2. blueone Paid: $230.00

this is a very fast lens at f1.4, definately takes great pictures in low-light situations. Sadly, there isn't as much use for it as I originally thought. Being stuck at 50mm means that this is a great portrait lens but if you are in close quarters and trying to capture candids...you'll have a hard time. Just make sure you have a use for it before you buy it. — Friday, April 28, 2006.

1. davidh Paid: $230.00

for many the question is whether to buy the 1.4 or 1.8 version of the 50mm. It has been discussed many times and the answer depends on what you are going to use this lens for. I ended up getting the 1.4. The 1.4 is 2/3 f-stops faster which isn't huge. A couple of people took the time to compare the qualit of both lenses and it turned out that the f/1.4 lens is sharper between f/1.4 and f/2.8. At f/2.8 both lenses have reached a quality that is above almost all zoom lenses. abouve f/4 the 1.8 version seems to be a little better, and once you go past f/8 the 1.4 version is on the lenad again. Since the point of getting a fast prime lens for me was to use it wide open it was obvious to me that I want the better performace of the 1.4 since I doo all my photos between 1.4 and 2.8. Having 2/3 extra is a nice extra. AF, size & weight are pretty close that these things don't make a difference. The price of $250 is quite a bit more than the 1.8 but seen in absolut value I consider $250 for a f/1.4 lens of that performance a bargin. The AF performance in general is very good even with smaller cameras like the D50/D70. I used this lens on a D70, D2H and D200. It performs very good on all cameras. At this focal length the mechanical AF link is in no way a disadvantage to AF-S lenses. Its a wonderful portrait lens with decent bokeh. Its one of my favorite and most used lenses. Unfortunately it doesn't come with a hood or any accessories at all. Although it is sharper than the 1.8 wide open I wish it was a little sharper at f/1.4. The Sigma 30/1.4 is significantly sharper wide open and sets the bar and might be an alternative when you find a 50 a little tight. The Sigma is almost $500 though. Another alternative might be Zeiss' 50mm 1.4 lens with Nikon mount. For portrait work and beautiful bokeh the Micro Nikkor 60 is another alternative to look at. — Wednesday, April 26, 2006.