Nikon Nikkor 50mm f/1.8D AF Lens

I have a Nikon D70 DSLR with the...

Strengths: Ultra-sharp lens and fast, one of the best Nikkor lenses for portraits, an ultra-bargain at under $100.

Weakness: When used with a DSLR having a 1.5X field of view crop, there are better alternatives for landscape photos.

I have a Nikon D70 DSLR with the kit zoom lens, 18-70mm. Also have a Tokina 300mm AFD. The Nikkor AF 50mm f/1.8 is a "must have" if you do portrait work and is tack-sharp. Its large aperture allows photos without flash in limited light conditions. It is very light weight and makes for a great walk-around lens.

By will396 - May 31, 2004

I have done some research...

Strengths: This is a really fast lens. Extremely sharp. Highly recommend.

Weakness: I haven't seen any.

I have done some research comparing the 50mm F1.4 and F1.8 for my D70. I was hesitating to spend $200 more for 1/2 stop. Finally I decide to go for F1.8 and save money for my micro lens. I do not regret and will not.

By wufgang - Nov 30, 2004

The Nikon 50mm f/1.8D Autofocus...

Strengths: Portability, price, performance

Weakness: None

The Nikon 50mm f/1.8D Autofocus lens is a must have for anyone that needs a lens for a Nikon-compatible camera. For the money you can't go wrong here. Very sharp pictures can be taken at a focal length that is very usable for most picture situations. I use mine with a Fuji S2Pro digital camera and find that very often it is the lens I grab when I need a picture of something. It is very...
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The Nikon 50mm f/1.8D Autofocus lens is a must have for anyone that needs a lens for a Nikon-compatible camera. For the money you can't go wrong here. Very sharp pictures can be taken at a focal length that is very usable for most picture situations. I use mine with a Fuji S2Pro digital camera and find that very often it is the lens I grab when I need a picture of something. It is very lightweight and compact for those of you not into weightlifting. Highly recommended!

By techtechie - Nov 5, 2004

Fast lens for price

Strengths: Very sharp and fast. Great price for optical quality -- have not seen anything else come close.

Weakness: Build quality suspect.

This is a great lens if you have a digital SLR and do any portraits at all because (1) the 1.5 crop factor makes it a 75mm lens which is great for portraits (2) the crystal sharp pictures it produces due to its high optical quality (3) the 1.8 aperture is great for portraits as it allows you to control the depth of field so the background is blurred and (4) the cost is less than $100 with...
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This is a great lens if you have a digital SLR and do any portraits at all because (1) the 1.5 crop factor makes it a 75mm lens which is great for portraits (2) the crystal sharp pictures it produces due to its high optical quality (3) the 1.8 aperture is great for portraits as it allows you to control the depth of field so the background is blurred and (4) the cost is less than $100 with shipping. I do not do many portraits so I never thought much about buying this lens, but realized that I do enough friends and family shots that it was worth spending the $100.

Only negative is that the lens does not slide into position on my D70 as smoothly as my other lenses do (this may loosen up after a while, but have never noticed this before when my other Nikon lenses were new) which has me concerned about the build quality and tolerances. However it functions flawlessly and the pictures are as sharp or sharper than any lens I have including several Nikon prime lenses. This lens is made in China, but the much more expensive 50mm f1.4 lens that I considered purchasing is made in China as well. My recommendation would be to save the money and purchase the 1.8 unless you really need the faster lens. Note that the threaded filter mount is made out of plastic so if you are someone who changes filters frequently this may be an issue, but again the 50mm f1.4's filter mount is plastic as well.

By dougmorrill - Jun 6, 2005

This is really a must-have...

Strengths: FAST! no need to spend twice/thrice as much for the 1.2 or 1.4 unless you're shooting in pitch black or something!

Weakness: Kinda awkward to use if all you've ever used is zoom lens. Get used to it!

This is really a must-have investment for any photographer. Great portrait-lens and fast too. Also great for fast indoor sports sideline shooting. Goes well with my D70 (of course, the 1.5x ccd factor makes this a little awkward) but it teaches you how to take pics with non-zoom lens. Great lens to start off the collection!

By jplee3 - Mar 30, 2005