Overview
The Nikon 50mm f/1.8G is a consumer-grade lens for enthusiasts and seasonal pros that need quality optics of a fixed portrait lens at an affordable price point. Its large aperture of f/1.8 is great for low-light photography and the shallow depth of field helps isolate subjects from the background, beautifully rendering the background highlights, also known as bokeh. The Nikon 50mm f/1.8G replaces the older Nikon 50mm f/1.8D lens (introduced in 2002). Compared to the AF-D version that has 6 optical elements in 5 groups, the new 50mm f/1.8G has a modified optical design with 7 optical elements in 6 groups, one out of which is an aspherical element (reduces coma and chromatic aberrations). The Nikon 50mm f/1.8G is the first Nikon 50mm lens that comes with an aspherical element; even the more expensive and higher-end Nikon 50mm f/1.4G does not have one.
Thanks to the improved optical design and larger lens barrel, the front lens element does not extend or rotate during autofocus operations, which makes the lens more durable and also makes it easy to use circular filters and filter holders. In addition to the above-mentioned optical improvements, the lens incorporates silent wave motor (AF-S), which not only provides near silent focus operation, but also allows the lens to be fully used on entry-level DSLRs such as Nikon D3100 and Nikon D5100 (the older Nikon 50mm f/1.8D cannot autofocus on entry-level DSLRs without a focus motor). In addition, the AF-S motor gives the ability to use autofocus with a manual focus override, which you cannot do on any of the AF-D prime lenses. Just like the older AF-D cousin, the Nikon 50mm f/1.8G also has Super Integrated Coating, which helps reduce lens flare and ghosting. The lens is designed to work on both Nikon FX and DX sensors, although it is certainly better suited on FX sensors for everyday photography. On DX sensors, the lens is equivalent to a 75mm lens, which is perfect for portraiture, but a little too long for other types of photography. The lens retains the 7-blade diaphragm, which can result in heptagon-shaped bokeh at large apertures above f/2 (see bokeh examples below).
In this review, I will provide a thorough analysis of the Nikon 50mm f/1.8G lens, along with image samples and comparisons against other 50mm lenses such as Nikon 50mm f/1.8D, Nikon 50mm f/1.4G, Nikon 50mm f/1.4D and Sigma 50mm f/1.4 EX DG HSM.
1) Lens Specifications
Main Features:
- Nikon Silent Wave Motor (SWM) enables fast, accurate and quiet autofocus.
- Aspherical lens element virtually eliminates coma and other types of aberration, even when shooting at the widest available aperture.
- M/A focus mode switch enables quick changes between manual and autofocus operation.
- Nikon Super Integrated Coating (SIC) enhances light transmission efficiency and offers superior color consistency and reduced flare.
Technical Specifications:
- Mount Type: Nikon F-Bayonet
- Focal Length: 50mm
- Maximum Aperture: f/1.8
- Minimum Aperture: f/16
- Format: FX/35mm
- Maximum Angle of View (DX-format): 31°30′
- Maximum Angle of View (FX-format): 47°
- Maximum Reproduction Ratio: 0.15x
- Lens Elements: 7
- Lens Groups: 6
- Compatible Format(s): FX, DX, FX in DX Crop Mode
- Diaphragm Blades: 7
- Distance Information: Yes
- Aspherical Elements: 1
- Super Integrated Coating: Yes
- Autofocus: Yes
- AF-S (Silent Wave Motor): Yes
- Minimum Focus Distance: 1.48ft.(0.45m)
- Focus Mode: Auto, Manual, Manual/Auto
- G-type: Yes
- Filter Size: 58mm
- Accepts Filter Type: Screw-on
- Dimensions: (Approx.) 2.8×2.1 in. (Diameter x Length), 72.1×52.4mm (Diameter x Length)
- Weight: (Approx.) 6.6 oz. (185g)
- Supplied Accessories: 58mm Snap-on Front Lens Cap LC-58, Rear Lens Cap LF-4, Bayonet Hood HB-47, Flexible Lens Pouch CL-1013
2) Lens Handling and Build
Similar to the recently introduced Nikon prime lenses, the Nikon 50mm f/1.8G has a solid build, with a plastic exterior and a metal mount. The changes in optical and barrel design increased the size of the lens, which as can be seen below, is almost as big as the Nikon 50mm f/1.4G (Left: Nikon 50mm f/1.8G, Right: Nikon 50mm f/1.4G):
Besides the size and barrel layout similarities, the Nikon 50mm f/1.8G also has a rubber gasket on the lens mount, which provides good sealing against dust making its way into the camera. The rubber gasket definitely helps not only in reducing sensor dust, but also in reducing the amount of dust that could potentially end up inside the lens. As I explained in my “what to do with dust inside lenses” article, it is quite normal for lenses to suck air in and out when focusing or zooming in/out. Although the front part of the lens does not move when focusing, the front lens element does move in and out inside the lens barrel (just like the 50mm f/1.4G). If you want to reduce the chances of dust and moisture making into the lens through the front of the lens, I would recommend to get a good 58mm clear/protective filter such as B+W 58mm MRC clear filter and leave it on the lens at all times. Not only will it help protect the front element of the lens and reduce dust, but it will also make it much easier to clean the lens when needed. It is definitely painful to clean the front element of the lens without a filter, because it is recessed deep inside.
Here is how the lens compares against the older Nikon 50mm f/1.8D (Left: Nikon 50mm f/1.8D, Right: Nikon 50mm f/1.8G):
As you can see, the 50mm f/1.8 AF-D is both smaller and thinner in size and has an aperture ring. Please note that the older 50mm f/1.8D does not have a rubber gasket on the metal mount, so the new Nikon 50mm f/1.8G is better sealed against dust.
Despite the much bigger size, the Nikon 50mm f/1.8G is only 30 grams heavier than its predecessor and 95 grams lighter than the Nikon 50mm f/1.4G. It also has the same 58mm filter size as the Nikon 50mm f/1.4G (the older Nikon 50mm f/1.8D had a 52mm filter thread). This is not good news for those who already own the older 50mm f/1.8D or the Nikon 35mm f/1.8G lenses and bought specialized filters – larger 58mm filters would have to be purchased separately.
I have received several inquiries from our readers about weather sealing on Nikon 35mm and 50mm lenses. The short answer is “No”, these lenses are not weather sealed. While I have been using my Nikon 50mm f/1.4G lens in hot/cold/dry/wet weather conditions and never had any issues, Nikon lenses without gold rings are not designed to withstand tough weather as professional lenses. That’s why Nikon does not specifically mention weather sealing in their marketing materials on these lenses. If you take a good care of the lens and use a protective filter in front of the lens, you should have no problems with using it in various weather conditions. Just remember to take extra precaution when changing the lens in very dusty/windy conditions. Since the rear lens element moves in and out during focusing, get used to rotating the focus ring to the infinity mark before mounting or dismounting the lens.
As for the focus ring, it is conveniently located on the front of the barrel, making it easy to manually focus with a thumb and index fingers while shooting images or video. The lens comes with the same “HB-47″ lens hood as on the Nikon 50mm f/1.4G (both 50mm f/1.4D and 50mm f/1.8D are not shipped with lens hoods). The hood snaps on the front of the lens and sits tight without wobbling like some other Nikon lens hoods. The M/A and M switch on the side of the lens allows autofocus with manual focus override and full manual focus operation. The latest Nikon DSLRs like Nikon D5100 immediately recognize the focus position and provide notifications on the information (“I” button) screen.
From left to right: Nikon 50mm f/1.8D, Nikon 50mm f/1.8G, Nikon 50mm f/1.4D, Nikon 50mm f/1.4G and Sigma 50mm EX DG HSM.
3) Autofocus Performance and Accuracy
The Nikon 50mm f/1.8G autofocuses faster than the more expensive Nikon 50mm f/1.4G. When I first mounted both lenses on two different camera bodies and went from infinity to close focus and back (with the lens cap on), I was surprised to see the 50mm f/1.8G go almost twice faster. I then removed the lens caps from both lenses and tried to focus on my monitor from infinity to the closest focus distance and the time it took to acquire focus was much longer on the 50mm f/1.4G. Next, I performed a series of tests both indoors and outdoors to see how accurate autofocus on the 50mm f/1.8G is versus the 50mm f/1.4G. Again, the Nikon 50mm f/1.8G focused faster and delivered equally accurate results. On the contrary, the Nikon 50mm f/1.8G is definitely louder than the 50mm f/1.4G when it focuses, but only by a small margin. Under very dim lighting conditions, both lenses had a hard time acquiring correct focus on dark subjects, which is normal. Switching to lighter subjects significantly improved AF accuracy. Turning the AF-assist lamp on in AF-S mode helped a lot and AF accuracy was good from that point on.
After I performed the AF tests against the Nikon 50mm f/1.4G, I then mounted the older AF-D version on the second body and performed the same tests. Since all of the new AF-S primes I have tested so far autofocus slower than their AF-D counterparts, I assumed that the 50mm f/1.8D would focus a little faster. I was wrong – autofocus speed on both lenses turned out to be the same. AF accuracy is very similar as well, but the 50mm f/1.8D is much noisier.
Next, I tested the Nikon 50mm f/1.8G against the Nikon 50mm f/1.4D for AF speed and accuracy. Once again, just like with the 50mm f/1.8D version, AF accuracy and speed seemed to be exactly the same.
My last test was to compare the AF performance of the lens against the Sigma 50mm f/1.4 EX DG HSM that so many people rave about. I ran a number of different AF tests and found the AF accuracy of the Sigma 50mm f/1.4 to be equally good in daylight and in low-light conditions. The AF acquisition speed on the Sigma is the same as well, which makes the Sigma faster in AF speed than the Nikon 50mm f/1.4G, but not the 50mm f/1.8G that I tested for this review.
Before using the 50mm lenses, I performed AF accuracy tests using the LensAlign lens calibration tool. None of the 50mm lenses from Nikon, including the Nikon 50mm f/1.8G required any adjustments and the AF accuracy was dead on.
My Nikon 50mm f/1.4G was already dialed at -2 and I did not need to readjust it. The Sigma 50mm f/1.4 was somewhat heavily front-focused and I had to use +10 AF adjust to take care of the focusing issues. I personally get annoyed any time a lens has front/back focus issues like this. I do not understand why manufacturers cannot do more thorough QA tests before their products are shipped to retailers. We, as consumers, should be receiving properly calibrated lenses and cameras and not having to deal with testing our gear using focus charts. Unfortunately, these kinds of QA issues happen with all manufacturers, including Nikon. In my experience, however, third party manufacturers such as Sigma and Tamron typically have more QA issues (although they both have gotten much better lately).
As with any other lens, be careful when shooting at very large apertures in low light situations. If you cannot consistently get accurate focus in daylight, your lens sample probably has a front/back focusing issue like explained above.
4) Lens sharpness, contrast and color rendition
As you can see from the below Imatest chart (tested on the Nikon D800) and as I reveal in my sharpness tests in the subsequent pages of this review, the performance of the 50mm is excellent throughout the aperture range. You can see many examples of lens sharpness taken in a controlled environment in the next page, along with comparisons against other lenses.
And here is how the lens compares to the Nikon 50mm f/1.4G:
The Nikon 50mm f/1.8G starts out very strong with much better center, mid-frame and corner performance than the 50mm f/1.4G, as evidenced by the graph data above. It continues strong all the way until f/4, where it seems to have the sharpest center frame. From there on, the Nikon 50mm f/1.4G seems to take over in terms of resolution in the center, but the corners are still better on the 50mm f/1.8G. Overall, there seems to be a very slight resolution advantage on the Nikon 50mm f/1.4G, but it only shows at f/5.6 and smaller and only in the center. Since these lenses are mostly shot at largest apertures, we can conclude that the Nikon 50mm f/1.8G is better overall in sharpness performance.
5) Bokeh
Bokeh is a very important characteristic of 50mm lenses. I would be ready to pay more for a lens that can yield better bokeh, even if it performed slightly worse than others at very large apertures.
Here is the full image from which I made the below bokeh crops:
You can see where I got the center and corner crops from. The corner crop is really not a corner, but rather an area taken from the left-center of the image. Let’s take a look at how the Nikon 50mm f/1.8G compares against other Nikon and Sigma lenses at f/1.8 away from the center:
When compared against the 50mm f/1.8D, the Nikon 50mm f/1.8G clearly yields better bokeh – the borders are much less pronounced than on the AF-D. I would rate its off-center bokeh third after Nikon 50mm f/1.4D and Nikon 50mm f/1.4G. The Sigma definitely has the worst bokeh; it looks as if the highlights were cut on their right side and the bokeh refractions, also known as “Onion Rings” or “Onion Bokeh” are too visible when compared to other lenses.
Now let’s take a look at the center:
Here, you can clearly see how much better the bokeh on the 50mm f/1.8G is compared to the 50mm f/1.8D – take a look at the blue highlight on the right and you will notice a thick white edge. The Nikon 50mm f/1.4G and Nikon 50mm f/1.4D start to show their 9-bladed and 7-bladed diaphragms, which is normal when both lenses are stopped down. At their maximum aperture of f/1.4, the highlights are circular, just like on the 50mm f/1.8 lenses. The Sigma, once again, is showing bad-looking bokeh. I am not sure why, but the background highlights are not even circular – take a look at the bottom right of each highlight to see what I mean. And again, the bokeh reflections inside highlights are the worst on the Sigma.
Let’s see what happens to bokeh when all lenses are stopped down to f/2.8. Here are the off-center crops again:
The benefits of a 9-bladed diaphragm start to become obvious when lenses are stopped down. Surprisingly, despite the fact that the Nikon 50mm f/1.8G has 7 blades like the older 50mm f/1.8D, the bokeh appears more round in comparison. I first thought that I confused the crops while extracting them, but then I checked again and it turned out to be just like I thought – the diaphragm blades on the new Nikon 50mm f/1.8G lens are slightly more rounded, while the blades on both 50mm AF-D lenses are straight. I was able to verify this by physically opening up the aperture on the lens mount and looking through.
Here is the center area crop from all lenses at f/2.8:
Which bokeh rendering do you like the most? All lenses seem to now have pronounced edges that look more or less the same. The AF-D lenses have a somewhat smooth bokeh on the inside, while refractions on both AF-S lenses are visible. When it comes to bokeh shape, I do prefer the rounded bokeh of the AF-S lenses. The heptagon-shaped bokeh on AF-D lenses looks a little distracting to the eye. But that’s me – I know some photographers actually prefer heptagon-shaped bokeh. The Sigma, again, is the worst here.
