Nikon af 50 f1 8d review năm 2024

I recently got this as an Xmas present. I shoot the D5 primarily, and on that the af is slow. Slower than my 24 1.4g even. The color saturation is a little disappointing, it flares easily, and its soft through out the range. I much prefer my Zeiss 50 f2 zf2 Milvus. I will be buying the 58 1.4g to replace the 50 1.8d. With that said, the 50 1.8d is decently sharp at 2.8, has no falloff, and has solid microcontrast. Its also like the price of the hood on my Zeiss, so there is that

View review in forums Leave a comment on this review

All Tests Canon EOS (APS-C) Canon EOS (full F.) Nikon DX (APS-C) Nikon FX (full F.) Nikon 1 (CX) Sony Alpha (APS-C) Sony Alpha (full F.) Micro-Four-Thirds Four-Thirds Pentax K Pentax Q Samsung NX Fujifilm X Leica M DSLR Reviews PZ Rating System Lens Test FAQ

Nikkor AF 50mm f/1.8 D - Review / Test Report

Lens Reviews - Nikon / Nikkor (APS-C)

Article Index Introduction Analysis Sample Images & Verdict

Page 1 of 3

Review by Klaus Schroiff, published April 2006

Introduction

Welcome to the first Nikon Lens Test Report here in OpticalLimits! Few lenses are sharper than those classic 50mm standard lenses at medium aperture settings so let's start with the Nikkor AF 50mm f/1.8 D, a lens which surely has its place in many photo bags out there thanks to its very low price tag and marginal weight.

All upcoming tests will be performed using a Nikon D200, a 10MP APS-C DSLR with a 1.5x cropping factor. The field-of-view of the Nikkor is equivalent to 75mm on classic full frame SLRs so the standard lens is transformed to a moderate tele lens within this scope.

The optical construction is made of 6 elements in 5 groups without any special elements. The minimum focus distance is 0.45m resulting in a max. object magnification of 1:6.6. The filter size is 52mm. As hinted above the lens is very compact (64x39mm) and light-weight (155g). The aperture mechanism feature 7 aperture blades.

Despite its very low price tag the build quality of the lens is very decent. The outer barrel is made of polycarbonate combined with a metal mount. The rather small rubberized focus ring operates very smooth. As you can see above the lens extends a little bit towards closer focus distances. The front element does not rotate so using a polarizer is no problem. The lens has no internal AF motor and relies on a slotted drive screw operated by the camera. As a result AF operation will generate a moderate degree of noise. The AF speed is very decent on the D200.

Specifications Equiv. focal length75 mm (full format equivalent) Equiv. aperturef/2.7 (full format equivalent, in terms of depth-of-field) Optical construction6 elements in 5 groups Number of aperture blades7 min. focus distance0.45 m (max. magnification ratio 1:6.6) Dimensions64 mm x 39 mm Weight155 g Filter size52 mm (non-rotating) HoodNikon HR-2, barrel-shaped rubber, screw mount (optional) Other featuresLens provides distance (D) information to the camera

After thousands of frames shot using kit lens, and after watching millions of images in the Internet, shot on large aperture optics, every photographer want to try something new. After a “boring” standard lens, which usually comes with a camera, a small Nikkor 50mm 1.8d will be a wonderful variant.

Nikon 50mm 1.8d AF Nikkor (MKIII) is a perfect lens for owners of cameras with integrated autofocus motor. But if your camera does not have such a motor (Nikon D3100/D5100/D40), you can buy Nikon AF-S Nikkor 50mm f/1.8G SWM and autofocus will work on any Nikon DSLR.

Nikon company has 5 autofocus 50 f/1.8 lenses:

1. Nikon 50mm 1.8d AF Nikkor (first version, MK I) – the lens was produced only in Japan from 1986 to 1990.

2. Nikon 50mm 1.8d AF Nikkor (second version, MK II) – the lens was produced in Japan and China. MK II version was produced from 1990 to 2001. MK II differs from MK I only visually. MK I and MK II are identical optically.

