
This item is no longer available.
Review Summary
2020-04-22T20:00:00
This is a great lens for everyday use. The lens is fast, sharp and works well in low light.
LeoH
2020-01-02T19:00:00
If used for shallow dept of field and bokeh effects, this is top notch for the price, capable of producing stunning images. In good light, at moderate/small apertures, the overall image quality is great. This lens is not as sharp at f1.4- 2.8, which is to be expected. In low light, with no VR, you must use it close to wide open (which limits depth of field dramatically) or increase ISO, either of which reduces the image quality. Especially an issue on a DX body, where the lens becomes a moderate 75mm tele. Accordingly, its harder to use for street photography than I would have thought. Max aperture doesn't sub for VR in today's world. The lens' focus speed is slower than I expected, and noisy! The lens in low light wants to hunt on continuous focus, searching for absolute accuracy, constantly correcting itself on either my D610 or D500 bodies. Video is only possible on manual focus or with camera body sound turned off, otherwise the clicks and whirs ruin the take. In sum, for images that require a large aperture to get the needed effects, this is a 5 star lens. General use is a bit more compromised for me, however.
SteveArcher
2019-11-13T19:00:00
I’ve used my son’s Sigma f1.4, but prefer this Nikon lens by far. It is sharp corner to corner, and on a DX body the center sharpness, speed and approximately 75mm focal length make it an outstanding portrait lens. On my FX body cameras it really holds well, even on my D850 (which has a tendency to push a lens to its limits). All in all, you can’t really go wrong with this lens. Highly recommended...
Iceman
2018-07-19T20:00:00
I have had the 50mm f1.4D in use on my D 750 with great results in different scenarios, I love the fast focus and sharpness each time, even when popping the flash it's sharpness never lets me down! When in use on my D810 is really where the light weight shines, the images are tack sharp & bright, panning is seamless. The results are great! I intend to use it on my D 850 to keep the weight down so I can hand hold & shoot everything from the Blue Angels to portraits to landscapes!
None
2018-03-10T19:00:00
I barely used this lens with my 35mm after I bought it paying extra for f/1.4D instead of 1.8. The aperture blades are stuck and the camera cannot change aperture anymore. I kept the lens extremely carefully and was never exposed to any condition that could have damaged the lens by making the aperture blades greasy. I can see the oil coating that is sticking the blades. So money down the drain because Nikon delivered poor material and never cared to fix it. I am a lifelong Nikon shooter and it is extremely frustrating how poorly they treated customers with this.
PassionatePhotographer
2018-02-16T19:00:00
Love this for taking pictures of my Grandson. Very sharp, even at F1.4. Love being able to take pictures inside in low light, and not having to use a flash, I like to avoid flash around little ones and around the family. The 50MM focal length is perfect on a FX camera. It is small, so it is easy to carry around . I find that it is not the fasted focusing lens, but it is still fast enough. If I pre-focus I don't find I miss anything. My only regret is not getting it sooner.
MiBirder
2018-01-27T19:00:00
I used this for portraits and wedding pics. Works well with my D7200. You even get more zoom with the DX cameras. I would recommend this lens for anyone who wants to do outdoor portraits. Works fantastic with great detail and bokeh. The background blur is great for a detail subject.
Nikkonfan
2017-06-04T20:00:00
Been using it for a while nice lens I'd prefer this over the G version anyday
Fims
2017-03-21T20:00:00
Tenho esta lente a alguns anos, realmente as imagens são claras com cores lindas. Entretanto recomendo atenção ao foco, em virtude da dependência da máquina. Faça um ajuste fino de foco com esta lente. Assim você obtém resultados com mais nitidez. Cuidado ao usar a lente em sua abertura máxima f1.4. Nem sempre o foco sai onde queremos ! Não é uma lente rápida, mas para imagens e fotos estáticas com um pouco mais de tempo você consegue resultados incríveis com pouca luz. I have this lens for a few years, really the images are clear with beautiful colors. However I recommend focusing attention, due to the dependence of the machine. Fine-tune focus with this lens. This way you get results with more clarity. Be careful when using the lens at its maximum aperture f1.4. Not always the focus goes where we want! Not a fast lens, but for still images and stills with a little more time you get amazing results in low light.
Emmanuel
2017-03-13T20:00:00
After eight years and over a hundred thousand images, the 50mm 1.4 is still the lens I reach for most often, and (along with my 20mm 1.8 and 85mm 1.8) one of the three lenses I just can't imagine living without. It's a little soft wide open, but I'm an automotive photographer trying to convey emotion, not a pixel peeper, and at f/1.4 I think this lens is soft in an extremely pleasing and beautiful way. (My attached sample images were all shot at 1.4). I love the look so much I find myself shooting it wide open a lot. A LOT. But of course, when stopped down a bit it's tack sharp edge to edge. Much has been said about the (excellent) 50mm 1.8, but even with the exemplary high-ISO performance of today's Nikons, having the extra speed on hand can be tremendously helpful in low light situations, and if this lens ever gives up the ghost, I'll replace it with another 1.4, not a 1.8.
