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Nikkor AF 50mm f/1.4 D - Review / Lab Test Report |
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Lens Reviews -
Nikon / Nikkor (APS-C)
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Review by Klaus Schroiff, published May 2006
Special thanks to Holger Winkelmann for providing this lens!
Introduction
The Nikkor AF 50mm f/1.4 D is the fastest AF standard lens in the current Nikon lens
lineup. You have to pay almost a threefold premium over the AF 50mm f/1.8 D for the
extra gain in speed but then there's no real substitution for speed but more speed.
On an APS-C DSLR such as the Nikon D200 the field-of-view is equivalent to 75mm so it
behaves like a moderate tele lens within this scope.
The build quality of the lens is very fine but only marginally better compared
to its cheaper cousin. The outer barrel is made of good quality polycarbonate with
a sleek finish. The bayonet ring is made of metal. The small rubberized focus ring
operates very smooth. As you can see above the lens extends a little bit towards
closer focus distances. The front element does not rotate so using a polarizer is no
problem. The lens has no internal AF motor and relies on a slotted drive screw
operated by the camera. As a result AF operation will generate a moderate
degree of noise. The AF speed is very decent on the D200.
| Specifications |
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| Equiv. focal length | 75 mm (full format equivalent) |
| Equiv. aperture | f/2.1 (full format equivalent, in terms of depth-of-field) |
| Optical construction | 7 elements in 6 groups |
| Number of aperture blades | 7 |
| min. focus distance | 0.45 m (max. magnification ratio 1:6.8) |
| Dimensions | 65 x 43 mm |
| Weight | 230 g |
| Filter size | 52 mm (non-rotating) |
| Hood | Nikon HR-2 (optional) |
| Other features | Lens provides distance (D) information. |
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