As I had mentioned in this previous entry, Nikon's 50mm f/1.4D lens was surprisingly small. Smaller than Canon's 50mm f/1.4 which is pretty small to begin with. Plopping this on the D700 after the hefty 24-70mm f/2.8 makes it almost feel like a small entry-level DSLR like the D60 or Canon XSi.
Performance-wise it's no slouch though. Definitely sharp enough. No USM/Silent Wave Motor but the noise while autofocusing isn't loud at all. Pretty quick AF too although it does seem to have a bit more difficulty in achieving focus lock in low light conditions. Plus it doesn't adjust as quickly under continuous focus tracking when compared to a G lens like the 24-70.
But when it comes to current Nikon primes, this is about as good as it gets. Besides the 85mm f/1.4 and insanely pricey 28mm f/1.4. Damn they really need to update their prime lineup tout de suite.
Comments (3)
Very nice pics! I'm holding out on the update to the 50mm. But I'm sure it will be 5 - 10 times the current price!
Posted by Geogre | September 7, 2008 9:04 PM
Posted on September 7, 2008 21:04
Beautiful!
My Canon 50/1.4 is my favorite lens--for lots of reasons, but not least because it and my 20D fit into a reasonably medium-small-sized purse, for those times I'm trying to be reasonably discreet.
Never had a chance to see how the world looks through Nikon.
Are these shots taken wide open?
Posted by rita | October 24, 2008 3:47 PM
Posted on October 24, 2008 15:47
Yeah the 50mm length is great for its versatility but I wasn't too fond of it on crop bodies.
Both of these shots were taken wide open and, more impressive to me at least, at ISO 1250 and 1000 respectively. With their current semi-pro to pro body lineup, Nikon has some very impressive cameras in the field.
Posted by Ben | October 25, 2008 1:44 AM
Posted on October 25, 2008 01:44