Nikon AF-S Nikkor 50mm f/1.4G
Last updated (22 August’10):
- Review by Lenstip
The Nikon AF-S Nikkor 50mm f/1.4G features 50mm at focal length with maximum aperture of f/1.4. The lens construction has 8 elements in 7 groups and has diagonal angle of view at 46 degrees. Closest focusing distance at 1.5ft.(0.45m) and has a filter size of 58mm. The Nikon AF-S Nikkor 50mm f/1.4G lens weighs 9.9 oz. (280g) and it measures 2.9 inches in diameter and 2.1 inches long.
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Nikon AF-S Nikkor 50mm f/1.4G Reviews
Lenstip reviews the Nikon AF-S Nikkor 50mm f/1.4G and writes;
“The Nikkor AF-S 50 mm f/1.4G premiere was well- timed without doubt. It made all the Nikon reflex cameras owners very happy – users of Nkon D40/40x, D60 or D5000 were finally given a clear standard without the necessity of manual focus. The owners of full frame D3x, D3 or D700 have a lens with modern design which performs well even in the corners.”
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Momentcorp reviews the Nikon AF-S Nikkor 50mm f/1.4G and writes;
“Wide open the new Nikon AF-S 50mm 1.4 outperforms the AF version without a doubt. Both sharpness and contrast is way better. The auto focus is a tad slower though, not that the lens is slow on autofocus, but it is slower than the Nikon 50 f/1.4D. There is without a doubt light fall-off / vignetting wide open, and to f/2.8 (f/4 if you are really looking for it)..”
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SLRLensreview reviews the Nikon AF-S Nikkor 50mm f/1.4G and writes;
“..the AF-S Nikkor 50mm f/1.4G does seem to improve in color reproduction area – the colors seem richer and more saturated, with deeper blues and red. The images also seem a bit more contrasty then what I was getting from the AF-D lens. There is also noticeably less color fringing – you really have to zoom in on the image to 100% to see the very slight amount of lateral chromatic aberration.”
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Popphoto reviews the Nikon AF-S Nikkor 50mm f/1.4G and writes;
“Its superior sharpness and contrast produced Excellent SQF numbers on our optical bench. DxO Analyzer 3.0.1 tests found barrel distortion in the high end of Slight (0.25%)-typical at such speeds-with light falloff gone from the corners by f/2.8 (also par for this course). The biggest difference between this new lens and its ancestors: Its maximum magnification of 1:5.89 at 16.87 inches is the highest of any 50mm we’ve tested in recent years.”
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Photoreview reviews the Nikon AF-S Nikkor 50mm f/1.4G and writes;
“Resolution peaked at f/5.6 in our Imatest tests, which also showed centre and edge resolution to be very close throughout the test lens’s aperture range. Overall resolution was best from f/2.8 to f/13 and lowest at the widest apertures…”
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Bythom reviews the Nikon AF-S Nikkor 50mm f/1.4G and writes;
“Light falloff: on the DX bodies vignetting is barely present wide open at about a half stop. On FX bodies the vignetting is more noticeable and enough that you’ll want to correct it, but in both cases it is ignorable by f/2.8 (DX) or f/4 (FX). Personally, only f/1.4 on a FX body is enough that I’d consider turning on Vignette Control or correcting after-the-fact. I did note that on the D3x that Vignette Control set to Normal did not do nearly enough correction. Even High didn’t fully correct it on the D3x, though it made it neglible enough to ignore.”
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Cameralabs reviews the Nikon AF-S Nikkor 50mm f/1.4G and writes;
“As mentioned above, focus is sometimes just off, so check your images for critical sharpness and use Micro AF Adjustment where necessary (if your body offers it). Play in the gearing is also minimal, and much better than my AF 85 f/1.8. As others have also commented, the bokeh / out-of-focus effect at large apertures is a step-up from the earlier AF 50mm f/1.4D.”
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Photozone reviews the Nikon AF-S Nikkor 50mm f/1.4G and writes;
“The Nikkor AF-S 50mm f/1.4 G is a very good lens that performes on a high level except for slightly soft borders and somewhat busy bokeh at wide open aperture. From f/2 onwards, the lens is able to deliver crisp images that do not leave much to desire. For most applications the silent wave AF drive is fast enough.”
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Kenrockwell reviews the Nikon AF-S Nikkor 50mm f/1.4G and writes;
“AF is very accurate and repeatable, much better than Canon. Even on a D40, I can shoot at f/1.4 and get every shot in perfect focus. The bokeh of the 50mm f/1.4 AF-s is decent, but not outstanding for backgrounds. It’s very good for foregrounds, but you should never have out of focus foregrounds unless you have a very good reason; our eyes and brains freak out when there’s something fuzzy between us and the subject.”
