As our AF-S Nikkor 50mm f/1.4 G review discovers, this flagship prime lens from Nikon delivers excellent results in a small and lightweight package.

Quick and quiet AF

Poor retro compatibility

Having started with Nikon, then moving to Canon (full frame 5D) for a few years, and now back to Nikon again (D700), I have found the Nikon 50 1.4G AFS a nice change from the incredibly expensive L primes. I've owned the Canon 50 1.4 and the Canon 50 1.2 and I prefer this lens to those two.

Sharp wide open; Not overly expensive

Some lateral CA; May require AF adjustment

Gary Wolstenholme investigates Nikon's latest wide aperture 50mm lens with silent focusing.

Excellent optical quality; Good build quality; Light weight; Good value; Focusing speed lower than previous version; 58mm; size not common for Nikon prime lenses

Excellent optical quality; Good build quality; Light weight; Good value; Focusing speed lower than previous version; 58mm; size not common for Nikon prime lenses

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.

You need a fast, standard prime lens and want excellent image quality plus value for money, You want a small, lightweight, well-built lens for general photography; Don't buy this lens if, You want close-up versatility and performance, You require very high resolution at wide lens apertures

The Nikon AF-S Nikkor 50mm f/1.4G ($484.95 direct) is the company's most recent standard-angle D-SLR lens. It offers improvements over previous versions, including improved coatings, and an internal focus motor, but it eliminates the aperture ring so you won't be able to use it on older manual focus...

Extremely sharp; Fast aperture; Reasonable price tag

No aperture control ring; No vibration reduction

The first thing to note is that the AF-S Nikkor 50mm f/1.4G must not be confused with the older 50mm f/1.4 'D' lens. The 'D' lens dates back to the days of Nikon film cameras and includes an aperture ring on the lens barrel.

Superb image

Nothing

The Nikon AF-S Nikkor 50mm f/1.4G ($484.95 direct)($376.95 at Amazon) is the company's most recent standard-angle D-SLR lens. It offers improvements over previous versions, including improved coatings, and an internal focus motor, but it eliminates the aperture ring so you won't be able to use it on older manual focus 35mm cameras. Full-frame Nikon shooters will appreciate its classic standard-angle field of view, and it works equally well as a short telephoto portrait lens when paired with an APS-C Nikon SLR. The lens is an excellent performer with sharpness that is excellent at f/1.4 and off the charts as you stop down, easily earning it our Editors' Choice award for standard-angle prime SLR lenses. Typically, 50mm lenses are rather compact when compared with wide-angle or telephoto SLR lenses, and this Nikkor lens is no exception. It measures just 2.1 by 2.9 inches (HD) and weighs a mere 9.9 ounces. A lens hood is included—it twists via a bayonet and adds some height to the le...

The Nikon AF-S Nikkor 50mm f/1.4G is a fast-aperture standard-angle lens for Nikon D-SLRs. It's tack sharp, even at f/1.4, and earns our Editors' Choice award.

Extremely sharp; Fast aperture; Reasonable price tag

No aperture control ring; No vibration reduction

There are plenty of great, maybe better, lenses on the market. I chose the 50mm f/1.4D because for me, it is a versatile lens to an extent. It is a prime lens, therefore one cannot zoom in (for those of you not familiar or new to prime lenses.

You can't judge a book by its cover, but you can judge a lens system by the quality of its "fast fifty" prime lens. If your system's lens designers can't nail this one? Good luck producing top-notch lenses with more complex designs.