3. Nikon 50mm 1.8d AF Nikkor (third version, MKIII, more commonly known as “D”-version) – is presented in this review, the lens is produced since 2002. All lenses are made in China. Optically this version is identical to MK II and MK I. But the ability to transfer the focusing distance to the camera was added.

4. Nikon AF-S Nikkor 50mm 1.8g SWM Aspherical (fourth version, MK IV, more commonly known as “G”- version) – the lens is produced since 2011, all lenses are made in China. The lens lost aperture ring and got a built-in focus motor SWM. It has updated optical scheme with an Aspherical element.

5. Nikon AF-S Nikkor 50mm 1.8g SWM Aspherical Special Edition (fifth version, MK V, more commonly known as “Special Edition” version ) – the lens is produced since 2013. It differs from the previous model Nikon AF-S Nikkor 50mm 1.8g SWM Aspherical only by appearance. The lens is made in the old classical style for a Nikon Df camera.

If you want to test fast lens – Nikkor 50 1.8d will very quickly help you. The lens aperture is its most attractive feature, the maximum value of aperture is f/1.8. You can easily achieve “bokeh effect” using the lens with such a focal length and aperture when focusing on close distance.

Main characteristics of Nikon 50mm F/1.8D AF Nikkor.

Basic properties:

– FX – the lens was designed for full-frame Nikon FX cameras

– AF (auto focus) – support auto focus on cameras with internal focusing motor

– D (distance) – transfers focusing distance to the camera

– NON-G (non gelded) – has an aperture ring

– SIC – special integral optic illumination

– low weight and small size.

The diameter of the front filter: 52 mm, plastic thread for filters.

Body materials: focusing ring is plastic, rubberized on the outside. The outside part of the lens is plastic. Bayonet is metal. Aperture ring is plastic.

Focal length: 50 mm (for Nikon DX is 75 mm).

Viewing angles: 46 degrees for FX, 31 degrees for DX cameras.

The multiplicity of the zoom: 1 X (this fixed focal length lens doesn’t have the possibility of changing the focal length).

The number of the diaphragm blades: 7 not rounded blades.

Aperture: from F/1.8 to F/22. The lens has an aperture ring.

Minimal focusing distance: 0.45 m, maximum magnification 1:6.6.

Weight: 155 g.

Optical scheme: 6 elements in 5 groups. The lens doesn’t use special optical elements. MKI and MKII versions use the same optical scheme.

Hood: rubber lens hood Nikon HR-2 (not supplied with the lens).

Manufacturer country: China.

Nikon 50mm 1.8d is a very lightweight lens. You can always take it with you due to the very small size and small weight. It is very simple to find a 52 mm filter for Nikkor 50mm 1.8d. I love hiking, and every extra 100 grams of weight – a serious test, that is why I use this lens instead of a heavy zoom lens.

Nikon 50mm 1.8d is the smallest autofocus lens from Nikon which I have ever seen. I always keep my Nikkor 50mm 1.8d in my camera bag, it does not take a lot of space and I don’t afraid to lose it.

Nikon 50 1.8d F/1.8

Nikon 50 1.8d is one of the cheapest (if not the cheapest) fixed-aperture lens from Nikon. It’s hard to find something cheaper. The lens will allow you to get the necessary experience of working with high-aperture optics for little money. I almost always recommend a Nikkor 50mm 1.8d as the first additional lens. It can open the aperture to a value of f/1.8. For example, the f/1.8 aperture is about 10 times greater than f/5.6. A kit lens 18-55 f/3.5-5.6 with the same focal length has f/5.6. The value of f/1.8 allows to shoot at lower ISO in poor lighting conditions, to use faster shutter speeds, and to better control depth of field (DOF).

Nikon 50mm 1.8d is a very affordable lens. It is easy to find it in any store of any city. Lenses Nikon 50mm 1.8d are produced from 2002 to the present day.

