Customer Reviews

Nikon 50mm F1.8D AF Nikkor Lens

5 star:		(103)
4 star:		(16)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

Agree with all that's been said. I've used this Gem of a lense on the D40 & more recently the D300. My take relates to JPEG image quality, I seldom shoot RAW mode. On either Nikon body the results are pin sharp, it's an excellent portrait lens. Close work is limited to about 2ft from the subject matter, the background blur in such circumstances is beautifully rendered. Focus is manual only on the D40, no real hassle using the focus ring until the 'focus OK' viewfinder indicator shows. The f1.8 allows freedom from flash in dim light situations, a real bonus. No issues with either build or image quality. Excellent 'bang for buck' - get a neutral filter at the same time, also good value from Amazon.

Firstly this lens is as sharp as a tack, and the image quality could not be better if they tried. If you're looking for results then you'll be hard pressed to find a better 50mm lens at ANY price.

The build quality is very plasticky. Is this a problem? No. How much rough'n'tough do you expose your equipment to on a daily basis? Besides, the compact build is so tight that I doubt this lens would break if you dropped it!

The autofocus is surprisingly loud for such a small lens, but it is snappy and always gets it right!

I'd highly recommend this lens to everyone, its a fantastic addition and at such a low price it's definitely worth more than you pay for it!

I've been seduced by ultrazoom lenses and cameras over the years and I had forgotten how good photography felt when you move you body rather than zoom in and out with your lens.

The other reviews quite rightly highlight the excellent performance of the wide range of aperture settings from 1.8 to 22 so I don't want to repeat what they have said.

I've been using my D300 with an 18-200mm lens for most of the time - occasionally swapping for a wide angle 10-20mm lens when needed. Both are fairly heavy, but very versatile. The 50mm is the first prime lens I have used since I started digital photography some 7 years ago.

My whole attitude to the subject matter changes when I can't just zoom in and out, I find myself composing much more interesting shots. This has been a great addition for my DSLR.

Put simply, this lens is fantastic. I have just got back from a trip to New York and decided to buy this lens for night shots, and pictures where I really wanted to control the depth of field, and at this, it excelled. It is super sharp, has excellent control over the depth of field, and is light and above all, cheap.

I shoot on a D40 which cannot Auto Focus with this lens, but this was not a problem at all, and whilst you can now get an AF-S 35mm lens which the D40 can Auto Focus, it is £90 more expensive. I also found that as I took more time thinking about each shot as I had to manually focus each time, I ended up taking better pictures, compared to ones I might rush over with an Auto Focus lens.

At f1.8 the shallow depth of field is staggering. Focus on your mouse, and the mouse mat will appear blurry, it really is that shallow! Moving up above f2.8 and above is when the lens really shines, with super sharp images, which surpass those taken on much more expensive lens.

You really cannot go wrong for the price. The only thing worth noting is that on every Nikon digital camera except the D700, and D3/D3x, you are really getting 50mm with a 1.4 crop (due to the cameras smaller DX sensor), making this a 73mm lens. If you really want something a little wider then get the more expensive 35mm AF-S f1.8.

I've said it once, and I'll say it again, this lens is fantastic. If you don't have one, get one!

I bought this item after reading many of the reviews who all confirmed this lens works perfectly well with Nikon F mount. D3100 is Nikon F mount. However one of the review mentioned the lens works only at the lowest apperture f22 with D type camera. Hence while ordering this item I also sent an email to the seller to send the item only if it works in all f stops (ie f1.8-f22) in my camera. However without any reply the seller send the lens to me in a super fast delivery. I tested it on my camera and to my disappointment I found out that the lens works only at f22 on my D3100 (while camera is turned ON message appears asking to set the apperture to the minimum).

Correction: From further investigation in other discussion forums, I found out a way to overcome the above difficulty. You have to set the apperture ring on the lens to the minimum (i.e. f22) and lock it. If not the Camera will display warning message and will not work further. Now control the apperture from the Camera. It works fine in the range f1.8-f22. However focusing is to be done manually. With the wide open apperture this lens is a very good choice.

