Nikkor AF 50mm f/1.4 D - Review / Lab Test Report
Lens Reviews - Nikon / Nikkor (APS-C)
Article Index
Introduction
Analysis

Review by Klaus Schroiff, published May 2006

Special thanks to Holger Winkelmann for providing this lens!

Introduction

The Nikkor AF 50mm f/1.4 D is the fastest AF standard lens in the current Nikon lens lineup. You have to pay almost a threefold premium over the AF 50mm f/1.8 D for the extra gain in speed but then there's no real substitution for speed but more speed. On an APS-C DSLR such as the Nikon D200 the field-of-view is equivalent to 75mm so it behaves like a moderate tele lens within this scope.

The build quality of the lens is very fine but only marginally better compared to its cheaper cousin. The outer barrel is made of good quality polycarbonate with a sleek finish. The bayonet ring is made of metal. The 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/2.1 (full format equivalent, in terms of depth-of-field)
Optical construction7 elements in 6 groups
Number of aperture blades7
min. focus distance0.45 m (max. magnification ratio 1:6.8)
Dimensions65 x 43 mm
Weight230 g
Filter size52 mm (non-rotating)
HoodNikon HR-2 (optional)
Other featuresLens provides distance (D) information.



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