Nikon Nikkor 2180 50mm F/14 Af-s M/a Lens Review
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Nikon 50mm f/1.4 G
AF-South NIKKOR (2008-)
Intro Specifications Performance Compared Recommendations
Nikon 50mm f/ane.4 AF-South (58mm filters, 9.8 oz./278g, i.five'/0.45m close focus, $447 or almost $225 used). enlarge. I got mine at Adorama. I'd too go it at Amazon, at B&H or at Crutchfield, or used at eBay if y'all know How to Win at eBay.
My biggest source of support for this free website is when you apply those or whatever of these links when you get anything, regardless of the country in which you live. Information technology helps me go on adding to this free website when you go your things through these links — merely I receive nothing for my efforts if y'all buy elsewhere. Thank you for your support! Ken.
Nikon High-Speed 50mm Lens Sharpness Comparison 09 Sep 2010
two:22 PM, 22 February 2022 Nikon Reviews Nikon Lenses All Reviews
Premium 50mm Lenses Compared 04 September 2014
Ideal Uses: Perfect for employ on FX digital, DX digital and 35mm for just about anything and everything, daylight or moonlight. It'south Nikon's fastest lens that will autofocus on the D40, D40x or D60.
The new 50mm f/ane.four AF-Southward is a far better selection than any zoom for use in low lite, and effectively quadruples your ISO, with no increment in dissonance, compared to any exotic f/2.eight zoom. The 50mm f/one.4 increases your ISO by x times compared to any f/4.5 zoom, again with no alter in noise.
Not for: It won't work on one-time transmission focus cameras; see Nikon Lens Compatibility for details. Otherwise, immortal photographers like Henri Cartier-Bresson take never needed anything else than a single fixed 50mm lens.
Sample Image Files
Become Bruins! Palm Desert 28 November 2014, 12:04 PM.(Nikon D810, Nikon 50mm F/1.4 G, f/viii at 1/250 at ISO 100.) Camera-original rotated © LARGE Basic JPG.
Of course this flag was far from apartment so it's non all in focus, but yous tin can run into every thread.
Katie plays with the modest basketball game on elastic that Ryan won at the pumpkin station – just didn't desire, 01 October 2014. (Nikon D750, Portrait Picture Mode with +1 saturation, Nikon l/1.4G, f/1.four at 1/125 at Auto ISO 1,800, Perfectly Clear V2.) bigger or camera-original JPG.
600 x 600 pixel ingather from above, shot at f/1.iv. photographic camera-original JPG.
McDonald's. Nikon D610, Nikon 50mm f/i.4 Thou, f/ten at ane/400 at ISO 100, Auto ADR, VIVID Motion picture Control with six sharpening and +iii saturation. Camera-original © LARGE BASIC Optimum Quality JPG (4.5 MB).
Canary Palm with Fusarium. Nikon D610, Nikon 50mm f/i.4 Thou, f/seven.1 at 1/200 at ISO 100, Auto ADR, Vivid Picture Command with 6 sharpening and +3 saturation. Photographic camera-original © Big Bones Optimum Quality JPG (iv.eight MB). (Upper right corner plainly not in focus.)
Clubhouse, 28 November 2013. Nikon D610, Nikon 50mm f/1.4 G, f/8 at 1/250 at ISO 100, Auto ADR, VIVID Moving-picture show Control with vi sharpening and +3 saturation. Photographic camera-original © Big Bones Optimum Quality JPG (4.5 MB).
Palms in Paradise, 28 Nov 2013. Nikon D610, Nikon 50mm f/i.4 G, f/8 at 1/250 at ISO 100, Auto ADR, VIVID Film Control with 6 sharpening and +3 saturation. © Big Basic Optimum Quality JPG (4.5 MB), losslessly rotated in iView Media Pro 3.1.3.
Palms, 28 November 2013. Nikon D610, Nikon 50mm f/one.4 Grand, f/vi.3 at 1/160 at ISO 100, Auto ADR, VIVID Picture Control with 6 sharpening and +three saturation. © LARGE Bones Optimum Quality JPG (4.five MB), losslessly rotated in iView Media Pro iii.1.three.
Noni'southward Wreaths, 29 November 2013. (Nikon D610, no flash, Nikon 50mm f/1.iv K, f/9 at 1/320 at ISO 100.) bigger or Camera-original © Big Basic JPG file.
