Canon LTM 50/1.2 vs 7Artisans 50/1.1 Comparison

[Fixcinater]

Their street value is roughly the same, maybe a bit higher on the Canon. Aperture isn't much different.

Has anyone done a direct A/B between these two and can share or link to their results?

I have the Canon but don't have the scratch available to pick up the new lens without selling some other gear and I can't justify needing both.

 

[Phil_F_NM]

I always loved the 50mm f/1.2 Canon for how incredibly easy it was to clean and adjust for precise focus. Don't know about the new 1.1 but the provision for precise adjustment is built in, so it sounds like something I may dig. You might have a contrast edge over the Canon since the newer lens has the benefit of modern coatings. Dollar for dollar I doubt you'd be much more happy with the 7A 1.1 though with regard to image.

Have some peanuts for me! I love Portales peanuts and grew up near Moriarty.
I miss the horizon and the cleaner air and the night sky.

Phil Forrest

 

[peterm1]

I cannot help you directly as I have not had the chance to buy the 7Artisans lens and try it. But I will say this. One thing I really rather like about the Canon LTM f1.2 is its quite specific rendering. In particular I like the low contrast rendering from wider aperture shooting which when shot in color gives an almost pastel effect and in black and white gives a kind of old photo effect. There is no other lens I have experienced that is quite like it. Shot at around f1.4 - f2 (which I think the first 3 images were) it lacks nothing in terms of adequate sharpness. Of course it is not super sharp but no one should expect it to be and it is certainly sharp enough for anyone who is not a pixel peeper. So it will inevitably depend on what sort of rendering you prefer. The final shot was from memory stopped down a little more - maybe f2.8 and you can see it is beginning to render a little more conventionally. But note that some residual flare is evident from the backlighting.

The first two images were originally shot in color - one version converted to black and white in post processing. The remaining image from these first two posted below remains in color to demonstrate that pastel color effect I mentioned. Incidentally all of the photos were shot on the same day I think when wandering around a local food market.

BTW I should add that I tend to use the Canon lens when I want a more specific look so I would suggest this is something for you to consider - you may (depending on your preferences) get more use from the 7Artisans lens as it seems likely to me its rendering may suit a wider range of subjects. Also in this vein, the Canon's older coating does militate against shooting against the light (I try to avoid it) hence my comment above about one these images having some back light flaring (though quite mild). Not sure about the 7Artisans lens but I would expect it to be better in this regard. Something to think about. The other thing to consider is whether you plan to use it on a Leica M camera or a mirror less. I tend to use the latter though I occasionally mount it on the Leica M. The thing with the 7Artisans lens is that it is designed so the user can easily recalibrate the focus on an M camera. This too should be a consideration for Leica users as these fast lenses are hopeless on an M unless they are well calibrated

Those Eyes - Color by Life in Shadows, on Flickr

Those Eyes by Life in Shadows, on Flickr

Market Cafe Brunch by Life in Shadows, on Flickr

In the Market 2 by Life in Shadows, on Flickr

 

[Fixcinater]

I always loved the 50mm f/1.2 Canon for how incredibly easy it was to clean and adjust for precise focus. Don't know about the new 1.1 but the provision for precise adjustment is built in, so it sounds like something I may dig. You might have a contrast edge over the Canon since the newer lens has the benefit of modern coatings. Dollar for dollar I doubt you'd be much more happy with the 7A 1.1 though with regard to image.

Have some peanuts for me! I love Portales peanuts and grew up near Moriarty.
I miss the horizon and the cleaner air and the night sky.

Phil Forrest

Did you have light pollution from ABQ? We get some light pollution here in town or up near Clovis (Air Force base there), but it's easy to drive out a few miles and have very dark skies here.

I've been impressed with the peanuts from the area (buying them from the factory store) as well as the chilis. Similar to Hatch but of course people believe theirs are better, wherever in NM you are.


As for the lenses, you are right, the Canon is very easy to keep clean, and mine was basically free after I sold the VT that it came with (I have a VI-T I prefer), so it wouldn't make much sense to get rid of it.

 

[Fixcinater]

I cannot help you directly as I have not had the chance to buy the 7Artisans lens and try it. But I will say this. One thing I really rather like about the Canon LTM f1.2 is its quite specific rendering. In particular I like the low contrast rendering from wider aperture shooting which when shot in color gives an almost pastel effect and in black and white gives a kind of old photo effect. There is no other lens I have experienced that is quite like it. Shot at around f1.4 - f2 (which I think the first 3 images were) it lacks nothing in terms of adequate sharpness. Of course it is not super sharp but no one should expect it to be and it is certainly sharp enough for anyone who is not a pixel peeper. So it will inevitably depend on what sort of rendering you prefer. The final shot was from memory stopped down a little more - maybe f2.8 and you can see it is beginning to render a little more conventionally. But note that some residual flare is evident from the backlighting.

The first two images were originally shot in color - one version converted to black and white in post processing. The remaining image from these first two posted below remains in color to demonstrate that pastel color effect I mentioned. Incidentally all of the photos were shot on the same day I think when wandering around a local food market.