The lens has a fast auto focus system – lens focuses from 45 cm to infinity and back in one second on my camera. The most interesting thing that his motorized brother Nikon AF-S Nikkor 50mm 1.8g SWM has the same focusing speed. I tested both lenses together. In addition, Nikkor 50mm 1.8d focuses faster than Nikkor 50mm f/1.4g.

Nikon 50 1.8d F/1.8

The lens has a manual aperture control ring. To be able to control the aperture value of the camera or to automatically set the aperture on modern DSLR’s, turn the control ring to a value of f/22 (the value is colored orange) and secure it with a special lever, located to the right of the aperture label. If you will not do this, then the display will show an error – “FEE” (aperture ring is not set) in a number of cameras. Some cameras have a rheostat aperture diaphragm and they can control this aperture ring, but only in the metering modes ‘M’ and ‘A’.

Nikon 50mm 1.8d has the focusing distance scale. The scale is available in meters and feet, it is very helpful. For example, you do not need to think which way to rotate the focus ring, it is enough to look at the lens. For example, the kit lens Nikon 18-55mm doesn’t have a focusing distance scale, depth of field scale and the aperture ring.

Nikon 50 1.8d can work with a full frame camera (FX). For Nikon DX cameras its effective focal length is 75 mm. The front lens does not rotate during focusing. This allows you to easily use different filters and not worry about their shifts during focusing. Focus ring rubberized and rotates at 120 degrees.

Nikon 50 1.8d F/1.8

Disadvantages of the lens:

– It is very difficult to achieve a sharp image at wide open aperture f/1.8. The lens becomes very sharp from f/2.8 to f/8.

– The lens is quite noisy during automatic focusing. It is a very negative effect for shooting video.

– Nikon 50 1.8d has no built-in focusing motor. As already mentioned in the beginning, it can be used with automatic focusing only on cameras with an focusing motor. On cameras without motor you need to focus manually. I do not recommend to buy this lens for cameras without a focusing motor.

– Hood is not supplied with the lens, but you can purchase it separately. The hood is mounted into the thread for color filter.

– The lens unit moves when focusing and the “lens trunk” travels forward.

– The lens doesn’t have the focus mode switch, switching to manual focus and back is implemented by means of a switch on a camera, which is located near the lens mount.

– The lens has 7 diaphragm blades, which create ‘nuts’ in bokeh zone.

Advantages of the lens:

– The lens is sharp. Sharpness starts from aperture f/2.8.

– The lens doesn’t suffer from distortion.

– Vignetting is minimal on DX cameras. Vignette disappears completely at f/2.8 on DX cameras and at f/4 on FX cameras.

– Maximum sharpness is achieved at f/4 – f/8.

– The lens has a nice rubberized focus control ring.

Nikon 50 1.8d F/1.8

Conclusion:

Nikon 50mm f/1.8d is an excellent price/performance lens. You can always take it with you due to its compactness and lightness. It can give a very sharp image with a slightly rough bokeh. It can be used as a portrait lens on DX cameras. The only serious drawback of the lens is its softness from f/1.8 to f/2.8.

Why is 50mm f1 8 so cheap?

50mm lenses can be made inexpensively because: The optical formula for making a good 50mm lens has been worked out long ago, so there is not a lot of R&D cost. In fact the very first lens made for the 35mm format was a 50mm. 50mm is a very popular lens, so there are economies of scale.

What is a 50mm f1 8 good for?

It's one of the most popular lenses on the market, and it can be used for anything from portraits and car photography to landscapes and nighttime shots.

What is the difference between 50mm f1 8G and 50mm f1 8D?

Overall, though, we strongly recommend the Nikon 50mm 1.8 G. It is slightly more expensive than the 50mm f/1.8 D, but it has better optical quality, a silent-wave motor, rounded-aperture, and blades typical of most top-of-the-line lenses. Handling is comfortable thanks to its excellent ergonomics.

When did the Nikon 50mm f1 8 D come out?

Introduction. This lens was introduced on February 21, 2002. On a Nikon DX format DSLR, a 50 mm lens is cropped to the angle of a view of a short telephoto lens (~75 mm equivalent; field-of-view crop is 1.54).