Nikon 50mm f/1.8 or f/1.4

[stwrtertbsratbs5]

"Flash? Pppht! Who needs flash! :)"

 

Sometime ambient light is awful - direction and quality matters.

 

I'm waiting for Nikon to bring back the 45mm f/2.8 tessar - with AF-S this time! I'd give up a stop or two for such a small and sharp lens. Well, I'd give it up when not shooting low light.

[eric_arnold]

if you even have to ask that question, you probably don't need f/1.4. get the 1.8 and be happy. the difference between 1.4 and 1.8 is not much, especially on a d300 which can do ISO 3200.

[temi-tade]

The bokeh of the 1.4 is beautiful

[knut_schwinzer]

Yeah, 2/3 ahead is not one full stop ahead, but honestly, 1/3 stop ahead of f2,0 is even less... I was living with my 1,8/50 AIS for years, always treating it like a 2,0...There is a detend of the extra third, but it hardly ever impressed my lightmeter, nor my decisions on exposing ...It's that the 1,4 gives a FULL stop over 2,0, and this offers easy calculations.... It's a plain stop. Living now with a 50/1,4 AIS.

And yes, it also looks better...<div></div>

[knut_schwinzer]

Yeah, the last one is not critically sharp, no session, just a pic of a friend... here's more!

[knut_schwinzer]

ok, same pic display...<div></div>

[mustafa_sazak]

<p>I've been using Nikon D80 for a couple of months, and I have just bought Nikon <strong>50mm f/1.8</strong> for good performance at low light conditions. Also, I bought it for sharp portraits. Every detail on a portrait is important for me. But if you want more satisfying performance in low lights, go with <strong>f/1.4.</strong></p>

[smartezone]

<p>I own a D300 and both 50mm lenses, the 1.8D and the 1.4D. I was curios also and did lots of tests and I can state that up to f3.5 the 1.4D beats hands down in just about everything: sharpness, colours, dynamic. From there on the 1.8D becomes as sharp (if not sharper) as 1.4D but never reaches it's dynamic and colour depth. It is something you just cannot put in words. Yes, there is a big price difference but I believe it is worthwhile. I also think the Nikon 50mm 1.4D is the best portrait lens for the APS-C sensor.</p>