Nikkor 50mm comparison (AF-S f/1.4G vs f/1.2 ai-s vs f/1.8 ai-s e-series)

[acgiannopo]

the 50/1.2 is a VERY sharp lens wide-open but many lemons out there so it can be tough to find one that performs this way. focusing is also tough with a digital camera using the dot method. you will realize that this lens will give you critical focus a sliver of an mm before your dot solidifies in the finder. me and some people noticed that some digital nikons have this tendency but not with most film nikons but thats a story for another day.

I wonder if another focus screen would do the job better. I saw that Katzeye stopped the production of their focus screens. Nailing the focus with the 50/1.2 or the 85/1.4 wide open is trully a tough job.

[Jacques Pochoy]

focusing is also tough with a digital camera using the dot method. you will realize that this lens will give you critical focus a sliver of an mm before your dot solidifies in the finder. me and some people noticed that some digital nikons have this tendency but not with most film nikons but thats a story for another day.

With the D200 and also the D700 I "saw" that with AI and AI-S lenses, fully open, the dot confirmation wasn't the same if you focused down from infinity or from near to far, and the best focus was achieved when the dot started flickering and wasn't fully stable. Without a camera in hand I cannot remember which of those trajectories was the best but I think it as from infinity to near...

Richard, keep well ! We have a saying here that you should indulge with enough Saké (or you favorite alcohol) till you see four feet instead of two under the covers of your bed, then sleep it off, and the worst of it is gone in the morning...