Amazon.com: Customer reviews: Nikon AF FX NIKKOR 50mm f/1.8D Lens for Nikon DSLR Cameras

Top positive review

Incredible performance for an incredible price

Reviewed in the United States on November 30, 2010

If you have a camera with a built-in autofocus-motor (D90, etc...), then you need this lens. Everyone should have a 50mm f/1.8 (or faster) lens. This lens is just too inexpensive and too good to pass up.

You buy this lens for two reasons: to shoot in low light without flash or to get great depth of field control. With a wide aperture of f/1.8 you are guaranteed to get great natural light pictures indoors or other low light situations while maintaining a relatively low ISO. The other advantage to large apertures is of course the great isolation of your subject by limiting depth of field. The sample images posted by reviewers show how well this lens works on both accounts.

I see reviews complaining about the sharpness of this lens. Forget about it. Sharpness is rarely a result of the lens. I've taken incredibly sharp pictures with this lens and very fuzzy pictures. Every fuzzy picture was because of something I did "wrong", for example...

Depth of Field: With f/1.8 at 50mm if you're framing a close subject that is only 2 feet away, your depth of field (amount of subject in focus) is only .38 inches (< 1 cm). That is what is referred to as "paper thin" depth of field. Naturally with such a small amount of the subject in focus much of the image will be "unsharp". This is expected and called bokeh. Be sure to understand how depth of field works, or make sure to shoot all your subjects from very far away (not recommended). If this is your first prime lens, then consider the 35mm f/1.8 which has a much more forgiving DOF (.8 inches at 2 feet when wide open).

Subject Motion: With such a limited depth of field, when shooting at the larger apertures, even a small bit of subject motion can cause one of two things to happen. The first is that the part of the subject you wanted to be in focus moved and is now out of focus. The second is that the shutter speed wasn't fast enough to freeze the subject and motion blur occurs. Make sure to shoot moving subjects with an appropriately high shutter speed. Here is where your Nikon beats all other DSLRs: you can customize this using Auto ISO in your camera menu.

Camera Shake: If you let your camera decide everything for you then eventually your shutter speed is going to drop to a value where you can no longer hold the camera steady enough to get a clear shot without a tripod. You need to always shoot at a speed that you can hold the camera steady at. Customize Auto ISO here as well based on your capabilities.

Focus Errors: With paper thin depth of field at the wider apertures it's even easier for a focus error to ruin a picture. If you're taking a close-up picture of someone's face, and your camera selects the nearest object to focus on, then their nose will be in focus but their eyes slightly blurry. That will ruin your picture. Even being slightly off will wreck a great picture. Be very careful with your choice of focus method. If you're shooting at the wider apertures, but not at the nearest object, you may want to use selective auto-focus. Try to focus on the eyes if you're taking pictures of people.

It's easy to see how the challenges of shooting at wide apertures have more to do with the sharpness of pictures than any optical quality of the lens. It is challenging, but the great pictures you get are well worth the effort.

After the first year I owned this lens my photography education was greatly accelerated. I was immediately challenged to understand and master depth of field, shutter speed, ISO, and auto-focus. Without it, I would have continued to do the same dumb things that resulted in mediocre and blurred pictures. I would have continued to blame the tools (camera, lens, flash, etc...) instead of taking control for myself.

If you're afraid to walk, then don't get this lens. The only way you're going to get proper depth of field and good framing is by walking closer to or farther away from your subject.

If you don't have a camera with a built in autofocus-motor (D40, D40X, D60, D3000, D3100, or D5000), then you will either need to get the more expensive50mm f/1.4with the autofocus-motor or, if this is your first prime lens and you want a lower price, go ahead and start with the more forgiving35mm f/1.8.