Night Fog, 12 December 2013. Nikon Df, Nikon 50mm f/1.4G, f/1.4 at 1/50 at Auto ISO 4,500. bigger or © camera-original file.
Katie plays Follow the Leader. (cropped from Nikon Df, Nikon 50mm f/1.4G, f/one.4 at 1/125 at Auto ISO 12,800, Athentech Perfectly Clear.) © photographic camera-orignal file.
Nikon 50mm f/1.4G. enlarge.
Introduction pinnacle
Intro Specifications Performance Compared Recommendations
Compatibility History Pricing
Nikon invented the globe'due south get-go 50mm f/1.four lens in 1950. This is Nikon'due south latest innovation for 2008, and their first new 50mm optical pattern in over thirty years.
My 50mm f/1.4 is the lens I use most frequently for photographing family and friends.
The reason you lot desire this new 50mm f/ane.4G AF-S instead of the perfectly good 50mm f/1.4 AF-D that Nikon has been making unchanged since 1993 is that you lot can tweak manual focus simply past touching the ring. With the older AF-D lens, you accept to move a switch on the camera to get between manual and car focus.
When this AF-S lens autofocuses, zippo moves except the glass inside the solid barrel. The focus band and filter ring don't movement. It you get hit with a thrown bottle or rock, you won't likely mess upward the delicate internal focus mechanics.
By comparison, y'all take to keep your fingers away from the focus ring of the onetime AF-D lens, since information technology has to be left alone to spin freely while the lens autofocuses. When you blindside the forepart of the AF-D lens on a rock, you can screw upwardly the alignment because the unabridged front end of the old lens moves in and out on a helicoid.
The only gotchas are that this new lens has more butt distortion than the quondam 50mm f/1.4 AF-D, it has a weird 58mm (non standard 52mm) filter size, and that this new lens is useless on Nikons made before about 1990.
This new Nikon lens uses an 8 element design, while every other 50mm f/one.4 SLR lens from Nikon, Canon and Zeiss has only had 7 elements for decades. The shut-focus altitude is the same, at 1.5 anxiety (0.45meters).
In formal, controlled tests this new lens isn't any sharper than all the other very precipitous 50mm f/1.4 lenses Nikon has made these past decades, simply in real photos where autofocus accurateness and hit rate matter, the results at f/1.iv are even better than older lenses. I'1000 getting sharp, haze-free shots expressionless-on in-focus at f/1.4 on all of my cameras, where at f/1.iv my old 50/one.4 AF-D oft had more veil, bloom or glow (what scientists call spherical aberration) in real shots.
This new 50 wins on subtlety for existent things you shoot with a fast 50mm, only doesn't do anything different in tests for flat subjects at infinity.
This new AF-S 50 has more linear distortion than any other fixed Nikon 50mm e'er made. Most people don't care, but if you practice, get something else similar the 60mm Micro-NIKKOR or 50mm f/i.8.
Get this 50mm f/ane.4 AF-South if y'all accept a D40, D40x or D60, or any other modern Nikon, flick or digital. On DX cameras, it makes a superb close portrait lens.
If you lot need f/1.iv at a lower price, get the older and perfectly not bad 50mm f/1.4 AF-D instead.
If you lot're a tripod guy and want the most perfect optics for utilise with a D3X, get the 60mm Micro-NIKKOR.
As well being Nikon'south start fast AF lens that really can autofocus on the D40, D40x or D60, what makes this new fifty one.4 stand out is how well it works in bodily shooting, as opposed to lab tests. In chasing around moving targets, even at f/1.4 I consistently become fantastic, sharp, in-focus results.
Ryan drinking and driving. (Nikon D3, 50mm f/i.4G AF-S, f/1.4 at i/125, NEUTRAL with +i saturation film control, normal ADR, auto A3 WB, Program auto, Auto ISO chose ISO 280.)
Trying to brand what seem like uncomplicated shots like this with the Canon 5D Marker II and Canon'south fifty/1.iv USM only don't do this, because I can't become an AF sensor where I desire information technology, and the Canon system can't nail every shot like this Nikon philharmonic does. What you don't want to meet is that almost all of the 100 other snaps were also in focus at f/1.4, fifty-fifty if Ryan wasn't smiling. At f/ane.4, the depth-of-field is simply about an inch, and remember, this kid was moving, not waiting for dad to snap his photograph.
