New Nikon 50mm f1.4 AF-S G available anywhere?

Arciphel

I'd like to pick one of these up before chrimbo but haven't seen them for sale anywhere yet ... anyone seen them for sale online or know if shops in town are taking pre-orders for them? Cheers!

Hugh_C

Would you actually use it though at 1.4?

I have a 1.8 and think it's brilliant value, cheap as chips relatively speaking, but I find rarely find myself at anything wider than f/2.2, you're getting awful narrow after that. Can you justify that tripling (or more?) in price over the 1.8 for that minimal extra low-light capability? Just asking ...

CabanSail

I know it seems close but f1.4 is actually 2/3 of a stop more than than f1.8 ( f1.2 being a full stop more)

From what I have read the f1.8 does fine for most people.

smelltheglove

I bought a 1.8 on adverts, as far as I knew it was auto focus but it isnt. It is an older model but I have gotten f0 on it as the f isnt set by the camera it is set by a ring.

Did you try conns, I thought I had seen a 1.4 on there when I was looking.

If the one I have is any interest to you you can have a look. I only paid 85

Arciphel

Hi smelltheglove, I have a Nikon 50mm f1.8 AF-D already, but cheers... sorry to hear you got one that doesn't AF - did the seller on adverts not describe it properly? Sounds like you got short-changed there.

I shoot at f1.8 a fair amount i suppose, I am FF now on a D700 and I miss my old favourite lens, the Sigma 30mm f1.4 on a DX body. Sometimes you want that shallow DoF - I don't need it for spped as the D700 can take usable pics up to about 3200 ISO. I'd love to spring for the 85mm f1.4 monster, but the focal length there wouldn't make it much use for stuff outside of portraiture I think - I really want this for street photography.

So I was gonna go for the 50mm f1.4 and wanted to get the new one as it is apparantly "brutally sharp" (in a good way!) and was slightly better bokeh than the old one as the aperture blades are supposedly more rounded - and it's AF-S to boot.

I found one store that had one in yesterday but they sold it, but I am down for the next one they get in - but if anyone sees one then let me know!

DaireQuinlan

smelltheglove wrote: »

It is an older model but I have gotten f0 on it as the f isnt set by the camera it is set by a ring.

aaargh
DivideByZeroException caused by: "I have gotten f0 on it"

Arciphel

DaireQuinlan wrote: »

aaargh
DivideByZeroException caused by: "I have gotten f0 on it"

Thirdfox

Weren't there some murmurings that the Sigma 50mm f1.4 with its massive front element might still be sharper than the Nikon AFS version (at f1.4)? Might want to do a bit of research and see what you need to shoot it at...

Arciphel

Hiya Thirdfox, nope I hadn't heard that. If the Sigma was good I might be persuaded - I have a few Sigma lenses and like them. Where did you read that, got a link?

smelltheglove

well it says 0 so i'm guessing its right, and pic is actually on the second last page of random pics, lights in grafton street.

Yeah I reckon I got short changed.

In my search for new lenses I have come across a second hand lens you are looking for and I am told it is almost new boxed and will go for 200 if you want the number pm me. I had enquired through buy and sell but i have decided to get a new 1.8 instead

melekalikimaka

Arciphel wrote: »

I'd love to spring for the 85mm f1.4 monster, but the focal length there wouldn't make it much use for stuff outside of portraiture I think - I really want this for street photography.

wouldn't the sensor crop on dx vs ff make the 85 mm pretty much the same as the focal on the 50mm attached in dx no?

Arciphel

Yes it sure would - but I want something on FX that is about the same as 30mm on DX, hence why I am going for the 50mm. Sorry, I know it's complicated!

melekalikimaka

Arciphel wrote: »

Yes it sure would - but I want something on FX that is about the same as 30mm on DX, hence why I am going for the 50mm. Sorry, I know it's complicated!

ahhhh i see... humm thats not gonna be easy and certainly not cheap... you want sub 2.8 ap yeah?

Arciphel

Yessir, I need f1.4 ...

I found a few reviews online of that Sigma 50mm f1.4 - very interesting. seems this might be the one to go for if you want bright corners on FX and sharp shots @ f1.4.

Thirdfox

Glad you found it yourself - I couldn't remember where I had read it. But the size difference has to translate into some sort of an image quality difference too

Arciphel

Maybe Thirdfox maybe - it's one area of lens design that still kind of baffles me, the whole idea of what is "good" and "bad" bokeh.

Reading around, people still talk about the old Nikon 105mm f2 lens which apparantly has the nicest bokeh Nikon has ever managed - I am sure there is a Canon equivalent too.

If i won the lotto I'd splash out on a NOCT 58mm f1.2 (and then probably be afraid to use it for fear of damaging it). although I must say Canon shooters are spoiled, they can have an f1.2 85mm lens and an f1 50m if they have wallets deep enough.

Thirdfox

Well there exists a Nikkor 35mm f0.9 lens too - used for videography I believe.

