Manual 50mm 1.2 lens

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Krichton

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I have a Minolta MD 50mm 1.2 lens I'm thinking about coupling it with an AF adapter so I can use it on my Canon for portraits. I shoot at events and only have seconds to work with someone, how practical will it be to use a manual lens when you're in a rush, even one with an af adapter?
 
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That would depend on how fast and accurate you can focus it. Weigh up the cost of the adaptor vs a Canon 50mm f1.4 or even the nifty fifty perhaps.
 
The adapter is only like $15. For the record, I don't feel that the Canon 50mm 1.4 is a very good lens. I've used it, and it is very soft wide open until about 2.8. It doesn't get sharp until 2.8, which defeats the whole point. There may also be some issues with focusing as well. Same with the nifty fifty. I actually have this lens, but due to it's poor build quality and my own clumsiness it no longer works. I want a lens that is sharp at f2.
 
The adapter is cheap enough, I would get it anyway - but I think trying to manual focus quickly with it you will get too many misses.
I had the same thoughts with an Olympus OM mount 50mm I already had and it was interesting to use - so I got a Sigma F1.4 soon after.
 
There's a few practicalities I can think of for practical use (changing exposure compensation when changing aperture, etc.), but a more pressing thought that comes to mind is to wonder how you're mounting the lens to the camera?

Unless you're swapping out the breech mount on the body, you're going to have a chunk of cheap glass between your nice 50/1.2 and the sensor. Or if it hasn't got the cheap glass it will be macro/close-up only.

Edit: Unless you're using an EOS-M? - knowing the body with this type of question is very useful.
 
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You can get metal only adapters.
If the stage is set then it'll only be fine adjustment, so not too bad
Magic laturn might help if its got focus peaking or whatever
 
The only real way to find out is to try it. Maybe take it out and do some street shooting, may give you an idea of what you are up against (or maybe not!). Might be worthwhile taking a burst of shots though just in case with the DoF being so narrow.
 
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