Sensh
2017-01-07T19:00:00
Sharp lens , Excellent for street shooting & portraits , You name it
Mad-Hugo
2016-04-10T20:00:00
Superior light transmission, extraordinary sharpness, excellent contrasts this lens has every characteristic defined by Nikon. My go-to lens for a lot of the photography I do. Renders exquisite imagery when used with my D800. A bargain in its price class.
Parrothouse P.
2016-03-31T20:00:00
Reliable fast focus for crispy pictures. Great nifty-50
TampaShooter
2015-07-14T20:00:00
Ever since I purchased the 50mm f/1.4G, it has become my everyday lens for walking around. It is small and light so doesn't weigh me down. I can get shallow depth of field to focus on the eyes of my subject sharp and crisp while letting the rest soften out of focus and the background smooth in bokeh. The autofocus isn't as fast as the other Nikon primes I have, but it is fast enough that I use it photographing indoor sports using available light. I've had this lens for almost two years now and is one of my most heavily used lenses. I am pleased with the images the 50mm f/1.4G captures no matter what aperture I use because the results are clear.
Davidmichael
2015-03-16T20:00:00
The clarity of this lens is breathtaking, the speed is nothing but mandatory. This lens has by far exceeded my expectations.
nikkorpro
2015-03-01T19:00:00
Beautiful booked, very fast lens. Except for the slight vignetting, this is a real performer. I think, an ED glass could have made this lens best in the lineup.
goPro
2014-12-21T19:00:00
I work for Nikon ( lucky Me ) so I get to take home almost everything they Produce. Hands down I find myself Coming Back to this lens , Great Low Light ( might have to use manual ) Unbelievable sharpness, and its to die for when using Aperture mode . I Love it !
Raymond
2014-11-14T19:00:00
I use the Nikon 50mm f/1.4 lens to photograph famous paintings around the world in dimly lit museums. This lens provides excellent resolution, even at f/1.4, with little distortion. Below is a photo of Vincent van Gogh's "The Mulberry Tree" that hangs in the Norton Simon Museum in Pasadena, California. I used a Nikon D700 camera body, a shutter speed of 1/200 of a second, an aperture of f/1.4, an ISO of 1000, Tungsten White Balance, and Center Weighted Metering.
Scripps23
2014-11-02T19:00:00
Sharp, fast focussing, excellent low light performance, perfect on my D4 and D810, no worries about tripods and flashes!
BCOLMAN
2014-10-18T20:00:00
Great lens, it reminds me of my old film camera. It seems that no mater what i take the quality is unmatched.
Jeepspert
2014-10-03T20:00:00
Purchased this lens because it's a great prime lens / focal length for general purpose use and specifically to improve results for indoor basketball under challenging / artificial lighting conditions. Score! Other lenses have come and gone but this one stays in the bag. 50mm / FX is "right" for a lot of situations -- so everyone should have at least one -- and this is a fundamentally very good performer for the price point -- stills and video... Nikon covered the bases nicely here. The photos are beautiful. Build quality is A OK in my book. If you need a Nikon 50mm for FX you won't be disappointed with this one. Spending 3x as much will not produce better results for 99% of us. Improve your technique instead and pocket the money. Camera bodies will come and go. Glass holds value. This particular lens will always have a place in the bag.
Daddio
2014-09-10T21:00:00
I was very much looking forward to this lens, but after some use, I am somewhat disappointed in it. While it is great in low light situations, and I love using it indoors, it yields very soft images with low contrast. Especially when used outside. When shooting wide open at f1.4, some chromatic aberration is seen, which is very frustrating. I primarily use it for photographing newborns inside. I will say, however, I do use it a lot for video on my D300s, and am pleased with it's performance in that respect.
mra0a8
2014-06-08T20:00:00
I have found this lens to be the perfect companion for nighttime portraits of street people in Las Vegas. I use it with a D7100 and it gives me the perfect reach for finding subjects in the crowds of Fremont Street. This is the perfect FX lens to use on a DX body. It is clean, fast, and sure. If you have a DX it makes perfect sense to add this one to your collection. Now go have fun finding your subjects.
NevadaJayHawk
2014-04-28T21:00:00
I picked this up to go with my small kit of AF-D primes, and to replace both my 50mm f/1.8G AFS and 50mm f/1.4 Ais. So I wanted to like this lens, but noticed some poor performance and decided to test them all out. This 50mm AF-D was noticeably soft and lost contrast at f/1.4, as to be expected. It continued to lack contrast vs the modern 50mm f/1.8G through the aperture range. But what really made me decide to keep my f/1.8G was the bokeh. The f/1.8G produced noticeably better backgrounds, particularly in busy areas like tree branches. Overall, this is a great lens with beautiful image quality. But for DSLRs, Nikon's modern cheap glass beats their old pro glass. For me, at least
tbuss
2014-04-22T21:00:00
Nice looking lens but that's where it stopped. Focus was not consistent in autofocus mode. In manual mode the focus ring would have resistance and binding at both ends of travel. Never could get clear focus in either mode even when mounted on a tripod with flash. Lens was also loose and would rattle when shaken lightly. Tried shaking my other Nikon lenses and they did not have any rattles. This was the second one I tried and both had the same problem. Installed on a new D7100.