31 people found this helpful

Top critical review

Critical reviews›

Kaygee

No Autofocus for DX is OK, but Lens has loose focus ring and photos not sharp

Reviewed in the United States on January 5, 2023

I just got this lens and based on another review, decided to really test it out and then put the photos on my computer to monitor. I bought because of the price, knowing that I would have to manually focus it. I thought this lens was the better lens that is around $200 but was a white box or import. It is really hard to focus manually and most of the photos taken with it are not the clear and sharp images I am used to in my other Nikkor lenses all of which are DX lenses and usually shot with Auto. This lens is harder to focus in lower light and on anything that is small and over 10 feet away. I would return this lens and put that money towards a better lens, but I already cut up the instructions. I am going to keep it and play with it some more and see what I can get from it, for example portraits. I am really glad I am not out more money since this is so reasonably priced.

One person found this helpful

6,192 total ratings, 3,961 with reviews

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From the United States

SMR

Incredible performance for an incredible price

Reviewed in the United States on November 30, 2010

*: BlackVerified Purchase

If you have a camera with a built-in autofocus-motor (D90, etc...), then you need this lens. Everyone should have a 50mm f/1.8 (or faster) lens. This lens is just too inexpensive and too good to pass up.

You buy this lens for two reasons: to shoot in low light without flash or to get great depth of field control. With a wide aperture of f/1.8 you are guaranteed to get great natural light pictures indoors or other low light situations while maintaining a relatively low ISO. The other advantage to large apertures is of course the great isolation of your subject by limiting depth of field. The sample images posted by reviewers show how well this lens works on both accounts.

I see reviews complaining about the sharpness of this lens. Forget about it. Sharpness is rarely a result of the lens. I've taken incredibly sharp pictures with this lens and very fuzzy pictures. Every fuzzy picture was because of something I did "wrong", for example...

Depth of Field: With f/1.8 at 50mm if you're framing a close subject that is only 2 feet away, your depth of field (amount of subject in focus) is only .38 inches (< 1 cm). That is what is referred to as "paper thin" depth of field. Naturally with such a small amount of the subject in focus much of the image will be "unsharp". This is expected and called bokeh. Be sure to understand how depth of field works, or make sure to shoot all your subjects from very far away (not recommended). If this is your first prime lens, then consider the 35mm f/1.8 which has a much more forgiving DOF (.8 inches at 2 feet when wide open).

Subject Motion: With such a limited depth of field, when shooting at the larger apertures, even a small bit of subject motion can cause one of two things to happen. The first is that the part of the subject you wanted to be in focus moved and is now out of focus. The second is that the shutter speed wasn't fast enough to freeze the subject and motion blur occurs. Make sure to shoot moving subjects with an appropriately high shutter speed. Here is where your Nikon beats all other DSLRs: you can customize this using Auto ISO in your camera menu.

Camera Shake: If you let your camera decide everything for you then eventually your shutter speed is going to drop to a value where you can no longer hold the camera steady enough to get a clear shot without a tripod. You need to always shoot at a speed that you can hold the camera steady at. Customize Auto ISO here as well based on your capabilities.

Focus Errors: With paper thin depth of field at the wider apertures it's even easier for a focus error to ruin a picture. If you're taking a close-up picture of someone's face, and your camera selects the nearest object to focus on, then their nose will be in focus but their eyes slightly blurry. That will ruin your picture. Even being slightly off will wreck a great picture. Be very careful with your choice of focus method. If you're shooting at the wider apertures, but not at the nearest object, you may want to use selective auto-focus. Try to focus on the eyes if you're taking pictures of people.

It's easy to see how the challenges of shooting at wide apertures have more to do with the sharpness of pictures than any optical quality of the lens. It is challenging, but the great pictures you get are well worth the effort.

After the first year I owned this lens my photography education was greatly accelerated. I was immediately challenged to understand and master depth of field, shutter speed, ISO, and auto-focus. Without it, I would have continued to do the same dumb things that resulted in mediocre and blurred pictures. I would have continued to blame the tools (camera, lens, flash, etc...) instead of taking control for myself.

If you're afraid to walk, then don't get this lens. The only way you're going to get proper depth of field and good framing is by walking closer to or farther away from your subject.

If you don't have a camera with a built in autofocus-motor (D40, D40X, D60, D3000, D3100, or D5000), then you will either need to get the more expensive 50mm f/1.4 with the autofocus-motor or, if this is your first prime lens and you want a lower price, go ahead and start with the more forgiving 35mm f/1.8 .

