Sony A7, Canon 50mm f/0.95 Dream Lens, North Wales Wedding Photographer

canon 50mm dream lens f/0.95 from a North Wales Wedding PhotographerCanon-dream-lens-50mm f/0.95 Sony A7r2 from a North Wales Wedding PhotographerCanon-dream-lens-50mm-Sony-A7r2-90317 DSC02502 DSC02508 DSC02517DSC08215 DSC08193-EditDSC01680-Edit-EditCanon-dream-lens-50mm-90318 from a North Wales Wedding PhotographerDSC02498 canon 50mm dream lens f/0.95 from a North Wales Wedding PhotographerDSC01689-Edit-EditDSC01693-Edit-EditDSC01877-Edit

DSC01400-Edit_dream_lens_canon_DSC2678-Edit-2-2www.paulmarbrook.com-wedding-nunsmere_0087www.paulmarbrook.com-wedding-nunsmere_0084www.paulmarbrook.com-wedding-nunsmere_0086www.paulmarbrook.com-wedding-nunsmere_0063DSC00925-Edit_dream_lens_canonDSC00927-Edit_dream_lens_canonDSC00928-Edit_dream_lens_canon

On this day of 27th November 2013 I introduce my new Sony A7 mirrorless full frame camera complete with the legendary Canon 50mm f/0.95 lens. The unique thing about this combo is that up until the Sony A7 and A7R there was only one choice to use this lens on a full frame camera and that was the Leica M240. You cannot mount the lens on a mirrored DSLR due to the distance between sensor and back of the lens.

This is a GAME CHANGER.

What Sony have essentially created here is an art camera. They have given us an easel in which to add our preferred choice of glass and then create our final image. This is an incredible feat, and I’ve been shooting canon for over 10 years. I’m not moving away from Canon as they provide the most complete and exhaustive range of EOS bodies and lenses that no other company bar none can rival and that is before we even mention the Canon Professional Services network around the globe upon which so many professionals depend upon to keep their gear shooting day after day.

For those of that shoot TS lenses then the A7 is a formidable force to be able to accurately view focus in the viewfinder with far greater accuracy than you can with an optical TTL view and so much easier than using the rear screen held out in front of you. And of course there is no AF to think about with the TS lenses. Equally if you have ever struggled to focus fast glass on a DSLR even after changing screen then the A7 offers a really great solution with the EVF. I can easily focus a 1.2 lens without magnification or focus peaking.

The tilt screen is another incredibly useful feature that both Canon and Nikon have to date ignored to off on their full frame cameras most likely saving the feature as a marketing move for future models. Sony give us this on the A7 allowing the camera to be placed right doen on the ground and then accurate focus can be achieved using the screen as guidance. You just cant comfortably or sometimes properly do that with a fixed rear screen.

I dont think the A7 or A7R will be up to replacing all the sports shooters cameras in any near time period yet, the AF is simply not as good as the offerings from Canon and Nikon DSLR’s but i cant really see why sports shooters would want/need a smaller body etc.

Let me spell this out, it’s not about the size of the body ( i could buy the OM-1 for that ), it’s about being the first full frame (non rangefinder) mirrorless camera. It’s about for a long as i remember digital being around that people were dreaming of the day that they would be able to mount fast legacy lenses on a full frame sized sensor and acheive accurate focus. The wait was about 10 years but it sure was worth it. What you will see from this is a reflux of old gear being used in creative and passionate artistic ways that the bearers of film cameras were not able to even touch*.

*citations available on request.

The Canon 50mm f/0.95 lens was built as a rangefinder lens in the 1960’s and 1970’s by Canon and was the fastest available lens until Leica copied the lens back in 2008 with their 50mm Noctilux M ASPH lens also for rangefinders. The Leica lens will set you back £8000 in the UK !

Until now this peice of glass hasnt been of much use in the digital arena unless you either own a Leica M240 or you mount it on a mirrorless camera such as an NEX or other less than full frame body.

I will be using this combo on a shoot later this week but until then here’s a few of what the combo looks like.

Judging by the serious lack of these lenses for sale on Ebay post A7 release I predict a renaissance of its images and that can only be a good thing.

Lens to E-mount adaptor used is THIS EBAY ADAPTOR.

Come visit the Canon 50mm f/0.95 Dream Lens Facebook Group!

There’s a great deal of uncertainty surrounding the serial numbers for this lens and if there are different versions of it in existance. We know there is the TV and none TV versions but how do these tie in to the serial numbers? My hunch is that the factory were making these to order mainly for the rangefinder cameras that were the Canon 7 and 7s and whenever a TV version was required these would retain the serial number as made but have the rear element and mount changed to suit the TV mount. The front bezel would also be changed to display TV. There’s already a small database of serial numbers in existance but i have no idea who owns that page and if the site will stay up – it’s also at risk of false numbers being added on the fly. I therefore decided to move a copy here and ask people to add to the page I’m hosting here with your versions and serial numbers of the Canon 50mm f/0.95 Dream Lens. See the page here.

If anyone would like to add to the mix then please let me know 🙂

Sony A7 with Canon 50mm f/0.95 Dream Lens

Sony A7 with Canon 50mm f/0.95 Dream Lens

_MG_8388_MG_8387_MG_8386_MG_8384_MG_8383

DSC00256

DSC00255

DSC00244

DSC00241Some shots from a recent wedding with the Sony A7 and 50mm f/0.95

DSC00610-EditDSC00636-EditDSC00728-EditDSC00742-EditDSC00751-EditDSC00765-EditDSC00768-EditDSC00811-EditDSC00824-EditDSC00912-EditDSC01134-Exposure_dream_lens_canonDSC01142-Exposure_dream_lens_canonDSC01160-Exposure_dream_lens_canonDSC01168-Exposure_dream_lens_canonDSC01170-Exposure_dream_lens_canon

 

 

Comments

comments