Learn & Explore Tip of the Day

May 19, 2013

Wait until the camera has finished writing the photo(s) to the memory card (green light is off) before turning off the camera or removing the card. You can lose pictures if you do either before the camera has had time to download the file(s) from its internal memory to the card.

May 18, 2013

You should format the memory card in your camera on a regular basis. By using the camera’s built-in “Format” function, found in the menus, you lessen the chance of having card problems in the future. Doing so is better than just deleting the images using the camera or the computer.

May 17, 2013

When you’re at a parade take photos of the parade goers, especially your children and the looks on their faces. You’ll see a lot of smiles and excitement.

May 16, 2013

Take a self-portrait each day for a week or month (or a year). It’s harder than you think to take an attractive photo of yourself, and if you do it for long enough you’ll have an interesting series that shows how you’ve changed over time.

May 15, 2013

Everyone loves a parade. For more interesting photos, look for details like the band’s uniforms, a cheerleader’s colorful pom-poms or a bright red fire engine.

May 14, 2013

When shooting groups of five or more people, make sure you stagger them. Put tall folks in the back and the shortest ones in front. It may seem simple, but blocking out just one face can ruin a group portrait. Always tell them, “If you don’t have a clear view of me, the camera can’t see you.”

May 13, 2013

Posing a bride and groom for photos is sometimes difficult. Concentrate on close shots of just the two of them, with clean backgrounds. Then create a fun group shot having them in the center, with others gathered around them. Just make sure no one gets in front of them. After all, it’s their day.

May 12, 2013

Take plenty of photos during your Mother’s Day celebrations. Remember to print multiple copies, so everyone can have their own photographs of mom to cherish.

May 11, 2013

Use a polarizing filter to lessen or eliminate reflections from glass. This works really well on windows of stores or cars. But the trade-off is that your exposure will be a bit longer, as the light is cut down by almost two stops.

May 10, 2013

Capture the hustle and bustle of the city at night. Place your camera on a tripod and use a long exposure (slow shutter speed) to blur the movement of cars and people. Try shooting for about 10 seconds first, and then adjust creatively to catch the motion of the lights and the feel of the city.

May 9, 2013

Make a great team picture. Get the team together in front of a nice background—maybe the goal, the net or the team logo on the field or floor. Shoot the ordinary, and then let the kids have some fun, making faces or funny poses. That’s the one they will always remember.

May 8, 2013

Try shooting panoramas if you’re at a sport stadium, beach or park, for more interesting images. Some Nikon Digital Cameras have an Easy Panorama mode or a Panorama Assist mode, which make these photos easy to shoot.

May 7, 2013

When photographing animals of any kind—pets, birds in flight, animals at the zoo—try to zoom in as close as you can or use a longer lens to isolate the animal from its background. By getting a close-up view you have a greater chance of capturing a wonderful expression on the face of the animal, which will give you a more interesting photograph.

May 6, 2013

Want a unique video of sports action? Use the slow-motion mode that many Nikon digital cameras offer. By shooting the action faster than normal and played back at normal speed, your subject’s movements are slowed down and look more deliberate.

May 5, 2013

When celebrating Cinco de Mayo, take plenty of photos of the colorful decorations in addition to candid photos of everyone having a great time.

May 4, 2013

Change your white balance during a sunrise or sunset. Take your camera off auto white balance and switch to Cloudy or Shady white balance. This will add more strength to the reds, oranges and yellows. Auto White Balance tries to keep colors neutral.

May 3, 2013

To get a shot of someone at sunset, turn on your flash and place the person with the beautiful sunset behind them. With the flash on, they will be illuminated. With the flash off, they will be silhouetted.

May 2, 2013

Spend a day capturing images only in black and white. You have to look at the world differently to take a good-looking photo in black and white, and that will help sharpen your artistic skills.

May 1, 2013

May is National Photo Month! Celebrate by taking photos every day. Give yourself an assignment such as taking a self-portrait each day of the month, or photographing an object every day.