Complain most kid pictures all you want, but dissimilar shooting Formula One racing or American hero Lance Armstrong, y'all don't know where the kid is going next. Just endeavor getting an in-focus shot without AF.
I got my 50/1.4G at Adorama. I'd too get information technology at Amazon, at B&H or at Crutchfield, or used at eBay if you know How to Win at eBay.
Rear, Nikon 50 1.four. enlarge.
Compatibility back to intro back to elevation
I got my l/1.4G at Adorama. I'd also get it at Amazon, at B&H or at Crutchfield, or used at eBay if yous know How to Win at eBay.
This AF-Southward lens works neat on the FTZ, with autofocus and all features. It has no internal optical stabilization.
Everything works perfectly on every digital Nikon, both FX and DX. Autofocus works perfectly even on Nikon'south cheapest digital D40, D40x and D60.
Information technology's besides perfect on decent or recent AF moving-picture show cameras like the F6, F100, F5, N80 and N75.
The incompatibilities for older or cheaper film cameras are that:
1.) It won't autofocus with the cheapest new AF film cameras like the N55, but if you focus manually, everything else works great. Fifty-fifty if you lose autofocus, these cameras accept in-finder focus confirmation dots to aid you.
ii.) Late 1980s ~ early on 1990s AF cameras like the N90s, N70 and F4 volition focus just fine. You'll have Program and Shutter-priority modes, but lose Manual and Aperture-priority since you have no way to prepare the aperture on the photographic camera or on the lens.
3.) You're actually pushing information technology with the oldest AF cameras like the N2020, N6006 and N8008. You'll take no AF, confused exposure modes and confused metering. Manual focus is fine, along with electronic focus indications.
4.) Since it has no discontinuity band, information technology'due south only about useless with transmission focus film cameras.
Meet Nikon Lens Compatibility for details with your camera. Read downwards the "AF-S, AF-I," and "Thousand"columns for this lens. Y'all'll go the least of all the features displayed in all columns, since "G" (gelding) is a handicap which removes features.
50mm f/1.4 History back to intro back to acme
1933: Nikon, formed in 1917 out of three other companies around since the 1800s, makes the offset Nikkor lens. This new 50mm lens commemorates the 75th ceremony of Nikkor lenses.
1935: Canon'due south very first camera, the Hansa Kwanon, used a Nikkor lens. Canon didn't make lenses in the 1930s and 1940s, and instead got them from Nikon. Nikon didn't make cameras until the late 1940s, so no problem.
1945 Canon Southward Rangefinder with 50mm f/three.5 Nikkor lens, as shown in Canon'southward historical display in their booth at PMA 2007.
1950-1962
The world's fastest lens ever in 35mm photography, the Nikon Nikkor-South 5cm f/1.four trumped the Zeiss 5cm f/i.v for use on rangefinder cameras. This Nikkor has 7 elements condensed into only 3 groups to reduce flare and ghosts. Its performance is OK, just not as good as modern 50mm lenses. I suspect the f/2 version of this rangefinder lens was better, but have never tried information technology.
1959-1962
Nikon'south first f/1.iv SLR lens was the seven chemical element, 6 group, Nikon 58mm f/1.4. If you have it converted in a machine shop, information technology still works fine on the D700 and D3. Information technology has low contrast and a dreamy, hazy consequence shot at f/1.4, and is super-sharp stopped down.
1962-1976
Nikon'due south first 50mm f/one.four has 7 elements in 5 groups. It is extremely pop, and if updated to AI, works great on the newest FX DSLRs.
1976-2008
Nikon updates the design of the pop 50mm f/1.4 to 7 elements and 6 groups, and the mechanics to AI. This same design is sold today as the 50mm f/1.4 AF-D and the however-in-production manual focus 50mm f/ane.4 AI-s, which you still tin can buy brand-new at B&H Photograph-Video for about $300.
2008-
The commencement new optical design since 1976, this 50mm f/1.4 AF-Due south is the outset 50mm f/ane.four lens from Nikon to use an 8 chemical element design. (Leica'due south 50mm f/1.four ASPH also uses 8 elements, as well as aspherics and floating elements, far beyond Nikon, just ten times as expensive, besides.)
