Nikon Z 50mm f/1.8 S vs Nikon 50mm f/1.8G
How does the Nikon Z 50mm f/1.8 S compare to its tried and tested F-mount brother, the Nikon AF-S 50mm f/1.8G? Here are the Imatest results from both lenses:
As you can see, the Z-mount lens easily beats the F-mount lens in sharpness. The Nikon Z 50mm f/1.8 S is almost as sharp wide open at f/1.8 as the 50mm f/1.8G is when stopped down to f/4, which is insane!
However, it is not really a fair comparison. As mentioned at the start of this review, the F-mount lens is only about $220, and it’s a much older lens, having been announced back in 2011. A direct comparison against the exceptionally sharp Nikon Z 50mm f/1.8 S makes it look worse than it really is. In our review of the 50mm f/1.8G, we said that it “sets new standards in 50mm fixed lens performance for Nikon mount.” That goes to show how much standards changed in the seven years between the release dates of these two lenses.
Another lens, however – the famous Sigma 50mm f/1.4 Art (also a DSLR lens) – has a much better chance of being competitive. It’s designed for nothing but maximum image quality, throwing caution to the wind in terms of weight to get there. How does it compare?
Nikon Z 50mm f/1.8 S vs Sigma 50mm f/1.4 Art
Here are the Imatest charts from the Nikon Z 50mm f/1.8 S and the Sigma 50mm f/1.4 Art:
As you can see, it’s certainly a closer fight. Keep in mind that the maximum aperture of the Sigma is f/1.4 rather than f/1.8, so the wide-open performance is not as lopsided as it may look. Performance at f/1.8 and f/2 is effectively the same, while stopping down to f/2.8 and narrower only changes things slightly. The Nikon Z lens is slightly sharper in the center, but the Sigma Art is slightly sharper in the corners. Taken as a whole, the two lenses are on about the same extremely high level.
Nikon Z 50mm f/1.8 S vs Nikon Z 50mm f/1.2 S
How does the Nikon Z 50mm f/1.8 S compare against its bigger (and much more expensive) brother, the Nikon Z 50mm f/1.2 S? Let’s take a look:
It’s a surprisingly close battle, especially since the Nikon Z 50mm f/1.8 S costs $630, and the Nikon Z 50mm f/1.2 S costs $2100! In the shared aperture range, the Nikon Z 50mm f/1.8 S is actually the sharper lens in the center. Midframe and corner performance is similar between the two lenses; the Nikon Z 50mm f/1.2 S looks better specifically at f/2, but otherwise, the lenses are about the same.
Overall, I would give the slight edge to the Nikon Z 50mm f/1.8 S – which isn’t an indictment of the Nikon Z 50mm f/1.2 S whatsoever, but rather a statement of just how good the Nikon Z 50mm f/1.8 S is. The only reason to spend almost $1500 more on the f/1.2 version is if you highly value the ability to shoot at f/1.2. Otherwise, you can save money and weight by going with the Nikon Z 50mm f/1.8 S instead, without compromising on optical performance.
Nikon Z 50mm f/1.8 S vs Nikon Z 40mm f/2
How does this lens hold up against the highly portable Nikon Z 40mm f/2 that costs just $300? Here’s what we measured in the lab:
This really isn’t a fair fight considering the prices of these two lenses, not to mention their different intended purposes (with the Nikon Z 40mm f/2 meant for utmost portability rather than utmost image quality). And indeed, the Nikon Z 50mm f/1.8 S is the sharper lens here at every aperture shared value and portion of the frame. Still, the Nikon Z 40mm f/2 isn’t as far behind as I expected, with solid sharpness even in the corners of the photo. If your main priorities are price and weight, I would certainly consider getting the Nikon Z 40mm f/2 and saving some cash.
The next page of this review sums up everything and explains the pros and cons of the Nikon Z 50mm f/1.8 S. So, click the menu below to go to “Verdict”:
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