Nikon AF Nikkor 50mm f/1.8D 35mm Primes
Nikon AF Nikkor 50mm f/1.8D 35mm Primes
USER REVIEWS
[Jul 05, 2004]
Bill50
Intermediate
Strength:
Price Optics F/1.8 allows low light flexibility
Weakness:
Cheap rear cap supplied, but you can get a LF-1 for a few bucks My dad bought this lens for his D100. I borrowed it and put it to the test-mounted to my FM3A loaded with Velvia and on a tripod. After seeing the results, I didn't want to give it back!! The most critical shots were a brick wall for the subject at close range. I shot at f/1.8,2.8,4,5.6,8,and 11. All were sharp and revealed alot of detail, even the ones at 1.8. There was very little difference, and I'm splitting hairs here. Some shots of the flowerbeds were taken and were colorful and contrast was nice. This is a real bargain. For about $100, you get a small, lightweight, fast lens that has good optical quality. Customer Service Nikon USA repaired my 50 1.4(wind blew tripod and it fell on its face). A little pricey, but work was good with quick turnaround time. Similar Products Used: Nikon 50mm F/1.4D(overpriced) Nikon 50mm F/1.8 E series |
[May 14, 2004]
gjoseph
Intermediate
Strength:
1.8 F - Stop, razor sharp images, excellent color
Weakness:
Weaknesses ??? Ok may be it's not as big as the 28-80. None whatsoever. What a beauty ! I got this lens after reading reviews on this site. I am really pleased with the results. Razor sharp portraits and urban shots. The 1.8 f stop makes such BIG difference. I have'nt touched my 28-80 AF Zoom which was packaged with my F70 ever since I got this one. Even while composing the shots, the difference between these two lenses are obvious. The Viewfinder is much more brighter. In case you are wondering, I dont work at Nikon Inc. :) Customer Service Never had to use. Touch WOOD ! Similar Products Used: Nikon 28-80 AF-D , Sigma 17-28 EX |
[Apr 13, 2004]
sailingphotography
Intermediate
Strength:
Sharp as you'll get in 35mm format from a Japanese manufacturer at any price. Sure it's not a Leica but for $120 it's good enough for my purposes and I don't have to worry if I drop it, lose it, etc. therefore I take it with me everywhere I go. Light (on an N80 you'll bring it with you and get the keeper you'd miss lugging around a heavy "pro" zoom that covers the 50mm focal length). Uses the same inexpensive 52mm filters as the 24mm f/2.8 D and 35mm f/2 D Nikkors (also relatively light and compact, so I always have all three with me plus my N80)
Weakness:
"Cheap" feel compared to my 24mm f/2.8 D and 35mm f/2 D. Beyond 8 x 10 most calendar companies really prefer at 645 medium format or larger transparencies. I bought this lens due to all of the reviews here stating it was one of Nikon's sharpest lenses and it didn't disappoint. I had some free time to kill before covering an event last summer and I shot a few images with it mounted on my N80 using a roll of Kodak 100VS just for grins (on a tripod and cable release) and ended up selling the rights to use one of the slides to a calendar company for an 8 x 10 issue for a good price (and they liked it so much they may buy the rights to it again this year). It paid for itself several times over from that one slide, and at least one other image taken with it and Velvia 50 is currently under consideration by the same calendar company (bear in mind alot of calendar companies require at least 6x4.5 cm medium format as the smallest transparencies they'll accept). Customer Service Not needed on this lens (so far :) Similar Products Used: 24mm f/2.8 D Nikkor 35mm f/2 D Nikkor |
[Apr 08, 2004]
GUGLHUPF
Beginner
Strength:
sharp, fast, cheap!
Weakness:
Bokeh is bad I agree that this lens is very sharp and fast. However I have a problem with it's Bokeh. The sample I have has a pretty bad one. I probably would skip it now and try a similiar focal length with better Bokeh. Customer Service N.A. Similar Products Used: several Nikon primes, several Nikon zooms |
[Mar 15, 2004]
WhidbeyPix
Professional
Strength:
Everything
Weakness:
None Light, sharp, fast, cheap. What more can one ask of a lens? I owned one of these back in the 70s, in my Nikon F days. After a couple of consumer-grade Nikkor zooms disappointed me with my Fuji S2, I picked up some primes including this. For the price, how can anyone NOT have one? Customer Service N/A Similar Products Used: An old MF version in the 1970s. |
[Nov 01, 2003]
Marm
Intermediate
Strength:
-Optical quality -fast (especialy compared to cheap zooms) -very cheap (£110 Sterling) -works with every Nikon SLR made in the last 45 years.
Weakness:
-maybe build, but not too bad ("made in China" a partial disapointment, but to no apparent loss of optical quality) I have the D chip lens. I bought this lens for its fast maximum aperture and low price, and of course its superior optical quality. I am no lens boffin but this is a superb lens, better than any zoom ever made for sure. Definition and sharpness excellent, colours as life. Having known only slow and low quality zooms I was blown away by my first slides from this lens. They were taken in the RAF museum at Cosford, England with my F80(N80) and the lens not only alowed me to hand hold in the dark hangers, but its rendering of the detail and colours was superb. It made perticucary good work of natural metal skinned aerolplanes, especialy on Fuji Sensia. While wide open it is eye poping, stopped down it must be seen to be believed. The so caled lack of flexibilty hardly troubles me, the lens does the work of a 35-70mm zoom in a few paces, thogh any more either way is a tad too much. 20 years ago every photographer had one of these, but their quality, unequaled for less than a grand, and fast apertures have been forsaken for the greater (only +35-70) versitility of the zoom. Buy one for less than 200 of your Dollars and be a real photographer again. This is an AF lens and so I would expect manual focusing feel to be that good, but it is not bad at all, and if it bothers you you can get the (probably better) 50mm 1.8 AIS for not much more. Customer Service Not reqiured. Similar Products Used: Nikon 50mm f1.8 Sereis E Nikon 28-100G |
[Oct 02, 2003]
clarkmai
Intermediate
Strength:
Sharp, good colour tone
Weakness:
A plastic toy There's no poor lens among standard lenses, in spite of any brand name. Nikon's 50/1.8D has a better optical performance than 50/1.4D when wide open. The price is incredibly low, that's the best Nikon standard lens at this cost. Similar Products Used: Carl Zeis Plannar 50/1.7 |
[Sep 04, 2003]
Sandy
Intermediate
Strength:
Sharper than my (<$1000.00) zooms Faster any zoom you'll get, and less $$$ than the faster 50mm from Nikon
Weakness:
Having to zoom with your feet; otherwise, hard to note at this price. This lens is a must have if you're used to using only a slow zoom lens. I was having sharpness issues when doing group photos w/ Nikon 28-105 AF and gave this lens (50mm f/1.8 D) a try. Noticibly sharper, despite fact that the other lens is no slacker. You'll be amazed at the possibilities that the faster f/ stops give you. I would argue more, but for around $100.00 what's the point? I've paid nearly that much for a high quality polarizing filter! Customer Service not used Similar Products Used: Nikon 28-105mm f/3.5-4.5 Zoom Manual focus Nikkor primes |
[Sep 02, 2003]
rigmahroll
Casual
Strength:
Sharp and Fast. A lot of bang for the buck.
Weakness:
None so far. This review is for the D version. It is wicked sharp and wicked fast. I got this one as a starter lens when I got my Nikon N80. I have so far tried about 10 rolls, various locations, (indoors, outdoors, weddings, holiday locations) and during various times (early morning to midnight). It has NEVER failed me once. Customer Service Haven't needed any. Similar Products Used: Nikkor 24-120mm 3.5-5.6D |