Arciphel

wow, i didn't know that ... is this it? http://homepage2.nifty.com/akiyanroom/redbook-e/repro/tv.html

I love this sentence from the webpage - "If you use this lens to the Nikon camera, you can get the digital fantasy from the faint light of Neptune."

I wonder how much these go for on e-bay ....

Thirdfox

I doubt those things end up on e-bay

Like the custom made Canon 1200mm f5.6 - maybe they'll make you one if you ask nicely? Or ask the US military/AP Photographers for a loan of theirs...

Kbeg3

I was in Conns Cameras today (bought a Nikon 50mm 1.8!!:D) and they said they would have the f/1.4 next week, the Sigma lens is huge in comparison and quite dearer. Hope this helps

Arciphel

Cheers Kbeg, enjoy your nifty fifity! ;-)

Kbeg3

Arciphel wrote: »

Cheers Kbeg, enjoy your nifty fifity! ;-)

Don't worry, I am!!:D

Arciphel

Right, I put down a deposit today and should have it by end of newt week if Nikon get their asses in gear - apparently they have become renowned for their unorganised deliveries of late ;-( so once I get it I am gonna do a shoot-out vs. the 50mm f1.8 AF-D before I sell it on.

Arciphel

Still no sign of this lens arriving in there's gonna be tears on christmas morning!!! Anyone seen any available in town?

Arciphel

ok, i finally got the call yesterday and picked it up this morning - been out shooting with it most of the day on the d700. first impressions are that it's a super lens, very happy with it. there may be some floating around but think they are all pre-orders. i'll post some pics later.

p.s. the bokeh is pretty nice too...

Arciphel

Right, here's a few shots I have taken with this lens in the last few days, if people are interested there's a flickr set here .

I am very happy with this lens, it's a beaut! I'd 100% recommended it to anyone looking to upgrade from the 50mm f1.8.

DaireQuinlan

Arciphel wrote: »

Right, here's a few shots I have taken with this lens in the last few days, if people are interested there's a flickr set here .

Very nice, I hope you added that vignetting in post though ??
I got the old 1.4 afd for chrispies from the girlfriend (on the basis that I'll be able to take better pictures of the baby. ha !). Still waiting to develop the films I shot using it. I got the old one because I have a bunch of olf nikon film cameras that don't like G lenses ...

Kbeg3

Looking good:D. Might have a look at that lens myself!

Arciphel

Hi Daire, yep all that vignetting is added in PP. There is some slight corner fall-off on the lens at f1.4, but it's gone by about f2.2. I hear the AF-D version is great as well, I mainly wanted the AF-S and the instant focus over-ride.

Kbeg3, it's a super lens. Now I have to go on adverts and sell my trusty 50mm f1.8....

DaireQuinlan

Arciphel wrote: »

If i won the lotto I'd splash out on a NOCT 58mm f1.2 (and then probably be afraid to use it for fear of damaging it). although I must say Canon shooters are spoiled, they can have an f1.2 85mm lens and an f1 50m if they have wallets deep enough.

Heh. I just ended up leafing through that website above, that you link to.
Check out the 180mm f1.5 (probably for some LF camera) and the 85mm f1.0 :eek:

Borderfox

Any of these lenses that go to super low apertures have nearly a special look to the shots coming from them at f1.4 or f1.2

Phototoxin

I was looking at these recently.. AFS 50mm and AFD 50mm 1.8 (not 1.4 so slightly tangenital) there is about £200 difference... would it be better to get an AF-D and put that 200 towards an AF-D compatible body such as a 2nd hand D80?

Arciphel

Phototoxin, maybe... But the thing you have to remember is that I find lenses hold their value a lot better than camera bodies do. What are you shooting off of at the moment? If it's a DX Nikon, like the D40/40x/60 then I'd recommend you look at the Sigma 30mm F1.4 HSM, that's a cracking lens for DX, has an in-built motor and the 30mm focal length is very useful on DX. I had one and used it on my D40x all the time, it was superb, and I only sold it because I switched to full frame about two months ago (D700).

Phototoxin

but $700 !

Borderfox

Bodies come and go but good glass is going in the box with you at the very end!!

Arciphel

Borderfox is 100% right.

Phototoxin, you can get that lens on ebay for about €250

Borderfox

I had one of the Sigma 30mm's and it was a class bit of kit, same as yourself Archipel, when I moved up to 1.3x and ff it went bye bye

Phototoxin

Borderfox is 100% right.

Phototoxin, you can get that lens on ebay for about €250

I wuv woo but will it be 45mm then effectively ? Thats close enough to 50mm i guess

Arciphel

Just got an e-mail there, Jessop's up the North are having a sale so you can get it for £225 now!

Linky - http://www.jessops.com/online.store/categories/products/Sigma/30mm%20f1.4%20EX%20DC%20HSM%20(Nikon%20AF)-27021/Show.html

Borderfox

Lovely lens, well built and comes with a hood too..

Arciphel

Borderfox, we should be on commission from Sigma, with all the nice things we say about their lenses on here!

Borderfox

I only have on Sigma at the moment the 120-300 f2.8