Overall, the quality of bokeh on the new Nikon 50mm f/1.8G is very good. I like the rounded 7-blade diaphragm, which very closely resembles the rounded 9-bladed diaphragm on the 50mm f/1.4G.
Here are a couple of examples of bokeh when shot at f/1.8 (top) and f/2.8 (bottom):
EXIF data for both shots is embedded into the files.
6) Vignetting
Most prime lenses heavily vignette when shot wide open and the same is true for the Nikon 50mm f/1.8G, so no surprises here. The good news is that as you stop down to f/2.0, vignetting decreases significantly. At f/2.8 vignetting is almost invisible and by f/4.0 onwards it is completely gone. Take a look at lens vignetting at different apertures shot on FX:
This type of behavior is expected from large aperture lenses, especially when they are mounted on full frame cameras. Other Nikon 50mm lenses and the Sigma 50mm f/1.4 also show heavy amounts of vignetting at maximum aperture. Dialing +15 in Lightroom (under Effects->Post-Crop Vignetting->Amount) for the f/1.8 shots will fix the issue.
When mounted on a DX camera, the amount of vignetting is much less pronounced, with only a slight darkening of the edges at maximum aperture:
The bad news, is that the Nikon 50mm f/1.8D vignettes more when compared to the older Nikon 50mm f/1.8D at f/1.8 and f/2.0. Stopped down to f/2.8 and beyond, both lenses perform about the same. The Nikon 50mm f/1.4G and Nikon 50mm f/1.4D vignette more at f/1.4, but less when stopped down to f/1.8 in comparison. The Sigma 50mm f/1.4 is the winner here – due to its large front element, vignetting is very minimal at large apertures.
7) Ghosting and Flare
When compared to previous generation Nikon 50mm lenses, ghosting and flare are controlled very well – see the comparison below. I performed a couple of tests with the sun in the frame and both AF-D lenses show some nasty ghosting and flares, while the newer AF-S lenses almost have none. I specifically removed the lens hoods from the AF-S lenses during this test, to show how well they perform in comparison. Part of the reason why the AF-S lenses are so much better, is because the front element on the new 50mm lenses is recessed much deeper inside the lens barrel.
When compared to other Nikkor lenses, the 50mm f/1.8G performs the best here. If you keep the lens hood on the lens, you will get even better results when shooting against a bright source of light. Please note that the above images were taken without any filters. Using UV and other filters can potentially introduce more flares and ghosting to your images.
8) Distortion
Unfortunately, the Nikon 50mm f/1.8G has a slight amount of barrel distortion, which is not too bad, but definitely noticeable. The older Nikon 50mm f/1.8D had no noticeable distortion in comparison. Adobe already has a built-in lens profile in the Lens Corrections module, so you can easily take care of the problem with a single click. Here is how the image looks like without any distortion corrections applied:
Note the curved lines on the top and on the bottom of the image.
Is distortion a problem? No, not at all – it can be easily fixed in post-processing software like Lightroom and Photoshop (as explained above) without losing much of the original image.
9) Chromatic Aberration
Lateral chromatic aberration is controlled well, even in high-contrast situations. Surprisingly, compared to expensive lenses like Nikon 35mm f/1.4G, “LoCA”, or longitudinal chromatic aberration (which is the effect of color fringing in front of and behind the focused area) is controlled better. Take another look at the LensAlign crop:
The above image was shot at f/1.8 and lit with 100 watt directional lamps. Stopping down the lens to f/2.8 and beyond dramatically reduces longitudinal CA.
When compared to other 50mm lenses, the Nikon 50mm f/1.8G is on par with the Nikon 50mm f/1.8D in terms of LoCA. The Nikon 50mm f/1.4G and Nikon 50mm f/1.4D are slightly worse wide open and about the same at f/1.8, while the Sigma is again the worst performer, even when stopped down to f/1.8.
Let’s now move on to the good stuff – Sharpness tests. Select the next page below.
Sharpness Test
10) Sharpness Test
Some technical junk:
- White Balance: Auto, changed to “Custom”: 3200 Temp, +14 Tint in Lightroom
- ISO: 200
- EXIF information is preserved in the images
- Lens was mounted on Nikon D700 Camera and Gitzo tripod
- Focusing was performed through Live-View Contrast Detect
- Mirror Lock-Up mode with Exposure Delay set to “On” and remote cable release to completely eliminate camera shake
- Long exposure NR: Off
- Image Format: RAW
- Lightroom settings: Default settings
- Lightroom export: sRGB JPEG Quality 80
- Testing was performed at f/1.8, f/2.0, f/2.8, f/4.0, f/5.6 and f/8.0 apertures
- Nothing was moved during testing
11) Sharpness Test – Nikon 50mm f/1.8G Center Frame
The Nikon 50mm f/1.8G has very good center sharpness, as can be seen below. Wide open at f/1.8, the image is a tad softer and slightly darker due to vignetting. Vignetting disappears in the center by f/2.0 and the image gets slightly sharper:
Stopping down the lens to f/2.8 further increases sharpness and the image stays sharp from there on:
The center sharpness does not change when the lens is stopped down to f/5.6 and f/8.0:
I am not including smaller apertures, because stopping down the lens beyond f/11 reduces image quality due to diffraction.
12) Sharpness Test – Nikon 50mm f/1.8G Corner Frame
The performance of the Nikkor 50mm f/1.8G at largest apertures is surprisingly good. Wide open and at f/2.0, the lens yields slightly softer, but acceptably good results:
The sharpness gradually improves when stopped down to f/2.8 and gets even better by f/4.0:
The peak performance is reached at f/5.6 and stopping down the lens further does not improve the sharpness:
To make the comparison more usable, I had to adjust the exposure of the first f/1.8 shot by +1 and the second f/2.0 shot by -0.66 in Lightroom (due to vignetting).
Overall, the sharpness results are very impressive for this lens, but the above crops are meaningless without a comparison against other lenses. Let’s move on to comparisons against other 50mm lenses.
Lens Comparisons
Compared to Nikon 50mm f/1.8D (AF-D)
Let’s see how the Nikon 50mm f/1.8G compares against the older Nikon 50mm f/1.8D lens, which is still in production as of today (08/01/2011). Is the new Nikkor 50mm f/1.8G worth the upgrade? How does it compare at largest and smallest apertures? If you are impatient and want to see my conclusion, skip over to the bottom of the page.
13) Nikon 50mm f/1.8G vs Nikon 50mm f/1.8D Center Frame
To appreciate the center sharpness and contrast of the Nikon 50mm f/1.8G, you have to see how the old one performs in comparison. As you can see below, the old Nikkor 50mm f/1.8 AF-D looks soft and clearly lacks contrast. Take a look at the below crops at f/1.4 (Left: Nikon 50mm f/1.8G, Right: Nikon 50mm f/1.8D):
Stopping down the AF-D to f/2.0 does not help a bit:
The Nikon 50mm f/1.8D gets much sharper by f/2.8, but the new 50mm f/1.8G is still sharper:
Stopped down to f/4.0, the Nikon 50mm f/1.8G still has an edge over the older 50mm AF-D:
By f/5.6 the differences are very small, but if you look closer, the Nikon 50mm f/1.8G is still slightly sharper:
The situation does not improve for the AF-D at f/8.0 and smaller either, the new Nikon 50mm f/1.8G is simply sharper at all apertures.
14) Nikon 50mm f/1.8G vs Nikon 50mm f/1.8D Corner Frame
Let’s see how the lenses compare in the corners. Wide open, both lenses look somewhat similar, but the Nikon 50mm f/1.8D clearly lacks contrast (Left: Nikon 50mm f/1.8G, Right: Nikon 50mm f/1.8D):
At f/2.0, the AF-D is showing slightly better sharpness, but contrast is still low in comparison:
Stopped down to f/2.8, the Nikon 50mm f/1.8G clearly takes over – the AF-D still has a “cloudy” edge:
Both lenses look about the same at f/4.0, with a very slight lead by the AF-D:
And the differences are almost gone with both lenses stopped down to f/5.6 and f/8.0:
If it was not for the lack of contrast at large apertures, both lenses seem to perform about the same in terms of sharpness in the corners. Please note that I had to increase the exposure by up to a full stop for the first two corner shots. Otherwise, vignetting significantly darkens the images at largest apertures.
15) Nikon 50mm f/1.8G vs Nikon 50mm f/1.8D Vignetting
As I have pointed out on the first page of this review, the Nikon 50mm f/1.8G vignettes slightly more than the Nikon 50mm f/1.8D. Vignetting disappears when both lenses are stopped down to f/2.8 and beyond, as can be seen below:
16) Nikon 50mm f/1.8G vs Nikon 50mm f/1.8D Distortion
The Nikon 50mm f/1.8G has a slight amount of barrel distortion, as can be seen in the below image – the Nikon 50mm f/1.8D has no distortion in comparison. Note the bending of the straight line on the top part of the image. Gladly, the distortion level is minimal, so it can be quickly addressed in post-processing, only losing a small part of the image:
17) Nikon 50mm f/1.8G vs Nikon 50mm f/1.8D Conclusion
As you can see from the above comparisons, the Nikon 50mm f/1.8G clearly takes the lead in sharpness and contrast, both in the center and the edges. The differences in the center frame only get minimized by f/5.6, which is certainly not good for the AF-D, since photographers rarely shoot at small apertures when using 50mm lenses. The corner performance of the AF-D is relatively good, but still lacks contrast, especially in the extreme corners. On the negative side for the AF-S, the Nikon 50mm f/1.8D has less vignetting at f/1.8 and has no visible distortion. While the latter two are easy to fix in post-processing, it is still an annoyance that comes with the new lens design. When Adobe releases a lens correction profile for the new 50mm f/1.8G AF-S, you will be able to fix vignetting and distortion issues with a single click (or even fix images during the import process). As for chromatic aberration and flare/ghosting issues, the Nikon 50mm f/1.8G is again the leader here, due to a better optical design and a more recessed front element. Despite having the same number of aperture blades, the Nikon 50mm f/1.8G produces better bokeh, especially at the largest aperture. This is because the blades on the Nikon 50mm f/1.8G are rounded, while the blades on the 50mm f/1.8D are straight. Stopped down, the AF-D starts to produce highlights in heptagon shapes, while the AF-S highlights look more circular. Autofocus speed and accuracy on both lenses is about the same, but the AF-S is less noisy.
The new Nikon 50mm f/1.8G is about twice more expensive than the older Nikon 50mm f/1.8D, but for the above reasons, I believe it is well worth the price difference.
Let’s move on to a comparison against the classic Nikon 50mm f/1.4D.
Compared to Nikon 50mm f/1.4D (AF-D)
I loved the classic Nikon 50mm f/1.4D and used it for years until the 50mm f/1.4G came out. It is a great little gem that many photographs still rely on for everyday photography and videography. Although it has the same 7-blade diaphragm as the 50mm f/1.8 AF-D, it has a much more solid build, making it heavier and more rugged than both the new 50mm f/1.8G and the older 50mm f/1.8D. Let’s take a look at how it compares to the new 50mm f/1.8G.
18) Nikon 50mm f/1.8G vs Nikon 50mm f/1.4D Center Frame
Let’s see how both lenses compare wide open, which is f/1.4 for the Nikon 50mm f/1.4D and f/1.8 for the Nikon 50mm f/1.8G. Before you even click on the below crops, you can see right away that the image on the left (Left: Nikon 50mm f/1.8G, Right: Nikon 50mm f/1.4D) looks much better and clearer than the image on the right. This shows that the Nikon 50mm f/1.4D is very weak wide open and lacks contrast:
What about both lenses at f/1.8? Again, the Nikon 50mm f/1.4D had a huge loss of contrast and the image was blurry in comparison. After I saw these test results, I thought that my images were out of focus (although I was using AF Contrast Detect in Live View mode), so I reran all the tests. The results again came out exactly the same:
Stopped down to f/2.0, the Nikon 50mm f/1.8G still shows very strong performance:
By f/2.8, the Nikon 50mm f/1.4D starts to catch up and shows a much improved performance. Both look very similar, although the 50mm f/1.8G has more visible chromatic aberration:
Now here is where it gets interesting. When stopped down to f/4.0, the Nikon 50mm f/1.4D actually seems to perform better than the 50mm f/1.8G – the image looks a little sharper, because there is less chromatic aberration visible on the AF-D:
The same holds true for apertures of f/5.6 and smaller, although the difference at these apertures is negligible:
The perceived difference in sharpness at smallest apertures is primarily because of chromatic aberration/color fringing that the 50mm f/1.8G seems to have a little more than the 50mm f/1.4D.
19) Nikon 50mm f/1.8G vs Nikon 50mm f/1.4D Corner Frame
Let’s take a look at what happens in the corners. The wide open corner performance on the 50mm f/1.4D is very similar to that of the center – it is very weak (Left: Nikon 50mm f/1.8G, Right: Nikon 50mm f/1.4D):
Stopping down to f/1.8 does not improve the situation, so the Nikon 50mm f/1.8G is still stronger:
When stopped down to f/2.0, the AF-D gets a little sharper, but lack of contrast is still quite evident:
The differences start to shrink when stopped down to f/2.8, although the Nikon 50mm f/1.8G wins again:
Both lenses perform about the same when stopped down to f/4.0:
At f/5.6 and beyond, I cannot see any difference between the two:
Clearly, the Nikon 50mm f/1.8G is better than the Nikon 50mm f/1.4D in both center and corner frames.
20) Nikon 50mm f/1.8G vs Nikon 50mm f/1.4D Vignetting
If you compare the same apertures, the Nikon 50mm f/1.4D vignettes slightly less than the Nikon 50mm f/1.8G. Wide open, the AF-D shows a little more vignetting than the AF-S. By f/1.8 the Nikon 50mm f/1.4D gets much better and as can be seen below, shows less vignetting at f/2.0:
21) Nikon 50mm f/1.8G vs Nikon 50mm f/1.4D Distortion
Distortion-wise, both lenses show about the same amount of barrel distortion:
Just dial +3 in Lightroom’s “Lens Corrections” panel for the Nikon 50mm f/1.8G and distortion will be fixed. For the 50mm f/1.4D, you can simply check “Enable Profile Corrections” and most lens imperfections will be addressed, since Lightroom/Photoshop already have the lens profile as part of the most recent Camera RAW update.