31 people found this helpful

Helpful

Mary Ingold

Just got it-It is versatile.

Reviewed in the United States on August 17, 2010

*: BlackVerified Purchase

After using the Tamron 18-270 zoom, I found myself missing something. I wanted to get a macro lens, but instead found myself getting this lens and the AF-s DX 35mm F/1.8G and a set of extension tubes.

Certainly I must have been crazy going from an "ultra zoom" to this thing. But so far after just a day and a half of playing around, I've found this lens to run circles around my Tamron lens when it comes to certain shots.

Back to what makes this more versatile than the ultra zoom Tamron:
- 52 mm filters are cheaper than 72 mm filters (something not to overlook)
- It takes less light to get the shot. Higher shutter speeds and F stops are possible with this lens, more than the zoom lens. I don't have to set the ISO as high, so less grain with a lower ISO.
- affordable. At $120 this is about a 3rd of the price of what I paid for the zoom. With an added extension tube, it was still cheaper than the zoom.
- Image quality is better. The focus is sharp. So far I've found myself using this lens a bit more than my 35mm G lens, which is also supposed to be sharp but didn't work as well with the extension tubes.)
- small and light weight (this also can't be overlooked, especially if hand-held.)

This lens also has a bit of a learning curb. Being a prime, takes getting rather close to the subject to "zoom in" and stepping back to "zoom out". With the crop factor, I get a bit of working room in front of the minimum focus. (which can also be a pro, depending on the situation such as using extension tubes.) Not being able to zoom may also be a drawback in some settings like in zoos or places where you can't or not allowed to get close. It also took me a day to figure out how to get manual focusing out of this lens. On a camera with an autofocus motor, you flip the switch on the camera to switch from manual to auto. There is no switch on the lens itself.

A few drawbacks I've found:
On a crop sensor camera, there is no wide angle to be had. Getting landscapes and building shots will require some playing around with composition to make it work. (you may not be able to get the full thing in the frame.) There doesn't appear to be vibration control on this lens so it may take a few shots to get one in focus, but then again even with a VC lens, there may be drawbacks of its own. I wouldn't have minded if it were to cost a little more and included the lens hood. Without it I have to be careful not to get too close to my subjects and also have to keep cleaning the filter to get rid of dust, smudges and and fingerprints. It is also not the most quiet lens to be had. But for most of my shooting, it doesn't bother me.
- 7 blade bokeh (please see photo added to gallery.) Light sources may show up as heptagons which may or may not be what I want in a particular shot. But each lens is a tool, and each tool has its own use and drawbacks.

9 people found this helpful

Helpful

LGL

Fabulous on an ASP-C DX, Nikon D7500

Reviewed in the United States on November 9, 2019

*: BlackVerified Purchase

I was torn between the 2008 NIKKOR 50mm f/1.8G (G Model) for $180 and this older 2002 (D Model) NIKKOR 50mm f/1.8D for $130. After reading the reviews, this lens potentially has a slight edge in sharpness and distortion, but loses slightly in aberrations--but none of these are issues in practical use. Either the camera, RAW software, or both correct potential problems. These lenses have NO image stabilization, which is a non-issue for most portrait shooting.
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This lens was CLEARLY a winner and cost less. I'm convinced that there is NO winning edge between these 2 lenses, but this one is still made by Nikon and shaves off dollars. Don't waste a few bucks IF your camera can use this "D" model.
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There are NO DX (APS-C) 50mm Nikkor lenses, so at 50mm the FX is the GO TO choice to get a 50mm DX (77mm = DX APS-C) Nikon cameras. But, 77mm is perfect for above-the-waist portraits! (You’ll need a 35mm Lens on a DX to get the 50mm (eq.) perspective. (If this is confusing, Google “APS-C Cropping Factors.” The Crop factor on my D7500 is 1.53, but it depends on the NIKON SENSOR in the camera. Canon Camera’s crop factor is likewise different).
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The Bokeh is wonderful with this lens. The 7 blades in both Len Models are different: The G model has rounded blades, and this D model has straight blades. I thought that was a killer until I examined photos taken with both. It's a wash out to 11x14s. Only pixel peepers/counter will ever notice any difference.
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I have a D7500 and it HAS a motor so it works with almost all Nikon Lenses. This lens will NOT autofocus the D40, D60, F3 and similar Cameras WITHOUT a motor in the Camera (including the popular D3000/D5000 series)
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This lens is sharp. It is sharper than $1500 zoom lenses. Zoom lenses cannot match the sharpness of any little 50mm Primes. They are made with few parts, simple assembly, and proven technologies. This jewel was made in China, but Nikon's 50mm have been made there and they have all been sharp. Oh, well . .
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Here are a few pics that show the sharpness and bokeh. ALL are CROPPED at 50%--all I can say is WOW!
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Good photo shooting...

