50mm f1.8D or 50mm AF-S f1.8G

Lawrence

Senior Member
Using a d7100 and wanting to shoot portraits ...

I have a 35mm prime and my 90mm macro - should I also get a 50mm? If so which one of the two?

And then of course I also want a wide angle - probably more pressing than the above - this one for potential real estate photography and milky way stuff.
 

Fred Kingston

Senior Member
The biggest difference between the two is an aperture ring. If you ever want to do close-up macro type work, the G series won't work without more expensive adaptors... whereas the D series will... G won't work with most extension tubes, and definitely won't work with a reversing adaptor... I should mention that the a new D is about $100... considerably less than the G...
 

nickt

Senior Member
I have the 50mm d. had it for years. No complaints, but people are liking the G better wide open. I will note the focus is somewhat abrupt with some sound. Sort of like a muffled power screwdriver sound. I guess its the same thing really, being driven by a shaft from the camera. I'm thinking the G would be more quiet and smooth like my 35mm.
Here's a discussion on dp:
Nikon 50mm AF 1.8D Vs Nikon 50mm AFS 1.8G: Nikon SLR Lens Talk Forum: Digital Photography Review
Some prefer G for portraits.

Good points Fred made for the D.

I got my Tokina 11-16 cheap, used. Older style without built in motor.
 

480sparky

Senior Member
A G lens will work just fine with extension tubes, provided they have the mechanical and electrical connections. AF is a crapshoot, depending on the camera used.

A G lens can also be used in reverse, so long as the aperture is held open. Easy to do, either manually or with a BR-6.
 

480sparky

Senior Member
I have both the G and D and in most cases, I can't tell the difference between the two.

The D will only AF on bodies with motors, is much less money, and smaller and lighter to boot.
 

Lawrence

Senior Member
I have both the G and D and in most cases, I can't tell the difference between the two.

The D will only AF on bodies with motors, is much less money, and smaller and lighter to boot.

So it is perfect for my D7100 :)

But all reports indicate not quite as sharp (probably good enough for my old eyes) and the bokeh is less rounded on the D than the G which is round and soft.
 

480sparky

Senior Member
Here's some comparisons:

The general scene:

50mmzoomvprime.jpg



Center of the D:

550Dcenter.jpg


Center of the G:

650Gcenter.jpg



D: Corner:

550Dcorner.jpg


G: Corner:

650Gcorner.jpg
 

skene

Senior Member
The differences are very slight between the two lenses, however much can be told in the fine details. The G lens, has rounder aperture blades which would round out the bokeh balls, is fairly sharper than the previous D lens. However the only downfall to this would be the additional cost.
If you go with the D lens, you can use it on any body that has the focus motor on the body. You will save yourself a bit more $$$ in cost savings.
You will experience sharper edged more polygon shaped bokeh balls, but that trade off is negligible the way I see it.

Here is one of my shots with the 50 1.8D, whereas you can see with the distant car lights showing the polygon bokeh.
313390_10151341976081593_1232091651_n.jpg



The D is a fantastic lens and should not be overlooked to anyone who owns a camera with a focus motor.
 
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480sparky

Senior Member
Difference between f 1.4 and f 1.8? Worth the extra price?


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Only if you A. shoot a lot in low light a lot and B. have a lot of disposable income.

Or C. Like to have expensive glass for no reason.


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rocketman122

Senior Member
@skene, is that you? looks like adam sandler :)

if you shoot smaller than 2.2, the aperture blades will start showing up more so it wouldnt matter if its the D or G. the sharpness with the G is better from the get go and is about 2/3 stop sharper. meaning, you have to stop down 2/3 of a stop to get the sharpness.

AF is slower on the G. D makes a little noise. D is very fast to focus. 1.4G is extremely slow to focus. 1.8G is an improvement. and sharper than the 1.4G. when both shot at 1.8.

if you shoot from 2.8 onwards, same same for your situation. D7100 can use both. wider than 2.8 and youll benefit from the G. its not a bit more like you mentioned, its 80% of the price more than the D.
 

Lawrence

Senior Member
OK I went in this morning quite prepared to make a purchase but ...

I took a shot with the G wide open and was a bit disappointed in the sharpness. Spoke to the boss about it - he is quite knowledgable about these things - and he said "open it up to f8.0 and you will see how sharp it is"

Thanks boss but I want to shoot at wide aperture - f8.0 defeats the purpose, or am I missing something?

I think I will be buying the D at some point in the future
 

nickt

Senior Member
I used my D lens the other day and stopped it down to f8 without thought. Now you are jogging my memory that it was quite soft at 1.8. I thought there was a recent thread, I can't find it. Someone suggested one of the reasons for buying a 1.4 was to get more sharpness at say f2. I have no first hand experience with the pricier glass.
Have you played with this tool? Canon EF-S 10-22mm f/3.5-4.5 USM Lens Image Quality
 
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