Nikon AF-S Nikkor 50mm f/1.4G
Announced September 22, 2008
PixelMeter The PixelMeter is our 1–100 aggregate of reviewer scores from trusted publications and creators. Weighted by source tier — not a raw average, and not PetaPixel’s own review.
Reviewer Consensus
Good
The Nikon AF-S NIKKOR 50mm f/1.4G offers a compact, weather-sealed design that produces smooth bokeh and high-quality images when stopped down. That said, the lens suffers from slow autofocus speeds and noticeable softness at its widest apertures compared to newer alternatives.
Weighted from 21 reviewer scores
Pros
- Compact and lightweight build
- Pleasant and smooth bokeh rendition
- Near-silent autofocus operation
- Durable construction with weather sealing
- Excellent sharpness at intermediate apertures
Cons
- Visible chromatic aberration and coma
- Softness and reduced contrast at wide apertures
- Slow autofocus performance
- Strong vignetting and distortion at f/1.4
- Poor flare resistance
- Launch price $489.95 (USD)
- Focal length & aperture 50mm f/1.4
- Mount & coverage Nikon F Full-Frame
- Stabilization None
- Close focus 45 cm (0.15x)
- Filter thread 58mm
- Autofocus motor Ring-type ultrasonic
- Weight & size 280g (9.9 oz) · 73.5 x 54.2 mm (2.89 x 2.13 in)
What the Reviewers Say
All 21 expert reviews, weighted into the PixelMeter score.
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- PetaPixel 8.5/10
I think both this and the 35mm will finally fill a gap in Nikon’s lineup and do so with aplomb.
- DPReview 89/100
It’s sharper wide open, and provides much more even performance across the frame (especially on FX), with notably better corner sharpness at large and intermediate apertures.
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Rolling it all up, I think the Nikon AF-S 50mm f1.4G shows a very appealing optical performance that alone would earn it a Recommended. But factoring in its small size, light weight, weather sealing and price/performance ratio I’d upgrade this lens to Highly Recommended!
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The build quality of the lens is very decent thanks to an outer barrel made out of high quality plastics.
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Ever since Nikon released the much better and cheaper 50mm f/1.8G (which outperforms this lens in every way), I can no longer recommend the 50mm f/1.4G to our readers.
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If you use this Nikon AF-S NIKKOR 50mm f/1.4G within its limitations, it'll be useful and get you some pleasant images.
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Nikkor AF-S 50 mm f/1.4G will be certainly a good companion to every Nikon reflex camera owner as it will allow you to take excellent photos in practically all conditions.
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While I haven't exactly heaped praise on the optical quality of the new AF-S version, it still is clearly enough better—especially if you're a max or near max aperture shooter—that I think the D version is now completely out of the running.
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It is really difficult for me to come up with a use case I could recommend this Nikon AF-S 50mm 1.4G for.
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The build and silent focusing are welcome refinements, even if the focusing speed does seem a little slow.
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The lens has a 9-blade aperture, which is excellent. The rounded blades produce a pleasing, smooth bokeh without any flare or other artifacts.
- Photo Review 9.0/10
The compact size of this lens and its large maximum aperture make it ideal for travel, event and environmental photography and it also makes a great general-purpose lens when high-quality images are required.
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It is very versatile and I would recommend this lens as a great tool for everyday use from architecture and landscape through to portrait, sport and documentary applications.
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I think this lens would be more suitable for beginners and hobbyists or photographers who are after that unique look to the images.
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Enough of my bellyaching. This AF-S lens rules for real shooting. Shoot it in the dark, and the images are sharp, and dead-on in-focus with any of the cameras I've tried.
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To cut to the chase, I’ll probably say something nuanced about this lens, that it has some flaws, but that it’s actually one of the best lenses in whatever category we put it in, and ultimately, we’ll probably agree that it’s worth shooting.
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When I took a second look at the lens and the images I have made with it, I realized what a gem it is, and you get all that for $120.00.
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It now lives on my D600 and I'd happily shoot everything with it if I had no choice.
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All around at this price point and performance, this lens is an all-around must-have nifty50.
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There's a lot to like about the new and improved lens – better image quality all around and lots of small improvements in the overall design.
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The 50mm f/1.4 is not a bad lens, but the newer 50mm f/1.8 seems a better option unless you absolutely need the f/1.4 max aperture.