BTW I should add that I tend to use the Canon lens when I want a more specific look so I would suggest this is something for you to consider - you may (depending on your preferences) get more use from the 7Artisans lens as it seems likely to me its rendering may suit a wider range of subjects. Also in this vein, the Canon's older coating does militate against shooting against the light (I try to avoid it) hence my comment above about one these images having some back light flaring (though quite mild). Not sure about the 7Artisans lens but I would expect it to be better in this regard. Something to think about. The other thing to consider is whether you plan to use it on a Leica M camera or a mirror less. I tend to use the latter though I occasionally mount it on the Leica M. The thing with the 7Artisans lens is that it is designed so the user can easily recalibrate the focus on an M camera. This too should be a consideration for Leica users as these fast lenses are hopeless on an M unless they are well calibrated.

Agreed on the rendering at wider apertures, it's one of the easier lenses to identify once you pick up on it's treatment of OOF areas and the color palette as you mention. I had the Canon 50/1.4 and it was less distinct in that regard, so I sold that one to keep the 1.2 around.

I'm lucky to still have the 50/1.8 and 50/1.5 Canons and the 1.2/1.8 combo is a good fast/travel choice, so I probably don't need to look around at others anymore. The 1.8 is a great "normal" 50mm, and the 1.2 does the character thing quite well, and the 1.5 could do both well in one package. So, that probably answers it for my situation.


Thank you for your thoughts!

 

[Phil_F_NM]

Did you have light pollution from ABQ? We get some light pollution here in town or up near Clovis (Air Force base there), but it's easy to drive out a few miles and have very dark skies here.

I've been impressed with the peanuts from the area (buying them from the factory store) as well as the chilis. Similar to Hatch but of course people believe theirs are better, wherever in NM you are.

As for the lenses, you are right, the Canon is very easy to keep clean, and mine was basically free after I sold the VT that it came with (I have a VI-T I prefer), so it wouldn't make much sense to get rid of it.

Yeah, we had light pollution from Albuquerque but even there, the night skies were brilliant compared to the night time orange skies of the east coast. I think on the clearest of nights we can get maybe 100 stars and a couple planets visible. The milky way hasn't been seen here since Edison invented the light bulb.

I'd love any chile verde out here. A few months ago, our local grocery store got in 20 cases of medium Hatch chiles and we bought 25lbs of them, roasted, bagged and froze them. I think we're halfway through now. Yikes. I just asked my mother to send a large quantity of red chile powder for christmas.

I haven't owned the Canon 50/1.2 for a few years but it was pretty awesome. It turns out that I had the lowest known serial number of that lens and contacted peter Kitchingman about the curiosity. It was #10022. Nowadays I get my superspeed fix from a 50mm f/1.2 Nikkor.

Phil Forrest

 

[a.noctilux]

Canon LTM lenses are great.

The last one which came some months ago is the 1.2/50 and it's very nice rendering for a such fast and old lens.
I have Canon LTM for years 1.8/50 and 1.4/50 but I think that the 1.2 will be my prefered one from now.
Better handling than my Noctilux 1.0 : less blockage of VF and lighter.

Can not comment on the 7Artisans, I'll never use it.

 

[rcubed]

For me, the Canon is far superior. The only reason I'll use the 7artisans over the Canon is the closer minimal focus distance.

 

[Huss]

That looks like a lens that has serious haze in it and needs a good cleaning.

 

[peterm1]

That looks like a lens that has serious haze in it and needs a good cleaning.

It's fairly clean (no obvious haze) but it is well known that the 50mm f1.2 does tend to redevelop haze over time so, yes, it is possible that it is getting to the time to clean it again. But to be honest part of the problem with mine is also that its front element coating is roached through over enthusiastic cleaning by prior owners.
But I think this lens never the less has a reputation for some flaring and "glow" even in the best circumstances when shot at relatively wider apertures and even more when shot wide open - courtesy of big glass (same formulation as the 50mm f0.95 but physically a bit smaller) and old tech coatings. I tend to just accept this and shoot accordingly and when the time comes I will strip it down and CLA again.

BTW these are a sweet lens. I also have the 50mm f1.4 and two versions of the 50mm f1.8. Both of the latter lenses are more "modern" in their rendering but in some respects I prefer the f1.2 - it is more interesting and quirky.

 

[Phil_F_NM]

This makes me wonder if anyone has stripped down the 50/1.2 and sent the elements off to Focal Point for re-coating. They did my old f/3.4 Super Angulon and it was an amazing optic. Should have never sold that one. Anyway, I'm just musing about the notion of putting modern multicoating on the old f/1.2 and then getting the reassembly really tight with perfect centering. I bet that lens could compete with anyone then.

Phil Forrest

 

[peterm1]

This makes me wonder if anyone has stripped down the 50/1.2 and sent the elements off to Focal Point for re-coating. They did my old f/3.4 Super Angulon and it was an amazing optic. Should have never sold that one. Anyway, I'm just musing about the notion of putting modern multicoating on the old f/1.2 and then getting the reassembly really tight with perfect centering. I bet that lens could compete with anyone then.

Phil Forrest

It would be interesting. But I thought that any modern recoating service only offered single, not multiple coating so I wonder how much of an improvement it could be. Though in my case, the front lens surface is so in need of recoating that any would be an improvement. Even in that condition I have to add the lens produces some nice images provided its limits are respected and intelligently observed.

 

[peterm1]

BTW this photo was shot by me some years ago with my 50mm f1.2 on an M8. To the best of my recollection it was shot wide open. It demonstrates the fairly low contrast again.

 

[Huss]

Lovely portrait.