The Nikon AF-S Nikkor 50mm f/1.8G isn't the sharpest 50mm lens that we've tested, but it still offers excellent image quality at a modest price.

Sharp; Compact; Fast aperture; Inexpensive

No vibration reduction or aperture ring

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.

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.

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.

Good lens for outdoors portraits.

Lightweight; good picture; price; FX format

Fixed focal lenght; no VR

July 11th. Nikon recently released the AF-S Nikkor 50mm F/1.8G, a reasonably priced fast prime lens geared towards enthusiast photographers. When attached to a digital SLR camera with a DX format size sensor, the lens offers approximately a 75mm field of view in 35mm equivalent terms.

Like the AF-S 85mm f/1.8G, this AF-S 50mm f/1.8G is a nice surprise. And an affordable one too. Sharpness and contrast in the center are very good already at f/1.8 (really) and stopping down the whole image becomes nice and sharp at f/2.8.

Sharp; faster auto focus; small; light; affordable; recessed front lens

Vignetting at f/1.8

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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.

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.