22) Nikon 50mm f/1.8G vs Nikon 50mm f/1.4D Conclusion
The Nikon 50mm f/1.8G simply decommissions the older Nikon 50mm f/1.4D classic – just take a look at the above crops and see for yourself. The two thirds of a stop gain in light on the 50mm f/1.4D does not give you much, since its performance is sub-par compared to Nikon 50mm f/1.8G wide open performance and the depth of field difference is very small. I always hesitated to shoot the 50mm f/1.4D wide open, because I knew that it produced images with much less contrast and sharpness when compared to smaller apertures. At f/2.8 and onward both lenses seem to perform about the same, but since these are portrait lenses, their performance at largest apertures is more critical than the stopped down performance. The whole point of getting a prime portrait lens is to be able to shoot at maximum apertures. While the Nikon 50mm f/1.4D vignettes less, it clearly falls behind the 50mm f/1.8G in every other aspect, except for distortion (which is about the same). The bokeh on the 50mm f/1.4D is cleaner than on the 50mm f/1.8G, but due to the 7-blade straight aperture, the lens produces heptagon-shaped background highlights when stopped down to f/1.8 or more. I personally prefer the more circular nature of the rounded 7-blade aperture on the new 50mm f/1.8G. Price-wise the Nikon 50mm f/1.8G is around $130 cheaper than the older Nikon 50mm f/1.4D, so it makes no sense to purchase the older AF-D over the new Nikkor 50mm f/1.8G.
Compared to Nikon 50mm f/1.4G
What about our favorite Nikon 50mm f/1.4G that Lola and I cannot live without? I have been using the 50mm f/1.4G ever since it came out and I have been extremely happy with its performance, even wide open. Let’s see how the new Nikon 50mm f/1.8G compares to the Nikon 50mm f/1.4G.
23) Nikon 50mm f/1.8G vs Nikon 50mm f/1.4G Center Frame
By now, you are probably not going to be surprised to see the Nikon 50mm f/1.8G outperform the 50mm f/1.4G wide open. As you can see below, the f/1.4G is weaker than the f/1.8G at its largest aperture (Left: Nikon 50mm f/1.8G, Right: Nikon 50mm f/1.4G):
What if we stop down the f/1.4G to f/1.8? Again, the Nikon 50mm f/1.8G is sharper!
Even at f/2.0, the Nikon 50mm f/1.8G looks sharper to me:
When stopped down to f/2.8, both lenses perform about the same:
The same is true for f/4.0:
I cannot see any difference at f/5.6 and beyond either:
I was a little shocked when I saw the above results. The Nikon 50mm f/1.8G is sharper than my favorite Nikon 50mm f/1.4G at large apertures.
24) Nikon 50mm f/1.8G vs Nikon 50mm f/1.4G Corner Frame
Similar to the center frame, the corners on the Nikon 50mm f/1.8G look better wide open:
Again, the situation does not improve when the 50mm f/1.4G is stopped down to f/1.8 and the Nikon 50mm f/1.8G clearly performs better here:
As we get to f/2.0, the sharpness difference is very small, although the 50mm f/1.8G shows slightly higher contrast:
The lenses perform about the same at f/2.8:
And again pretty similar at f/4.0:
The same is true for f/5.6, although the Nikon 50mm f/1.4G appears a tad sharper:
When stopped down to f/8.0 and smaller, the lenses again perform about the same:
Again, the Nikon 50mm f/1.8G performs better at largest apertures, although the Nikon 50mm f/1.4G gets a tad sharper between f/5.6 and f/8.0. Please note that I had to adjust the exposure on corner crops at largest apertures, since the effect of vignetting was too high, especially for the Nikon 50mm f/1.4G (I had to add +1.5 exposure to the f/1.4 crop).
25) Nikon 50mm f/1.8G vs Nikon 50mm f/1.4G Vignetting
While the Nikon 50mm f/1.4G has a very heavy amount of vignetting at f/1.4, the effect of vignetting is less pronounced at f/1.8 when compared to the Nikon 50mm f/1.8G. Similar to the Nikon 50mm f/1.4D, vignetting is heavily reduced at f/2.0 and completely disappears by f/4.0:
26) Nikon 50mm f/1.8G vs Nikon 50mm f/1.4G Distortion
Surprisingly, the Nikon 50mm f/1.4G has even more distortion than the Nikon 50mm f/1.8G, as can be seen below:
Again, it is not a big deal – small amounts of distortion as above can be quickly fixed in post-processing software like Lightroom and Photoshop. Dialing +3 in Lightroom’s Lens Correction panel for the Nikon 50mm f/1.8G fixed the distortion issue and +5 will also take care of the Nikon 50mm f/1.4G, although the lens profile that automatically does it for you is already available.
27) Nikon 50mm f/1.8G vs Nikon 50mm f/1.4G Conclusion
Once again, it is shocking to see the Nikon 50mm f/1.8G outperform the supposedly better and more expensive 50mm lenses, including the Nikon 50mm f/1.4G that Lola and I have been heavily using for our photography. As you can see from the above crops, the Nikon 50mm f/1.8G is sharper than the 50mm f/1.4G at pretty much all apertures in the center and at largest apertures in the corners. The two thirds of a stop difference between the lenses is simply not worth the price difference. I do not know what Nikon was thinking when they released this lens – the sales of the Nikon 50mm f/1.4G will be severely impacted by the 50mm f/1.8G once everyone figures out that the latter is a better buy. Although the Nikon 50mm f/1.8G has a 7-bladed diaphragm versus 9 on the 50mm f/1.4G, the bokeh it produces is very comparable to the bokeh on the Nikon 50mm f/1.4G (thanks to the rounded blades). So, it is not like the f/1.4G renders a much better background either. In addition, LoCA seems to look worse on the Nikon 50mm f/1.4G.
Compared to Sigma 50mm f/1.4 EX DG HSM
The Sigma 50mm f/1.4 has been quite a popular lens among many photographers ever since it got introduced to the market. As you have seen from the first page of this review, the lens is the biggest of the 50mm bunch that I tested and has some impressive features that sets it apart from the competition. It is a large aperture f/1.4 lens with a quiet autofocus motor, a large front element with a 77mm filter thread (which is unusual for a 50mm lens – even the Canon 50mm f/1.2 has a 72mm filter thread) and is available for all major DLSR mounts including Canon, Nikon, Pentax, Sigma, Sony and Four Thirds. I decided to do a thorough comparison of the Sigma against the new Nikon 50mm f/1.8G and other 50mm primes, so let’s see how it does.
Before I go over the test results, I would like to point out that the Sigma 50mm has a wider field of view compared to Nikon 50mm primes – equivalent to approximately 45mm in focal length. I had to move my setup about 6 inches closer to the target in order to get a similar field of view.
28) Nikon 50mm f/1.8G vs Sigma f/1.4 Center Frame
Wide open, the Sigma lags behind the Nikon 50mm f/1.8G in sharpness, mostly due to the heavy amount of purple fringing (Left: Nikon 50mm f/1.8G, Right: Sigma 50mm f/1.4):
The lens continues to struggle when stopped down to f/1.8:
Stopping down further to f/2.0 does not improve Sigma’s sharpness:
The effect of purple fringing starts to disappear by f/2.8 on the Sigma, but the lack of sharpness in comparison is still obvious:
The Sigma 50mm f/1.4 finally catches up to the Nikon 50mm f/1.8G at f/4.0:
Reaching its “sweet spot” at f/5.6, the Sigma seems to be a tad sharper:
The situation does not change by f/8.0:
To be honest, I am not impressed by the large aperture center performance of the Sigma 50mm f/1.4.
29) Nikon 50mm f/1.8G vs Sigma f/1.4 Corner Frame
Once again, Sigma fails to deliver good sharpness in the corners at its largest aperture of f/1.4 (Left: Nikon 50mm f/1.8G, Right: Sigma 50mm f/1.4):
Nothing changes at f/1.8 or f/2.0:
Even stopping down the Sigma to f/2.8 cannot match Nikon 50mm f/1.8G performance:
The Sigma gets a little sharper by f/4.0, but still very blurry in comparison:
When stopped down to f/5.6, the Sigma crop looks significantly better, but nowhere as crisp as the Nikon:
Even at f/8.0 and smaller, the Nikon is still sharper in the corners:
The corner performance of the Sigma f/1.4 is clearly its weakest point – it performed worse than all other Nikon primes, including the older Nikon 50mm f/1.8D.
30) Nikon 50mm f/1.8G vs Sigma f/1.4 Vignetting
As I have pointed out before, the Sigma’s strength is in the low amount of vignetting, largely due to the large front lens element and lens barrel. As you can see below, the vignetting levels wide open are like the Nikon 50mm f/1.8G stopped down to f/2.0. Sigma leads all other 50mm lenses in terms of vignetting here:
It is also worth noting that vignetting is even less pronounced on DX sensors – all of the above tests were performed on an FX sensor.
31) Nikon 50mm f/1.8G vs Sigma f/1.4 Distortion
Barrel distortion level on the Sigma is fairly low, but still noticeable. Just use +2 in Lens Correction amount in Lightroom and it should take care of the distortion issue:
32) Nikon 50mm f/1.8G vs Sigma f/1.4 Conclusion
While being the largest, heaviest and the priciest of all 50mm lenses I have tested, The Sigma f/1.4 EX DG HSM simply fails to deliver. Its high levels of purple fringing and relatively low sharpness in the center frame are disappointing, while the corners are clearly the worst in the group. Longitudinal chromatic aberration levels are the highest as well, and as you have seen on the first page of this review, the bokeh just looks ugly in comparison to Nikkor primes. In addition, the Sigma f/1.4 I tested was the only lens in the group that was heavily front-focused, which shows just how bad the QA of third party manufacturers can be. I would personally send it back to Sigma for readjustment and calibration right away, but I did not bother, since it was loaned to me for a month anyway. Sure, its vignetting level and AF performance (when properly calibrated) are impressive, but those are the only two positives I can think of. Considering the size and weight, it almost feels like an 85mm prime rather than a 50. Its corner sharpness looks better on a DX camera, but not by a huge margin.
Don’t waste your money on this lens – it is simply not worth the $500 Sigma is asking for.
Summary and Image Samples
33) Summary
The Nikon 50mm f/1.8G sets new standards in 50mm fixed lens performance for Nikon mount – it is sharper than all of the predecessors, including the Nikon 50mm f/1.4G at largest apertures. I was very surprised to see such results in my lab tests; you can see all image comparisons yourself with 100% crops in the previous pages of this review that prove this. I can only guess that the performance is this good due to the added aspherical element in the lens, but I am sure other lens design factors also add their share. The only weakness I could find on the Nikon 50mm f/1.8G is its distortion, but then the more expensive primes like Nikon 50mm f/1.4G and 50mm f/1.4D also have a moderate amount of visible distortion. I really enjoyed shooting with this lens in outdoor environments and it performed great even in challenging light. Its AF performance is impressive and the lens delivers accurate results when mounted on both top of the line DLSRs like Nikon D3s and on entry-level DSLRs like D5100. The bokeh looks very soft and creamy at maximum aperture and takes a semi-round heptagonal shape when stopped down. In comparison, the older AF-D lenses have a hard-edged heptagon-shaped background highlights, as shown on the first page of this review. Vignetting is somewhat heavy at maximum aperture, but gets significantly reduced by f/2.0, so it is easy to deal with in post-processing software. Colors and contrast are also very good; I could not see any difference when compared against the Nikon 50mm f/1.4G. Due to its light weight and relatively small size (when compared against zoom lenses and longer primes), the Nikon 50mm f/1.8G handles great on any Nikon DSLR. My only suggestion would be to buy a 58mm filter for this lens, as it can get difficult to clean the front lens glass element. The front element is recessed deep inside the lens barrel, which is tough for cleaning, but good for controlling ghosting and flares. If you keep the lens hood on the lens at all times, you should have no problems shooting against very bright sources of light.
The lens is great for portraiture, street, event and wedding photography and it will work great on FX or DX cameras, although I would recommend to use the Nikon 35mm f/1.8G DX for everyday photography on DX sensors instead, due to the shorter focal length (the Nikon 50mm has an equivalent field of view of a 75mm lens when mounted on a DX camera).
When compared to other 50mm lenses currently available on the market, the Nikon 50mm f/1.8G definitely has the highest price-performance ratio. I am a little confused by this move by Nikon and I hope it is an indication that another 50mm prime update is coming, perhaps a Nikon 50mm f/1.2G that would deliver even better performance for the demanding professionals.
34) Where to buy and availability
B&H is currently selling the Nikon 50mm f/1.8G lens for $219.95 (as of 08/03/2011).
35) More image samples
Click here to download the above image shot at f/1.8 and here to download an f/8.0 version (4 MB each).
All Images Copyright © Nasim Mansurov, All Rights Reserved. Copying or reproduction is not permitted without written permission from the author.
About Nasim Mansurov
Got mine in june and have been loving its results.
Thank you for your feedback Alan!
Would you recommend this lens over the AF Nikkor 50mm F1.8D, for the D800? I’ve read that the G version has a lot of distortion.
Thanks for any opinion you can offer!
Michael
Great review as always! Many thanks. I follow your website as one of the more objective, well written websites with pictures.
Small typo on the 1st para 2nd line – you wrote 1.4G when you meant the 1.8
The Nikon 50mm f/1.8G replaces the older Nikon 50mm f/1.8D lens (introduced in 2002). Compared to the AF-D version that has 6 optical elements in 5 groups, the new 50mm f/1.4G has a modified optical design with 7 optical elements in 6 groups, one out of which is an aspherical element (reduces coma and chromatic aberrations). The Nikon 50mm f/1.8G is the first Nikon 50mm lens that comes with an aspherical element; even the more expensive and higher-end Nikon 50mm f/1.4G does not have one.
Thank you for pointing out the mistake Kevin – I fixed the typo.
Very interesting comparison between the Nikon 50mm/1.8G and the Nikon 50mm/1.4G! Thank you very much! My sample of the Nikon 50mm/1.8G has a bad front focus issue (+10 AF-fine tuning) on my Nikon D700. At this moment the autofocus is being re-calibrated by the Nikon support in my country. My sample of the Nikon 50mm/1.4G had nearly the same front focus issue (+5 AF-fine tuning). It’s very annoying when I have to struggle with such a problem, because it’s not easy for me to know if the sharpness is on the right spot without the use of special instruments. All-in-all I think that the Nikon 50mm/1.8G is the better choice when an aperture of 1.4 is not needed. And the new lens is much better protected against flare and ghosting, too.
Carmelo, you are most welcome! I hope your Nikon 50mm f/1.8G comes back with no AF issues – I would retest it once you get it back. Generally, Nikon does a good job at re-calibrating lenses though.
I agree about the focus issues, it is very unfortunate that manufacturers are not paying much attention to such bad QA issues. We should not have to test our lenses after we buy them, that’s just ridiculous and it wastes a lot of our time.
