Gary Wolstenholme reviews the new version of Nikon's 50mm prime lens, the Nikon AF-S Nikkor 50mm f/1.8G Lens.

Outstanding optical performance when stopped down; Very good sharpens in the centre at maximum aperture; Excellent build; Light weight; Resistance to flare; Low levels of chromatic aberration

Barrel distortion a little strong for a lens of this type; Hyperfocal marking difficult to use

My experience is the same as the reviewer. I was hoping to use this lens for landscapes as well, but it requires a lot of stopping down. Fine in low light, though - bit of a marvel there.

Great Centre sharpness, colour and contrast at maximum aperture in low light; Small lens

Overall sharpness only at smaller apertures

There was a time when almost every 35mm film camera came with a 50mm prime (fixed focal-length) lens because on a full-frame camera, the 50mm focal length captures roughly the same angle-of-view as is seen by the human eye.

Fantastic full-frame performance

Some chromatic aberration on DX-format sensor

This new prime lens has a very affordable price. The WDC review of the Nikon AF-S 50mm f/1.8G discovers that its performance is impressive too

Fantastic full-frame performance

Some chromatic aberration on DX-format sensor

The only flaw I can point at is the slight barrel distortion but at this price it still worth it. Its hardly noticeable unless you frame the edges with straight lines. The nikon 35mm 1.8g has been the worst at this but this one is almost not there.

The only flaw I can point at is the slight barrel distortion but at this price it still worth it. Its hardly noticeable unless you frame the edges with straight lines. The nikon 35mm 1.8g has been the worst at this but this one is almost not there.

The Nikon AF-S Nikkor 50mm f/1.8 is an excellent companion to any modern Nikon SLR camera, whether film or digital. Small, lightweight and affordable, it's also a winner in the optical department.

After more than 30 years, Nikon has changed the optical design of its 50mm f/1.8 lens. But how does the new model compare to its predecessors? Richard Sibley investigates

This lens is an incredible value for the money, which probably explains why its so hard to find right now. The wide aperture creates incredible background blur in portraits, and also allows for shorter exposures in low-light conditions.

Absolutely everything

Hard to find

I got a Nikon d3500 as a gift after graduating from grad school, and I immediately started taking pictures. As much as I loved what I was getting with the lenses that came with the camera (SAMs Club value pack), I was not happy with the bokeh I was getting from the 4.8+ aperture of those lenses...