Photographers often get very excited about 50mm lenses.

So why the fuss about the Nikon 50mm 1.8 D AF?

Firstly, the 50mm 1.8 is a good introduction into the world of "prime" i.e. not zoom, lenses. Primes lenses are valued because there is no optical compromise made while trying to design a lens which will work at say, 16mm as well as at 85mm.

Historically prime lenses like the 50mm have been sharper and superior to zoom lenses, and come at a higher cost - especially if you have to buy two or three to get the focal flexibility a single zoom lens would cover.

But unlike many primes, the 50mm is very affordable. It's also very small and light, tucking neatly into a camera bag or pocket, meaning it's not a hassle to lug around and will always be handy.

It's light because it's mainly made from plastic, although the important thing, the mount, is hard wearing metal and the plastic is tough and feels sturdy. Plus, with a lens this small, materials are of slightly less importance.

It's size means it's very low-profile when mounted on the camera, making it a little less frightening than a big zoom lens.

Photographers also like as much light let into the camera as possible an again the 50mm gives a cheap entry into the world of "fast" lenses. The lens is certainly fast and sharp, although the wide apertures you'll be able to enjoy also sees the pay off of razor thing depth of field, so keeping focus sharp and on the right point is a challenge.

Photographers also rated 50mm lenses because on old 35mm cameras they gave a field of view about the same as the human eye. Here's where the 50mm on a digital changes things, with the crop factor of most (not full-frame) Nikons, the lens will really be a 75=88mm making it ideal as a portrait lens, but perhaps disappointing to old film photographers coming to digital.

Distortion is well controlled, as you'd expect from a prime. Sharpness, again, is excellent and it's been suggested even better than the much more expensive 1.4 D AF.

Autofocus is blisteringly fast, but noisy and perhaps because of the speed of focus, can be a bit too "torquey" and you sometimes feel the camera body shift slightly in your hand as the lens snaps into focus.

Colour rendition can surprise - and you'll occasionally get very different colours than you do from other lenses during the same shoot. This calls for good white balance discipline and perhaps just paying attention while photoshopping.

It's a shame the price of this lens has crept upwards recently, but even so, it's still a bargain (and just shows those who bought a few years ago got an even better bargain). You won't find a better or cheaper way of getting a quality Nikon prime lens which performs at this level. It should be in everyone's bag!

Everyone had a 50mm lens on their film cameras and everyone underestimated how useful it was and it ended up in the cupboard. With digital cameras all of a sudden the 50mm lens is back in vogue and seen to be an excellent and very useful addition at a reasonable cost to anybodies camera bag.

I bought this lens a minth or so ago and on the downside its plastic but the advantages outweigh that. Its light, sharp and a great price. I use it for portrat work on my D3 but also on my D300 iyt becomes a great portrait lens with the equivilent focal length of 75mm. Very versitile.

Ok I would love to have the f1.4 but at over twice the price, its not as good value for money as this little gem.

Wow! This lens is amazing. I currently shoot a D40 but want to upgrade to a D300, in the meantime I got this lens to play with, even though autofocus isn't supported by my D40.

It's a doddle to use this lens with manual focus although I wouldn't do it with photo's of kids as they'd move too much. However...

This lens is FAST, in low light it's brilliant but most of all, it opens up a world of creativity because you have so much control over the depth of field!

It's cheap to buy, high quality and great fun! Buy it now :)

This lens is brighttt...practically opens the camera to let the light in like a flood. When this lens is on the camera its difficult to resist taking pictures. Instantly the camera feels light and fast. And on a Nikon D90 body the looks are of a machine built to impress. The results come super sharp with great bokeh.

Endorse everything that has been said before. For the price this is an essential lens to have.
I have compared some shots taken with a kit zoom at 50mm with the same from this little beauty and the difference is staggering.
It is bright, very good colour reproduction and sharp as a any lens
in my bag.