Specifications top
Intro Specifications Performance Compared Recommendations
I got my 50/1.4G at Adorama. I'd as well get it at Amazon, at B&H or at Crutchfield, or used at eBay if you know How to Win at eBay.
Bottom, Nikon 50/1.4G. enlarge.
Name
Nikon calls this the Nikon AF-S Nikkor 50mm f/1.4G.
AF-S and SWM: Silent Wave (focus) Motor.
K: Gelded for cost-reduction and eliminating compatibility with older cameras.
Optics
eight elements in 7 groups.
Information technology'south a spherical blueprint without ED drinking glass, without nano-crystal coating and without aspherical elements.
It'due south multicoated, which Nikon calls Nikon Super Integrated Blanket.
Coverage
Film, FX and DX.
Focal Length
50mm.
When used on a DX camera, it gives angles of view similar to what a 75mm lens gives when used on an FX or 35mm camera.
Close Focus
1.5 feet (0.45m).
Maximum Reproduction Ratio
1:6.7
Focus Scale
Yes.
Depth-of-Field Scale
Yep, but so crowded as to be almost useless, and only marked for f/11 and f/16.
Infra-Red Focus Index
No.
Diaphragm
9 rounded blades.
Stops downwardly to f/16.
Aperture Ring
None.
Filter Thread
58mm, plastic, does not rotate.
What? Not 52mm, as information technology's been since 1959? Oh well, information technology was 43mm back in 1950.
Size
Nikon specifies 2.i" (54.2mm) extension from flange by 2.nine " (73.5mm) diameter.
Weight
9.807 oz. (278.05 g), measured, naked.
Nikon specifies 10.2 oz. (290g).
Nikon HB-47 Dinky Plastic Bayonet Hood.
Hood
HB-47 plastic bayonet, included.
Case
CL-1013 soft case, included.
Made in
Red China.
Front and rear caps come up from Thailand.
Teleconverters
Probably not compatible with whatsoever Nikon teleconverter.
Announced
22 September 2008 at Photokina.
Available Since
December 2008.
Nikon Product Number
2180.
Price, USA back to intro back to elevation
February 2022
$447 at Adorama, at Amazon, at B&H or at Crutchfield.
About $225 used if you know How to Win at eBay.
September 2014
$425.
August 2012 - November 2013
$450.
August 2011
$440.
March 2010
$440.
March 2009
$500.
Fall 2008 (intreodcution)
$440.
Box, Nikon 50mm f1.4 AFS
Performance top
Intro Specifications Performance Compared Recommendations
Overall Focus Bokeh Color Coma Distortion Ergonomics
Falloff Filters Ghosts Hood Lateral Color Fringes Mechanics
Sharpness Stabilzation Spherochromatism Sunstars Comparisons
I got my fifty/1.4G at Adorama. I'd also go it at Amazon, at B&H or at Crutchfield, or used at eBay if y'all know How to Win at eBay.
Overall back to Functioning back to meridian
Optical operation oddly is the same every bit older designs, but with more baloney. Oh well.
AF functioning and ergonomics are finally up to appointment over all the other sometime mechanical focusing 50mm Nikon lenses.
What makes this new lens stand out are its superior ergonomics, and its superb ability to become every shot in perfect focus, so long a you're using your photographic camera properly.
Focus back to Performance back to top
Nix moves externally when focused, except of grade the focus ring, but but if you touch information technology.
Autofocus
AF is fast and sure. And then is AF on the older 50mm f/i.4 AF-D and today'due south $110 50mm f/one.8 AF-D, too.
AF tracks moving subjects only fine.
AF is very accurate and repeatable, much better than Canon. Even on a D40, I tin shoot at f/1.4 and get every shot in perfect focus. Just attempt this with a transmission focus photographic camera; I never could get results this proficient.
Look at the bokeh sample beneath: with a Nikon D3 ready to information technology'southward fully automatic AF manner and handed to a freind, it nailed focus on my eye perfecty.
Transmission Focus
Manual focus is like shooting fish in a barrel: just grab the ring at any time.
M/A - M Switch
Nikon goofed. This switch is supposed to be labeled "A - M."
