A12 28mm vs 50mm

[eidiacc]

Hi all, new to the forum here!

I have been a GXR user for half a year and have been using the P10 unit only. Currently look for a unit that would provide higher quality photo especially at times that I don't need the optical zoom function.

Personally I have never been an owner of a 50mm nor a macro lens before, therefore I am just wondering, have anyone here compared the image quality of the two units (the 50mm and 28mm)? I am asking this because 28mm seems to be an "easier to use" lens for daily regular photo-shooting. :?:

There are two things that I am most interested in:
Have there been any pictures taken from the same spot and allow us to see the difference of the two lens (not just overall but also in detail)? How about the speed of the lens, they are both 2.5/f, suppose there will not be any significant difference, right?

Anyway comments on the above will be greatly appreciated.

Thanks!

 

[odklizec]

Hi eidiacc and welcome on the board!

As far as I know, nobody did a direct comparison between these two modules yet. But because both modules uses the same sensor and processing, I would not expect any differences in terms of general image quality and noise. The only real difference you may see is in amount of bokeh, which is generally easier to produce with 50mm lens. Of course, you will see it also with 28mm lens. It's just easier to do with 50mm lens and it's much better lens for portraits. On the other hand, shallower DoF is also a curse of 50mm lens. Lower depth of field means somewhat harder to lock the focus and much easier to produce out of focus photos. Usually an user error and not the camera AF problem (especially with recent FW)! A12 28mm is simply easier to use on streets and mainly in the Snap mode and it should be even a bit faster in AF mode, because of higher DoF and lighter lens construction (no Macro lens elements). Hope this helps

 

[eidiacc]

Thanks, odklizec!

Your information above is really helpful. I suppose it is down to the question of: (a) a lens for good quality photo on specific subjects mostly and (b) a lens for more general day-to-day use :?:

Can't wait to test the 28mm when it comes out! :lol:

Much appreciated!

 

[odklizec]

Well, from what I saw, both lenses deliver exceptional photo quality. 28mm is most probably better choice if you are planning to use it inside. It's wider, easier to handhold under low light, easier to use without the need of precise focus because of the Snap mode. So yes, 28mm is probably better choice for everyday use. However, 50mm lens is fantastic when it comes to closeups or portraits. Hard decision

 

[waloszek]

Whenever I use the A12/50mm, I am amazed how useful this focal length is. Well, when I was young that was THE normal lens, and I did most of my photos with such a lens. However, these days, we are spoilt by zoom lenses (well, at least I am...). However, when using the A12/50mm, I found out (again) that making a few steps forward or backward is all you need. Of course, certain shots are out of your reach, particularly tele shots and some wide angle shots (also indoors)...
All in all, I would not subscribe to Pavel's statement that the 28mm is the better choice for everyday use.
Best regards, Gerd

 

[eidiacc]

Now I am finally a proud owner of the A12 50mm lens~ :lol:

After briefly used it for a night to do some snaps, I have got to say that it is a good lens (don't need to go into detail there).

But I was really surprised that under low light situations (e.g. in a cinema when most lights are off, inside a pub), this lens CANNOT pick up ANYTHING under Auto mode :cry: . When I switched back to P10, all the details come out again (well I have really got to give credit to the P10 unit on this, because it can even work as a night-vision camera). So I guess the general belief about "bigger sensor, better performance at low light situation" doesn't really stand this time, at least for Auto mode~

 

[ginger]

Hi all,

Nice information Pavel. Thanks! Would the A12 28mm also be the better lens for landscape photography as well? As I understand, some shooters turn the aperture to F11 to get deeper depth of field. Not sure if the A12 28mm can do this?

Cheers!

 

[eidiacc]

Hi all,

Nice information Pavel. Thanks! Would the A12 28mm also be the better lens for landscape photography as well? As I understand, some shooters turn the aperture to F11 to get deeper depth of field. Not sure if the A12 28mm can do this?

Cheers!

A12 50mm can go from F2.5 - F22. But surely 28mm is better in most landscape photo shooting, simply it can cover more grounds / include more from the surrounding.

 

[odklizec]

Gerd, I agree with you that making few steps forward or backward is often all what's required. However, as you probably very well know, with A12 50mm inside the room, there is often not enough space to make the few steps backward. This is why I think 28mm is generally better choice if one wants to shot inside. And even outside could be 28mm better choice because of higher DoF and so easier to use Snap. I personally love 50mm lens. It's great lens for portraits and closeups. But it often fails for me in case of capturing fast actions and inside (medium/low light) photography.

Eidiacc, Good luck with your new toy! I'm not surprised about poorer AF performance of A12 50 in case of low light (or even good light) if compared with P10 AF. You should not forget that the A12 50 uses much bigger sensor with much lower depth of field. This is critical for successful AF! P10 uses very tiny sensor with huge DoF, which makes the focusing a lot of easier. It does not really matter, if P10 locks the focus at 2m or 3m (in case of 28 or even 50mm focal length). The DoF is so big that you will still have everything in focus. This is not the case of A12 50mm, where even centimeters of incorrect focus matter! BTW, don't forget to install the latest FW! It improves the things a lot. And in case of low light, make sure the AF assist lamp is ON. It also helps.

Ginger, 28mm is definitely suitable for landscape photography. It's wider and offers higher DoF, which is often critical for landscapes. At the moment, it's hard to say what's best (sharpest) aperture for A12 28mm.

 

[eidiacc]

Thanks odklizec.

I have brought the FW along with me so that I can test it before I have bought the lens. And I have got to say, before the update, that lens is really not acceptable, especially with that price tag.

Now, I can finally get a taste of owning a proper lens portraits.

Until the day that a camera with TRUE DSLR performance with a compact dc size is released, I think I am going to stick with this GXR :lol: