This is the Nikkor 50 f/1.4 AF lens. Back in the 50's and 60's, the better camera makers would bundle this kind of lens with their cameras as a "kit" lens (witness the Nikon F), before the advent of cheap consumer-grade zoom lenses.

There really isn't too much one can say about this focal length, except that you actually get the same field of view as a 75mm lens when it is used on Nikon "DX" format digital cameras such as the D40(x)/D50/D70/D80/D100/D200/D300/D2x. A fixed focal length like this feels rather "cramped" to me when shooting indoors, so the real compelling reason to have any of the "50's" around is because of the speed, sharpness and relative lack of distortion. Still, at 75mm, it approaches the portrait range, and I use it as a telephoto lens of sorts. On 35mm, many photographers say that this lens represents the field of view of the eye, but others debate this point.

This lens performs quite well at its larger apertures from f/1.4 on upward. With the 50 f/1.8, the corners of images were quite soft from f/1.8 until f/2.8, where it gets quite close to this lens in sharpness. It was best used stopped down to f/4 and beyond. Still, there is a bit more vividness to the color rendition with this 50 f/1.4 optic, and the bokeh is more pleasant. I was able to get this for quite a nice eBay price, and this is one of the better "Made in Japan" versions of the 50 f/1.4.

This is the Nikkor 50 f/1.4 AF lens. Back in the 50's and 60's, the better camera makers would bundle this kind of lens with their cameras as a "kit" lens (witness the Nikon F), before the advent of cheap consumer-grade zoom lenses.

There really isn't too much one can say about this focal length, except that you actually get the same field of view as a 75mm lens when it is used on Nikon "DX" format digital cameras such as the D40(x)/D50/D70/D80/D100/D200/D300/D2x. A fixed focal length like this feels rather "cramped" to me when shooting indoors, so the real compelling reason to have any of the "50's" around is because of the speed, sharpness and relative lack of distortion. Still, at 75mm, it approaches the portrait range, and I use it as a telephoto lens of sorts. On 35mm, many photographers say that this lens represents the field of view of the eye, but others debate this point.

This lens performs quite well at its larger apertures from f/1.4 on upward. With the 50 f/1.8, the corners of images were quite soft from f/1.8 until f/2.8, where it gets quite close to this lens in sharpness. It was best used stopped down to f/4 and beyond. Still, there is a bit more vividness to the color rendition with this 50 f/1.4 optic, and the bokeh is more pleasant. I was able to get this for quite a nice eBay price, and this is one of the better "Made in Japan" versions of the 50 f/1.4.