I am just switching from Canon to Nikon, and am really enjoying your reviews. Thank you for the time spent! I am starting out with the D7000 (still on backorder). I will want to invest in a pro body at some point, and because of that I’m investing in lenses with the FX format. What is the best way to tell if the lenses are having focusing issues? Is this a consistant problem with Nikon lenses?
Also, I am thinking of starting out with the 50mm 1.8G and 16-35mm f/4G (knowing that it’s about 24-52mm on DX format), mostly working with people and landscape/architecture during travel. I would love to photograph weddings one day. In your opinion, are these good lenses to start with, or would you suggest a different zoom? Long term I would also love to own the 24-70mm f/2.8G and 70-200mm. Keeping that in mind, would it be better to go with the 14-24mm f/2.8 ED, rather than the 16-35mm f/4G. I know it’s heavy in comparison the the D7000, but I want to wait for the D800 and the cash to buy it.
Thank you for your help!
Thanks for a very complete review, as usual.
I bought this lens at B&H (who else) about a month ago. For $220 this is a no brainer.
Your comparison with the Sigma lens was of most interest.
Thank you for your feedback Peter! Yes, the Sigma 50mm showed some disappointing results…
There’s no way you got this lens for $220 new… or did you? Tell me how and where!
That’s the price. Try Amazon, b&h, or your local camera store.
Nice review as always :)
Again, my only proposal is to add a side-by-side 35/1.8 vs 50/1.8 because many people would be happy to know which one performs better :)
Thank you Marian! A side-by-side comparison against the 35mm f/1.8G is impossible, because the lenses are of different focal lengths and the 35mm f/1.8G is a DX lens. Sharpness and contrast-wise, both lenses are very similar, so it is only a matter of focal length. As I have pointed out in the review, if you shoot with a DX camera, the 35mm f/1.8G might be a better fit for everyday photography. If you are into portraiture, then the 50mm f/1.8G is a better choice. Oh, and the bokeh on the 50mm f/1.8G is obviously going to look better…
Nasim, with regards to the comparison of the 35mm f1.8G vs 50mm f1.8G, can the 35mm produce good portraits as for general photography?
I’m thinking of using the 35 as my everyday default lens. I have the kit lens of 18-105mm f3.5 – 5.6 as well. Many thanks.
What about the new 40mm f/2.8 macro?
I am in confusion of which one to choose, out of 35mm f/1.8 or 40mm f/2.8 macro. As it might serve as a general photography purpose, very close to 35mm, and also will do macro shots, and on my DX body Nikon D3100, will be equivalent to 60mm, so a good portrait lens as well.
I need it for general purpose photography of clicking people at events, still life, and some portraits.
Please help. Shall I wait for 40mm macro?
Nasim please need your reply on my question of which one to choose from 35mm f/.18 or new 40mm f/2.8 macro…..shall I wait for 40mm macro, instead of going for 35mm f/1.8.
Which one would be better for couples pre-wedding shoot (on a budget)…at some outdoor locations?
Please reply ASAP.
Get a Nikkor 18-55 mm f3.5-5.6 G VR for $200, since the $200-300 is your range on the other lenses.
Inderjeet, the 40mm f/2.8 macro is more than a stop slower than the 35mm f/1.8, so unless you are planning to primarily shoot macro, I would get the Nikon 35mm f/1.8.
Thanks a lot for the reply Nasim. I bought the 35mm f/1.8 yesterday only, and loving it.
You know, I was very confused to finalize my lens but after reading your review I finally got the 35mm. The way you write, and analyse any gear is super-duper awesome. Please start making more videos for beginners, Like how to use the AE-L/AF-L button etc.
Thank you very much.
Dear Nasim,
Many thanks for your in-depth review of the 50mm f/1.8G which is – as usual – to the point and, thus, very useful.
After having read a couple of your reviews of other lenses as well, I just flipped through your gear and I was wondering whether you will change/upgrade your gear based on the results of your tests. In particular, I think of replacing your 50mm f/1.4G by the 50mm f/1.8G or the 24-70mm f/2.8G by the 24-120mm f/4.
Since I am currently upgrading my own set of lenses, I would be particularly interested in knowing how you proceed.
Best,
Christian
Christian, I decided to keep the 24-70mm, because I frequently use it in tough weather conditions and I need it’s rugged body. However, the 24-120mm is on my list of lenses to acquire in the future, for cases when I need to travel light. As for the new 50mm f/1.8G, it will also soon be added to my bag – I will probably keep the 1.4G as a backup…
Many thanks, Nasim.
I am currently using a D7000 and will upgrade to the successor of either the D300s or the D700 as soon as they will be released. I am not sure yet whether I will go for a full frame body or stay with DX due to the size and weight of the body.
My set of lenses will (after upgrading) consist of the following ones:
- 35mm 1.8G DX
- 50mm 1.8G
- 16-35mm f4 VR
- 24-120mm f4G VR
- 105mm 2.8G VR (macro)
- 70-200mm 2.8G VR II
- TC-20E III converter
Would you recommend any additions to this setup?
Many thanks and best regards,
Christian
What about 24-70mm f2.8? You have so many lenses. If you have the money why not. Its good for landscape and portrait.
Great in-depth review of this spectacular tiny jewel lens, Nasim. This article should be read by everyone, who doubt the 50mm f/1.8G will satisfy their needs. It’s obvious that f/1.4G is simply not worth the money and Nikon will be facing some problems with sales of that lens, as you already mentioned in your article.
Well, I got f/1.4G myself just three months or so before the surprise launch of f/1.8G and will probably try to get myself f/1.8G and sell f/1.4G – as for my use, I don’t need the advantage of f/1.4.
BTW, I noticed you were mentioning in conclusions between f/1.8G, f/1.4D and f/1.4G (chapters 22) and 27)) there is only 1/3 of a stop difference between these lenses, but between f/1.4 and f/1.8 the difference is 2/3 of a stop.
I must thank you again for such in-depth article and wish you will keep reviewing Nikon lenses.
Regards,
Ziga
Ziga, thank you for pointing out my mistake – I fixed the article :)
I had the Canon 50mm 1.8 and loved it but had a tripod accident and killed it but on the bright side i replaced it with the 1.4 and i love love love this glass, i do mainly weddings and this is by far my favourite prime, great DOF and if the light is low it’s no problem
Bryan, a close friend of mine owns both the Canon 50mm f/1.4 and the 50mm f/1.8 – he says that he does not like the 1.8 in comparison. He is now planning to replace both with the Canon 50mm f/1.2 – something we Nikonians have been wanting for a very long time. I hope that Nikon soon releases an f/1.2 version of the 50mm prime – I know I would get one right away.
Surprised that the 1.8g performs better than the 1.4g version.
Many thanks for your comprehensive review and the pics look great too.
Yoong, you are most welcome!
Great review brother. I would rather keep my old cheap 50mm f/1.8 for a while…
Thank you Anvar aka!
Great review. My experience with the new 50/1.8G compared to the 50/1.8D strongly mirror your results. It makes for a great people lens on my D7000.
Kelly, thank you for your feedback!
Great review and love your site! It really is a fantastic resource you have created.
But one point I had to make… the bokeh test you have made here is slightly flawed. The idea that the Sigma 50 1.4 has the worst bokeh is very peculiar, seeing as 99% of sites on the net have shown results to the contrary. Just testing highlight bokeh is not a definitive test, I have seen the bokeh on all Nikons current 50′s and it is busy and harsh to say the least. The Sigma bokeh is very smooth for a 50 and Sigma have put a great amount of resources into making this lens as much of a cream machine as they can make it.
Anyway, just thought I’d add my opinion. Maybe your right, the Sigma bokeh is hyped. I will soon find out as I’m getting one I guess. But I have done alot of research into this particular area as its crucial to me.
Keep up the good work!
Josh, thank you for your feedback. As for the bokeh differences, I will definitely run more bokeh tests on the 50mm lenses and specifically compare Nikon 50mm f/1.4G to the Sigma. I agree – the highlight bokeh comparison is only one part of the bokeh test; results from other out of focus areas might be different. But then even if non-highlight areas are smoother, would not you want to have the highlights look good as well? Perhaps my sample had some sort of a mechanical problem that affected the bokeh, but one thing for sure – the Sigma’s corners are quite poor in comparison. I know many photographers will argue that corner sharpness on primes is not important when photographing people and I do agree with that, however, the Sigma is also much bulkier in size and more expensive. So when we look at it’s price/performance ratio, it is not as good of a buy, even compared to the Nikon 50mm f/1.4G in my opinion. I think the Sigma would have been a great choice if it’s price was in the $300-$350 range.
I happen to notice that Sigma 50 1.4 produced the most circular bokeh even though the bokeh was not so smooth in the circle. I think that partly answers why Sigma 50 1.4 has nice creamy bokeh.
And for portrai it’s not so important to have great sharpness at the corners.
On the other hand Sigma 50 1.4 does much better on DX.
The major problems for Sigma 50 1.4 are its price and the shift focus.
One more thing to be notice is that Sigma 50 1.4 is not exactly 50mm lens, it’s more of 45mm.
BTW, I bought Nikkon 50 1.8g and love it.
Like your site stumbled across it and its very informative and helpful. I have one question in regards which lens to use for shooting a complete floral arrangement in a vase for like fine art. I have a Nikon D90 which lens should I use for this type of photography a 50mm or 85mm?
Thanks,
Jeffery
Like your site stumbled across it and its very informative and helpful. I have one question in regards which lens to use for shooting a complete floral arrangement in a vase for like fine art. I have a Nikon D90 which lens should I use for this type of photography a 50mm or 85mm?
Thanks,
Jeffery
I was in Thailand last week with my Nikon 5100 and the Nikon 50mm 1.8g. Suffice to say, it performs brilliantly.
BTW, paragraph 33, line 6 should read Nikon 1.8G instead of 1.4G. “The only weakness I could find on the Nikon 50mm f/1.4G is its distortion”.
Thanks.
the best review ,, u’re greatt. thanks!! :)
Thanks a lot Nasim for such a nice and detailed review. I have a 35mm f/1.8 lens and it works great but I am still tempted to buy this 50mm lens because of even better bokeh. I am mostly interested in photographing people.
Do you think that 35mm and 50mm focal lengths are too similar to justify buying both?
A general question on lens – are Nikon lens superior to Tamron, Sigma and Tokina? Nikons are typically a third more and I’m not sure if they worth it. I’d really love to hear your thoughts on Nikon vs. non-nikon lens.
Thanks for all your great articles, I’ve learned so much from reading your comments and reviews!
Mark
Short answer: yes.
You get what you pay for.
Hello Nasim,
Before I proceed to my question, I would like to say to you endless of ‘Thank You’ of your great amount of articles ranging from photography tips to cameras and lenses reviews. Wishing you many happy returns for your good deeds!
And here I go with my question. I have purchased a 50mm 1.8D some 2 years back and it has been mounted on my solely entry-level D3000 body. As the D3000 has no auto-focus motor, it was a good learning curve for me on manual focus. A week ago, I have got a very strong push in my mind telling me to go for the 50mm 1.8G (oh well, admittedly it was due to the superb review of yours on this lens), and I have got myself this great lens.
Indeed, it has performed as wonderfully-awesome as per reviewed. Top notch! Somehow the issue now runs in my head is one confusion; whether to keep, or not to keep the 50mm 1.8D? What’s the verdict, I would really want to know.
Hopefully my puzzling thoughts could be solved by your mastery mind. Big thanks in advance!
Hello Nasim, nice test.
I’m still worried about the chromatic aberration. If you compare the sharpness test images between 1.8G and 1.8D, you can see purple overcast on black lines in 1.8G images, while 1.8D images are more black and white.
Is there some difference in post processing, or does the new verson have that much more secondary longitudinal chromatic aberration ?
Thanks for taking the time to compare these lenses. I’d heard great things about the Sigma and was thinking of buying one for an upcoming project, but the Nikon 50 1.8G clearly looks like a better choice here, even without considering the low cost.
Thanks Nasim! I was planning to buy AF-S 50mm F1.4 but now I can certainly consider this option which would save me half the money :-)
Prajakt
now i regret buying the sigma 50mm 1.4 :(
Thanks for the comprehensive comparison.
Just one comment. You’re saying that “the Nikon 50mm f/1.8G definitely has the highest price/performance ratio”. Doesn’t this mean that it has very high price while the performance is very low? :) Shouldn’t it be “the highest performance/price ratio” instead?
Andrey, as far as I know, the correct was is to say price-performance ratio – see this article from Wikipedia :) But you are right, the term is very confusing, since the actual meaning is reversed.
Never thought it was so deep :) Thanks for the link.
You’re welcome Andrey :) Have a great day!
I am Chinese，I love your website very much ! Thanks for a very complete review, as usual !
However,what is your opinion toward the latest review of 50mm 1.8g on DxOMark ? Very very different results there.
Nasim, DXOMark has come up with their conclusion which apparently stresses at the superiority of the predecssor, i.e., 50mm 1.8 D:
http://www.dxomark.com/index.php/News/DxOMark-news/Nikon-AF-S-NIKKOR-50mm-f-1.8G-review-of-the-famous-50mm-1.8D-successor
No technical explanations to support their claim. I had the 50mm 1.8D version a few years ago and it was not that good compared to the newer version. I presently owned the 1.8G version. Believe me, it definitely outperforms the D version. The Sept issue of Popphoto has high praises for the lens.
Hi Mr. Nasim,
your is a very useful and deep review (as the rest of your whole site). While i was looking for a 1.4G as an upgrade, i decided to get a copy of the 1.8G at the end of July (as a substitute of the old 1.8D). I am very satisfied with it as your review confirms. The only issue i feel to suggest to pay attention to to a possible owner is the vignetting; even if i like vignetting especially at maximum aperture it could become a little bit aggressive (but also on the 1.8D i had before vignetting was more or less the same), keep in mind this aspect if you are planning to get a copy. For the rest according to me this is a must have normal lens.
Thanks for your reviews and suggestions and keep up the good work! Greetings from Italy
Thank you for your feedback Zal! I find vignetting to be a problem with most large aperture lenses, including the professional $2K+ lenses.
Dear Nasim,
Thank you so much for such a comprehensive review and comparison. A grateful beginner here and your review was very helpful. I just got this lens and i am loving it!
Nasim,
I did not do technical tests, but the 50mm 1.8G is the first lense which I like to use wide open
without any sorrows. As it is larger then the d-Version is also fits perfectly to the D700 Body
cheers
/Karl
Thank you for your feedback Carl, this lens is truly great!
