Nikkor AF 50mm f/1.4D

(Most of my comments are based on using the lens on the DX format D300 unless otherwise stated.)

After interacting with a lot of the new breed of digital photographers at some recent seminars I had given, I realized that a large number didn’t realize what shooting with a fast lens really means or even what a real fast lens is!

In the 60s and 70s when the fastest film was around 200 ISO a fast lens was a short prime with an aperture of f/1.2 or f/1.4 and its main use was to provide acceptable shutter speeds under low and difficult lighting conditions so the photographer could become more mobile and work without the use of a tripod.

This was shot in a very dark Greek Orthodox monastery on Lesvos Island. An impossible shot with an everyday zoom but possible thanks to the combination of an ISO of 1600 and an aperture of f/2.2. Thanks to the AF, i was able to focus on the face as seen below in the 100% screen grab.

In the 80s and 90s when faster films showed up, fast lenses remained popular not so much for their speed but for their ability to isolate the subject. This isolation is the main reason for buying one of these lenses today and not so much for the speed, since most digital bodies allow the modern photographer to have a base ISO of 400 without the results improvising on quality.

This shot shows the isolating power of the AF 50mm f/1.4D lens at f/2. Below is a 100% screen grab that shows the detail at f/2

Main points of a fast lens
So if you are used to shooting with an average zoom with a maximum aperture of f/5.6 then I highly recommend you find a standard 50mm lens to try for yourself and see first hand the results you can acquire with such an affordable lens. The first thing you will notice is that your camera will suddenly feel so much lighter and easier to handle. Then when you bring the camera to your eye and look through the viewfinder you will be surprised by the bright and clear view. The most amazing results though will come from the first pics. Shoot wide open or at f/2 and the smooth and creamy OOF (out of focus) areas will encapsulate your mind. After this first experience I’m sure you will fall in love with fast lenses and a new window of creative opportunity will develop.

Compared to the AF 50mm f/1.8 lens
But before I go onto the specifics on the AF 50mm f/1.4D lens, let me point out the main differences between this lens and the f/1.8 version. The AF 50mm f/1.4D and the legendary AF 85mm f/1.4D are the two fastest lenses in the current Nikkor line up. The AF 50mm f/1.4D costs three times as much as the other 50mm lens (105€ against 293€) but even at that price, it’s the most affordable fast prime from Nikon since its also three times cheaper than the AF 85mm f/1.4D (293€ against 980€).

Also, choosing between the two 50’s, the AF 50mm f/1.4D is clearly the better choice when shopping for a “fast” lens since its peak performance is between wide open and f/4. Beyond f/4 and the performance is acceptable but not exciting like its slower counterpart. I say this because when compared, the slower lens performs better from f/4 onwards producing excellent results. On the other hand, from wide open to about f/4 the slower fifty does not provide the same exciting results as the faster prime. So there’s definitely a difference of character between the two lenses. One is for shooting dramatic stand-out shots close to wide open and the other excels at shooting everyday stuff utilising most of the available apertures from f/4 to f/16. This difference is similar to two other famed primes, the MF 35mm f/1.4 and f/2 lenses.

Bokeh
Apart from the speed and the isolation capability, this lens can provide nice bokeh from wide open to about f/2.2 even though the lens only has seven aperture blades that aren’t even rounded though they do provide a strange curved “smoothness” up until f/2.5. From then onwards, the bokeh can be described as being a little bit harsher though still quite good, but this depends a lot on factors such as subject, lighting and distance. High lights in the OOF areas can show the 7 diaphragm blades instead of a circle especially after f/2.8 when the blades are more sharply pronounced. Once you get to know the lens, you may find yourself trying to avoid spectral highlights in the OOF areas of the frame. Generally speaking the bokeh and the smooth gradual rendering of the OOF fields are very good up until f/2.5.

A quick grab shot taken wide open at f/1.4 that compliments the subject. The bokeh smooths the skin and helps the viewer start from the eyes and then to the smile.

Description
Mounted on a normal body such as the D300, the combination is small and lightweight and a pleasure to handle. Things are different though if you desire to focus manually. The looseness of the narrow focusing grip isn’t a pleasure to use and nailing sharp focus is a hit and miss affair. This lens is designed for AF and not MF. Although I prefer manual focusing, I utilize autofocusing with this lens due to the narrow DOF and the short working distance when shooting portraits (hope Nikon release the AFS version of this lens soon). If you know you will be focusing manually with this lens, do not buy it! Look for a new or second hand MF AIS 50mm f/1.4 lens instead.

The build quality is similar to most of the AF screwdriver prime lenses of the nineties: cheap feeling due to the wobbliness of the two main parts, inner and outer housings, but in practice they have proven, after all these years, that they are actually quite rugged and can take a beating. To those who care the inner barrel extends a little when focusing close and it doesn’t rotate when focusing so filters can be used without fear. It takes 52mm filters and the f/mount is chrome plated brass just like all the Nikkor’s I have seen.

The optics consist of 7 elements in 6 groups and only has 7 aperture blades. The min focusing distance is 45 cm and it weighs 230g.

AF
Even though the lens uses the old screwdriver mechanism to drive the focusing, it’s fast, precise and generally very good to excellent. This of course depends on what body you throw it on. I have used this lens on most film bodies, a D1, a D70, a D200 and a D300 and never felt that AF was slow, though the worst performance was when mounted on the D70. I should also mention that its also a bit noisy compared to new silent wave technology especially if you have an older worn out copy. One hassle with this lens is that now as my lens kit has more and more AFS lenses, I find myself forgetting to disengage the AF mode from the front of the camera when I want to focus manually (hope the rumor I heard, that a AFS version will be announced this summer, comes true).

