Nikkor 50mm f/1.4 Ai-S, renewed respect

[richardHaw]

Currently writing the article for the said lens. I must say that the lens has regained my respect. i hated it before specially the AFD version that shared the same optics.
it has boatloads of CA and SA, coma wide-open to be useable as far as I can remember it. that was the reason i got the sigma art i have used the AFD for many years and i hated that lens.

i may just had a bad copy of the AFD because the 50/1.4 Ai-S is pretty good despite the generous SA,CA and coma (3 stooges from now) wide-open.

it has great depth in rendering and the 3 stooges arent as prominent when there's no light-colored objects in the frame like white lettering over something else.
the resolution is pretty good wide-open and the sharpness is there but just being covered by SA. i did find that the CA doesnt really go away until f/4 or even f/5.6 where you can see very small traces of it but its useable. i guess thats a small trade for great rendering.

[richardHaw]

one of the sample pictures for the article 

amazing at f/1.4 if you can avoid situations that can show the CA

[richardHaw]

another one at 1.4 

this is one of Nikon's secret masterpieces if you ask me.

[Ann]

I had this lens but seldom used it so gave it, together with my 70-300 AF and a spare D3S, to my granddaughter who is currently reading Biology at an English university while working a part-time job as a photographer for her University's magazine and website.

Or perhaps it is the other way around?!

Strange how history repeats itself.

[Airy]

At short distances (1 m or so) and in the center, the 50/1.4 AIS is slightly sharper and has less haze than other Nikkors, according to a test I ran with my different copies (50/1.2 AIS, 50/1.2 AI, 50/1.8 AIS, 50/1.8G...) set at the same (wide, 1.4-2.8 ) apertures. Otherwise, the G is more uniform and has less coma.

The only trouble for me is, wide open performance of the 50/1.4 AIS is still somewhat feeble (too much purple fringing), at least for color shooting.
In the meantime, my preference went to 50/2 lenses with a clean f/2.0 (Zeiss, Leitz Summicron R).

[richardHaw]

for me, the 1.2 is the sharpest wide-open

it doesnt flare as much but damn the SA looks terrible

[richardHaw]

I had this lens but seldom used it so gave it, together with my 70-300 AF and a spare D3S, to my granddaughter who is currently reading Biology at an English university while working a part-time job as a photographer for her University's magazine and website.

Or perhaps it is the other way around?!

Strange how history repeats itself.

i encourage you to give it another try

it was surprising to me.

[pluton]

Whatever Nikon 50mm lens one has, they always seem to develop a pretty rendition when closed down by one stop...if the "3 stooges" triggers are avoided in the composition. My 50/1.8 Ai is like this.

[Ann]

Richard:

I no longer have that 50mm lens — it's now 6000 miles away, across an ocean, in the hands of its new owner!

50mm is a FL which I seldom like to use and the high ISO capability of a D5 has reduced my need for faster glass.

[richardHaw]

Whatever Nikon 50mm lens one has, they always seem to develop a pretty rendition when closed down by one stop...if the "3 stooges" triggers are avoided in the composition. My 50/1.8 Ai is like this.

that long nose 50/1.8 is the best one in my opinion. 

[Wannabebetter]

that long nose 50/1.8 is the best one in my opinion. 

The only Nikkor I ever purchased new and for the expressed purpose (I was young... ) of reacquainting myself with a "normal field of view", after years of making due with a 28mm and 200mm prime; both Vemar™ which died courageously in action. I found the combination of the 50mm f1.8 AI-S mounted on my Nikon F "eye-level" a near perfect street-shooter and exemplary learning tool. Staying more on topic, I never owned, borrowed or otherwise used a 50mm f1.4 AI-anything. However I did have a 50mm f1.4 K-lens -- possibly one of the latter iterations thereof -- which I liked very much, putting it to great use on a Nikomat Ft-2 during a memorable departure from sanity whilst residing in Lapland.

[Roland Vink]

that long nose 50/1.8 is the best one in my opinion. 

It's my favourite 50mm Nikkor. I never liked the bokeh of the 50/1.4.

The latter iteration of the 50mm f1.4 K-lens has the same optics as the AI/AIS/AF versions ...

[richardHaw]

i will do a 50/1.8 article one day. that lens is good but i dont remember it to come close to the 50/1.4 ai-s when it came to saturation even wide-open. theres just something about this lens and how "clear" the colors look.  i dont know why.

[richardHaw]

the article is up!
https://richardhaw.com/2019/05/03/repair-nikkor-50mm-f-1-4-ai-s/