Comments on: An Open Letter to Nikon re: the 50mm f/1.8 Lens http://www.photographybay.com/2010/02/07/an-open-letter-to-nikon-re-the-50mm-f1-8-lens/ The latest in digital photography and camera reviews, news and rumors for Canon, Nikon, Sony, Olympus and more. Fri, 10 Feb 2012 08:29:01 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 By: Greg P http://www.photographybay.com/2010/02/07/an-open-letter-to-nikon-re-the-50mm-f1-8-lens/#comment-189678 Greg P Wed, 17 Feb 2010 04:10:20 +0000 http://www.photographybay.com/?p=10537#comment-189678 I found that 50mm on a DX camera is a bit too short for a portrait lens; simply because you would have some features distorted; the best one seems to be 70mm on DX. In fact, after going digital I found 50mm is not very much used at all. Besides that, I do not think you would see much difference between an inexpensive kit lens (which is AFS) and a fix lens in a portrait session - you would miss f/2-4 shallow depth of field, but it is easily fixable in post; the sharpness of a kit lens is good enough too. I think this is the reason why Nikon decided not to proceed with the AFS version in the first place. They would do it with 1.4 because it is not expensive for FX owners and is fast enough for pro use they might have. I found that 50mm on a DX camera is a bit too short for a portrait lens; simply because you would have some features distorted; the best one seems to be 70mm on DX. In fact, after going digital I found 50mm is not very much used at all. Besides that, I do not think you would see much difference between an inexpensive kit lens (which is AFS) and a fix lens in a portrait session – you would miss f/2-4 shallow depth of field, but it is easily fixable in post; the sharpness of a kit lens is good enough too.

I think this is the reason why Nikon decided not to proceed with the AFS version in the first place. They would do it with 1.4 because it is not expensive for FX owners and is fast enough for pro use they might have.

]]> By: Nikon related news/links | Nikon Rumors http://www.photographybay.com/2010/02/07/an-open-letter-to-nikon-re-the-50mm-f1-8-lens/#comment-189619 Nikon related news/links | Nikon Rumors Mon, 15 Feb 2010 01:32:20 +0000 http://www.photographybay.com/?p=10537#comment-189619 [...] An Open Letter to Nikon re: the 50mm f/1.8 Lens [...] [...] An Open Letter to Nikon re: the 50mm f/1.8 Lens [...]

]]> By: bov http://www.photographybay.com/2010/02/07/an-open-letter-to-nikon-re-the-50mm-f1-8-lens/#comment-189306 bov Mon, 08 Feb 2010 14:30:14 +0000 http://www.photographybay.com/?p=10537#comment-189306 thank you eric. this has been my thoughts exactly since i bought a D5000 and found out i could only use AF-S lenses. i like the camera but if i had known beforehand that the 50mm AF-S cost so much i may have gone down the canon route instead. thank you eric. this has been my thoughts exactly since i bought a D5000 and found out i could only use AF-S lenses. i like the camera but if i had known beforehand that the 50mm AF-S cost so much i may have gone down the canon route instead.

]]> By: Sky http://www.photographybay.com/2010/02/07/an-open-letter-to-nikon-re-the-50mm-f1-8-lens/#comment-189297 Sky Mon, 08 Feb 2010 10:13:54 +0000 http://www.photographybay.com/?p=10537#comment-189297 "I understand that you needed to pull the AF motor out of these camera bodies in order to make them smaller. " Errm... WHAT? I mean... take a look at competitors: Sony, Olympus, Pentax, everyone have SMALL bodies WITH autofocus motor, so... how's that possible that Nikon cannot? They're using two-stroke engine for AF? Seriously... I think it's only to pull money from the clients - so that they couldn't buy used lenses and would have to go to the shop and buy brand new Nikon lens with AF motor inside. Pathetic. “I understand that you needed to pull the AF motor out of these camera bodies in order to make them smaller. ”
Errm… WHAT? I mean… take a look at competitors: Sony, Olympus, Pentax, everyone have SMALL bodies WITH autofocus motor, so… how’s that possible that Nikon cannot? They’re using two-stroke engine for AF? Seriously… I think it’s only to pull money from the clients – so that they couldn’t buy used lenses and would have to go to the shop and buy brand new Nikon lens with AF motor inside.

