One of the Few, the proud, the Nikons!

Author's Rating:

Pros: Lightweight, small, very sharp, bright and a bargain to boot.

Cons: None I can think of.

The Bottom Line: 
A great bargain in a normal lens. A Sharp, clear lens that won't break the bank (or your neck when mounted on a NIKON body).

Author's Review
This lens is the newest generation of the venerable Nikon autofocus 50mm f1.8 that was one of the first AF lenses offered by Nikon. This lens, which upgrades the previous version's already impressive sharpness, adds the "D" technology that provides distance measurement data to the camera and flash unit. It is a welcome addition to an already very clear and sharp lens.

The original 50mm f1.8 was originally offered as a less expensive version of Nikon's super-bright 50mm in f1.4. That lens continues in the Nikon line-up.

As many photographers who started on manual 35mm cameras already know, most camera manufacturers delivered camera bodies with 50mm lenses because that was the lens that offered the photographer pictures through the camera pretty much as the human eye sees them. It was an idea and marketing policy that existed virtually unchanged for several decades. With the introduction of AF cameras, the marketing plans began to shift, especially for lower-end cameras. Eventually, most camera manufacturers replaced the straight 50mm lenses with 28-80mm zoom lenses that gave the user wide angle and mid-range telephoto reach. However, to make certain price points, these lenses were invariably compromises in that they were not single aperture lenses.

In any case, Nikon, the company that did not abandon its loyal customer base by giving up the F lens mount, also did not abandon the legions of shooters who still like to carry a 50mm prime lens and they have continued to offer two versions of the same focal length.

The old non-D lens previously offered has since been phased out.

FEATURES/CONSTRUCTION:

The lens is of polycarbonate material with a stainless steel lensmount. The optical glass is produced by NIKON in Japan and the lens is assembled in China. The manual focusing ring is as smooth as what we have all come to expect from Nikon produced lenses. The aperture ring has less drag than the previous model, although this may be of little notice to folks accustomed to Nikon's G lenses which don't employ or use aperture rings. It is a very lightweight lens, coming in at less than 7 ounces. Owners of Nikon N55, N65 and N80 bodies will notice and appreciate that this lens does not add significantly more front weight to their bodies. This makes handholding of the camera almost effortless.

FILTERS:

This lens utilizes 52mm filters which are readily available and just about the least expensive of all sizes used on AF lenses. Most after-market filter suppliers offer an impressive assortment of filter types in this size as well.

COST:

Most of NIKON retailers will price this lens at approximately $120.00. If you own the previous version, you are probably aware that while it will meter properly with the 6 segment meter on the N60 or N65, or the 10 segment matrix on the N80 and F100, 3D capability is not provided. For N80 and F100 users who utilize 3D matrix metering most of the time, this is a loss of capability that won't be appreciated. If that is in fact the case, then I would recommend trading the older one in for the new. It is still a less expensive proposition than buying the 50mm f1.4.

Regardless of what lens package(s) you might currently be employing with your NIKON, this "normal" lens is an excellent, bright and fast lens that will permit the maximum use of available and low light and will serve as an excellent close-in portrait lens.

Another reason to consider this lens is the fact that many of the third party lens manufacturers have abandoned the 50mm prime lens category to the camera makers themselves. Because of that, Nikon has kept this lens series alive. That alone makes it worth considering. If that's not enough, then perhaps this will help your decision:

The lens is very bright in the viewfinder, is faster than any of its aftermarket competition and possesses the legendary Nikon optics in an inexpensive, bargain priced normal lens. It also has an excellent close distance focusing rate, making it an excellent macro lens.

I highly recommend this lens.