Though it doesn’t feature the speed of many 50mm lenses, the Nikon 50mm f/1.8 D AF wins through on sheer value for money.This lens has a very busy look with lots of handy distance markings dominating its pleasingly stubby barrel. There’s an aperture ring, though this isn’t of much use on a D-SLR, but no Manual/AF switch and no AF motor in the lens either, so it won’t autofocus on Nikon D-SLRs without a motor in the body, like the D60. This also means it won’t focus silently, but the audible whirr isn’t an issue.
Like the f/1.4 it’s solid with a metal lens mount, and while the focus ring is thin, it has a quality grip and is perfectly usable. The only gripe is it’s a bit light to the touch. The front element extends on focusing, but the lens is so squat it’s unlikely to cause a problem when using flash. It doesn’t rotate, though, so won’t be an issue with graduated filters and polarisers. AF was quick and accurate in all conditions. All in all, a great lens, and great value, too.
Though it doesn’t feature the speed of many of the lenses on test here, the Nikon 50mm f/1.8 wins through on sheer value for money. It produces sharp, clear images with little fringeing or vignetting, focuses faster than its big brother, the 50mm f/1.4 G AF-S, and the difference between the two in terms of depth-of-field is minimal. All this for just under £100 makes it as close to a no-brainer as you’ll get when it comes to buying photo gear. The only downside is that Nikon users without an AF motor in their body will have to focus manually, so they should look to the Nikon or Sigma 50mm f/1.4 lenses.
Digital Photo Gold Award WinnerSpecifications:Street price (body only): £100
Construction: 6 elements in 5 groups
Max aperture: f/1.8
Min aperture: f/22
Aperture blades: 7
Aperture ring: Yes
AF/Manual focus switch: No
Autofocus monitor: No
Minimum focus distance: 45cm
Distance window: Yes
Filter size: 52mm
Dimensions (length x width): 63x39mm
Weight: 155g
Lens mount construction: Metal
Lens mount: Nikon F
Website: www.nikon.co.uk