1.7 50mm (MM) so I cannot compare, but the Macro 2.8/60mm and 2.8/60mm are superior. the special edition 1.2/85mm has rather poor performance. The 1.4/85mm is better.
 
> Rainer,

can you explain why you think the 85/1.2 was a poor performer? I can't for the life of me imagine why Zeiss would bother designing a special series lens that works worse than it's cheaper cousin. Not even as a collector's piece. There are a couple of privately owned ex&les in Australia that I know of, and probably more than one or two that I don't, but I'm not likely to ever get a chance try any out. I wonder whether you would ever notice the differences in actual use. I tend to shoot my 85/1.4 hand held, wide open or close to it, in low light with 400ASA portrait film (NPH). I'm lucky if I can get 1/125 sec so my technique is probably losing me more quality than the technical differences in the lenses would produce. Just speculating here but...

I am fortunate to also have a Canon FD85/1.2Aspherical. While I don't like its colour balance as much as I do that of the Zeiss (the Canon is distinctly cooler) it is certainly crisp and sharp. On that experience, such a lens can clearly be designed and built to work well. Regards,

Gary.
 
Hi Gary, this is hearsay. There was a lens test in the german 'Color Foto' or 'Foto Magazin foMa' some

time ago. If I remember correctly lens flare was less well mastered. Don't have a hard-copy,

because at that time I already have had the Canon EF 1.2 75mm L USM (since 1990 and did sell

off to Australia after all my friends got married and me too). check out http://www.mamut.com/homepages/Norway/1/9/meridianfoto2/subdet39.htm and also the very critical and subjective user opinions on http://www.photozone.de/bindex2.html The expensive Canon Canon EF 1.2 75mm L USM also has the lens flare problem with backlit, or direct sun but is otherwise excellent from f/4 through f/11. Besides, I found myself using it often at f/11 because I needed the depth of field to get both heads sharp in a double portrait. So 1.2 does not add value, just weight. :) Greetings from Switzerland,
 
Gary, here comes a "hearsay" quality test of lens YC Carl Zeiss Planar 1:1.2/ 55mm French Chasseur d'images 217, 1999. This lens was on their top 48 dream-lenses of the world

list (maximum points are 10 each) performance overall: 9 distorsion: 9 light fall off: 9 practical handling outdoors: 6 out of 10 note technique: **** (out of 5) cote d'amour *** (out of 5) full test in issue no. 207 (1998) my management summary: you don't pay for the fast aperture, optically. It's kind of a "Oberkochen can do it", crazy price, not a must have. For comparison:the Minolta AF Macro 2.8/50mm gets the following rating performance overall: 9 distorsion: 10 light fall off: 5 practical handling outdoors: 9 out of 10 note technique: **** (4 out of 5) cote d'amour ***** (5 out of 5) (at 1/7 of the Zeiss' price) there was mistake in my previous post: it was the Canon EF 85mm f/1.2 L (not 75mm) in foto Magazin 4/1993 was a test of Zeiss compact Makro Planar 2.8/60mm C it gets Optically 9.6 points, Mechanical build quality 9.4 points out of 10, each. ADDITIONALLY both flare and light fall off are excellent. please note that in 1993 foMa did just rate sharpness and contrast. the Zeiss planar T* 1.7/50mm MM gets 9.0 (O) and 9.0 (M) the Zeiss planar T* 1.4/50mm MM gets 9.6 (O) and 10 (M) the Canon EF 1.4/50mm USM gets 9.8 (O) and 9.2 (M) Don't worry all f=50mm lenses are excellent, also nikon, pentax,.. if you mail your address I can mail 2 pages hard copy.

Have a great time, Rainer

Posted by gary brook on Thursday, October 10, 2002 - 1:10 pm:

>I have never performed any objective comparison tests but my subjective assessment is that the 1.7 is every bit as good as the 1.4 if you don't need the speed. I wonder just how much, if any better the 55/1.2 is compared to the 50/1.4. Any takers who might be in the fortunate position to know and comment? Similarly with the 85/1.2 vs the 1.4 that most of us are familiar with. Getting back to the two 50's, I have read a number of times comments to the effect that the 50/1.7 was specifically designed as an affordable alternative to the 1.4 and that Zeiss ensured there was no compromise
 
It seems like the differences are negligible enough that different runs of the same lens might have the same variation that the 1.4 and the 1.7 might have as regards each other. I guess it seems like the more scientific tests have found the 1.4 marginally better at the wide-open end, but differences are difficult to detect stopped down. That said, probably the only way to reliably tell which is better for you is to use both and then pick. Personally, I went for the 1.4 because I shoot a lot of low-light handheld stuff. Good luck with your choice. John
 
The 1.7 is a better value for money UNLESS you think you would be using the full aperture almost all the time and you cannot live without that slightly faster shutter speed. For ex&le, if you are shooting at 1.4 and 1/30 sec, with the 1.7 the speed will be 1/20 sec. That's all.
 
I think you should try to find a USED 1.4/50 in mint condition, not only because of the half stop but merely because of the better build quality of the faster sibling (full metal barrel and aperture ring). On the German second hand market, the price differences between the 1.7 and 1.4 planar are not that much, perhaps 50-100 EURO. And you will keep this lens for many years so do you the favour and take the world's best normal lens - you will still be delighted when then additional bucks are long forgotten.
 
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