The "Thou/A" position ways autofocus. It'due south called "M/A" because back in the one-time days, when Nikon had virtually caught up to Canon who had been doing this for 10 years earlier, Nikon was trying to show off that you could focus manually while in the AF position.
Paint over the extra M if you're hands dislocated.
Bokeh back to Performance back to top
Ryan at Mathis Brothers furniture clearance center, 29 November 2013. Nikon D610, no flash, Nikon 50mm f/1.4 G, f/1.iv at 1/125 at Auto ISO 160, Athentech Perfectly Clear. bigger.
At f/one.4 on FX, Nikon 50/i.4G. enlarge.
Bokeh, the character of out of focus backgrounds, not simply how far out of focus they are, is very, very good.
It's also very skilful for foregrounds, only you lot should never accept out of focus foregrounds unless you have a very good reason; our eyes and brains freak out when there's something fuzzy between us and the subject.
The 9-bladed diaphragm gives essentially round circles at every aperture, dissimilar previous Nikon 50mm f/1.iv SLR lenses whose vii-bladed diaphragms could give septagonal blur circles.
Color Rendition back to Functioning back to top
I can't see any difference in colour rendition betwixt this 50 i.4 AFS and my other multicoated AF lenses.
Blackout back to Performance dorsum to height
Coma (saggital blackout flare) is weird smeared blobs that appear around bright points of light in the corners. They happen with fast and wide lenses at big apertures. Coma goes abroad as stopped downward, and tends not to be seen in slower and tele lenses.
The 50mm AFS has blackout at f/one.four, which becomes weaker as stopped downwardly, but isn't completely gone until f/4.
Distortion back to performance dorsum to top
The 50mm f/1.4 AF-S has relatively potent and visible barrel (bulging) distortion.
It'southward plain visible, so if direct lines and architectural items are your thing, pass on this lens and get the 50mm f/1.iv AF-D instead , or go the 50mm f/ane.eight AF-D which has no distortion at all and sells new for just $110.
The distortion of this 50/1.4G easily can exist corrected for disquisitional use by plugging these figures into Photoshop CS2's lens distortion filter. These aren't facts or specifications, they are the results of my research that requires hours of photography and calculations on the resulting information.
| FX and Picture show | DX | |
| ∞ | +2.ii | +1.0 |
| 10' (3m) | +2.0 | +ane.4 |
| 3' (1m) | +3.0 | tbd |
| 1.vi' (0.5m) | +3.5 | tbd |
© 2008 KenRockwell.com. All rights reserved.
Ergonomics (handling and ease-of-use) back to performance back to meridian
Ergonomics are superb. Ergonomics are the reason to go this l/one.4G instead of the earlier ones.
The focus ring doesn't movement during AF; it only moves when you turn it for instant manual focus override.
Information technology seems featherbrained, merely yous can only hold the exterior of this lens and shoot. With every other NIkon AF 50mm fabricated to appointment, yous have to avert touching the focus ring, considering it moves as the lens autofocuses. If you bear upon the ring of the other lenses, you bung up the focus, with this 50/i.4, no problem: hold on tight anywhere you want.
Falloff (darkened corners) back to performance dorsum to top
Falloff on FX is as expected: visible at f/1.4, barely visible at f/ii, and gone past f/2.8. If you're shooting tests and looking for information technology explicitly by comparing to other apertures, information technology'southward completely gone by f/four.
It shouldn't exist much of an issue on DX (see ingather factor).
I've exaggerated this past shooting a gray field and placing these on a gray groundwork.
Nikon 50mm f/one.4 AF-S falloff on FX and film at infinity.
© 2008 KenRockwell.com. All rights reserved.
Filters, Apply with dorsum to Operation back to acme
In that location is no trouble with vignetting, even with combinations of thick filters.
The filter ring never rotates. Information technology never moves in and out, either.
Ghostsback to Performance back to acme
You'll probably get bullheaded trying to see any ghosts. Good luck, I can't make any happen under whatsoever reasonable set of conditions.
Hood back to Performance dorsum to height
Nikon 50/1.4G with included BH-47 Hood. overstate.
(It's more just the hood that comes from China!)
The plastic bayonet hood is dinky.
I wouldn't employ it; I'd rather just shield the lens with my manus if I demand it so I don't have to worry about breaking the hood the outset time I use it.
