Nikkor 50mm f/1.4G AF-S vs Nikkor 50mm f/1.8G AF-S-Sharpness

Good Morning Everyone,

I am going to buy another 50mm lens for my D800. My decision will be based on which is the sharpest at higher F Stops. For my application, the difference is speed is negligible. I want the sharper of the two and will look at other alternatives if yall have any suggestions.

Thank you for all your input.

Have a great weekend,

Roger

Sharpness wise the f1.8g has the slight advantage.


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Roger, did you check any of these threads on these lenses?

http://nikonites.com/prime/19682-50mm-f-1-8-af-s-versus-50mm-f-1-8-d.html#axzz2xMnILlDy

http://nikonites.com/prime/21124-50mm-f1-8-af.html

http://nikonites.com/prime/21201-another-50mm-f-1-8d-af-thread.html

http://nikonites.com/prime/21547-post-your-50mm-f-1-8-d-shots.html

http://nikonites.com/prime/20336-af-s-nikkor-50mm-f-1-8-g.html

http://nikonites.com/prime/19642-nikon-nikkor-af-50-mm-f-1-8-d-lens.html

There is a good review and direct comparison here

Nikon 50mm f/1.8G Review - Page 5 of 8

Scroll down the page for all the info.

If I am not wrong, the 50mm F1.2 AIS is sharpest in the F2 to F4 region. You can go through these review for form your own opinion

Seven 50mm prime lenses for Nikon F-mount compared by Cary Jordan | Nikon Rumors
Nikon 50mm f/1.2 Ai-S Review
Nikons Jewel

Yea, generally the lower the f/# the sharper it will get as you climb up, so given that neither 55 1.2, 50/1.4G or 1.8D or G ever suffered from noticeable quality issues, the overall winner is theoretically the 1.2. Newer tech gives 1.4 a slight edge over 1.8s, and rest is price difference and whether you're shooting magazine covers and billboards or not.

I have the Nikkor f/1.8 G lens and it is amazing at any price. Much prefer it to the f/1.4 version wide open.

Barring a few lenses, the higher the minimum f stop the sharper it is. What matters ultimately for large amount of details is the sharpness across the field and CA. Some lenses may be exceptionally sharp in the centre but not so good at the edges. These are good enough for portraits, where centre matters most. In contrast for landscapes you want sharpness down to the edges, slower lense does not matter as mostly landscape is shot at high f numbers to get decent DOF.

For high MP bodies, if you want exceptional sharpness edge to edge and low CA, you should consider the newer 50mm lenses from Zeiss and Sigma. The are designed for modern high density sensors, and are a class apart from all current lenses, but they cost a bomb. If you are on a budget then the Nikon 50mm F1.8D will give you minimum distortion and CA for around a hundred dollars.
Nikkor AF-S NIKKOR 50mm f/1.8G on Nikon D800 versus Nikkor AF Nikkor 50mm f/1.8D on Nikon D800 versus Zeiss Planar T 50mm f/1.4 ZF2 Nikon on Nikon D800 - Side by side lens comparison - DxOMark

I love my AF 50mm f/1.8 D! But since I haven't tried the other versions I can't say which is better from experience. Not that I would be the best judge of such things anyway. Lol I just know what I like, so far that is! Lol

I think the 1.8, G or D will give you the best bang for your buck. They are both tremendous values and are generally "sharp enough"

wornish said:

There is a good review and direct comparison here

Nikon 50mm f/1.8G Review - Page 5 of 8

Scroll down the page for all the info.

Click to expand...

Thanks for posting this, just came across a 50 1.4 on ebay for what looked like a good price but having read this, plus some of the other comments, I think I'll go back to looking for a 1.8g.

It is hard to beat a 50 1.8g or d. Either of these lenses belong in everyone's kit.