I bought this lens because I needed a "portrait" lens for my K/M 7D when my Sigma 28-70 f/2.8 EX "Pro" lens took a dump on me. The lens hasn't been dropped or anything like that (that I'm aware of) but it suddenly is always out of focus and won't focus at infinity at all ... but that's a problem for the Sigma people, so I digress.
In need of a good "portrait" length lens for my 7D I opted for this Sony 50 f/1.4. I'd had a Maxxum 50 f/1.4 years ago but had gotten rid of it shortly after getting a zoom lens. Big mistake. In any case, because my Sigma lens mentioned above was in need of repair and I had a portrait shoot coming up, I got this lens and I must say it's been a worthwhile investment.
Wide open the lens is tack sharp at point-of-focus. Stopped down between f/2.8 and f/4, doing head and shoulder shots of an average-sized adult the lens provides fantastic portraits ... nice contrast, beautiful color and of course very sharp with beautifully de-focused backgrounds.
I shoot a lot of film with Medium format Mamiyas (RZ67 and 7II) and have very high expectations for image quality. With the purchase of this 50 f/1.4 I realized I've been compromising image quality on my 35mm cameras (film and digital) by using "off brand" lenses like Tokina and Sigma. Don't get me wrong. I'm not saying that Tokina and Sigma make flat-out junk. Just that I didn't realize that the image quality could be better in my 35mm cameras.
Up to now I'd thought that the sensor in the K/M 7D was just mediocre. And, I'm sure that some would say it still is. But, I'm here to tell you that this 50 f/1.4 proved to me that the problems I've thought were all in the body were in actuality all in the lenses.
I'm in the process of replacing all my off-brand "Pro" lenses with Sony/Minolta and Sony/Zeiss lenses. Today (14Nov07) I purchased a Sony 16mm f/2.8 lens (SAL-16F28) to replace my 17mm Tokina lens. The Tokina lens just doesn't cut it when it comes to image sharpness and resolution. I'm hoping this 16mm will perform on-par with my 50 f/1.4. If it does then the next step is a Sony/Zeiss 85 f/1.4 and eventually a Sony/Minolta 80-200 f/2.8 (to replace my Tokina 80-200 f/2.8 ATX PRO).
I know some people aren't as critical as I may be about image sharpness, resolution and contrast. And for those people I say ... to each his own. But, my experience and expectations are very high and I feel there is no reason to compromise. Spend the extra money and buy the best glass you can ... because it does make a difference.
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