Bokeh

[hwchoy]

I mean lens that with f2 and below will be better than lens with f2.8 stop.

this is not true, bokeh is a function of the "imperfection" in the image rendering characteristics of the lens. a large aperture lens can still have eww bokeh.

[tcy81]

any recommendations of a zoom lens with good bokeh ?

[hwchoy]

what focal range, max aperture and for what mount?

[tcy81]

For canon mount , max aperture f2.8, wide/standard zoom lens... so focal length less than 100mm ?

[hwchoy]

24-70/2.8L seems quite good. have not used any other brands. check out the Carl Zeiss and Lecia R lenses (Leica VARIO-ELMARIT-R 28-90mm ƒ/2.8-4.5 ASPH) too.

[tcy81]

thanks for the information.
any good link for review the bokeh of different lenses ?

[hwchoy]

also check out the Leica VARIO-ELMARIT-R 35-70mm ƒ/2.8 ASPH and 35-70mm ƒ/4.

here's what Erwin Puts commented about the bokeh of the VARIO-ELMARIT-R 35-70mm ƒ/4

The background blur at wider apertures is quite smooth and
retains its main outlines and the gradient from sharp to unsharp
has a gentle curve and is not too steep.

bokeh is something not usually discussed in reviews, possibly due to its immeasurable quality, or possibly due to it being much less appreciated by most. try to find sample images.

[tcy81]

will do a search for the images

[StanChung]

Stan, high five !!!

LOL.

I think I want an 85 f1.2L. Comes in Nikon mount or not? heehee.

Ok i'll be a good boy and aim for a 85f1.4.

Richard these two are very creamy/sibeh smooth-You'll rarely be shooting above f4 but alas not for shooting insects but portraits!

I heard the 135 f2 DC[defocus control] lens is also a great one for portraits, although I think the focal length is not good for crop factor cameras. I find it's a little long for Oriental faces. [flattening effect]

Simon, can tell a bit of the quality from the selecting one of the mid colour green rings and looking at the fringing and how sharp edged the circle is.

I don't think it's an 'ewww' but I think it's very mid-range 'ok'.

Richard, sorry to ask, if you can, do snap in manual mode out of focus street night scene on a tripod. Take a few snaps with varying degrees of defocus or focussing on different things. Put a doll in front of the scene perhaps. You can try other apertures and focal lengths.
Then we can rate it.

[hwchoy]

word of caution, watch for the ewwwwww bokeh of the 18-200 kits lens that comes with the Alpha 100.

[trident]

Guys,
Thanks for all the reply really apprecaite it

Stan,
I haven't done this kind of shot before
"few snaps with varying degrees of defocus or focussing on different things."
Will this help to see the quality of the lens?

[luenny]

Think that's for looking at bokeh - which basically means OOF stuff. That's why you need to shoot defocus. I think Stan is right because I think bokeh changes with the focusing. If it's in focus, slightly out of focus, totally out of focus, it'll all change.

Anyway, if you don't know how to see if the lens have good bokeh or not, I would say, don't worry too much about it. There's still so many aspect of photography that you can improve on for now. And if you really think the lens has bad bokeh and wants to get rid of it, give it to me, thank you.

[hwchoy]

get a row of bowling pins, or bottles, or glass, etc and line them up in a row and you frame them such that they stretch across your frame from left to right, left side nearer and right side further away. then you shoot it with the focus smack on the centre object, then the way the objects in front (to the left) and behind (to the right) of the in-focus object will show you how the lens renders the blurring.

shoot at different aperture settings (use Av mode) and also different distances from the subject.

[benetay]

I sense a great deal of Buy Buy Buy!



50 f/1.2, 85 f/1.2, 135 f/2

Cheers!

[trident]

I sense a great deal of Buy Buy Buy!



50 f/1.2, 85 f/1.2, 135 f/2

Cheers!

this is the dream "bokeh" team
at least for me

[doubleace]

I sense a great deal of Buy Buy Buy!



50 f/1.2, 85 f/1.2, 135 f/2

Cheers!

wah all over 2k except 135f2 1k+..

[benetay]

Everything plus together

it's a dream.

Cheers!

[hwchoy]

you shouldn't buy them just because they have a nice bokeh. you buy them because you need them to deliver the picture you want. otherwise you would simply be a gear collector (which is a good thing because I get all my stuff from gear collectors on the cheap )

[benny]

If you want to talk about bokeh, go read some reviews about the Leica Summicron 35mm f/2.0 in M mount. Or just goggle "King of Bokeh".

Cheers,

[hwchoy]

luckily I don't have M camera hahaha
I did download some sample pictures from various Leica lenses. I'll see if there is one from the M 35/2.0