Lateral Color Fringes back to Performance back to peak
I can't meet whatever lateral colour fringes on the D3 or D40. The D3 would correct them if the lens had any.
Mechanics dorsum to Operation back to top
The 50G feels only like the xviii-200mm VR and similar lenses.
Hood: Dinky plastic bayonet, included.
Barrel Exterior: Plastic.
Filter Threads: Plastic.
Hood Mountain: Plastic.
Focus Ring: Plastic; condom covered.
Focus Helicoids: Beats me. Feels similar semi-gritty plastic.
Depth-of-Field Scale: Barely.
Internals: Who knows, probably some metal and lots of plastic. Diaphragm blades seem like metallic.
Aperture Ring: None.
Mount: Seems like the usual tiresome-chromed contumely.
Markings: Paint.
Identity Plate: Enhance gold letters, looks like metal and feels like plastic.
Serial Number: Printed sticker on lesser of butt.
Ass-Gasket (dust seal at mountain): Yes.
Noises When Shaken: Clicking and klunking.
Made in: Reddish China. Get over information technology, both AF-D 50mm lenses are fabricated at that place, too.
Sharpness dorsum to Functioning back to top
Warning 1: Paradigm sharpness depends more than on you than your lens.
Warning 2: Lens sharpness doesn't mean much to good photographers.
With those caveats, the 50mm f/1.4 AF-S is at least every bit sharp as every other fifty/i.iv at about apertures, and significantly better shot broad-open at f/1.4.
Go Bruins! Waving flag not all in focus, 30 November 2013, Nikon D610, Nikon 50mm f/1.4 Yard, f/9 at i/320 at ISO 100. Camera-original © Big BASIC JPG file.
On a D3 (12MP FX) at infinity:
At f/i.iv: The 50mm f/i.4G AF-Southward is sharp all over, but has lower contrast in the corners of FX due to coma (slight radial blurring of highlights). The spherical aberration in the center isn't much of a problem, and then well-nigh of the image is abrupt and contrasty without much veiling, fog or haze, also called glow or bloom by Leicaphiles.
At f/2: Contrast picks up from the lessening of spherical aberration in the heart. Far corners on FX are a little ameliorate than at f/ane.4.
At f/2.viii: Much better in the corners of FX.
At f/4: Improve even so, and still getting better in the corners of FX.
At f/5.6: The only improvement is the very far corners of FX. f/5.vi is optimum.
At f/8: Same as f/5.6.
At f/11: Most as good as f/8.
At f/16: Softer due to Diffraction.
Image Stabilization (VR) performance tiptop
This lens has no internal optical stabilization, nonetheless it works with internal sensor-shift Epitome Stabilization (IS or VR (Vibration Reduction)) in some of Nikon's mirrorless Z cameras with the FTZ adapter.
"Percent Perfectly Abrupt Shots" are the percentage of frames with 100% perfect tripod-equivalent sharpness I go when I'm shooting manus-held while complimentary-standing with no back up or bracing. This is a very strict exam; in actual shooting at typical print sizes I get acceptable sharpness at much slower speeds, but for the purposes of seeing how much improvement an IS system gives, this is the near precise method.
Hand tremor is a random occurrence, so at marginal speeds some frames volition be perfectly precipitous while others will be in various stages of blur — all at the same shutter speed. This rates what pct of shots are perfectly precipitous, not how sharp are all the frames:
| % Perfectly Sharp Shots on Z9 on FTZ | 1 | ane/2 | 1/iv | 1/8 | one/xv | 1/30 | 1/threescore | 1/125 | 1/250 |
| Stabilization ON | 0 | 17 | 17 | 50 | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 |
| Stabilization OFF | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 17 | 0 | 17 | 83 | 100 |
I see about a 3½ stop real-world improvement.
Spherochromatism back to Performance back to summit
Spherochromatism is the variation of spherical aberration with colour. This is what causes out-of focus highlights to have slight colour fringes, typically greenish and magenta, with fast normal and long lenses.
This l/1.4G has some, meaning that at f/i.4 your background highlights might have a fleck of light-green or bluish-light-green around them. Well-composed photos shouldn't have out-of-focus foreground elements, but of you lot do at f/1.4, they may have slight magenta to reddish-magenta fringes.