6 people found this helpful

Helpful

Ray

High Quality Lens Hampered Only by Lack of VR

Reviewed in the United States on March 8, 2011

*: BlackVerified Purchase

This Nikon prime lens is consistently highly rated, and after shooting with it myself for a few days, I can see why. It's cheap, its light, and it has very good optical quality. Having said that, it is these very characteristics that restrict it from the world of VR (vibration reduction), and therefore, you should be careful, before you leap on this lens, to ensure it is what you are really looking for.

At f/1.8, it can be said that this lens may not really need much VR, particularly when shooting outdoors, but the absence of VR is something that should not be underestimated. You'll need a steady hand and a careful adherence to technique in order to get those "tack-sharp" photos that you crave and which drove you to a prime lens in the first place. The f/1.8 will allow for some good depth of field, but this is by no means a macro lens (called "micro" in the Nikon world). This lens, then, can be categorized as a non-VR "standard" lens. That may be a good thing for many people, but understand it first before you jump at it.

Having said all of that, this lens is capable of some truly nice results, and when you consider a price tag that just slightly exceeds $100, it can easily be considered a bargain. It is all plastic construction, but feels solid. It is also just a tad on the audibly noisy side when you use auto focus, but again, these are reasons why the lens is priced within its range. I have to admit that, after slogging around one of those big 18-200mm zoom lenses, the lightness and compactness of this unit is a welcome relief.

One final note worth considering. We are drawn to these wide aperture lenses for their light gathering power, and for good reason. At f/1.8, the light gathering power is many times greater than the more typical f/3.5 or f/4 we see on many lenses. But it is worth remembering that if you are shooting with one of Nikon's newer cameras such as the D7000, the high ISO capability of these units is getting so good that the advantages of large aperture lenses solely as treatments for low light shooting is reduced in importance. For example, with a D7000, you can crank the ISO up to, say, 3200, and even with a f/4.5 lens, can get some pretty decent shots (at least for on-screen viewing of photos). It's not to say these are a complete panacea to the problem; its just that we have to realize that all the major manufacturers are slowly working on the high ISO dilemma, and wide aperture lenses may not hold the singular appeal they once did. On the other hand, if your purpose for a large aperture is to take high depth-of-field shots, then lenses like this are just what you need.

So, in summary, I can easily recommend this quality Nikon lens which is available at an incredibly reasonable price, but just take a moment to consider my comments above before you make your decision. Five stars.

3 people found this helpful

Helpful

Southern Cookie

Clarification for "young" DX users (experienced photographers can skip this one)

