Wed 23 Sep, 2009 9:14 am
Wed 23 Sep, 2009 10:34 am
A small, cheap and unobtrusive lens with an outstanding optical performance - can anyone wish for more? This petite Nikkor delivers the goods with a snap and clarity many lenses could - or better - should, envy. Wide open there is a trace of softness into the corners that disappears by stopping down to f/2.8. From f/4 to f/8 its performance hardly can be improved. I have obtained decent results even at f/22. The multi-coating layers on this lens gives it much better contrast and colour saturation than the E-series derivative.
According to my sources the AF and AF-D versions of the 50 mm f/1.8 are virtually identical to the MF lens, so can be safely recommended as well (if you stand the plasticky feeling of the newer versions, that is). However as more and more Nikon cameras become crippled when an older lens is mounted on them, we should at least be thankful that some of the best optical designs survive into the brave new world.
The earliest AIS version of the 50/1.8 delivers a truly stellar performance on the D2X. The field is admirably flat, too. There is nothing more to be said here. As perfect a lens as anyone could imagine. What a shining little star this lens proved itself to be.
The modern, plasticky and cheap-looking AF 50/1.8 ("Made in China") also gives excellent central image sharpness, but not so set wide open, you need to go to f/2.8. Field curvature is more prominent on this version and the corner performance a little less convincing than with the MF model, but when you factor its low price into the equation, you do get a lot more quality than you have bargained for.
This neat and well-designed lens is the "normal" lens for a starter kit together with the new D70, both of which are clearly targeted at the "keen amateur" end of the market. This description doesn't tell the whole story, however, because the end user will get an excellent optical performer at a bargain price.
The lens design comprises ED and aspherical elements and is surprisingly compact and light-weight. Some constructional short-cuts have obviously been employed to get the lens this small, so it cannot take equal beating to, say, a 17-35 Nikkor. On the other hand, the lens has a rear rubber gasket so it prevents intrusion of dirt better than some of the "pro" lens.
Images are crisply defined with a trace of softness into the corners at wide settings, all of which have disappeared by f/5.6 - f/8. Image fall-off into the corners is barely visible at 18 mm when the lens is set wide open. Contrast is high, colours are vividly saturated, and image sharpness simply is stunning compared to the dirt cheap price of this little gem. True, you do get noticeable barrel distortion at the wide end and some pincushion at the other, with a touch of wavy high-order distortion thrown in for a good measure. The really nit-picking users (those who don't ever take photographs, just do test shots) cetainly will enjoy the occasional slight trace of chromatic aberration within high-contrast areas, but the practical importance is negligible both for the nit-pickers and the rest of us. Also, the DX design this time really means "DX", thus the lens cannot be deployed on full-frame cameras to give an image free of vignetting at any focal settings. The image circle projected by the lens is by the way at a maximum around 50 mm.
Flare and ghosting resistance is well above average and much better again that you'd expect from such a low-priced item.
Looks like Nikon has come forward with a real winner this time. For the high-resolution cameras such as D2X, however, the weaknesses of the design are easier to detect, but not all applications to which this lens is put will show them.
Wed 23 Sep, 2009 11:22 am
Thu 24 Sep, 2009 10:38 pm
Fri 25 Sep, 2009 12:26 am
Fri 25 Sep, 2009 10:04 am
Fri 25 Sep, 2009 10:45 am
samh wrote:I think the 24-70 is 2.8 as well
Sat 26 Sep, 2009 9:58 pm
Sun 27 Sep, 2009 7:47 am
Sun 27 Sep, 2009 9:01 am
Sun 27 Sep, 2009 9:11 am
Sun 27 Sep, 2009 9:20 am
Sun 27 Sep, 2009 9:26 am
stoogest wrote:What was the experience?
Fri 14 May, 2010 10:13 am
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