April 30, 2013

If your camera can capture images in both RAW and JPEG format, do so even if you don’t work with RAW images now. These RAW files have the highest image quality possible, so you can edit them years from now and be sure you’re getting the best looking image possible.

April 29, 2013

Set your Speedlight to Rear Curtain Sync. This fires the flash at the end of the exposure, not the beginning, and can create interesting streaks and effects in moving subjects. Experiment with the different flash modes your camera and Speedlight offers.

April 28, 2013

Pick a day and use a fixed focal length lens instead of a zoom (or only one focal length on your zoom, like 35mm). By practicing moving you and the camera to re-frame your images you’ll become more engaged with your subject.

April 27, 2013

If you are photographing out of the window of a plane be sure to keep from touching the window, walls, armrests or other parts of the plane. The vibrations caused by the engines are transmitted through the fuselage and can make your photos blurry. Instead, sit up in the seat and hold the camera as still as you can, close to the window.

April 26, 2013

Arbor Day, which celebrates the planting and caring for trees is celebrated across the USA at different times of the year. Some states celebrate in February while others celebrate the holiday in April, so we decided to celebrate it twice! Use this holiday to take some cool photographs of trees.

April 25, 2013

Frame your storm photograph before it happens. Remember that the sky is your subject, so dramatic clouds are what you’re framing for, and then you hope that lightning will happen in that space. Keep the horizon in the lower third of the frame with the sky the top two-thirds.

April 24, 2013

Shooting a lightning storm can be exciting. Use a tripod and set you camera to record a long exposure. With D-SLRs, 15 seconds is a good start, but you may have to use up to 30 seconds, or bulb setting (where the shutter stays open as long as you hold down the shutter button). Because you never know when the lightning will occur, keep shooting for best results. And don’t forget the tripod! Otherwise you’ll have blurry photos.

April 23, 2013

Try different kinds of framing with your flower shots. Instead of centering the flower, try placing it off to the left or the right of the frame. This will allow for you to be creative with the negative space (areas without the subject). Look for the patterns of other out of focus flowers in the background.

April 22, 2013

Celebrate Earth Day by taking photographs of nature, or of Earth Day Events in your neighborhood.

April 21, 2013

Try photographing flowers early in the morning when dew is on the petals. If there’s no dew, make your own. Take a small sprayer and fill it with glycerin and water and spray the flowers for those natural looking dewdrops. You can also use just water.

April 20, 2013

If you accidentally delete your images or see a card error message, stop using the memory card. There is software that can recover your “lost pictures” even if they don’t show up on the camera. Continuing to use the card before running that software on it can ruin your chances of saving those photos.

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AF Nikkor 50mm f/1.4D

Distortion-free, high-contrast images with superb resolution and color rendition.

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$369.95

Product Number: 1902

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Supplied Accessories

Ultra-fast f/1.4 prime lens for exquisite sharpness and bokeh

With outstanding NIKKOR optics and an ultra-fast f/1.4 maximum aperture, the AF NIKKOR 50mm f/1.4D delivers superb resolution and color reproduction and a classic 50mm angle of view. Its manual aperture control ring enables smooth adjustments during Live View shooting. Fast enough for shooting in just about any light, it’s an ideal walk-around (multi-purpose) lens for photography and HD video recording.

View Lens Construction

View MTF Curve

Beautiful background blur

Achieve more natural depth of field

Nothing quite isolates and captures the subject of a portrait like a lens that is capable of achieving spectacular background blur (bokeh). When you need to isolate your subject from its background—whether shooting stills or HD videos—the AF NIKKOR 50mm f/1.4D renders a beautiful, natural background blur at its wider aperture settings. Manual control of that aperture means you can make smooth adjustments, even during Live View shooting.

View Sample Photos

The beauty is in the details

Fast enough for shooting in any light

Shooting with only available light can prove challenging, but the AF NIKKOR 50mm f/1.4D is fast enough for nearly any type of light. Its f/1.4 maximum aperture and outstanding NIKKOR optics broaden your range of shooting opportunities. Create images you never thought possible.