Pathetic.

]]> By: Tob http://www.photographybay.com/2010/02/07/an-open-letter-to-nikon-re-the-50mm-f1-8-lens/#comment-189264 Tob Sun, 07 Feb 2010 19:42:13 +0000 http://www.photographybay.com/?p=10537#comment-189264 Sure, it would be nice, but I believe that there are lenses in the line up, which would make even more sense. While a 50mm f/1.8 does have a decent portrait character, but it only marginally separates the object better from the background than, let's say 135mm at f/5.6, if you take the same picture. Sure you will stand quite a bit further away with the longer lens, but we're not talking about pros under tremendous time pressure. A lens that I'm missing ever since the DX format hit the street is a wide angle prime. Nikons only dedicated wide angle lens for DX has a quite steep price tag, from a D40-5000 point of view. So, a 12mm f/3.5 or even 5.6 would be my request for Nikons DX format. Sure, it would be nice, but I believe that there are lenses in the line up, which would make even more sense.
While a 50mm f/1.8 does have a decent portrait character, but it only marginally separates the object better from the background than, let’s say 135mm at f/5.6, if you take the same picture. Sure you will stand quite a bit further away with the longer lens, but we’re not talking about pros under tremendous time pressure.

A lens that I’m missing ever since the DX format hit the street is a wide angle prime. Nikons only dedicated wide angle lens for DX has a quite steep price tag, from a D40-5000 point of view.
So, a 12mm f/3.5 or even 5.6 would be my request for Nikons DX format.

]]> By: Jerome Taylor http://www.photographybay.com/2010/02/07/an-open-letter-to-nikon-re-the-50mm-f1-8-lens/#comment-189262 Jerome Taylor Sun, 07 Feb 2010 18:30:49 +0000 http://www.photographybay.com/?p=10537#comment-189262 A 50mm f/1.8 AF-S would be a great addition for Nikon. I use the AF-D on my D90 which does have the focusing motor built in. The 1.8D is a refreshing change from the cumbersome, slow zooms. It should be noted that it focuses very quickly on bodies that have the built-in motor. It it is also quite sharp (4.4 on Photodo). Any replacement should retain this sharpness. DSLR shooters with any degree of aspiration or pretension should have some faster primes in their kit. The 75mm equivalent is a very useful lens. Bob Johnston called this length "essential". Considering what he called most other focal lengths this is high praise. (http://www.luminous-landscape.com/columns/sm-august-04.shtml) You are right, Nikon needs to finish the job with an AF-S version. A 50mm f/1.8 AF-S would be a great addition for Nikon. I use the AF-D on my D90 which does have the focusing motor built in. The 1.8D is a refreshing change from the cumbersome, slow zooms. It should be noted that it focuses very quickly on bodies that have the built-in motor. It it is also quite sharp (4.4 on Photodo). Any replacement should retain this sharpness. DSLR shooters with any degree of aspiration or pretension should have some faster primes in their kit. The 75mm equivalent is a very useful lens. Bob Johnston called this length “essential”. Considering what he called most other focal lengths this is high praise. (http://www.luminous-landscape.com/columns/sm-august-04.shtml) You are right, Nikon needs to finish the job with an AF-S version.

]]> By: John Lam http://www.photographybay.com/2010/02/07/an-open-letter-to-nikon-re-the-50mm-f1-8-lens/#comment-189256 John Lam Sun, 07 Feb 2010 12:18:46 +0000 http://www.photographybay.com/?p=10537#comment-189256 The 50mm f/1.8 is a good lens and I prefer Nikon to keep this lens as it is. One of the import feature that its got is a Aperture Ring. Which will allow user to control the Aperture when taken Marco Photo with reversing ring The 50mm f/1.8 is a good lens and I prefer Nikon to keep this lens as it is.

One of the import feature that its got is a Aperture Ring.
Which will allow user to control the Aperture when taken Marco Photo with reversing ring

]]> By: Gabs http://www.photographybay.com/2010/02/07/an-open-letter-to-nikon-re-the-50mm-f1-8-lens/#comment-189249 Gabs Sun, 07 Feb 2010 09:58:54 +0000 http://www.photographybay.com/?p=10537#comment-189249 I miss the 85mm f/1.8 too ! I miss the 85mm f/1.8 too !

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