Nikon lens

[rawill]

I wonder if anyone has the time to check out this link and tell me if something like this is good value for money.
I have a lense like this that is manual focus.

I find the array of lens configurations bewildering, a letter change from D to G and the lens can be lost of dollars more but the letter number is the only change, the other spec seem to be the same.

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00005LEN4/...720_pe_vfe_dt1

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B004Y1AYAC/...720_pe_vfe_dt2

And what is the difference between a 1.8 and a 1.4

Sorry to be such a newbie, I guess I should do more reading

Aha, after some more reading I see G are a higher spec'd newer lens style, and apparently better.

[dubaiphil]

Well firstly the D lenses will not autofocus on all Nikon camera bodies. You'll be needing to shoot on a D90/D7000 upwards (I think - I'm sure someone will varify if the D5000+ class has an internal focus motor)

Secondly, which may or may not be important - if your camera can autofocus with the lens, then the focus ring will move while focusing. so don't expect to be holding the lens with your left hand while shooting.

Thirdly, the lens is an older design - very good and good value, but it won't perform as well as the G in contrasty conditions, coping with lens flare etc.

The 1.8G is a bargain - it will autofocus on all Nikon bodies and has very good image quality (possibly better than the more expensive 1.4G)

The difference between 1.8 and 1.4 - 2/3rd of a stop. In other words, in low light, if you want a shutter speed of 1/100th second to get a sharp image of a friend, then:

with the 1.8 at f1.8, you may be shooting at ISO 5000
with the 1.4 at f1.4, you would be shooting at ISO 3200

This can potentially make a big difference to your final image quality. However if you are not shooting in very low light, the difference won't be needed so much.

Both the 1.4 and 1.8 will give you shallow depth of field with blurred backgrounds. If you can afford it, the f1.8G is the best bet.

[MattNQ]

Hi Rawill,

The D lenses are an older model, and have a moveable aperture ring, so you can manually change the aperture.
The G lenses are a newer style and don't have an aperture ring (adjusted in-camera) . The G lenses are usually optically better ( but not necessarily!) but will be a more modern design - eg may have VR (vibration reduction) features etc that you may prefer.
The 50/1.8D will not autofocus on lower spec camera bodies (Eg, D3000/3100/D5000/D5100 etc) whereas the G will have an internal focus motor and autofocus on all Nikon DSLR's

For a range of review of Nikon gear, check out Thom Hogan's website - here's his review on the 50/1.8G http://www.bythom.com/nikkor-50mm-f18-lens-review.htm

1.8 & 1.4 are your maximum apertures for each lens - f1.4 is the wider the aperture, and will let you shoot in lower light, and give you a shallower depth of field (ie blur the background more). Typically the wider the aperture, the larger and more expensive the lens will be.
So it pays to do your research & work out what specs & features you need for your shooting style. No point getting an f1.4 lens if you are always going to shoot landscapes at f9 for example. But for portraits, f1.4 or f1.8 might be just what you need.

As mentioned above, the 50/1.8G is very good value, so unless you really need f1.4, probably the best choice for you

[rawill]

Many thanks, the info you gave is probably in what I read, but not as readable and understandable as you have put it.

[dubaiphil]

But I'd probably go for the 35mm f1.8G over the 50's - generally a far more usable focal length on DX. But look at your shots and see if you take a lot around 50mm - then it might be ideal for you...

[Mike Buckley]

You might be interested in this web site for a complete explanation of the Nikkor alphabet soup: http://www.kenrockwell.com/nikon/nikortek.htm

[rawill]

a complete explanation of the Nikkor alphabet soup: http://www.kenrockwell.com/nikon/nikortek.htm

Well described!~!

[Mark von Kanel]

(I think - I'm sure someone will varify if the D5000+ class has an internal focus motor)

nope it dunne have one...,

[Manfred M]

The statement regarding VR being on G lenses and not D is not completely clear. The f/4-5.6 80-400mmD most certainly has VR. The f/2.8 24070mm G does not. You have to look at specific lenses to find out if they are stabilized or not.

Faster lenses of the same focal length will be more expensive than slower ones; the f/1.4 50mm will be considerably more than the f/1.8 50mm.