Nikon Nikkor AF-S 50mm f/1.8G

Nikon Nikkor AF-S 50mm f/1.8G lens review

The Nikkor AF-S 50mm f/1.8G is an affordable prime lens for Nikon's range of FX and DX format DSLRs, and as an AF-S model, it'll autofocus on any Nikon body. Announced in April 2011, the AF-S 50mm f1.8G is the successor to the ageing, but still popular AF 50mm f/1.8D. It's the first renovated f/1.8 prime lens for FX bodies sporting AF-S in Nikon's current range, with the 85/1.8D and 35/2.0D still awaiting an update. And that is sorely needed as the top-of-the-line f/1.4 primes that Nikon updated last year are pretty expensive - the only exception being the 50mm f/1.4G. So it will be interesting to see how the new 1.8G lens performs against it's bigger and pricier cousin. The 50mm focal length has long been considered 'normal' on full-frame / FX format bodies, delivering a reproduction that is akin to the perception of the naked eye. Mounted on a cropped-frame / DX-format body, 50mm becomes equivalent to 75mm and thus becomes a prime candidate for portrait-photography as it gives you some distance from your subject which leads to a flattering perspective. It might even be more fit for portraiture in small studios on a DX-body than a 85mm prime as it renders a larger frame from any given distance. In this review I'll have a look at Nikon's latest 50mm prime, and find out whether it delivers a good price / performance ratio.