Prime lenses seem to take take second stage when compared to zoom lenses these days due to the fact that zooms can be more versatile. However, what makes prime lenses attractive is their really fast aperture. Relative to most professional zooms which have the highest available aperture of f/2.8, prime lenses are capable of going far higher than that, with examples reaching f/0.8. This makes them well suited to indoor photography or low light conditions where flashes are either prohibited or not preferred. There was even one story of which the legendary Noct-Nikkor 58mm f/1.2 was chosen explicitly for particle physics experiments!

Thanks to my good friend Chong Teng, I’ve managed to gain usage of the Nikkor 50mm f/1.4 for some playtesting. This AI-s spec version of the lens was manufactured from the year 1981 onwards, and they still make it today!

Specs from www.mir.com

Focal length: 50mm; Maximum aperture: 1: 1.4
Lens construction: 7 elements in 6 groups
Picture angle: 46°

Distance scale: Graduated both in meters and feet up to 0.45m (1.5 feet) to infinity (OO)
Exposure Measurement: Via full aperture method with AI cameras via meter coupling ridge; via stop-down/semi automatic exposure measurement method with non-AI cameras (depends on models; meter coupling shoe provided for non-Ai Nikon SLR cameras)
Aperture scale: f/1.4 – f/16
Maximum Reproduction ratio: 1/6.8@its closest focusing distance
Aperture diaphragm: Fully automatic

Attachment size: 52mm (P=0 75); Filter: 52mm screw-in; Lens caps: Front/Back Snap on/ lock on type (supplied)
Dimensions: 67mm dia. X 50.5mm overall length, 40mm extension from lens flange ; Weight: 250 g
Lens hood: HS-9 metal Snap-On type metal hood; HR-1 rubber hood
Lens case: CL-34A hard leatherette, CL-30S, CL-31S, No. 61 soft pouch, or CP-8 plastic

The lens body is constructed totally out of metal, again, a rarity these days which can only be found on the top tier professional lenses. On a DX format camera, the equivalent lens length is 75mm, causing it to become a zoom lens instead of a normal lens. A 35mm would be preferable on the DX sensors as the equivilent full frame focal length is about 53mm.

My own personal guess is that the lens I tested was produced in  1984-1985, making it around 24 years old as of today. One thing to note that this lens is NOT an autofocusing lens. Focusing is done manually by rotating the focusing ring on the lens itself and aperture control is via the aperture ring on the lens. Metering is impossible on lower end dSLRs, and is only available on the Dx00 series onwards. Roughly put, shooting with this lens on a D60 or even D90 is trial and error and a lot of guesswork.

Here are some snapshots taken using the lens mounted on a D60 from f/1.4 to f/5.6

Relatively soft wide open with a very shallow depth of field, however bokeh is nice. Quite hard to get things in focus due to the shallow depth of field.

2 stops down at f/2.8, its miles sharper now with a better depth of field. From f/2 onwards, focusing becomes much easier.

Just as sharp as it was at f/2.8, but this image is a little darker because of the low ambient light and the slow shutter speed used to compensate. I didn’t go any further than f/5.6 due to jitter introduced by slow shutter speeds and grain caused by high ISO.

Throughout my shooting, I did not notice any chromatic aberration, falloff nor distortion. However there is some mild barrel distortion as reported here.

While excellent for low light use and general photography, this lens has been replaced by newer AF and AF-S versions which enable more functionality like metering and autofocus with current cameras. The Nikon 50mm f/1.4 AF or Nikon 50mm f/1.4 AF-S would be great for full frame cameras, whilst for D40, D60 and D5000 users, the Nikon 35mm f/1.8 AF-S DX is a much wiser choice, as well as being cheaper than the other two options. Pricing can be found here.

My verdict? I love this lens for my usage, which is usually indoor photography without flash. I like it so much I will buy the Nikon 35mm f/1.8 AF-S DX for my personal use. Images are sharp and the fast apertures enable great pictures using ambient light alone. You won’t need a zoom, especially if you are mobile. Just move a few steps forwards or backwards and you’ll get the same effect. Try one if you get the chance, you won’t regret it!