Can you clarify the “front focus” issue? E.g., how does one test for it? How/who recalibrates it (Nikon)? How is it retested afterward for the correction?
I stumbled upon your truly excellent site looking for reviews on the Nikon 85mm f/1.4G. I want o do unobserved street/people photos and am weighing that against the 50mm f/1.8G and the 105mm
f/2.0D.
Your comment & suggestions are most welcome. ///pc
I never received a reply to my posted Q of 9-7-11. Did you not receive?
Plato, I apologize for a late reply. The front/back focus issue can be easily measured. Just download and print a focus chart, then angle your camera at 45 degrees, focus and take a picture. If focus is right where you focused, then you have no problems. If the focus is on the front, then you have a front focus issue and if the focus is on the back, then you have a back focus issue with your lens. Test a couple of times and see what results you get. If it is consistent, then you might want to send your lens to Nikon for recalibration/repair.
Hello Nasim
I’m about to purchase a new APS-C Nikon DSLR. I have two questions.
(i) Which of the following lenses is best in low light conditions ( i.e. Low Light King)?
(ii) Which of these is best for an APS-C Nikon DSLR?
AF-S DX NlKKOR 35mm f/1.8G 13,170/-
AF-S NIKKOR 50mm f/I.4G 29,915/-
AF-S NIKKOR 50mm f/I.8G 13,450/-
AF NIKKOR 50mm f/1.4D 16,720/-
AF NIKKOR 50mm f/1.8D 6,290/-
Thanks
Sally
I would choose 35mm f/1.8 for general use as it is very sharp and 50mm f1.4D for portrait. They use the same size of 52mm filter. However, D lens will not autofocus on Nikon d5100 and below. It will auto focus on D90,D7000 and above.
I wonder why is the DXOmark.com score for the 1.4G so much better than the 1.8G score considering you find the 1.8 sharper?
Starred, not sure why DXO rated the f/1.8G so poorly in comparison. Maybe they got a bad sample? They also stated that the f/1.8D version is better than the new f/1.8G, which I and many others strongly disagree about.
Thank you very much Nasim for your detail review. It helps me decide which fast 50mm to buy. Best regards
Hi Nasim,
Great and very detailed review on the 50mm 1.8G!
Very helpful for someone who is about to purchase a 50mm FX lens.
I noticed a small typo on this page though:
“The only weakness I could find on the Nikon 50mm f/1.4G is its distortion, but then the more expensive primes like Nikon 50mm f/1.4G… ” where you meant 1.8G for the former.
Thanks again for the review!
Best,
Viktor
I love your page and specially this article, I own a D3100 always use it w/ my Nikon 50mm f/1.8D. I am new to Photography and recently came accross your website on a google search for comparison of the D700 and now I can’t stop reading all your articles :)
Thanks for the feedback Fann!
Hi Nasin do you know what is the difference between the AF-S DX Micro NIKKOR 40mm f/2.8G and the AF-S DX NIKKOR 35mm f/1.8G. The former has 0.163 m of closest focusing distance and the latter has 0.3 m. Is it really a big difference when it comes to close-up pictures? I thought we could go closer than this when taking close-up pictures (0,05m for example).
Thanks in advance, Eduardo.
Eduardo, I will be posting a review of the Nikon 40mm f/2.8G DX this weekend, so stay tuned – it has the info you are looking for.
@Eduardo: You measure the distance from the sensor, not from the end of the lens.
0.163 m is very-very close.
http://www.photozone.de/images/8Reviews/lenses/nikkor_afs_40_28_d7000/hood1.jpg
Georgo, thanks for replying. I didn’t know that. :)
Hi Nasim,
Do you recommend this lens for daily use? I mean I want to take pics of Landscapes, birds (sometimes) and mostly people… do you think Nikon 50mm f/1.8G is best for this? I have Nikon D5100 with 18-55mm VR. do you think this combo of 2 lens is enough for a starter :)
Thanks for great tips and wonderful articles.
Regards,
Rickey
Rickey, the 18-55mm + 50mm f/1.8G combo is perfect for starters. You can use the 18-55mm for landscapes and the 50mm f/1.8G for portraiture, although you might find the Nikon 35mm f/1.8G to be a little more practical on the D5100 due to shorter focal length…
Excellent test. Thank you very much.
I have both the 1.4G and the 1.8G
Flare/ghosting: The 50mm f/1.4G is horribly if you have the sun just outiside the framing (you tested it with the sun… IN the framing), but even I only have had the 1.8G very short time it looks like it is much, much better.
So Nikon has a winner here, as you also stated.
Thanks for pointing that out, it is good to know that the 50mm f/1.8G is also good in that particular scenario as well.
I have just testet both – 1.4G and 1.8G and from f.2.0 – f. 5.6 the 1.8G was sharper than the 1.4G= Not much, but you could see it.
The 1.4G I have just received back from calibration from Nikon Service, so it was 100 % – the 1.8G did not need any calibration, but Lloyd Chambers found a bit front focus – only sometimes in certain shooting situations.
Gandalfsson, thank you for your feedback and your test results!
No lenses are the same, so looks like Lloyd Chambers got a bad sample. Mine did not need any adjustment.
A comparison of all 50 mm lenses with a Nikon 24-70 (50 mm) would be nice and interesting…
Cenk, why? I have the 24-70mm, but I felt that it would not be fair to compare the 24-70mm against 50mm standard primes. Not only because it is a zoom vs prime, but also because it is a f/2.8 lens versus f/1.4-f/1.8.
Dear Nasim, you know, most photographers use 50 mm primes instead of midrange zooms to fill the gap between the wide angles and telezooms… And you have lots of tests between primes and zooms in your site…
That’s true to a certain extent. I just thought that it would be unfair to put a zoom f/2.8 against a prime f/1.8. I went back to Lightroom and checked if I have some test samples of the 24-70mm f/2.8G at 50mm and here is what I found: at f/2.8, both lenses have excellent center sharpness (the 50mm f/1.8 is stopped down to f/2.8). The corners on the 24-70mm are very weak at f/2.8 in comparison and the 50mm f/1.8G clearly has the lead. Vignetting is also much worse on the 24-70mm.
So overall, the 50mm f/1.8G performs better at f/2.8 than the 24-70mm @ 50mm at f/2.8. If you compare both wide open, then the 24-70mm is clearly sharper in the center, but slightly worse in the corners.
Hope this helps :)
Very very informative explanations… Thank you very much Nasim…
Enjoyed the review but I can’t agree with your verdict on the Sigma. My copy has very attractive bokeh, great contrast and is very sharp, even at wide apertures. It has its foibles; AF issues with road signs and car headlights for example, so I use MF for such targets. Otherwise, its AF is generally excellent.
I also own the Nikkor 50 1.8d. The Sigma simply destroys this lens in bokeh terms.
I would imagine that your copy was not a good one, Nasim. Perhaps you might re-test after callibration?
Oops, ‘calibration’…
Simon, have you seen my Sigma 50mm f/1.4 Review? The above test only shows 1 case with background highlights, but I have done other numerous tests where I compare the Sigma against the Nikkors in different environments.
As for the sharpness, I am not the only person who reported sharpness issues with this lens. While its center performance is good, its corners are terrible when compared to Nikon glass. I do not think that I had a bad sample…
is it good for d5100……or shld i buy AF-S DX NIKKOR 35mm f/1.8G….price no big deal less diff….betwn dx & fx…..but wat u recommend !!!..?… buy dx lens or fx lens…..crop factor would do affect the prime lenses…i guess……so can i use fx 50 mm f1.8g for landscapes & potraits ……
Hello Nasim,
Greetings from India. Let me congratulate you on this super website.
Maybe my question is a bit repetitive to this particular forum, but I am still puzzled with which lens to buy for my D5100.
I have narrowed down to 50mm f/1.8G and 35mm f/1.8G (as my budget is $250-$300).
The price is almost the same for the 2 lenses.
I love taking close-up shots(indoor and outdoor) and prefer sharpness and good bokeys.
You quoted above that 35mm f/1.8G is more practical.
Request you to clear my mind and help me decide :)
Any other lens within my budget and better performance other than these 2?
Cheers,
Gurpreet
This week I used this lens to photograph art show winners receiving awards… taken at night with only available studio lights. ISO was 1400, no flash, used 5.6 opening on my Nikon D700.
The shots were winners. Sharp, no grain, easy to focus with f/1.8, and no heavy lens to lug around.
I am VERY happy I bought this lens.
Thank you for great feedback Peter! Glad you like the lens, it is a gem :)
Hello Nasim,,,,,,
Thanks a ton for the review…Its rare these days to find a genuine and non-biased review…You really take time and give detailed reports….
Please keep the good work going on……
Looking forward for more updates from you in future…
Cia…
Hello Nasim,
Thank you for your reply in my email.
I got mine early this month and I love this 50mm f/1.8G,it’s easy to carry and move around.
I’m also looking for the review of Tokina 11-16mm f/2.8 AT-X but can’t find many review for this lens,hoping you have some time to make a full review for Tokina 11-16mm.
jojo
I am a rank amateur who purchased his 1st DSLR (Nikon D5000) about 10 months ago. A few months later I purchased the Nikon – AF-S DX Nikkor 35mm f/1.8 Lens for portraits after reading excellent reviews but I don’t get the same colour tone in my photos as I see in portraits on your web site.
I tend to shoot portraits of friends and family with minimal flash use generally at family functions held at homes or hang outs having low light conditions. Please help me with suggestions on camera set up and shooting so that I can achieve picture tone similar to the one you have in the image with the URL http://photographylife.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/Nikon-50mm-f1.8G-Bokeh-Sample-f1.8.jpg.
Though your review is for a different lens, I am posting my query on this post as Nikon 50mm f/1.8G is also a prime lens and the Nikon – AF-S DX Nikkor 35mm is the 50mm equivalent lens for a DX sensor.
Many Thanks,
Hi Nasim, thanks for your review and always with interest.
Currently having 70-300vr and not to sure deciding which lens to take, the 50mm f1.8 or the 18-55 vr ?. Hope you can help.
Thank you.
Hello Raymond,
Depends in what you want to do.
Your photogrphic range would benefit with
A wide angle zoom. Take also the Nikon18-105 into
Account. It provides a wider range still for a reasonable
Price. Independent from that the 50mm 1.8 G is a Must have
Performing very well both in DX and FX cams.
/karl
Hi Carl,
Thanks, I will go for the 50mm 1.8 G. But not too keen on Nikon 18-105mm.
/Raymond
Yu will enjoy the lens wide open, and the small Depth of field very well for portraits and so on,
I love to have this lens on my D700
/K
Beside the 50mm 1.8, Do you think a good idea if I obtain the 18-55 instead of 18-105 ?
Thanks.
Regards
Raymond
Hi Raymond,
for an alltime zoom the 18-55 is too short,
I think that about 85% of all photos are shot in that range
of the 18-105. As a result you will Not use the 75-300 as often as before.
/k
Hi Carl,
Since I am using D7000, I got the 50mm 1.8D, (with AF and half the price) I love it. With the saving I got the 18-105 as well.
Thanks for your suggestion.
Raymond/
Cool Raymond!
Have fun.
Carl
Hi Carl, I just added in the Nikon 105 f2.8 micro. Having fun with it. Thanks
Regards
Raymond/
Hello Raymond,
Have this lens too,
Use it for events like concerts and wedding
A great lens , with crop-factor 1.5 even greater
on your D7000
I Like the build quality, the vr in combination with
Having the lens wide open.
It’s a perfect all-rounder
/Karl
hello nasim, thanks for the review…
i got my 50mm 1.8D few weeks after i got my D90.. it’s a very good lens and works nice at low lights.. i always bring this lens everywhere i go as alternative lens for my 18-105 for portrait use.. no regrets for this lens.. absolutely perfect lens for a hobbiest like me.. enjoy…
Thanks for this review!
I love how in depth and thorough your reviews are as they almost always answer any question I can think of in regard to buying new gear. The samples are always top notch as well!
I bought the 50 1.8G as my only lens to use with my D700 earlier this year. I was so grateful that Nikon put out a new ‘nifty fifty’ at a great price. It’s very sharp and contrasty but the distortion was an issue there for a while before Adobe released a correction profile for it. That said, Capture NX2 does an excellent job of correcting distortion as well.
I’d recommend this lens to anyone, DX and FX users alike.
I hope Nikkor keeps upgrading their lens line up like this, the new G series are great & personally I have no qualms about using a lens minus an aperture ring. The front dial on my D700 is easier to use anyway.
Thanks again Lola and Nasim! :)
Thank you for your feedback Steve! :)
Hey Mansurov, was pretty confused so as to buy which lens [1.4G or 1.8G] but now my dilemma is gone and am clear. thanks to u.its a beautiful website with loads of info. once again thank you so much
Which is better for D7000?? 50mm 1.4 or 1.8?
Hi Mr. Nasim
I do really happy with all of Your explanations on Your web.
As a beginner, this is the place for me to learn a lot about photography.
Well…. I have bought Nikon D90 with kit lens 18-105mm. I learn from Your web and practising a lot about Shutter speed, Aperture, ISO… etc.
Wowww…. it’s amazing…. Once more, Thanks a lot Mr. Nasim….. ^_^
So… I continue bought a Nikon lens 70-300mm f/4,5-5,6G IF ED VR., and wanna learn about it.
And then after read this 50mm f/1,8G review, I have ordered this lens and it will arrive next week.
I hope all of this gears is enough for me as a beginner at this time and keep practising.
Warm Regards to Your Family.
Nelson
Dear Nasim,
I found your reviews to be very interesting, elaborate but at the same time simple to understand for persons new to photography like me. I have a Nikon D-3000 camera with the standard 18-55 lens. Am confused whether to buy between the Nikkor AF-S DX 35 mm f/1.8 or the Nikkor AF-S 50 mm f/1.8lens. I need the same for everyday photography plus taking clear snaps of my daughter and family with bokeh on the back ground, also landscapes in the park, beaches & for indoor snaps like Birthday party etc. Am a kind of person who hates to change lens every now and then. Kindly advise which lens i should go for 35mm or the 50 mm.
regards,
rajesh
I just bought this lens a I must say, that is a bad lens for portrait photography. Tho bokeh is really bad, it can’t compete with the Sigma at all. I’m selling it now :(
http://img802.imageshack.us/img802/7711/dsc7667.jpg
Peter,
I see your point but please consider that this is a 50mm standard lens that on your camera happens to crop to 75mm but still is a standard 50mm lens. 1.4 may give a slightly better bokeh but for that kind of shot (and from that distance) you need a 2.8 tele ,a proper compression and more distance. even the 55-200 at 5.6 gives a better bokeh, imagine a 180 2.8 or 80-200 .
no?