You won't notice this unless you await for it, and like many artifacts, once you notice it, you lot'll always see information technology, so don't look for it!
Sunstars back to Performance back to top
It'due south hard to get sunstars because the diaphragm is so circular.
If you tin can, they tend to be asymmetrical, mostly due to any slight out-of-roundness y'all get in the nine-bladed diaphragm.
I'd prefer a directly 9-bladed diaphragm instead of the rounded blades, which would give stronger, more than precise sunstars.
Compared top
Intro Specifications Performance Compared Recommendations
NEW: Premium 50mm Lenses Compared 04 September 2014
Nikon 50mm and 58mm Bokeh Comparisons
I got my l/1.4G at Adorama. I'd also become it at Amazon, at B&H or at Crutchfield, or used at eBay if yous know How to Win at eBay.
Want easy switching to manual focus? This is Nikon's best lens by far; but take hold of the ring at any time.
Oddly, optical quality is the same as other 50/1.4s, but distortion is worse.
Sharpness is as good every bit the 50mm f/1.four AI-s and 50mm f/1.four AF and AF-D, just baloney is worse. The original 5cm f/1.4 NIKKOR-S from 1950 was atrocious by comparison to any of these.
Want to use it on a manual-focus camera? Forget information technology; you lot can't control the aperture. Use any manual focus lens for best feel and results.
Recommendations summit
Intro Specifications Operation Compared Recommendations
I got my 50/one.4G at Adorama. I'd too get it at Amazon, at B&H or at Crutchfield, or used at eBay if you know How to Win at eBay.
A 50mm f/1.4 is mandatory for anyone shooting in bachelor light. The older AF-D works great on all the cameras likely to be used by serious photographers, but you lot were out of luck with the D40, D40x or D60.
This new 50mm gives even clearer results for existent-world bachelor-light portraiture at f/i.4 than the older lenses, and it doesn't chatter away in AF-C mode every bit do the older mechanically focused (AF and AF-D) 50mm and 85mm lenses. All these lenses are equally precipitous past f/ii.8.
Another reason to get this newest AF-S is to have autofocus on the crappiest digital D40, D40x and D60 cameras, or just to get better handing than the older AF-D lenses.
If price matters, the old fifty/one.iv AF-D is nevertheless excellent. The biggest disadvantage is having to go along your hands away from the onetime 50mm's focus ring as it moves by itself in AF mode.
If you worry about straight lines or distortion, this is the worse 50mm lens e'er made by Nikon since at to the lowest degree 1950, and I've tried them all, even for their rangefinder cameras. For low distortion, any of the f/1.eight lenses are about perfect. The 50mm f/two and other f/1.four lenses are all better than this l/1.4G. The 50mm f/one.2 (merely made for pros, so it's manual-focus only) is about the aforementioned, but still has a a hair less distortion than this 50/1.4 AF-S.
Enough of my annoyed. This AF-South lens rules for existent shooting. Shoot information technology in the dark, and the images are sharp, and expressionless-on in-focus with whatever of the cameras I've tried. With an f/1.4 lens, being in focus is disquisitional, and this new lens excels at real-world performance.
I honey mine, and I will exist making almost of my Christmas and family pictures with information technology from now on.
I got my 50/1.4G at Adorama. I'd also get it at Amazon, at B&H or at Crutchfield, or used at eBay if y'all know How to Win at eBay.
Capped Nikon 50/i.4 AFS. enlarge.
Deployment
I never utilise hoods. I'd go out it in the box.
I'd get out a 58mm Nikon Articulate (NC - UV) filter, or a 58mm Hoya Super HMC UV on the lens at all times. I would leave the dinky hood at home.
If I was going to utilize this as part of a larger pro organization, I'd consider attaching a 58->77mm step-up-ring to catechumen this to today's pro standard of 77mm, and apply a 77mm Nikon UV or Hoya UV filter for protection. This is what I actually do; I only put on a step-upward band when I get a lens like this and treat it as if it's a 77mm filter thread len equally long every bit I have it. I'd get a new "compression" type cap in 77mm too.
If I was working in nasty, dirty areas, I'd forget the cap, and employ an uncoated 58mm Tiffen UV filter instead (or in 77mm). Uncoated filters are much easier to make clean, merely more prone to ghosting.
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