Nifty fifty
Took out one of my old prime lenses the other day to give it a quick once over on my new D700. I am so glad I did. My nifty fifty always felt cramped and uncomfortable on my old DX cameras. Too short for portraits, too long for everyday. Pretty limited in fact.
On the new FX format (or rather the old FX format which is now back in vogue again) it is quite another story. It’s found the camera body it was made for and it just sings!
This lens is absolutely sublime wide open, with lovely bokeh and creamy out of focus backgrounds. It has dramatically shallow depth of field and can create some stunning effects.
Stop it down just a little bit and it’s one of the sharpest lenses you’ll ever put on your camera.
It’s great for indoor work. You can put that nasty flash away, open up to f1.4 and photograph hand-held in natural light in almost all conditions.
Optically, it can hold its head high with professional lenses costing over £1000. But because it’s a humble prime lens it retails for a mere £200 or so.
Or get yourself one of the new G versions of this lens if you are feeling rich, and you can enjoy the added refinement of the Silent Wave Motor (SWM) enabling smooth and quiet autofocus, and still walk away with change from £300. Always assuming you can find one – there’s been a run on the new lens and most shops are out.
I’m happy with mine and not in a hurry to upgrade!
Photographic notes
Nikkor 50mm f1.4 AF-D used above at full aperture. Click here to access full EXIF data and see larger sizes of the image (click the “All Sizes” tab). The focus is slightly soft but that’s probably my shaking hands rather than the lens’ fault. Hand held at 1/400s.
Wonderful shot….I have a 50 mm 1.8f, but love the DOF with 1.4f!
Thank you. Just wait till you try the 85mm f1.4!