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A lightweight high-quality lens suitable for both work and life recording! Popular photographer-Mu Qing talks about Sony SEL50F14GM experience | DIGIPHOTO

For most photographers, 50mm is a very familiar and friendly angle of view. The first fixed-focus lens for many people is 50mm F1.4. In addition to the characteristics of WYSIWYG, it is also widely used due to its high versatility. Main reason for welcome. But you may have the impression that the 50mm F1.4 that you used before is not light and the image quality is not good at the maximum aperture. If this is the case, then the SEL50F14GM will definitely subvert your imagination of this type of lens! And the reason, let the popular photographer Mu Qing tell you!

regarding | Eye blue

“目” is to record the world seen through the eyes; “cyan” is a blue hue, a bit close to the sky, and also a bit close to the color of the grass. Together they are exactly the “eyes” of the eyes. You can always feel the warmth of Muqing in the photos, as comfortable as warm water. The blank screen can be filled with your own story; the text with a sense of life can feel the purest taste in life.

Currently operating:“目靑” (@6.21_)

When did you start falling in love with photography?and Sony α What is the opportunity for the system to form a bond?

I remember that when I was serving in the military, I always liked to walk around alone on weekends every weekend, but I felt that there was something missing just for walking and looking. At that time, I suddenly had an idea in my heart and told myself, “Why don’t you just buy a camera? !” At least I can bring back some video records when I go to a certain place, just like bringing back a souvenir. Then I really put it into action and bought a camera. After that, every time I go on vacation, I enjoy the process of recording street scenes and scenery by myself with the camera on my back.

As for my relationship with the Sony α system, I just wanted to switch the system. The reason is that although I was interested in photography, I continued to take pictures, but later I became a full-time photographer by chance, and photography became my main source of income. It takes a long time to take pictures with the camera every day, so I came up with the idea of changing to a more portable system. After many comparisons and careful homework, I found that the Sony α system is a brand that can achieve the best balance between image quality and portability, so I decided to start with α7 III, and then upgraded to α7R III until today.

▲ Muqing always likes to walk around with his camera on his back when he is free, and capture the pictures he sees. This is his exclusive souvenir every time he goes out. (Sony α7 IV + SEL50F14GM, F1.4, 1/8000s, ISO 160) (see big picture）

Usually use 50mm What are the chances of shooting? What subject do you like to shoot with this focal length?

In fact, whether it is for work or daily life, I often use the focal length of 50mm. The first is that it is lighter in size than zoom lenses. It is easy to install on the camera for work shooting or take it out. The second is that the angle of view of the 50mm lens is very close to the range seen by the human eye. Simply put, you can get what you see, which makes composition and framing convenient and intuitive.

In my usual work, I am used to shooting portraits, family photos or product photography with 50mm lenses. The main reason is that I always like the angle of view captured by the standard focal length of 50mm. It does not have such exaggerated perspective distortion like wide-angle lenses. , There is no telephoto lens with such a narrow and cramped viewing angle range, everything is just right and very comfortable, it is used to take portraits, group photos of multiple people and products, and there is no need to worry regarding the problem of deformation and distortion at the edge of the picture; as for daily records In other words, I like to use a 50mm lens to shoot the scenery and street scenes I see in my eyes, and because of the relationship of what you see is what you get, when you see the photos I take, you can feel more immersive and fully appreciate the moment I shoot. It is easy to walk into the atmosphere or story to be expressed in the photo.

▲ ▼ 50mm is the focal length that Muqing often uses in work or daily shooting. In addition to being lighter than the zoom lens, the angle of view is also very close to what the human eye sees. (Above: Sony α7 IV + SEL50F14GM, F1.4, 1/8000s, ISO 100 (see big picture) / Bottom: Sony α7 IV + SEL50F14GM, F1.4, 1/4000s, ISO 125 (see big picture））

right SEL50F14GM What is your initial impression of this lens?