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Nikon AF-S Nikkor 50mm f/1.4G User Reviews
Nice for DSLR without the internal motor | Rating:
“This is an excellence “fast” lens – very sharp and the auto focus is fast and accurate. This is one that you want when shoot in a low light environment where flash is not permitted. This lens can produce beautiful shallow depth of field and bokeh when opened up to the largest aperture; as a result, it is fantastic for portrait use, especially indoor…” – by Anthony Loh
Good stuff. Worth every penny. | Rating:
“I had two of the previous generation of 50/1.4 AF before owning this lens. I’ve tried both versions on a D2x, d90, a d300, d3, and d3x. This is the better version, and it’s really the top of the heap, short of the MF 1.2 or a bloody Leica. So if you want sharp and AF simultaneously, this is your best bet..” – by Micah
Now that’s a wide aperture | Rating:
“Excellent lens, a great value for those who take images in low light conditions or seek the depth of field bokeh effects that come with lower f-stop settings. Solidly built, this makes a perfect walking-around lens; an excellent companion to the 55-200mm I typically work with on my D5000.” – by T. Hayes
Very good 50mm lens, but still room for improvement | Rating:
“AF is extremely fast and accurate, color saturation is great, and with headroom to stop it down a bit, it’s quite sharp. See the photo of the cathedral and cherry blossoms. At F/1.4, subject isolation is terrific and it becomes useful in very low light while remaining acceptably sharp (though your mileage may vary depending on the camera body you use and your focusing skills).” – by M. Piel
great lens, | Rating:
“Great lens. It’s probably my 2nd favorite lens (first being the 70-200 VR). I used it to shoot 3 or 4 basketball games and found the autofocus to be just fine. Basketball’s a fast sport and the lens kept up pretty well. “ – by S. Kirschenmann
A careful balance of performance and cost | Rating:
“It’s f/1.4 center acuity is a good match for the pixel pitch of a D700 or D40, and it looks quite sharp on those bodies, but not perfect. On a higher-resolution sensor such as a 12mp DX body or of course a D3X, the sensor is out-resolving the lens by a significant margin and much more sharpness could be used. For the special purposes for which f/1.4 will be used, however, it is more than acceptable. In the other direction, at f/5.6 is has reached maximum sharpness and is slightly sharper than it is at f/2.8: again, quite excellent..” – by Glenn Carpenter
must have lens for Nikon owners | Rating:
“i have a D5000, am new to DSLR photography; this lens is the first lens that any amateur buy; it is versatile easy to use, and extremely capable for portraits, landscapes, moving objects – you can do 90% of everything you need to do with a camera with this lens “ – by C. A. Ortego
A super lens | Rating:
“This is simply a great lens. It is super fast and a standout in low light situations. If you like sharp, fast lenses, you’ll love this one! A great price is also a big draw.” – by R. Pike
Amazing results | Rating:
“Definitely, is a must have for portrait shooters. The luminosity of this baby at 1.4 is wonderful. Every picture has a beautiful bokeh and you can use a CPL on outsides to pop-up the colors (but watch the skin tones!!). It’s a very important lens if you are seriously considering taking portraits on studio or weddings and so on.” – by Rafael Osorno
Outstanding lens! | Rating:
“Color quality, contrast, and sharpness are all greatly improved over the original 50mm 1.4. The original 50mm was a great lens, so to improve upon that lens is a pretty big achievement. Image quality is just beautiful. Comparing it to the Canon 50mm 1.4, my opinion is that the Nikkor is so much better that its in another class entirely…” – by T. Haines
Fantabulous! | Rating:
“Image quality. Contrast, color reproduction & sharpness are superior. I was shocked at the amount of detail I’ve been capturing. Awesome in low light-how can it not be at f1.4?. Smooth, quiet autofocus. Autofocus is noticeably slower than the AF-D model, but for most situations where you’d be using a prime lens I think it’s fine…” – by Surfer Dude
Nikon AF-S Nikkor 50mm f/1.4G Sample Photos
- Nikon AF-S Nikkor 50mm f/1.4G Sample Photos @ Photozone.de
- Nikon AF-S Nikkor 50mm f/1.4G Sample Photos @ Dpchallenge.com
- Nikon AF-S Nikkor 50mm f/1.4G Sample Photos @ Pixel-thingy.com
- Nikon AF-S Nikkor 50mm f/1.4G Sample Photos @ Pixel-peeper.com
- Nikon AF-S Nikkor 50mm f/1.4G Sample Photos @ Mylensdb.com
- Nikon AF-S Nikkor 50mm f/1.4G Sample Photos @ Pbase.com
- Nikon AF-S Nikkor 50mm f/1.4G Sample Photos @ Photographyreview.com
- Nikon AF-S Nikkor 50mm f/1.4G Sample Photos @ Flickr.com
- Nikon AF-S Nikkor 50mm f/1.4G Sample Photos @ Amazon.com
Nikon AF-S Nikkor 50mm f/1.4G User Manual
- Download Nikon AF-S Nikkor 50mm f/1.4G User Manual (PDF – 3.3Mb)
Nikon AF-S Nikkor 50mm f/1.4G Specifications
Ideal for travel, event, environmental and general photography in a wide variety of conditions, with superb optical formula and an ultra-fast f/1.4 maximum aperture.
Fast f/1.4 prime NIKKOR lens
Perfect for low-light conditions, general and travel photography.
Normal angle of view on FX-format cameras
Classic, normal angle of view when used on a Nikon FX-format digital SLR or 35mm film camera.
Ideal portrait lens on DX-format cameras
An ideal portrait lens when used on a Nikon DX-format digital SLR, approximating the angle of view similar to that of a 75mm lens on a Nikon FX-format digital SLR or a 35mm film camera.
Nikon Super Integrated Coating (SIC)
Enhances light transmission efficiency and offers superior color consistency and reduced flare.
Exclusive Nikon Silent Wave Motor (SWM)
Enables fast, accurate, and quiet autofocus.
Close focusing to 1.5 feet
For extended versatility.
Rounded 9-blade diaphragm
Renders more natural appearance of out-of-focus image elements.
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See also: Lens Reviews | Nikon Lenses
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