JOHN M.
2014-04-13T20:00:00
The lens delivers as advertised in terms of sharpness and light gathering but fails to deliver on some real life attributes. I find this lens slow to focus (compared to 70-200) and occasionally difficult to lock focus (with a D600.)
DucatiDad
2014-04-03T20:00:00
I just got it, and with the f stop breadth It has boosted my creative ability. As a food wine and travel writer this lens will be my go to piece. A great value !
Gwar
2014-03-20T20:00:00
I have been shooting Nikkor 2.8 zooms for the last 15 years with great results. After reading all the glowing reviews for this lens I couldn't wait to get in the studio to see how wonderful this prime is. I use the 24-120 F4 95% of the time for portraits (and everything else) with amazing results. I had to shut this lens down to F11 before it matched the clarity of my zoom. Outside was the similar. The CA at F4 (swapping lenses) is horrible. The only reason I gave 3 stars is because it does look great in the F8 to F13 range. Bokeh is pretty if you get past the CA, I can't. This one goes back for a refund.....
StuDawg
2014-03-16T20:00:00
Bought the 35mm 1.8G DX along with my D7100, and it never leaves my bag. The 50mm 1.4G is now my go to choice when I'm chasing my toddlers around my house, running and gunning. The "keeper" rate is off the charts and I'm nailing focus 80% of the time, even with my fast-moving "targets." Sharpness, color and contrast is amazing wide-open, and has really elevated my photography to the next level, if you'll excuse the cliche. I'll probably go "full-frame" in the future, and I'm glad thus little gem will be able to make the move with me. On a side note, remember that only FX-compatible lenses will make the transition with you if you upgrade to a full frame body later. Good glass is key to producing good images, so invest wisely.
LoyalNikonEnthusiast4Life
2014-02-15T19:00:00
It's light, easy to use and gives excellent quality at f/2 to f/5.6. Focus is fast enough for portraits. Cons: - Pictures are soft at f/1.4-f/1.8 - greenish and pinkish color fringing at wide apertures when shooting against a bright background (noticeable during inspection) - lacks a lot of Nikon's top end technology which would have made this one an excellent performer
Shinobi
Accidents happen. Protect your favorite Adorama products and purchase a protection plan to stay covered from accidental damage, mechanical or electrical failures, and more.
If we can’t fix it, we’ll replace it at no additional cost.
Protect your product from drops, spills, and more.
Enjoy your gear without fear. We have you covered!
When regular use of your product over time results in mechanical or electrical failure.
We will never charge you a deductible after the purchase of a plan.
Our claims process is simple & easy and our customer service team is happy to help.
Adorama Protect powered by Extend is available for purchase to customers in the United States. Not available for international or U.S. territories purchases. Plans on open box items do not cover pre-existing damage.
Adorama Protect plans are available for ABS clients. If you have any questions or require assistanse, please call 800-223-2500
Browse our FAQ
7 Groups/ 8 Elements
FX Format 46° / DX Format 31°
FX, DX, FX in DX Crop Mode, 35mm Film
1.4-16
1.5 ft. (0.45m)
0.15x
58mm
2.1 x 2.9"
10.2oz. (290g)
Clear & Bright
By Vedauwoo
This review is about the 50mm 1.4G, catalog 2180. I decided to buy the lens for low-light situations, such as indoor ceremonies. I was not disappointed; the lens is admirable. Keeping the settings of my D5100 camera the same, I tried other lenses and found that this lens gave consistently brighter, colorful indoor shots. As can be expected, the field of focus gets short when the aperture is opened. A couple of cropped pictures are attached to illustrate the lens: One photo shows a meteor tr...
View full Review
Great all purpose lense
By Geomickey
This is my first FX lens. After dropping $3K on the D800E, I wanted a good portrait lens at a reasonable price. The 50mm f/1.4G has certainly exceeded my expectations for a lens in the $500 range. Auto-focus is spot on , photos are sharp and crisp, great colors and very good bokeh. At 1.4, I can take low light shots without a flash. I am very glad that I chose the 50 1.4G as my first FX lens. I highly recommend!!! Every Nikon owner should have one in their camera bag.
Ideal for travel, event, environmental and general photography in a wide variety of conditions, with superb optical formula with an ultra-fast f/1.4 maximum aperture
Join VIP PRO
2 Day Delivery on thousands of items!
Request a Callback
Chat one-on-one with an expert
Sell or Trade your Gear
Get started in 3 easy steps