Petr, please see Mark’s remark below – your shot above would have come out similar, if you used any 50mm lens out there, including the Sigma. To get the background to blur more, you need a longer telephoto lens.
Nasim,
I own a d3100 and I want to purchase the new 50mm f/1.8G. Is that lens compatible with my camera? My wife pretty my just takes pictures of the kids. We previously had the 50mm f/1.8D which did NOT autofocus… Does the G autofocus of the d3100? Thank you.
AJ, yes, the 50mm f/1.8G works perfectly well with the D3100 and will autofocus.
thank nasim,does d5000 autofus also on this lens 1.8g?
Yes. The AF-S lenses autofocus with all Nikon DSLR bodies.
Very good review. Bravo!
Thank you Adrian!
I totally disagree, sorry. Just looking at the tests it appears (obvious) that the 1.4 gets more light and the results are constantly brighter. If I slide the levels I get better resolution than the 1.8.
I have the 1.8G because it was cheaper but please let’s be fair and open our eyes. The difference (in real pictures) between 1.4 and 1.8 is not “massive” but there is a difference, and 1.4 gives a much better bokeh, keeping a good sharpness and (of course) more light to the sensor.
Mark, exposure affects noise (especially in the shadows), but has almost no impact on resolution. Whether you decrease exposure or not, the 50mm f/1.4G resolves less detail, especially in the corners.
As for your “much better bokeh” argument, could you please provide samples to prove your point? I have done extensive research comparing bokeh between these lenses – my results are shown in this and other 50mm lens reviews. The 50mm f/1.4 has slightly larger background highlights due to larger aperture, but the quality of highlights is NOT better.
the 1.4G gets more light, and that’s a fact. I had the same results comparing a canon 1.8 against the 1.2. the images out of the 1.2 were brighter given the same aperture and lighting. Then after I made things “equal” (adjusting the levels for example) the 1.2 become impressive and the 1.8 faded away. Same thing here. Adjust the levels to both, let’s see what happens when we make the 1.8G as bright as the 1.4g or vice-versa
:)
at the same distance the bokeh with the 1.4g is better than the 1.8g , but the DOF is also (obviously) shorter (and that’s not always a good thing): for sure is not a classic “portrait” lens, because is not able to keep the face within the DOF and the back of the head (and hair) nicely OOF , like a tele does (even at 3.2).
what I agree about this 1.8g is that (finally) we have a standard lens sharp wide open. That’s true. On a DX body will simulate a real “portrait” lens with few shortcomings, but syill is a good alternative. (on DX the 85 becomes something else, not even for headshots… in my opinion).
one last consideration: Nikon found the way to charge us 200 bucks for a standard lens, that used to be the half of that, before. It gives good sharpness, but we all know that sharpness is not everything.
in any case I bought it.
Hi Mark,
Could you provide some example images?
I used to have the older 50mm AL 1.4;
But the AF-s 1.8 is brighter , has better color
And better bokeh …
It’s now my favorite on my D700
/Karl
Mark, your “50mm f/1.4G gets more light” argument is not debated in this article – sure it does get more light, no doubt about it. But how does that impact the sharpness / contrast, if I am compensating for this light difference by changing the shutter speed? As you may already know, the difference between f/1.4 and f/1.8 is 2/3 of a stop. If you look at the EXIF data from the image crops I provided here, when I compared the wide open performance, I did compensate for the difference by using a shorter shutter speed on the f/1.8G. Otherwise, the image sample from the f/1.4G lens would have been much brighter. And what do you mean by “adjusting the levels”? If you are doing anything in post-processing, then you are already messing up the comparison. I always provide my image samples unprocessed, only white balance corrected. I do not touch anything in post; I might adjust the exposure in the corners a little bit, but that’s pretty much it.
As for “at the same distance the bokeh with the f/1.4G is better than the f/1.8G” – please provide facts and not just assumptions here. The difference between f/1.4 vs f/1.8 is the size of aperture and hence depth of field + larger bokeh renderings (at the same distance). This has NOTHING to do with a specific lens. If a lens has a larger maximum aperture, it does not make its bokeh better. I am not even going to comment on the second part of the sentence, because everything in it is completely wrong. Before you post your arguments and comments here, please do some research and read about optics. Specifically, read about subject to camera distance, depth of field, subject to background distance and about bokeh in general.
take a look at your own tests, it doesn’t take a long drive to nowhere to see it. it’s obvious the difference in luminosity between the two lenses. the difference between 1.8 and 1.4 is terms of depth of field is again obvious.
Study what? The obvious?
Mark, I don’t see this discussion going anywhere.
Thanks for your review!
I have the 1.8G and considered to get the 1.4G instead but after reading this (and a few others) I’m keeping the 1.8G.
My problem with the 1.8 is that I get some ghosting when shooting at night from highcontrast lightsources or when shooting into the sun. The problem gets much worse with a UV-filter.
The only alternative that I see to the Nikon 50/1.8G is the Zeiss 50/1.4 ZF.2, it is an amazing piece of optics with fantastic buildquality but comes with manual focus and a serious pricetag.
you have a very interesting and informative site it’s a pleasure to read your reviews and articles and i didn’t came here by a mistake i was googling through the internet to find an answer to my worries,i bought a d7000 and a nikkor 50mm f1.8G and i can say that till now i am very unsatisfied with the results so far,although the lens works perfectly in my old d40x and it’s extremely sharp and clean when it comes to my D7000 it’s out of focus and not sharp at all 80% of the time,i also tried the lens on my F100 and the pictures i got were sharp as a butchers knife,so i guess the problem must be on my D7000 and i don’t unterstand how to perform the AF tuning at all !!! i really don’t want to send the lens on the dealer although it is under warranty,i hate couriers cause most of the times they don’t take care of fragile stuffs i really don’t know what to do,and the d7000 although it sounds and looks like a great camera haven’t get me satisfied till now in fact i get more satisfaction from my nikon p300 which it tends to be my main camera!!!!!!! thank you for letting express my problem with my nikon gear(although i really love nikon and i don’t understand why people buy canon my relationship with them(nikon) it’s between love and hate most of the times.
vasilis
GREECE
Check that the auto-focus on the D7000 isn’t set to “C”, continuos focus. If it is, and you recompose the shot after focussing, the focus will also change. I know someone who had the same problem with a D5000, but that was all it was.
It would be very childish from my side to send my previous message without checking everything om my camera,i always shot AF-S.
I recently got an D7000(refurb) in spite of all the AF issues and oil spattering on the sensor and sure enough the first one I got had some oil spots on it. So I exchanged it for another and it’s fine.
I did not have any AF issues. I checked with my D300 and the D7000 and both seem to be same.
I hope you read Nasim’s article on the D7000 on how a high resolution sensor can *seem* not sharp when viewed 100% compared to low resolution sensors.
Assuming you have got past that, AF fine tune is a last resort and should be generally avoided on anything other than prime lenses(fixed focal length).
People on the internet print out a test chart and then go bonkers over how their camera is out of focus. Its totally wrong. They might have printed the chart, but have they placed the camera and the chart in the right angle for the focal plane of the lens to be exactly on the spot on the chart? NO ! That kind of tests need to be done in a lab where the angle, height etc of the camera relative to the camera has to be exact to the millimeter. People generally place it on a table and then point the camera down and complain about how there is front focus or back focus. What if you move the chart or change the angle of the chart? Is everything in focus now? They never try that and never think about that !!!!
Canon fortunately recommends a moire test which is simple and you can check it out for curiousity.
http://www.northlight-images.co.uk/article_pages/cameras/1ds3_af_micoadjustment.html
Best layman’s test would be place a couple crayons or pens or anything you can think of in a slanting line and then focus on one particular crayon/pen and see if its in focus. If it is, then do not bother about focus issues at all.
If not, read up on the AF fine tune in the manual, it’s not that hard. Just dial in values one by one till you are satisfied.
At f/1.8 on the 50mm f/1.8G and the 50mm f/1.4G, it would make sense that the 9 blades of the 1.4G affects the bokeh a bit (since the 1.8G is at it’s maximum, where the blades won’t do anything, and the 1.4G blades aren’t fully retracted), so it would be a slightly unfair comparison for the 1.4G at 1.8, no?
With that said, I am wondering if it’s worth the extra $200 or so for the 50mm 1.4G over the 1.8G. I am an amateur photographer (shooting with D5100, 15-55mm kit lens, 35mm 1.8G, and 55-200mm) and I learn really quickly. Budget isn’t really too much of a concern, if the 1.4G is that much better.
I’ve heard that the 1.8G focuses faster, but the 1.4G has less distortion at the corners. But I really can’t decide which one to get. Or should I not get the 50mm (as I have the 35mm and it’s basically a 53mm since I’m using a DX) and get a 18-200mm instead for it’s versatility? Was interested in the 50mm for portraits. Your advice? Thanks!
I would like to know what Naseem says to your question. But I recently bought a 50mm 1.8G after reviews of the Bokeh in 1.4 not being that good. Add to that the 50mm has an aspherical element which the 1.4 doesn’t.
I am happy with the 50mm 1.8 G. I also have the 18-200 VR and I love it for what I do, which is casual photography. It’s a wonderful lens and lot of people are down on it. Look at the flickr group for that lens and you will see amazing pictures taken with it. The 70-300 VR is defenitely better than the 18-200 in terms of resolution and clarity but the 18-200 wins for portability/price/quality/VR.
If budget isn’t a concern then the 70-200mm 2.8 will be your best bet for portraits and zoom. I used to have that and loved it with a 1.7x Nikon TC. I sold it recently as I wasn’t using it and was too heavy for my needs.
When I save up some money I will get the Nikon 200-400mm for some birding.
I’m happy with my 50mm 1.8G too…. ^_^
After reading the review , I am very much happy about the performance of 50mm f1.8G . I am an amatuer photographer . I have d7000 with dx18-105mm (3.5-5-6) lens . Portrait shots are coming up well with good bokeh /blurred background.
My doubt is
1.Whether 50mm f1.8g will give stunning results in my d7000 or not in terms of sharpness,bokeh / blurred background as the person who raised the question #122 says , this lens is not working well with D7000.
I hope 50 mm f1-8G will give better bokeh/sharpness than my 18-105mm lens ( I am sorry as I should not compare 50mm lens with my 105mm lens .. But still would like to know , how the end results performance would be .)
I kindly request you to clear my confusion . Thanks
I want to add a 50mm AFS lens to my D3s to take photographs indoors at various parties, dinner dances etc avoiding the need to use a speedlight.
In your opinion would the additional available light performance of the 1.4G be a major advantage over the 1.8G?
Great site!
John,
I am just curious. If your intent is to take such public events, then shooting at 1.4 gives you a razor thin depth of field. So the 1.4 helps with one stop of light. But can you capture such events in 1.4 and still have a decent portion of the image in focus? If yes then 1.4 helps. But I was under the impression that the 1.4 is more for portraits where the subject is still and you are comfortable focusing with that razor thin DOF.
If you are going to use it at 1.8 and above then that 1.4 glass is just another 1.8G.
But, I am curious to know what nasim and others think about this, as I had the same dilemma as you and bought a 1.8G.
Ravi
My initial attraction to the 1.4 lens is its light gathering potential, but as you say this is somewhat negated by the narrow dof when photographing people in a party environment, and I may be better off with a 1.8.
I am however still attracted to a 1.4 which does as least give me a better low light option.
Nasim,
nice comparison, interesting results, thanks for the review.
However, let me mention here the results of the RAW-based comparison of the highly apreciated company ‘DxO Labs’ published under page: http://www.dxomark.com/index.php/News/DxOMark-news/Nikon-AF-S-NIKKOR-50mm-f-1.8G-review-of-the-famous-50mm-1.8D-successor .
As known, DxO is producing a professional photo editor/enhancer software (current version is DxO Optics Pro 7.1), which provides the very best lens correction (including about 100% effective correction of lens lateral and longitudinal color fringing and varying lens periphery softness, vignetting, perspective control, etc).
Those french professionals execute exhaustive lens tests on different camera bodies (taking thousands of pictures with the lens on every ISO/aperture/shutter speed and focus distance combinations on all current camera bodies) and based on these results they build a lens geometry and color aberration profile, which is in practice the negative algorithm of the lens aberrations expressed in a mathematical formula. It is amazing to experience how far better DxO Optics Pro autocorrects/enhances any image (RAW and JPEG) comparing to any, like Adobe products. Would DxO’s color handling (and some other services) be a little better to its competitor Lightroom, Adobe’s sales have gone down deeply…
So, after the brief intro, in short, DxO found the old 1.8D performs better in any aspect (resolution, vignetting, distortion, chromatic aberration) both on DX and FX bodies compared to its successor, the 1.8G. This is quite sad as the new lens is built on the current optics technology like using aspherical elements, better Multi-coating with 7 rounded ap. blades and built-in silent motor, still slower in focusing.
For me the only one feature, the bokeh, which is quite subjective and therefore they cannot measure, is really better on 1.8G due to the rounded blades (see e.g. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6my3DO00X28).
No question, Nikon with the G-type lenses introduced a good-looking, clean product line, however, loosing one important feature of a prime (or any zoom lens), the aperture ring. Obviously, you do not need it for regular use, as aperture easily can be adjusted on the digital cam body, but once you want to use the prime reversed at the end of an extension tube, you can forget any G-lenses being stopped down to the minimal ap (as not attached to a body), so got black-blind in the viewfinder. OK, then why not use dedicated macro lens, like the 105mm VR with nanocoating? Have it, but that performs quite bad, heavily fringing at 1:1 or when use for portraits (badly, much more compared to the very entry level 18-105 or the mid level 70-300). No way to use the 105 mm (with ext tubes) for extreme macro, which is like at least 1:2, as getting soft, chromatically heavily aberrated extremely narrow DOF images even at f/18 or 20. Bad, what I can see, Nasim, on your test images, as well, the expressed lateral chromatic aberration of the 1.8G. Based on all above have an impression why people try new, fresh products against the old, bored ones have a feeling like ‘new car is good car’. Sorry, Nasim, not saying your tests and review is not OK, but tend to beleive the current ‘improvements’ and trends with floating lens elements and VR is not the right way to get the very best optical performance, looks producers lost something shocking simple, but well working design 30-40 years ago… Best example for this consideration is the highly appreciated ‘spider man’ Thomas Shahan (thomasshahan.com), who use 30-40 years old pentax primes reversed on ext. tube and shoot outstanding ultramacros you can never beat with current macro lenses, I know I tried… This guy is not a hero of ultramacro with old cheap second-hand equipment, but, that’s the only way it works! (Still, Thomas, you are the best on ultramacro!) Think, the key is the optical simplicity and excellent material use. Metal and high quality glass even with old single or multi coating. That’s why those old lenses still work and overperform current full-of-plastic and overcomplicated objectives, and those oldies price is still crawling up and up and sold more and more M42 lens adapters.