Reviewed in the United States on June 9, 2014

*: BlackVerified Purchase

Under the technical details this is listed as a zoom lens. It is not. It is a prime lens and does not zoom. You must change your position to frame your photo. This lens will not autofocus with many DX cameras. Specifically the D40, D40x, D60, D3000, d3100, D3200, D3300, D5000, D5100, D5200, D5300. Autofocus is a critical function for these are cameras aimed at novice/newer to digital photographers. It will mount on these cameras, it will function in all respects but the autofocus. It WILL fully function with the D90, D7000, D7100, more expensive cameras aimed at enthusiasts. They contain a focusing mechanism in the camera body that works with the AF designated lenses. That being said, this is a spectacular lens as others have reported. A prime lens can rock your world in terms of clarity and photo quality. When being used on a DX camera it does NOT function as the "nifty fifty" that many are looking for. That label is a holdover from film photography. It indicates the the focal length that mimics the normal view of the human eye and gets a tad confusing with the development of the DX 1.5 cropped sensor. This is a 50mm lens on an FX camera. Mounted on a DX camera it is the equivalent of a 75mm (short telephoto). In an average sized room you may run out of room to back up to get everyone in the frame. If you want the 50mm view on a DX camera a better choice is the wonderful Nikon 35mm f/1.8 AF-S G. This prime lens will give you the 50mm lens (52mm approximately) you are looking for and works very well in low light/no flash situations. It will autofocus on all DX cameras as it has Nikon's Silent Wave Motor in the lens (the S in AF-S). This 50mm lens is a standard lens that is as fine as they come for camera bodies with an internal focusing motor. I love it and use it as a short tele on a D7100. I also have tried it on a D5100 and a D60. It is sharp and the shots are beautiful. You just need the time to manually focus properly, not always possible with fast moving toddlers and pets. These bodies will indicate that a correct focus has been achieved by displaying a dot in the viewfinder. Catching that perfect focus manually takes more practice than the casual photographer has time for. I like Nikons' fast accurate autofocus and do not see any benefit in not spending a few bucks more to get the lens that fully works with the camera (I also own the 35mm f/1.8G AF-S ). I have personally muddled through this world of digital from film and I hope this helps the next budding photographer in choosing the best lens for your needs.

240 people found this helpful

Helpful

Lee

Excellent Value and Quality Lens

Reviewed in the United States on July 17, 2014

*: BlackVerified Purchase

This lens is absolutely phenomenal. I have used a variety of lenses of various quality and mounts since the 1980s, and this prime lens is quite possibly the best I've ever used.

Every facet of this lens is superb. For those just starting, the autofocus is quick and precise. For those more advanced, the focus precision combined with fantastic optics provide incredible Bokeh and Depth Of Field control. At f/1.8, this lens has such a narrow DOF that only shallow items (eg, *not* flowers with long pistils and stamens) will focus well. Yet at f/4 with moderately broad DOF, you still get amazing Bokeh. Processing shows little (virtually none) lens distortion which translates to better quality images.

My concern is for moderate- and low-light imaging. This lens captures light very well, allowing me to run my body at lower ISO and thus obtain better quality images.

Compared to older 50mm prime lenses I've owned, both Screw Mount and Canon Mount, this lens is physically smaller and lighter. Its image capture is on par with the Canon-branded lens and far superior to the East German Hanimex Screw Mount (no surprise there). The Canon FD 1.8 provided similar Bokeh and quality at wide open aperture, but seemed to allow less light in at f/16 (the smallest aperture on the Canon lens) than the Nikon lens does (possibly due to slightly smaller diameter lens in the Canon). More light transfer = better image capture, all else being equal. The Nikon lens aperture shuts down all the way to f/22 giving almost infinitely wide DOF which is great for allowing hurried manual-focus shots of wildlife or sports.

If you don't have this lens in your bag, it is a must-have no matter what body you are using. Keep in mind that the lowest level Nikon bodies (D-3xxx and D-5xxx series and older D40, d50, d60 models) do NOT support autofocus of this lens. Even so, I would still recommend purchasing this lens due to its excellent physical and image quality. This lens will be an asset for a life well beyond most bodies and will serve those with Full-framed FX bodies as well as the cropped DX bodies.

One person found this helpful

Helpful

Thomas

A great value lens with great features and awesome image quality

Reviewed in the United States on April 6, 2011

*: BlackVerified Purchase

This lens was purchased for the Nikon D7000. Some of the features and usability change on different camera types, so what I wrote about specifically applies to the D7000 and may be different or similar on other camera bodies.

