Worth getting another 50mm Nikkor? 1.4/50 AIS

[John Geerts]

I have one, a very fine lens. There are a few topics about the Voigtlander Nokton 58/1.4

http://nikongear.net/revival/index.php/topic,768

http://nikongear.net/revival/index.php/topic,3626.0.html

[longzoom]

20130714-078-2 by longzoom, on Flickr.          Old 50/1.8 AF(non-D), F4.0.   LZ

[Frank Fremerey]

I found some rauchous adepts to the 1.4/58G, the 1.2/55Ai and the 1.2/58Ai ... all of them seem to be in
another price range. Starting with the 55 at 400€ for a very good used one to the Neo Noct at 1100 for a very good
used one and the Noct for 3000 ... gosh

[Ron Scubadiver]

I might be impaired, but I am very happy with my 50 f/1.4 G.  I just must have AF for street and some of the exotic 50's are large enough to look like telephotos, which attracts attention.

[Frank Fremerey]

I might be impaired, but I am very happy with my 50 f/1.4 G.  I just must have AF for street and some of the exotic 50's are large enough to look like telephotos, which attracts attention.

I guess you use it a f=4 to f=8 ...

[Bent Hjarbo]

I have a question regarding the AiS 50mm 1.4.
My sample seems not to be af the same quality as seen in the examples shown.
The focus confirmation dot gives wrong OK, in liveview things gets a little better.
The 2 pictures are approx. 100%, and shows a lot of color fringing, but at f2.0 all get better. Focused in liveview on my D800.
The question is: Will it be worth repairing, or is this how the perform?
Br Bent

[Jack Dahlgren]

I have a question regarding the AiS 50mm 1.4.
My sample seems not to be af the same quality as seen in the examples shown.
The focus confirmation dot gives wrong OK, in liveview things gets a little better.
The 2 pictures are approx. 100%, and shows a lot of color fringing, but at f2.0 all get better. Focused in liveview on my D800.
The question is: Will it be worth repairing, or is this how the perform?
Br Bent

Looks about normal at f/1.4. You should expect fringing and glow at that aperture. Stop down to f/4 to get some sharpness.

[pluton]

I agree with Jack.  This looks normal. 

[John Geerts]

Agree, seems also what I have experienced before. Older versions seem sharper.  At least the 5.8cm/1.4  is. (in the center)

I never was  a fan of the Ai/Ai-S   50/1.4, perhaps bad luck with the samples I had.

[Bent Hjarbo]

Looks about normal at f/1.4. You should expect fringing and glow at that aperture. Stop down to f/4 to get some sharpness.

Thanks for the quick feedback.

It seem that I should use some of my f1.8 or my old pre-Ai 50/2.0
The problem is not the fringing as it goes away already at f2.0, but that the focus confirmation does not work as the fringing is so severe, that I get backfocus, (focus is further away than expected), in liveview I can take the fringing into account and get sharp images from f2. Liveview is not very practical, so the lens must stay in the cupboard 

[David H. Hartman]

My opinion from many years ago was the 50/1.8 AI was sharper at f/1.8 than the 50/1.4 AI was at f/2.0. That was with only one sample of each. I don't feel there is much point in an f/1.4 unless one is planning to shoot at f/1.4.

The best performance will be around f/4.0 to f/5.6 depending on the model. My first 50/1.8 AI knocked my socks off at 1/1,000th at f/5.6 in a lucky accident that taught me to keep my shutter speed up if possible and aperture in the sweet spot at or a bit before f/5.6.

Note that I weigh the sweet spot more heavily on the center and less on the deep corners. With some lenses one might see the center fall off even as the edge gains at f/8.0. By f/11 everything is off a bit with most lenses.

Dave