Super Integrated Coating

Nikon Super Integrated Coating is Nikon's term for its multilayer coating of the optical elements in NIKKOR lenses.

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Sample Photography

Lens Simulator

Lens Construction

MTF Curve

*SRP (Suggested Retail Price) listed only as a suggestion. Actual prices are set by dealers and are subject to change at any time.

Specifications

Mount Type

Nikon F-Bayonet

Focal Length

50mm

Maximum Aperture

f/1.4

Minimum Aperture

f/16

Format

FX/35mm

Maximum Angle of View (DX-format)

31°30'

Maximum Angle of View (FX-format)

46°

Maximum Reproduction Ratio

0.15x

Lens Elements

Lens Groups

Compatible Format(s)

FX
DX
FX in DX Crop Mode
35mm Film

Diaphragm Blades

Distance Information

Yes

Super Integrated Coating

Yes

Autofocus

Yes

Minimum Focus Distance

1.5 ft. (0.45m)

Focus Mode

Auto
Manual

Filter Size

52mm

Accepts Filter Type

Screw-on

Dimensions

(Approx.) 2.5 x 1.7 in. (Diameter x Length)
64.5 x 42.5mm (Diameter x Length)

Weight

(Approx.) 8.1 oz. (230g)

Supplied Accessories

52mm lens cap
Rear lens cap

*Supplied accessories may differ depending on country or area.

*SRP (Suggested Retail Price) listed only as a suggestion. Actual prices are set by dealers and are subject to change at any time.

**Specifications and equipment are subject to change without any notice or obligation on the part of the manufacturer.
***Refer to the product manual or the Compatible Lenses Specification for additional details.

52mm Circular Polarizer II$105.00

HR-2 Screw-on Rubber Lens Hood$23.50

LC-52 Snap-on Front Lens Cap 52mm$17.00

52mm Screw-On NC Filter$49.00

LF-1 Rear Lens Cap$13.50

52mm Screw-on Soft Focus Filter$77.00

CL-0715 Soft Lens Case$14.00

Filter Case$21.50

HR-1 Rubber Lens Hood$20.50

HS-9 Rubber Lens Hood$42.00

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*SRP (Suggested Retail Price) listed only as a suggestion. Actual prices are set by dealers and are subject to change at any time.

AF Nikkor 50mm f/1.4D 4.6 5 48 48

A fast 50mm lens with good performance I bought this 50mm lens with my D700, to replace my old 50/1.4 AI lens for an autofocus version. This 50/1.4 AF-D lens performs nicely, with surprisingly fast and accurate focus tracking. The only real gripe I have is that it does not come with a lens hood - this is one reason I gave it a 4 star rating!!! There are plenty of situations where the lens hood helps to improve contrast. It took me some time to discover it. My old 50/1.4 AI does have a metal hood which is VERY useful. This metal lens hood also fits the newer 50/1.4 AF-D. Sharpness and contrast suffer a little when shooting wide open (f1.4), but nothing to complain. Bokeh is very nice and smooth. Like others commented, it can produce heptagonal shapes which I like. Colors are very nice and saturated, with good contrast (see above about hood). Last not least, the AF-D version feels solid, but doesn't have the robust and precision engineered built of the manual focus AI (or AI-S). The inner lens barrel (the one that extends/retracts when focusing) somewhat wiggles a little, manual focusing is far less smooth. This is another reason I gave it "only" 4 stars. When I don't need autofocus, I use my old 50/1.4 AI. There is something about that old lens that is hard to describe, but it does show in the pictures (micro-contrast, perhaps better sharpness). For those who don't care about manual focus lenses or must have autofocus, the 50/1.4 AF-D is an excellent and affordable choice. I also recommend getting a lens hood - preferably the metal type as it's rock solid and provides added protection to the lens, aside from improving the picture quality. May 16, 2011

solid performer A small, sharp lens. I use it on FX and am generally pleased. It is sharp and small. I am generally very happy with the images I get, but there are a few niggles: It vignettes a bit wide open and loses some contrast there, but improves when stopped down just a bit. It also is subject to flare, so I suggest getting and using the HR-2 hood. I must also note the cheap end cap - a white plastic "thing" that presses on. My other Nikkors have a real screw-on end cap end cap - why does Nikon allow this? Overall, it is a very decent lens. I selected the 1.4D over the AFS 1.4G because of the aperture ring, which makes it useful on older cameras. April 15, 2011

