The Nikon 50mm 1.4G Review

Third times not always a charm...
Nikon 50mm 1.4G vs 1.8D

Optically, this is not a pro lens.  I've owned two 50mm F1.4G's in the past and sold them both. I borrowed my friends to give it a third chance. To begin with the 50mm prime is not my favourite range to rock on full frame FX. I prefer something wider like my 35mm and or tighter like 85mm. It's right in that middle awkward range that I find limiting and not useful enough.  On DX sensors the 50mm is a nice portrait lens as it is the equivalent of 75mm on FX. You can buy a new Nikon 50mm F1.4G for about $550 new or $400 on the used market. The lens I will be comparing it to is the Nikon 50mm F1.8D. Only costs about $150 new and $100 used but will not work with cheaper Nikon DSLR's that don't have AF motors.

The first lens I ever bought was the $150 Nikon 50mm F1.8D which I rocked as my one and only lens with first DSLR, the D90. The combo was stelar. Later down the road I wanted an upgrade and purchased the newer 50mm F1.4G which I sold a while later. I decided to give it another chance and picked up another about a year later. I ended up selling it within a week... 

IMAGE SHARPNESS
I've always felt that the Nikon 50mm F1.4G produced soft images and after testing my third version, although this one being the best of the three, I can now say without hesitation. At 1.4 its not overly sharp.. It's a little soft! It gets marginally better by 1.8 but doesn't really become decent until F2. Now whats the good of a F1.4 lens if you can't confidently shoot at 1.4????  

NIKON 50mm F1.4G vs F1.8D SHARPNESS
At 1.8 the 1.4G takes the edge. Not surprising since the 1.8D is wide open where lenses are usually weakest. Surprisingly by 2.2, the 1.8D takes the lead and holds as the sharper image as we stop down. Check out these direct comparisons. The focus point is the top of the "i".

BOKEH
The out of focus areas are a little harsh and a little unpleasant. Not great, but not too bad either.  That said it is much much better than the 50mm F1.8D in this characteristic.

CHROMATIC ABERRATION 
The green and purple fringing is very noticeable and hard to miss on both the 1.4G and 1.8D. Check out the back edge of the cup. Even the front edge has a slight purple fringe as my focus point is the top of the letter "i" and the edge of the brim is slightly closer

DISTORTION  
none

LENS FALLOFF
Or Lens vignetting, is not bad at all on this lens. Worst at f1.4 and completely gone by f4.0.
The effects are greatly exaggerated by shooting on a grey background. Even at 1.4 it's only about a 1/3 stop of falloff.

AUTO FOCUS
Focusing is fast, and quite. A little faster than the 1.8D but a ton quieter and smoother due to the internal silent wave motor. 
All three 50mm 1.4G lenses I've tested slightly back focus and require auto focus fine tuning within the camera. Each was slightly different but required a adjustment of +5 to +10. This bugs me, as you would think Nikon would calibrate them more constantly accurate.

COMPARED to the 50mm F1.8D. Images from the 50mm 1.4G have a much richer saturation.  As well it is more contrasty. 

CONCLUSION
I don't recommend this lens for pro's as its optics are not pro quality. The build quality is cheap and plasticy and so far all my tests and experiences have rendered this lens unreliable. Just not something I'd trust to pull out on a job. Its just fine for amateurs or hobbyists as you most likely won't be pixel counting. If your camera has a AF motor, and your on a budget, pick up a 50mm 1.8D. It's the best bang for the buck at $100-$150 and you'll never be disappointed.