Nasim, again, I am one of your enthusiastic reader, who enjoy your very useful knowledge sharing quite much, however, in this case I do not feel your fully objective opinion. I have none of those primes, so cannot add any obj/subj comments. However, appreciate your further input on my thoughts. (Being both one of the cheapest lenses of Nikon this is not a pocket-cutting question, rather a theoretical discusion).
Best regards,
Zsolt
Hi Zsolt;
I have three lenses – the 50mm 1.8D, the old famous Nikon AL S 1.4; and the new one – here mentioned.
Guess what my favorite is ?
the last one
Do not judge by some tools or reports – judge by yourself
cheers
/
Karl
Carl, that’s for sure, different photographers with different needs and preferences… What I miss in G-type lenses is really the ap. ring, which makes unusable the lens when reversed for extreme macro (or you can do some DIY job with the ap. stick, but I would avoid that).
Thanks for your input!
Best regards,
Zsolt
Hi! I have a decision i just can’t make: i want to buy a D7000 and a fast lens, trouble is i can’t decide between the 35mm f/1.8G and the 50 mm one. I would like to use it mostly for night photography, although i think i would shoot portraits too because i can’t afford that 105mm f*2 AF DC lens(i’m not sure though that the 105 works with the D7000)witch i think is a sweet lens and want to get at some point. I don’t want to spend a lot on too many lenses witch do the same think as others, that’s why i would go for the 35mm, but only if it’s image quality and bokeh are as good as the 50mm f/1.8.
Thanks and Cheers!
Alex, the D7000 is a DX camera, meaning whatever focal length you’re using will be multiplied by 1.5.
So, if you want the equivalent of a 50mm shot on a full-frame camera, you’d actually get the 35mm for your D7000. That’ll translate into the equivalent of 52.5mm.
I got my D5100 and made the same mistake of getting the 50mm instead of the 35mm (assuming you want a 50mm equivalent because it’s about “natural” field of vision for our eyes).
the 35 mm is a DX lens so it’s 35 on the D7000 and D5100. the 50mm i think is for FX that’s why it’s 75mm on your D5100. focal lenght isn’t a big factor to me, although you bringing up the crop factor has lit a bulb in my head, seeing that the 50mm would actually be 75 makes me be sure about my decision to buy the 35, witch is highly respected and recommended for DX cameras.
Hi Alex,
Peter is correct. The DX designation corresponds to the lens being specifically designed to cover only the APS-C frame (about half the size of a 35mm “full frame” sensor). Therefore a DX lens used on an FX sensor will not cover the entire frame, and there would be strong vignetting, basically black bars all around the image.
Focal length is universal, but because of the 1.5x crop factor of the APS-C (DX) sensor, 35mm on DX appears to be the equivalent of what would be 52mm on Full Frame, and 50mm on DX would appear to be 75mm in Full Frame terms. So a 35mm DX lens is still 35mm, but it is designed to different specifications to cover the smaller frame, which therefore makes it less expensive to produce (and purchase).
The 50mm would be a great portrait lens for you, but if you want the “normal” lens range that is a staple of photography for just about anything (50mm range), I would say you would love the 35mm 1.8 DX. It’s very sharp, has decent bokeh and will perform well in low light.
Hope this helps. Good luck and have fun!
-Jon
so? what you’re saying is that any lens regardless of the fact that is’s a DX or a FX will be 52mm on a DX body? that kinda sucks. i’ve always thought that DX are made to counteract that zoom factor
Thanks for the help
Alex
Alex,
No. The focal length on every lens for a DX body should be multiplied by 1.5 to get theequivalent of the correct focal length when put on an FX body.
Meaning, a 35mm lens on a DX body would be about 53mm on a FX body.
A 50mm lens on a DX body would be the same as a 75mm on a FX body.
An 18-200mm lens on a DX body would be the same as a 27-300mm lens on a FX body.
Why would all lens on a DX body only give you a 52mm focal length? Then there would be no point in buying anything DX.
Hi,
I love my copy of the 50mm.
Yesterday I recognized that the lens make some noise when I “shake” it…
I have noticed this the first time – any idee’s what it could be?
I handlt it with care every time – no crash or battering.
Is this normal?
Thanks!
Greetings from Europe, Michael
Hi Nasim,
I am really really impressed with your reviews. Thanks for all the stuff.
I own a Nikon D5100+ AF-S 18-55mm Kit lens. I’m looking for a good lens for portrait photography and nature photography.
let me know if I should go with AF-S DX 35mm f/1.8G or Nikon 50mm f/1.8G or Nikkor AF-S DX MICRO 40mm f/2.8G. MICRO 40mm because, i feel this would also serve me for macros in addition to portraits.
Please suggest with which one should I be going?
Hi Anil.
All three of those options are phenomenal. Depends what kind of nature shots you are trying to take. If you need macro, then the Micro is the only choice. I own it myself and it is sharp, contrasty and fun to have the micro option when I need it. (Inanimate objects)
Hi Nasim,
Thank you for hosting this excellent site, your reviews and insights are very much appreciated.
I have a question regarding your thoughts on the 50mm 1.8G vs the 50mm 1.4G. I am getting the D800, which will be a big upgrade for me coming from my current D80! I currently use the 35mm 1.8DX lens a lot for landscapes, panoramas, and indoor/low light shots.
I’m wondering which one of these you would recommend at this point for these purposes. The extra 2/3 stop would be nice to have and I’m not opposed to spending the extra money, but my main concern is resolution with the D800. Subject isolation seems a little better on the 1.4G to me but I don’t know how often I would really utilize it as such (I also have an 85mm 1.4D). I mainly want sharpness and resolution for landscapes. It seems like either one would be fine for low light, and the 1.8G might be sharper.
I ask this primarily because I know you used to use the 1.4G all the time, but seem to focus on Wedding and detail and portrait photography with it, which I would be doing less of. In regards to landscapes, I’m wondering which you would prefer.
As a side question, I’m also wondering if you would consider the 50mm 1.8G or 1.4G to be better at 50mm than the 24-120 f/4 which I also have, as far as sharpness and resolution (obviously the primes would be better in low light). This question is more with regards to hiking, as even though the 50mm’s aren’t that heavy, a little extra space and less weight never hurts on a backpacking trip.
Thanks again for all of your wonderful work. Keep it up! Looking forward to reading more on your experiences the the D800 as well when they come in.
Take care,
Jon
Hi Jon.
I’ll try to answer that question for you.
When shooting landscapes you are probably between f8-f14. I would say both of those lenses would be just as sharp in that range.
And yes the 50mm will be sharper at 50 than the zoom lens you were describing. For around $220 the 50mm 1.8G should be an instant purchase on your full frame. You will find it multi-purpose friendly.
But, now you won’t have the crop sensor anymore so you will probably need a wider lens. The 20mm 2.8D should work for you, its sharp and will be considerably wide.
Hope that helps.
Tom
Very nice and comprehensive review there on the 50 mm 1.8G sir.
I’ve been using this lens for just a month and it’s great. I’m just a newbie when it comes to photography and I just want to ask this, Is it ok or advisable to use Macro filters on the 50mm 1.8G?
Hoping for your reply. Thank you very much and more power sir!
You could do that, but the results might be ok at best unless you get really expensive filters.
The 40mm 2.8G Micro which is also reviewed on this site is under $300. Or you can pick up the 60mm 2.8D Micro for a little more. Shooting macro is very fun.
Very useful review
50mm prime is which one? which one is best & which one is VR? pls let me know the issue & price also
Thanks for the review. Trying to find one of these lenses in stock is painful. Took over a week of waiting to even find a D7000 camera body.
I found one at The Camera Store, yesterday.
Hi Nasim:
How does this lens compare (sharpness and colour rendition) against 60mm AF-s 2.8 g especially at 2.8 for people shots indoor (where 70-200 cant focus because of the shorter distance)?
Hi Nasim:
Thank you so much for such a comprehensive review. I have been wanting to add a 50mm prime to my collection of lenses for awhile. I have been struggling to decide between the 1.4g and the 1.8g. After going through your in-depth review you have helped me to make the decision. I ordered the 1.8g and It should arrive next week! So, I thank you, and my bank account thanks you :-) Lastly, I want to commend you on operating such an informative and invaluable site.
Well done Nasim!!!
Hello Nasim,
I just bought the 1,8G lens to replace my 1,4G 50mm
What I see is
1,8G has more clarity wide open to d2,8 ( I guess due to the asferic element)
central sharpness is a bit higher wide open to d2,8
and most of all: Autofocus speed is how it should be- much faster.
Thanks for the review!
Thank You so much for your much detailed review,this helped me a lot in deciding my first lens for Nikon D7000 .Thanks a LoT:-) Can you tell us more about on How to take care of Lens, ofcourse we spent do much bucks on it., Please , if u can , could you do an article on How to take care of Your Lens.How to protect it.
Hi, Nasim…
As usual your review always very thorough and detail. I always find it very helpful.
If you don’t mind, I’d like to ask for your opinion. At the moment I have Sigma 50mmf/1.4 DG EX HSM and Nikon AF 50mmf/1.4D in my possession. Should I trade them for Nikon AF-S 50mmf/1.4G? Or even for Nikon AF-S 50mmf/1.8G AND Nikon AF-S 85mmf/1.8G instead.
For your reference, I’m looking forward to upgrade my gear to D7000 and/or D800
Thanks a lot for your resourceful insight. Cheers…
Hi Nasim,
Thanks for all the info, but still unsure what to buy – the 50mm 1.4 g or 1.8g .
I have a Nikon d5100, with 18-200 lens.
I do lots of portrait photos, (and admit to leaving it on auto most of the time / all of the time!) I like the shallow depth of field effect on my pictures, and want crystal sharp images.
I do use the camera indoors a fair bit with a Nikon SB400 flash – but most photos are taken outdoors. I assumed the 1.4 might be better for more indoors photography at low light, but I am not clear on that.
If the cost isnt a major issue (the difference isnt that large when spread over the life on the lens) – which would you recommend and why.
Many thanks in advance for any help you, or your readers can give.
Hi All
few days back I got my this new machine,
a sincere request a all new DSLR users , please read expert advise of Nasim before going to purchase this lens other wise you will make sae mistake as I did , this is not the lens for indoor shoot for family and function and smaller space, you will really get disappointed on that aspect its better to go for 35 mm lens, I would say more or less all users who use DX format better go for DX lens only as they better suit to the requirements and your camera to give perfect results ,
I bought this lens to capture the moment of my daughter B day but due to limitation that I cant see the complete view have to to go back with my 18-55 kit lens to take the pics.
if you still need have a doubt , please see the possibility where you can actually click some snaps with your choice list of lens in the same environment for which you are buying it. and after that purchase the lens.
all these FX lens are made for FX cameras in consideration.
regards to all
MM
Thom Hogan finds the image quality of the f/1.8 slightly behind the f/1.4G. The AF is of course faster on the f/1.8G.
I have read his reviews as well, and found it quite awkward. Perhaps he got a lemon on his 50/1.8 or something. But I have tested the three 50/1.4D, 50/1.4G, and 50/1.8G. I ended up with the 50/1.8G, and I am planning to sell my 50/1.4D now.
But everyone is entitled to their own opinions and mind you, not all lenses even with same specs, are created equal.
Try a sharpness test with the lens focussed near infinity. The f1.4G probably is sharper then the f/1.8G.
Even if that’s the case, why would anyone want to shoot a 50mm lens at infinity? For landscapes?
Nasim, thank you for such a detailed review. I have 50mm 1.8D and thought on buying better 50mm. I thought, that 1.4G or Sigma would be better and now I`m really shocked. I`ll definitely upgrade soon. Do you have any info about 50mm 1.2 AF-S?
After so many days research, I purchased 50mm 1.8G. Trust me, it is one of the greatest lenses I’ve ever seen. I’m really surprised from the first shot.
I’m really enjoying photographing with 50mm 1.8G. It is a new experiance.
Hope it helps.
So if the money was not an issue. Would you get the 1.4G or 1.8G?
Thank you so much for your review. Your website is filled with lot of information that helps us a lot in making good decision, when ever i have to make a decision on buying a lens or a camera your site helps me to take my final decision.
I was looking for a lens for my D700 and your review helped me a lot. I am going for 50mm 1.8G as I have a 85mm 1.8G.
Thank you
God bless
Dominic
Hi Nasim,
I am planning to buy D7000 soon. I am very impressed with the Camera. So now I am finalizing lenses. I need to take nice portraits, macros and wildlife photos. These are the lenses I am thinking of,
1) Nikon 50mm 1.8 AF – As a prime lens I chose AF over AF-S as D7000 is capable of auto focus. Is this lens good for macros? Or do I have to buy Nikon 35mm 1.8 too.
2) Nikon 70-300 VR
I am still thinking 50mm or 35mm or both. Please advise me.
Thanks,
Niro
I am selling a 7000 (excellent condition, box, manuals, almost brand new with less than 3000 actuations, with almost 1.5 year bestbuy accidental coverage thats transferable) with a brand new never used 50 1.4G.
Let me know if you are interested.
The D7000 is a great camera, I think you will be loving it.
As for a prime lens, I think the 50/1.8 is really a stellar performer. The Aspherical lens in it says it all. There’s no other 50mm lens from the Japanese manufacturers that I know of incorporates aspherical elements in their “normal” 50mm lenses.
The germans does, such as Leica, and contributes to a very steep price point.
So for Nikon to do this, making an aspherical element on the 50/1.8, is really “shot themselves in the foot”. The 50/1.4 is no contender IMHO to this lens in overall performance. Sure bokeh wise the 50/1.4 is slightly better, but the 50/1.8 G is no slouch either.
If only they made it in a 9-blade……..
Great website! Great source of information! Great review! I was attracted to this lens, but was a bit confused about the life samples of this lens photos comparing to 50mm 1.4 G, as the latest seemed to outperform wide open on portraits. Even this website’s review of 50mm 1.4 G has some amazing examples of portrait photos with that lens. And that made me a bit sad as I couldn’t find any samples of comaprative bokeh quility of 50mm 1.8 G until just recently. So I thought maybe some people like, who read this review, will find it useful to see some real life examples of what 50mm 1.8 G lens is capable of when shooting portraits wide open on DX camera. Some photos are better some less, but to me this lens is simply a treasure now. So here is a link http://www.flickr.com/photos/dougliz/tags/50mm18/
I am great fan of yours and I follow your posts deligently.I am planningto buy 50mm 1.8 g but I am little confused on the filter options.Which one I should buy:-
1)B+W 58mm XS-PRO CLEAR MRC Filter
2)B+W 58mm F-Pro UV Haze MRC Filter
Hoping to hear an answer to this one too. You mention a filter in your review but what kind? Cheers.