What impressed me the most regarding the SEL50F14GM lens is that it is “very lightweight”. I have been taking pictures for so long, and I have also used a few other brands of 50mm F1.4. In my impression, this kind of lens is actually quite heavy, with a relatively solid size and weight. But when I got the Sony SEL50F14GM, it was obvious that it might I feel that it is very different from the 50mm F1.4 series I used before. It is really much lighter in comparison, and the biggest advantage brought by this point is that it is of great help to the mobility of shooting!

For example, I like to use my spare time to visit various villages and towns in Taiwan with my camera on my back, and record the local scenery through the lens. When traveling around Taiwan, the portability of the SEL50F14GM allows me to take pictures with ease. For example, I visited Chiayi and Kyoto with the α7 IV and SEL50F14GM respectively. Such a lightweight combination is completely comfortable to carry on my back all day. It will cause troubles in carrying, which is really good!

▲ Mu Qing said that the SEL50F14GM is the lightest 50mm F1.4 lens he has ever used, and the grip following connecting with the α7R IV is quite comfortable, and it will not cause trouble at all when carrying it all day.

Do you think SEL50F14GM Can the image quality and autofocus performance meet the needs of commercial shooting?

It has to be said that the SEL50F14GM is very suitable for commercial photography. For example, when taking family portraits for customers, the subjects are usually not only adults, but also children, and some even bring pets. I believe that many people have had this experience. Children and pets are relatively out of control, and they cannot sit obediently and let you take pictures like adults. In addition to taking group photos, I also like to capture some casual pictures, which are relatively more natural expressions of emotion, and the autofocus performance of SEL50F14GM equipped with α7 IV can fill this trouble in work shooting and reduce many focusing mistakes. Greatly improve the success rate of shooting.

In addition, the image quality performance of SEL50F14GM is also quite reassuring. Taking family photos as an example, due to the limited space in the studio, it is impossible to arrange all the people in the center of the screen when taking such group photos with a large number of people. In this photo, there will be people standing from left to right in the picture. According to past experience, when shooting with other lenses, I may have to worry regarding the image quality loss on both sides of the picture, but I found that the picture quality of the SEL50F14GM lens, no matter From the center to the edge of the screen, it almost maintains a certain level. Even if you use natural light to shoot indoors and use the maximum aperture of F1.4, the quality of the image at the edge of the screen will not drop sharply. This is very good for shooting at work. Undoubtedly, it will bring greater application flexibility.

▲ When shooting portraits, Muqing likes to capture inadvertent moments and express real emotions, and the autofocus performance of SEL50F14GM is very natural. (Sony α7 IV + SEL50F14GM, F1.4, 1/125s, ISO 320) (see big picture）

▲ Muqing is quite satisfied with the image quality performance of SEL50F14GM. He said that the image quality of this lens is very sharp when using the maximum aperture of F1.4. It maintains the same high level from the center of the screen to the corners. There are cases where the picture quality drops sharply. (Sony α7 IV + SEL50F14GM, F1.4, 1/2500s, ISO 200) (see big picture）

▲ The center of the picture above is 100% cropped. Even when shooting with the maximum aperture of F1.4, the quality of the focus is still sharp.

▲ The edge of the above picture is 100% cropped, and the maximum aperture of F1.4 is used to shoot. The corner quality of the same focal plane still maintains a certain degree of sharpness. This is what SEL50F14GM really appreciates.

▲ Muqing also often needs to shoot products in the studio. When shooting with natural light as the main light source, the image quality of the SEL50F14GM with the aperture fully open is quite sharp. In addition to effectively reducing the sensitivity and increasing the shutter speed to maintain image quality , It can also create a beautiful and three-dimensional image atmosphere. (Sony α7 IV + SEL50F14GM, F1.4, 1/640s, ISO 1250) (see big picture）

SEL50F14GM Use it in daily creation, what experience can you share with you?

