Nikkor 50mm f1.8 D - Question

Hello everyone,

So many places on the internet where can be found so many good words about this lens, but to be honest, if it is ment to be used at low light, or to get shallow DOF, it can be a little bit problematic with apertures below F5.6 (or beyond) because it is not so sharp fully open, and at f2.8 it is still a little bit soft and blurry.

This is my second 50mm D lens, is it possible that I received two bad lenses, or this lens really have a problem with apertures beyond (or below) f5.6? :stupid:

Both my lenses look like this:

Nikon 50mm f/1.8D AF Nikkor Lens Image Quality

Do you have an example? The DOF is very shallow when the lens is wide open. What helps is a DOF app if you have a smart fone or iPad like. That helps. Here is one from today but with flash at 1/250 @ 5.6.
You have to remember the lens is 1.5 x 50 which is a 75 MM FOV and rule of thumb is 1/75 sec minimum shutter speed unless using a brace (wall, doorway) or tripod. You go any less than that you will have camera shake. Look at the basket and eggs you will see where it gets soft.

Ciao,
Lou Cioccio

I had the 50 D for a while before trading it in for a 35 G. If i were you, i would shoot this lens in Aperture priority, if you're not doing so already. Because this is a 1.8, you can get away with alot of shutter speed and you can also boost your ISO on your D7K with no issues. I looked at your pics and in all honesty, i really see no issues with them.

Hmm, so you do not think it is a little bit soft at 1.8...
I do not know, compared to 35 G, it is not so sharp wide open.

Yes, almost all of the time Aperture Priority.
These are made with a tripod.

alfaholic said:

Hmm, so you do not think it is a little bit soft at 1.8...
I do not know, compared to 35 G, it is not so sharp wide open.

Yes, almost all of the time Aperture Priority.
These are made with a tripod.

Click to expand...

It's sometimes hard to differentiate sharpness with less depth of field when we shoot wide open. The 35 will have more DoF than the 50 at 1.8 and it can make it look not as sharp but it could be the DoF that is so thin with the 50.

alfaholic said:

Hmm, so you do not think it is a little bit soft at 1.8...
I do not know, compared to 35 G, it is not so sharp wide open.

Yes, almost all of the time Aperture Priority.
These are made with a tripod.

Click to expand...

Hmmm, no, i never really noticed it that much. Keep in mind that there really is no need to shoot wide open at all times. Also, all lenses have a sweet spot and in this case, i don't think it is at 1.8. Again, i dont see anything wrong with your pics. Don't consume yourself with this. Just put your best technique forward and the lens will pay you back.

Thank you.

I am probably thinking about it too much. :stupid:

Reading around on, primarily (couldn't resist) my kinda H series f/2, many said that its sweet spot is f/4 and up for that razor-sharpness. I'd have to properly play around with that, but using it quite a bit on 2.8 and 4 when its sunny out I'm yet to notice anything I dislike.

After all, part of the reason to own a fancy shmancy camera and lenses is that ability to play with the DOF.

Very very few fast lenses are sharp from wide open...the ones that are cost a ton of money. To get to this level of performance you need aspherical highly corrected glass. This is why they are so expensive. Examples of such lenses are the Noct Nikkor, Leica Noctilux, and the Canon FD SSC Aspherical's. You will not touch such a lens for less than a 1000 bucks...maybe not even 2000...

And as has been said the DOF with these lenses wide open is so razor thin that they are very difficult to use in this manner.

I own the 50 1.8d and the 35 1.8g and agree with the OP that the 35mm looks sharper wide open, especially in the center. When I use the 50mm, I typically shoot it at f/4 or f/5.6 to help avoid softness around edges of faces/ears, etc.