Optical performance
The lens today becomes a 75mm optic when used on most Nikon DSLR’s unless you mount it on a full frame D3. This focal length is quite nice for portraits and combined with its splendid optical performance can deliver nice results. Between the magical shooting range of f/1.4 and f/2.5 the lens is very sharp in the centre and progressively softens towards the edges of the frame. As you close the aperture, the field of sharpness stretches to the boundaries of the frame. Once you come accustomed to the shallow depth of field and the centre sharpness growth from closing down, then you can utilize this lens to its fullest.

I like using this lens for head shots, head & shoulder portraits, environmental portraits, some street shooting, indoor family portraits and other low light situations. My preferred aperture range with the AF 50mm f/1.4D lens is between f/2 and f/2.5 even though I will happily go as far as f/4. I try to avoid f/1.4 mainly due to the limited DOF and the hard time keeping the focus on the desired plain but I have used it in the past with no regrets.

In the film days, the low contrast at the wider apertures was a limiting factor but these days it’s of a lesser concern, since it can be corrected easily in post.

The AF 50mm f/1.4D lens is not only for shooting wide or near wide open as seen in these two example images taken while walking the streets of Mytilene port.

Flare
A major problem with this old design is flare and ghosting. You should try and avoid pointing the lens towards the sun, strong light sources, bright backgrounds and other bright spots. The worst case is usually when shooting with a very bright point of light when against a dark background. This will certainly be a good cause for ghosting and will be hard to avoid. Use an aftermarket rubber hood, if you can find one.

AF 50mm f/1.4 with aftermarket rubber hood (sunshade)

In most cases though, flaring problems are usually noticeable in the viewfinder if you are aware of them and are constantly looking for them. This way you can avoid them by changing the axis of the camera. This may be limiting, and I will agree to some point with the disappointment from some people but that is the purpose of reviewing your equipment, to find their weak spots. Plus let’s not forget that building such a fast lens is an optical engineer’s nightmare. You can’t have above average contrast, good corner sharpness and flare control at such an aperture. Still, this lens has the potential to deliver some great results even wide open.

Yes, stopping down helps but if you are going to shoot beyond f/4 then you are better off with the much cheaper and better performer (beyond f/4) slower lens.

Reviews and their purpose
A lot of people translate MTF charts or shoot brick walls only to be disappointed by the performance of this lens since they see low contrast and sharpness only in the centre portion of the frame at the wider apertures.

But a lens has its own character, and we photographers should test our equipment ourselves to pin point their weak and strong points. Knowing a lens performance and utilizing it in the field to our advantage is the most important part of lens testing. That’s what I have been doing for years, it’s just that now I have decided to share my findings on the net, but I still recommend to everyone to check their own lenses.

I get mail from people asking my opinion on what lens to buy. My opinion is that most lenses from Nikon are great performers so review sites should not be used so much for shopping a lens but for helping you learn more about the lenses you already own. When shopping for a lens, buy what you need based on focal length, zoom range, speed and price. Photography is not science, its art. Don’t get too carried away with the various reviews. Learn the good and bad points of your lens and go shoot some images while trying to utilize the good points.

Most disappointments concerning various lenses are from people utilizing sloppy or bad shooting techniques or from people who only shoot brick walls. Remember, when you place a printed picture on the wall or even when posting on the net, most viewers notice content and aren’t usually bothered by technical imperfections caused either by technique or lens limitations.

Last words
Most newcomers to photography probably won’t notice much difference between the two lenses simply because they don’t shoot in manual or aperture priority modes and as such won’t be choosing wide apertures. Demanding pro’s on the other hand, will appreciate the wide and near wide performance of the f/1.4D lens since the differences, however small, are very valuable to those who seek them.

Overall the AF 50mm f/1.4D lens is a small and lightweight gem that shouldn’t be missing from any serious Nikonian’s bag. And if you are fortunate enough to own two bodies, then one must carry the 50!

IN SUMMARY

Chromatic aberrations

Thankfully the optical construction of the AF 50mm f/1.4 lens was designed such that the CA’s are at their least near wide open. This is another reason why from f/4 onwards the cheaper lens performs better.
In some cases blue fringing at high contrast transitions are visible but in most cases this is not a problem. The D300 and D3 combined with Capture NX help to remove most traces automatically.

Vignetting
There is some light fall off around the edges of the frame that is quite noticeable on the FX format up until f/4. On the DX format its noticeable up until about f/2 and gone by f/2.8.

Distortion
No distortion is noticeable unless you shoot a brick wall. In such a case, some minor barrel distortion is visible but nothing to worry about.

Sharpness

From f/1.4 – f/1.8: Sharp but due to very shallow DOF focusing becomes very critical. Place subject in center since sharpness is limited to the center of frame. Contrast is very low but fixable.
From f/1.8 – f/2.5: Results are much better with sharpness covering a larger part of the frame and a good boost in contrast. This is my preferred range since I like the amount of DOF here and the bokeh.
From f/2.5 – f/4: the best performance is in this range but the DOF is starting to affect the background.
From f/4 – f/13: Very good, but the cheaper AF 50mm f/1.8 lens performs better.

NOTES

This versatile and compact lens can perform well as long as you keep the front element clean and avoid bright light sources. I also recommend the HR-2 hood or a rubber hood to help in the flare department and would recommend against the use of filters if possible. As of this writing the 50mm f/1.4 (DX-75mm) is the only way to get an affordable new Nikkor fast prime for portraits. The 85mm (DX-128mm) is way more expensive and a lot larger and heavier.

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MTF chart as published by Nikon

How to read the MTF chart

Other images shot with the AF 50mm f/1.4D lens:
The last example on this page is shot with the 50mm lens


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