Nikon 50mm f/1.8D AF Nikkor Lens for Nikon Digital SLR Cameras by Nikon
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Digital camera reviews of Nikon 50mm f/1.8D AF Nikkor Lens for Nikon Digital SLR Cameras
Digital camera Review: A tad noisy, but still a great lens
Summary: 5 Stars
This lens is really noisy when focusing, but everything else about it is great - nice bokeh, excellent in low light, and the price... especially the price! It's become my everyday lens.Digital camera Review: A truly elegant lens, perhaps not the best first lens
Summary: 5 Stars
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.
Digital camera Review: A very reasonable lens
Summary: 5 Stars
I believe this is a lens that all serious amateur photographers should have in their bag. If you're a pro, go for the f/1.4. For the rest of us, this will do the job.
Obviously, in low light conditions, this lens will give you a much faster shutter speed than you standard zoom. This will prevent camera shake, and will freeze moving subjects. Especially well suited for indoor use. It is good for portraiture, but a little short for head and shoulder shots. The very limited depth of field this lens can give you is very fun to play with and offers lots of creative opportunities.
I bought this lens a few weeks ago for $110. Today, it's $200!!! I'm not sure why, but if you consider this lens I would suggest waiting a week or two to see if the price drops back.
Digital camera Review: A winner for the amateur photographer...
Summary: 5 Stars
... and I am not saying it is bad for the professional. I have bought this lens to add some spice to my photography especially to be able to tackle low depth of field pictures. With apertures all the way down to 1.8 - 2.2 even a regular photographer is able to capture dramatic, beautiful pictures that can make one proud of oneself. For the person who is used to zoom lenses with variable ratios, the lens delivers a strict (and relatively narrow) picture, but once you get used to this, it is not a problem either. With its very affordable price, this is a must have.Digital camera Review: AN AWESOME LENS - BUT DON'T BUY IT AS YOUR MAIN
Summary: 3 Stars
Do not buy this lens as your primary lens if you own a Nikon DSLR (D50, D70, D80). The focal length (50mm) makes it a telephoto lens (75mm) on a digital camera. Imagine trying to take photographs of your family indoors using a telephoto lens. You will only be able to capture the head and part of the torso of one person. Instead, buy the 28mm f/2.8 or the 35mm f/2.0 focal length lenses (stay away from the Sigma 30mm).
With that said, this lens is awesome for low light indoors and outdoor night work. I bought this lens for "available light" photography, meaning indoors or from street lamps outdoors at night. I am very pleased with the results. It is quite a bit sharper than the 18 - 55 or 55 - 200 Nikon zooms that I own. To me, sharpness is worth doing without a zoom. This would be on my camera 24x7 if the focal length was 28mm, not 50mm. So, if you need a lens for available-light use in portrait or some telephoto work (not as a prime on a digital camera), this lens is perfection.
Please note that my three star rating is based solely on the quality of the lens, not on my review of the application above. The resulting sharpness of the photos is very good, but not nearly on a par with my Yashica-brand Zeiss lenses (which had a similar price point in 1980, adjusted for inflation), and the build is plastic made in China. Therefore, the quality of what you get compared with the price you paid is about a three or a four (very good), not a five (the best).
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