According to most people’s perception, my shooting style may be more Japanese or clearer, so I think the images shot with the SEL50F14GM lens can better achieve the clarity I want to convey. In addition, I prefer the overall performance of its image, because in addition to the clear focus, its bokeh performance is also quite charming, which is actually difficult to describe in words, like the bokeh of a general lens may It’s just pure blur, but the SEL50F14GM’s bokeh is not only blurry, but also very natural and pleasing. It also retains detailed textures, making the entire image look more layered and transparent.

In addition to excellent picture quality, people are willing to take it out. For example, I took α7 IV and SEL50F14GM to visit Chifeng Street in Taipei City, Chiayi City, and Kyoto, Japan. These trips made me fully feel the α7 IV and SEL50F14GM. The advantage of this combination of SEL50F14GM is that the combination of the two is not only very easy to hold, but also the light weight makes me feel no burden during the trip. I can only say that those who love to travel with one camera and one mirror must try the α7 IV. With the SEL50F14GM this wonderful combination.

In fact, when recording life or taking photos while traveling, it is easy to encounter a dark environment. For example, when I went to Chiayi this time, I visited a Japanese-style cafe with a great atmosphere. The indoor light source is almost only the natural light coming in from the window. The scene was quite dark. According to the experience of using other brands of lenses in the past, I am afraid that the embarrassment of blowing the bellows will inevitably occur. However, the combination of α7 IV and SEL50F14GM allowed me to take many satisfactory photos. What surprised me the most was that the SEL50F14GM not only The quality is sharp, the bokeh is beautiful, and even the focus is quite good.

▲ Using SEL50F14GM can easily capture the desired transparency, and the bokeh outside the focal point is also very soft and pleasing. The details and textures are still preserved while blurring, making the image look more layered. (Sony α7 IV + SEL50F14GM, F1.4, 1/3200s, ISO 200) (see big picture）

▲ The focusing performance of SEL50F14GM in the dark is amazing! For the picture above, the environment is actually quite dark, but the combination of α7R IV and SEL50F14GM did not encounter the situation of pulling the bellows at all, which allowed him to take many satisfactory works smoothly. (Sony α7 IV + SEL50F14GM, F2.2, 1/80s, ISO 800) (see big picture）

SEL50F14GM What other designs are helpful for shooting?

The SEL50F14GM is the first lens I have used with an aperture ring. I think this design is convenient and practical, allowing me to quickly adjust the desired aperture value through the aperture ring intuitively. In addition, this lens is also very suitable for the group of girls who like to take pictures on a daily basis, because most people who buy cameras now want to record their lives, or take pictures of children, furry children, etc. These people are not professional Photographers usually don’t have a lot of exposure to photography at all, so once the equipment itself is too heavy, people will have the idea of retreating whenever they want to use it, and SEL50F14GM is currently the lightest lens in its class. For those who usually only take pictures during weekends and vacations, they will be more motivated to take it out to capture travel scenes or create images.

▲ Although SEL50F14GM is Muqing’s first attempt to configure an aperture ring lens, he became a customer following trying it! When shooting, the left hand can directly adjust to the desired aperture value through the aperture ring, making the shooting process more intuitive and fast.

in conclusion SEL50F14GM Let’s use the experience! Which groups would you recommend it to?

After getting along day and night during this period, I think the SEL50F14GM is an all-round lens, because it is not only very light, but also very portable in size, which makes it very suitable for creators like me who love everyday photography. Of course, the high image quality and high focusing performance of the SEL50F14GM are also very useful for home recording enthusiasts. After all, the objects captured are usually children and pets that are difficult to control, and they are often shot in dim environments. The image quality performance of SEL50F14GM when the F1.4 aperture is fully open can definitely meet the needs of this group of people.

If you are a professional photographer, SEL50F14GM will be a good helper for your shooting work, because it has the top image quality and beautiful bokeh performance of the G Master lens, coupled with high-speed autofocus performance and aperture ring The advanced control design allows you to experience the performance of “integration of human and mirror” when shooting!

To sum up, SEL50F14GM is a lens that can be used in both words and martial arts, and I look forward to your discovering its goodness.