I bought this lens because I wanted a fast portrait lens for my D7000. For me, this lens represented the best of both worlds - a fast aperture at a cheap price.

I followed the Dell customer review suggestion on this lens and the purchase was well beyond my expectations. At 50mm the DX format conversion equals a focal range of 75mm standard and clarity on the G series is much sharper than I could ever imagine!

Get super sharp pictures with this new 50mm lens from Nikon.

Sharp pictures; great ergonomics

Slightly heavier; barrel distortion

This update to Nikon's venerable 50mm f/1.8G has a lot to live up to, as the reputation of the older D version that it is amongst Nikon's sharpest optics will be a hard task to live up to.

Historically, 50mm lenses have been the standard lenses for 35mm film SLRs. Back in 1972 when I bought my first SLR , it came with a 50mm/f1.4 as a "kit lens," although we did not use such terminology back then.

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

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.

When it comes to great lenses it seems like innovation still happens at a glacial pace. Of course, one could just blame it on an age where new mobile phones are announced every 29 hours, but we digress. Good things come to those who wait and the Nikon 50mm f/1.8G AF-S ($220) is certainly just that.

I felt somewhat obligated to enter a review, as the only quick review of two stars seemed a bit unfair. But, in all fairness, I've only had this lens for about 24 hours, so take this for what it's worth. I've used the 1.8 D for a couple years and was generally satisfied with it.

Build; AF speed; Improved optics wide open; silent af; auto/manual override; great bokeh

1 stop loss on the high end

With so many choices in the 50mm category, even just from Nikon, it's hard to figure who the target audience for the 50mm ƒ/1.8G. Obviously, owners of consumer bodies such as the D3100 or D5100, which don't have mechanical autofocus screws, will gravitate to this lens.