I purchased this fixed focus 50mm lens because it allows for much broader aperture control from f/1.8 to 22 versus my 18-200mm zoom lens which has an aperture range from f/3.5 to 5.6 . One can take images at lower light without flash due to the 1.8 aperture (faster shutter speeds at lower light). But it also allows desired blur of the background when focusing on a specific feature of something as close as 1.5 ft, for example a blossom or a person's face in a portrait or close up in the house of somebody sitting at a table. Otherwise I would not use the lens indoors. It really is a great creative lens for portrait and other applications, but mainly for outdoors. I prefer the 18mm of my zoom lens for indoor pictures (need the wide angle functionality). It is a fine versatile lens for travel and outside pics if one does not want/need a much bulkier zoom lens. The lens has a diameter of only 52mm versus the 72mm of the zoom lens, so it appears small. This is not a VR image stabilization lens, which for the pictures I took has not been an issue, but I have a steady hand. We'll see if that ever becomes an issue. Image stabilization is definitely an awesome feature, but this lens costs 'only' about $140.

The D7000 can control the autofocus of this lens and apertures via the camera automatically-note that the aperture is also controlled manually through the camera, not the aperture ring. The lens needs to be locked at f/22 with the lock switch on the ring in the locked position on the lens. Otherwise the D7000 will display a control error on the top control panel flashing 'F EE'. One can control the aperture manually through the sub-command dial (at the front of the camera) with the program mode to 'A' or 'M'. In other words, on the D7000 you will never use the aperture ring manually by moving it physically; it's done through the sub-command dial only. So one can concentrate on manual focus or simply use the autofocus. However, I like the manual focus on non-moving objects and an open aperture (like f/1.8) to get just the right effect of blur (bokeh) of the background. It's a fun lens.

I also purchased the 52mm screw in NC filter to protect the lens. The lens was purchased through Amazon and was supplied with a snap on type front cover. I had ordered one along with the lens, but that wasn't necessary, so you can save ~$10 there by not ordering the snap-on type front cover in addition.

The lens is great quality and the pictures are awesome. It's a valuable lens, especially for being relatively inexpensive compared to the other lenses from Nikon. It's a good purchase.

Thomas
nikond7000dslr.org

9 people found this helpful

Helpful

Stephen

A truly elegant lens, perhaps not the best first lens

Reviewed in the United States on December 6, 2009

*: BlackVerified Purchase

I was a fan of DSLR photography long before I purchased my first camera, often using a cruddy old Canon DSLR for my work at The Arbiter, Boise State University's student media group. This being the case, I saved up and purchased a Nikon D90 12.3MP Digital SLR Camera (Body Only) for my first camera (which I love).

I bought this lens instead of going for the kit, because of its fantastic reviews. The lens delivers: Beautiful colors and clarity, sharp and easy focus, and fantastic dim-light photography, with an outstanding range of DOF. I usually open the aperture all the way up for a gorgeous and shallow DOF. With this lens I can take a picture of someone's face, placing their eyes in perfect focus and allowing most of the face to occupy the exterior of the DOF, creating a flattering soft focus.

Why this may not be the best first lens for you (if you are not already a semi-experienced to experienced photographer): It is a pretty long prime lens. This means that it isn't especially well-adjusted to landscape photography, which is a fantastic way to practice composition. It also isn't the best for candid photography (an advantage of many primes, which are less obtrusive than zoom lenses and can be easily carried around with the camera), because of its longer focal length. You have to be quite a ways away from your subject unless you prefer close-ups.

Conclusion: This lens is awesome. If you have a couple lenses and know what you are doing I recommend it as heavily as I possibly can. Prime lenses are great first lenses--they make you ad lib composition and move your feet instead of just zooming in and out until it looks okay. They are also cheaper for their quality than zoom lenses. However, a shorter prime (20-30mm) may be best for a first purchase. I love this lens though, and wouldn't trade it for anything, so even a beginner might love this lens once they adjust to it.

2 people found this helpful

Helpful

Micah R. Young

Works

Reviewed in the United States on April 5, 2024

*: BlackVerified Purchase

Works

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Isaac Dennis

More than nifty

Reviewed in the United States on February 20, 2024

*: BlackVerified Purchase

This lens ended up putting me in business as a photographer. By age 19 I was making $13k/month. It brings the most desired shots by clients. These shots were captured by Nikon d3300

No auto focus or image stabilization. Shouldn’t be a problem for portraits