greglynch Posted April 13, 2012 Share Posted April 13, 2012 <p>Does anyone know the story on this lens - it's back ordered all over the place with no anticipated delivery date. Is Nikon still having post-earthquake supply issues?</p> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ShunCheung Posted April 13, 2012 Share Posted April 13, 2012 <p>I am sure it has little to do with the earthquake in Japan over a year ago. I bought mine in October, 2011 and it was widely available back then. Both the 50mm/f1.4 and f1.8 AF-S are made in China. Maybe Nikon moved production around to compensate for the flood in Thailand in October, November last year and that indirectly affected production in China.</p> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
richard_thomas9 Posted April 13, 2012 Share Posted April 13, 2012 <p>Check out the Sigma 50 1.4 for the meantime. Aside from the QA issues, lots of reviews out there, including myself, will agree that it is better than the Nikon and Canon equivalents. </p> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ariel_s1 Posted April 13, 2012 Share Posted April 13, 2012 <p>I'd assume that the flood of D4's, D800's, and consequently, cheap used D700's all have a role to play in it. There seems to be a rather large full-frame surge right now, and everyone wants a normal lens. Try calling around to a few local photo stores.</p> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
roy_s4 Posted April 13, 2012 Share Posted April 13, 2012 <p>I own the Canon version of the Sigma 50 1.4 and it is excellent...use it on a 5D Mark 2...</p> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
robert_hooper1 Posted April 13, 2012 Share Posted April 13, 2012 <p>It seems to be available at Amazon.com. at this minute. Expensive though.</p> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
andylynn Posted April 13, 2012 Share Posted April 13, 2012 Put in a back order order somewhere and wait, Nikon will catch up with demand eventually. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eric_arnold Posted April 13, 2012 Share Posted April 13, 2012 <p>greg, i use the sigma and have been very satisfied with IQ, bokeh, focus speed, tonal rendition, etc. i normally shoot it between 1.6-2.2 and it handles open apertures very well, with lots of center sharpness.</p> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
themaz Posted April 13, 2012 Share Posted April 13, 2012 <p>The only way I was able to get even a 1.8 was to buy used via eBay. Even then, cost was almost list since these lenses are in such short supply.</p> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ShunCheung Posted April 13, 2012 Share Posted April 13, 2012 <p>I was going to suggest the f1.8 version as an alternative, and then I realized that even the 50mm/f1.8 G AF-S is hard to find. I bought that f1.8 while I was reviewing it last year with a loaner from Nikon. Of course that lens had just been introduced and clearly it was not hard to find back then.</p> <p>It looks like a lot of Chinese-made Nikon lenses are in short supply all of a sudden, including both 50mm AF-S lenses, the 105mm/f2.8 AF-S VR macro, etc. Those were widely available maybe 6 months ago, i.e. months after the Japan earthquake. (Other higher-end Nikon lenses made in Japan have been hard to find for even longer.)</p> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kj_thomas Posted April 13, 2012 Share Posted April 13, 2012 <p>I was looking for one earlier this year. In March I managed to find one at a Ritz Camera store in Rockville, MD (even though it was out of stock on the Ritz website...and every other site for that matter). A couple of days later, I had to get some white seamless from a store in downtown DC (called Pro Photo or something like that) and they had two sitting on the shelf.</p> <p>My suggestion is if you really want it (and want a new lens), just go down the list of authorized Nikon dealers and I'm sure some store will have it in stock...shipping is another story. If you can live with used, then you can probably find one on eBay, but likely at a higher price than retail if it's still hard to find. Personally, I would wait over buying on eBay unless the price is under list.</p> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
roy_s4 Posted April 14, 2012 Share Posted April 14, 2012 <p>i bought a 16-35 F4 on Amazon recently...soft copy so I sent it back and could not find it in stock anywhere until yesterday, and at a lower price...was shipped last night...Still waiting for the D800 I ordered from B and H on March 9, and not expecting to see it anytime soon.</p> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ShunCheung Posted April 14, 2012 Share Posted April 14, 2012 <blockquote> <p>every canadian retailer has it in stock for $579.00 CDN</p> </blockquote> <p>That price could be why they have it in stock. If you are willing to pay that much, you can find it in the US as well. I bought mine 6 months ago for US$439. B&H currently has it listed for $459 but since it is not in stock, that price is kind of meaningless: <a href="http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/585343-USA/Nikon_2180_AF_S_Nikkor_50mm_f_1_4G.html">http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/585343-USA/Nikon_2180_AF_S_Nikkor_50mm_f_1_4G.html</a></p> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kj_thomas Posted April 14, 2012 Share Posted April 14, 2012 <p>Photocraft in Burke, VA (just outside of DC) has it in stock for $454. This is a credible camera shop (I bought my 70-200mm f/2.8 VR 1 there a long time ago). And no tax if you don't live in VA.</p> <p>http://www.ephotocraft.com/itemdesc.asp?ic=018208021802</p> <p>Like I said, if you search just a little you can find one. I didn't even leave my immediate area and just looked for the small local family-owned shops.</p> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
juan_su Posted April 14, 2012 Share Posted April 14, 2012 <p>I too have been monitoring amazon, bhphoto, adorama and other reputable retailers for the 50mm f1.4G for months and months. I also don't understand why there is such tough time finding these lenses in the US. I've waited so long that I've even contemplated getting the 50 f1.4D. However, what's put me off is that recently in the last two weeks some retailers have bumped the price of the 1.4D version a $20-$30 US more. So then I also considered the 50mm f1.8G, but even then there seems to be some low stocks available.<br> Luckily and yet at the very same time very unluckily, my D800 has yet to be shipped from amazon, else I'd be really tempted to order from other regions. hmmm. Good luck to you folks in finding one in the US. Please share if you come across stock online.</p> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
roy_s4 Posted April 14, 2012 Share Posted April 14, 2012 <p>I also have an older (made in Japan) copy of the 50 1.4D...it is a great lens and I don't see a reason to get the G version...of course, I don't have the d800, so that is purely a speculative comment...who knows when that will show up? I ordered on 3/9 from B H...</p> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ShunCheung Posted April 14, 2012 Share Posted April 14, 2012 <p>I went to Keeble and Shuchat this morning (Saturday). At that time they had four 50mm/f1.4 G AF-S in stock; their price is $470. They were out of the f1.8 version, though. <a href="http://kspphoto.com/">http://kspphoto.com/</a></p> <p>I was there to check on the 85mm/f1.8 G AF-S. They are still waiting for new shipment for that.</p> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kenneth_cortland Posted April 14, 2012 Share Posted April 14, 2012 There are plenty of AF-S 50mm f/1.4 lenses out there being sold by authorized Nikon dealers in the United States. Something funky is going on with supply, but this is not like the AF-S 85mm f/1.4 was when it was first announced. The world doesn't begin and end with Amazon, Adorama, and B&H. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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