Can't Complain This was my first nice piece of glass. The AF with my D7000 is super fast. I also played with an AF-G but this noticeably faster. The camera and lens don't feel like they're constantly hunting for focus. It's plenty light, but feels solid. I'd have preferred a 35mm but that lens is crazy expensive. This 50 1.4 is a great, entry-level "wide open" lens. April 14, 2011

Great Glass. Extreme Sharpness when stopped down I owned this lens for a couple years before upgrading to the 50 1.4 G. The optics are excellent and do not let down. Shot wide open leaves a little to be desired, especially in challenging lighting conditions compared to full pro level primes. I upgraded to the new one because of the common focusing issues with this model. The new one isn't significantly better optically and will give the same images in a controlled environment. I'm finding that the better autofocus with the new lens and its ability to deal with lighting issues has been an asset to me. This lens looks better that the new one and has an aperture ring. Wish that they would have kept aperture rings on their new lenses. March 2, 2011

Good Lens This is a great lens for any low light situation. My only complaint is that it is not sharp until f2.2. I prefer the new G series lens over this one. July 31, 2010

beutiful lens for limited depth of field photos This lens have to be used with knowing what you are doing, taking just photos at f/1.4 using a DX camera , more likely you going to be disappointed, with great care photographing f/1.4 using a DX camera works beautifully under stable controlled shooting, Shooting at F/2.8 is safe. Using film Shooting at F1.4 is safe and same with FX format July 30, 2010

Rock Solid I've used this lens at work for shooting product shots, and portraits, and I also have one for my personal D300s, and I love the lens. At work I've had it for a couple of years, and it's rock solid. I like that it opens so wide, and use it to get some great DOF effects, but haven't had the chance to shoot it in low light yet. Because I've got a DX camera, it doesn't always give me the frame size I want, and I can't always "foot zoom" enough to frame my subject, so I would consider a 35mm for the same job, but only if it's built as solidly as this one. July 30, 2010

Low light short focus Love this lens. I find that I use it more than expected. I shoot commercially and clients love the short focus look on their products. I can also shoot in about any low light situation and get the shot. Two years of use without a problem. July 30, 2010

50mm 1.4D Very good lens, for the money, better than the G model. Small, sharp, opens waaay up (1.4). Had both the D, G models, kept the D. Put on a metal lens hood, still small, handy. Crisp, edge to edge. July 30, 2010

Fun Lens Sharp portrait photos. Excellent standard lens. Reliable construction. July 30, 2010

Solid prime that could be better Versatile normal prime when traveling light. Decent at f1.4 but sharpens up nicely at f2. July 30, 2010

You get what you pay for I use this on a D3. Comparing this to my other Nikkor fixed-focal length, the 85mm f/1.4D, the 50mm f/1.4D has lower contrast (especially wider open), is softer, and focuses a bit faster. The 85mm has a nearly indescribable pop and look to its images that the 50mm lacks. But it's also three times more expensive, too. It is an excellent focal length for an all-around portable lens. Bokeh is good, but shows heptagonal bokeh from its 7 diaphragm blades. I quite like the heptagonal effect, though. July 30, 2010

autu focus went bad on me after 6 month good lens but short lived AF. It died on me when taking portaits. July 14, 2010

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AF Nikkor 50mm f/1.4D

3 Answers

Is this lens compatible with the D80? And will the autofocus work with it?

Mar 14, 2012 by

Bob

Florida

on AF Nikkor 50mm f/1.4D

+1point

1out of 1found this question helpful.

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