Nasim,
Thanks for yet another fantastic review. I have a Nikon D600 and I recently sold my 50mm 1.4G on the strength of this review. Its replacement, the 50mm 1.8G, has arrived today and I am blown away by the difference. It is so sharp wide open, considerably sharper than my 1.4G was at f/1.8, and the colours and contrast are easily on a par, if not better, than the 1.4G.
What a fantastic little lens, lighter, sharper, faster to focus and therefore considerably more useful than its big brother! It isn’t often that I’d sell a lens to buy a cheaper replacement – but in this case it’s a no brainer, and it was purely down to your review.
Thanks again for such great reviews, keep them coming – they’re the BEST !
Dear Nasim,
I just bought a D800e (replacing my analog Hasselbald and Leica) and had to search for appropriate lenses.
Your reviews are really great and saved me a lot of headaches of testing the lenses on my own (I am not such an expert in that at all).
I just ordered the above described 50mm 1.8G and the 16-35mm and am really looking forward to use them as soon as possible.
It’s a real pleasure to have such a great source of information with all the test pics available.
Layout, text, content, structure is amazing; great job and thank you for sharing all of this with the rest of us.
Looking forward to more … ;o)
Regards Markus
Thank you for the review. Awesome information. The flare pictures were very interesting to me and confirmed my experience. I had a Nikon 50mm F1.4 AFD and a Nikon 50mm F1.8 AFD and the new 50mm F1.8G in my kit is superior in flare reduction. I like that very much. Also, in my kit is the Nikon 35mm F1.8 DX lens and the new Nikon 85mm F1.8G. The 85G is so sweet and the 35 DX is the “weakest” of these three in my kit because it “hunts” more often.
Nasim,
Thanks for such in-depth review. I am venturing into wedding photography and 50mm 1.8G is the first lens added to my kitty.
Wow. What a nice article that covers the 1.8G in detail. I was really confused to choose between 1.4G and 1.8G and you saved my 200 bucks. Thanks Nasim
Hi Nasim,
I am curious about the difference in DOF between 1.4 and 1.8. Do they make a real difference? May i have an example of shots between the 1.4 and 1.8? Can it be the deal breaker for me in getting the 1.4 over the 1.8, just for that slightly less DOF?
Thanks, cheers!
Hi Nasim,
I am an ametuer photographer & have a D3100 + 18-55. I am looking to buy a new 50mm. Your review is great but i am still confused between 1.8D & 1.8G. Please suggest, considering I may upgrade to a D7000 in a year. Is manual focus in 1.8D a big drawbag?
Would really appreciate your timely reply.
Thanks,
Gaurav R
Gaurav R,
Nikon D lens have no built-in focus motor, Nikon G lens do. Get the G lens unless you are already used to manual focusing all the time. Also note that for your DX camera, there is a crop factor of 1.5, meaning a 50mm 1.8G would cover the same field as a 75mm on a FX (full frame like D600, D700, D800, D4, etc.) camera. You may want to consider a 35mm 1.8G (about $200), which would be about a 52.5mm equivalent on FX.
Try googling, you’ll find most of your answers doing so. I.E., googling “difference between nikon D and nikon G lens.”
Peter,
Thanks a lot for your help. As of now i have purchased a used 1.8D for $70. Though manual focus has limitations but its pretty good for still photography & I use aprture Priority mode all the time so the range finder option really hepls to get the right focus. I am loving the bokeh after upgrading from an 18-55 :)
If and when you do upgrade to a D7000 (or D7100 or D7200, whichever comes out), the body will likely (at least the D7000 does) have an autofocus motor. :)
Did you get the 50mm 1.8D? That’s the equivalent of a 75mm on your D3100.
Hi Sir first of all thanks alot for your hard work for us.I have ever never seen the web like this the way you teach about photography is amazing i am very impressed from you I first saw your video about sb 900 in youtube the way you teach about flash photography is fantastic so thanks alot for this.Now lets come to my question sir i am using d7000 there are 39 focus points in it but how much points should i use and why.And how much points do you use the most and points which you use is for which kind of situation and why.I have also email you but you maybe did not see because you did not reply.So thanks alot and i will intense wait for your reply.
Hi there! I accidentally bought 50mm AF-S 1.8G lens instead of 1.4d for product shooting..Should I keep this lens or should I return it and get the 1.4 instead?
If you are doing a product shoot (usually done in a well-lit area or with a lightbox), why would you need a lens with a 1.4 aperture instead of a 1.8 aperture? Unless you are planning to keep the lens for your own personal use and will need that 1.4 aperture, there’s really no need to spend that extra $200. Can usually just increase ISO and/or use flash to compensate in most cases that you feel you really need the 1.4 equivalent.
The 50mm 1.8G is sharper and better from f/1.8 to f/5.6. So unless you really need the 1.4 (weddings, events, portraits, etc.) or need it to be sharp past 5.6, no need to return. Just my two cents.
Hi Peter,
Thanks! Much appreciated! :)
Love the 1.8G though 1.4D and 1.8G has the same price in our place…should I replace the 1.8G? Is there a big difference in aperture in terms of low light situations? When using 1.4D in nikon 7000… will I have problem like having distortion for product shoot?
If you have a D7000, then your camera body has an autofocus motor, meaning it will focus with D lenses.
The 50mm 1.4D is 2/3rds of a stop better than the 50 1.8G (captures more light), and focuses SLIGHTLY faster. The 1.8G is just a TINY TINY bit better with vignetting, and is quieter when focusing.
You can’t go wrong whichever you pick, if they are the same price.
Thom Hogan finds that the 1.4G is better than the 1.8G at greater distances in the f/2 to f/4 range, is it possible to do imatest at longer distances to confirm that?
Look at this site! http://www.photozone.de/nikon_ff/631-nikkorafs5018ff?start=1
Nasim and others,
I’ve visited the local camera place here in the Denver area (Mikes Camera), and the tech was telling me that the 50 1.8g is “meant to be replaced” meaning that in the future i’ll need to replace it…and that the 1.4g is a lens i’ll have forever.
Thoughts on that?
thanks,
Yusuf
Hi
I am amature photographer. I bought the D600 and the Nikon 50mm F/1.8G and then I bought a 58mm 0.7x wide angle wide lens and mount it on the f/1.8g. I was trying to fit more action on my picture.
But the result was crazy. The view was extremely very foggy. I could me identify the picture that I was taking, and the shutter wont release. And when I took the wide angle lens off, everything went up to normal back again. What went wrong. Again, I am an amature photographer. Thanks
Dear Nasim,
great review, having owned the 1.8 D and the 1.8 G, I agree with what you say.
I am wondering though, about the fast focus.
I am shooting weddings and during the dancing part – I find my G much slower than the D.
(could be that I need to AF-tune my D800)
I am finding the same thing with my 85 1.4 G and the 85 1.8 D..
Are there people here that have the same experiences?
I am thinking to get the 1.8 D back (for dancing it was fine) or get the 1.4 D second hand…
Thanks!
Yes Nathalie, I just bought a d600 to go with this lens and I am new to Nikon from Canon but am shocked at how slow it is compared to my Canon 1.4 17-55. Its a little stressful, I was happy to move to Nikon based on such good reviews but too much is passing me by without focusing, its horrible. Surely this can’t be right? Love to hear any advice Nasim.
Thanks
Dear Simon,
don’t get me wrong, I am Nikon all the way:)
But I was indeed surprised to find the new G-models to be slower than the D- ones.
My 24-70 and 70-200 are fast as can be and spot on.. in any case, the D800 is a “slower” camera (that is what they say) because it is a studio camera, and indeed, on my D700, the 50 and 85 G lenses are faster, but still not as great as the D. (meaning, in dark situations with a lot of movement- such as dancing)
So I am just interested to hear in other people’s experiences.
I am a new amateur photographer using a Nikon D5000 with an 18-105 mm lens. I’m now ready to buy my next lens and was thinking of a 50mm, but not sure whether to get a 1.4 or 1.8, a D or a G. I think I’ll go with the 1.8G. Your review was by far the best review of anything I’ve read on photography or equipment for the past two years – and I think I’ve learned more from the review about photography generall. Thanks so much!
Christine, before you buy that 50mm 1.8G, just note that your camera is DX and has a 1.5x crop (meaning you multiply the focal length of whatever lens you use by 1.5 to get equivalent focal length).
The 50mm 1.8G you’re eyeing will be like a 75mm 1.8G equivalent on your cropped frame camera. If you want something in the focal range of 50mm and plan on staying with cropped frame (the Dxxxx [4 numbers after the D]), then you may want to get the fantastic 35mm 1.8G instead (roughly $200 or less).
Thanks for the suggestion Peter. I’ve been struggling a bit with the 1.5x crop concept, having never shot full frame – your comment was helpful for understanding. I am planning on staying with my cropped frame for now, so I’ll look for the 35mm.
The 35mm 1.8G on your D5000 would have a focal length of 52.5mm 1.8G (due to crop factor)! :)
Is this lens worth getting if you already have the 35mm 1.8G? I love my 35mm but would also like to get a 50mm, at first I thought the 1.8G might be too similar and wanted to get a faster 50mm instead. But there is no sign of a 1.2 being released any time soon and from all the research I did the 1.4G doesn’t seem to be quite as good as the 1.8G!
Would you recommend I go for this one or wait until something better is released?
there is a 50mm f/1.2, which is waaaaay better than the 1.8 image wise, it still is produced and doesn’t cost that much either, it’s about twice as expensive as the 1.8. the only catch is that it is a manual lens
Alex, that latter part about manual focus is what makes the 50mm f/1.2 AIS not appealing to many, including myself. Autofocus is hugely important, especially when using lenses on DX cameras that have a small viewfinder.
I did get the 1.8G in the end when I got a good deal buying it along with another lens. I have to say I have not been disappointed! I think it just might have taken over as my favorite lens!
Hi Nasim,
I just want to start by saying that I love your website, whenever I have any kind of photography question in my mind I always check here first to see what you have to say. That being said, the question on my mind right now is which lens to get next, and while you have really great reviews, there are just so many lenses out there that I don’t really feel capable of making a good decision on my own so I thought I’d just see if you have any advice to give me.
I have a Nikon D3000 with the 18-55 kit lens and a 50mm f/1.8G. I LOVE my 50mm and use it basically 99% of the time just as an everyday lens. I really like taking portraits, but also dabble in nature photography among other things.
The only thing that is sometimes an issue with the 50mm for me is the fact that you can’t zoom with it and sometimes if I’m in a tight space, I can’t physically back up enough to get everything I want in a shot. For example, I live in a fairly small apartment and it’s impossible for me to take a photograph showing the majority of a room, I can pretty much only get one wall in at a time.
So while I still love my 50mm, I’m wondering what your recommendation would be for a lens that might yield similar results to the 50mm (as in great bokeh and shallow DOF) but have a little more versatility..
My budget is also very limited, but I do realize good lenses can cost quite a bit so I’d still be willing to save up for a while if I need to.
Thanks so much in advance for any tips,
Josee
Josee, for a limited budget, check out the Nikon 35mm f/1.8G – it is a superb little lens and it will be wider than 50mm with similar optical quality.
Nasim,
I am confused, between two choice 50mm f1.8G vs 50mm f1.4D, many mixed reviews confused me more. On D7000 people says 1.4D is better choice over 1.8G. You tested the both lense on D700. I want wide open better sharpness or at least equall at f1.8. So Whether I should go for 1.4D or 1.8G? Here prices are only $20 difference.
Waiting for ur early reply.
Don’t be confused, just buy the Nikon 50mm f/1.8G. It is the best 50mm from Nikon to date.
Nasim,
Thank u very much, I am concerned that will I get the thin DOF with 1.8G so that the eyes are only on focus and every thing else (nose, ear) is out of focus.
A don’t recommend 50/1.8D/G for portrait, because of its awful bokeh. Try Sigma 50/1.4 instead, it’s worth the money. If you don’t believe me, check this. This is crop from 50/1.8G:
http://img163.imageshack.us/img163/7208/bussybokeh.jpg
And this is from Sigma 50/1.4:
http://img855.imageshack.us/img855/3808/sigmacropbokeh.jpg
Both wide open.
Petr,
I can’t really say these are comparable samples – you should make them at same focus settings and aperture.
These are crops from a portrait with exactly the same composition (head+shoulders). The only difference is that one is from FX and one from DX body, but this has no impact on the quality of the blur. Here is another sample, this time identical scene from identical camera body:
http://img140.imageshack.us/img140/5999/bokehtest1.jpg
You are not entirely right, Petr – FX/DX makes a huge difference, because it changes focus distance if you place your subject identically within the frame. FX makes you stand closer, which improves bokeh (makes it more prominent and hides nervousness). The latter sample is much more fitting. While the Sigma crop is smoother, no doubt about that, the cyan fringing and onion rings are sort of ugly. I’d take the Nikkor of the two, personally, but I like my lenses to have a characteristic bokeh.
Sorry, but it’s you, who is not right, no offense. The nervousness is present all the time with Nikkor 50/1.8, unless you shoot self-coloured backgronud. I shot with the Nikkor for two weeks, different objects, different distances, but bokeh was bussy all the time. Here is hires sample from Nikkor with absolutely horrible bokeh:
http://img846.imageshack.us/img846/3864/50gbokehs.jpg
And another direct comparison. Sigma:
http://img690.imageshack.us/img690/3008/sigma3sm.jpg
Nikkor:
http://img204.imageshack.us/img204/9609/nikkor3s.jpg
You will never get such a smooth bokeh from the Nikkor like this:
http://img51.imageshack.us/img51/6752/luc12s.jpg
or this:
http://img831.imageshack.us/img831/7001/volej.jpg
or this:
http://img844.imageshack.us/img844/6255/sigma1c.jpg
I would agree with Nasim on this one! Although I don’t have any experience with the 1.4D, I’ve been using the 1.8G on a D7000 for a while and I’ve been loving it! I shoot with it wide open about 90% of the time (only stepping it down to 2 or 2.8 when I actually need more depth of field but never for more sharpness!) and most images I get at 1.8 are sharper than most other lenses I used. I would highly recommend it especially considering how affordable it is!