anyone using 50mm f1.4 af-s? worth the extra over af-d vers?

fontmoss

fontmoss

Suspended / Banned
Messages
1,227
Name
Dave
Edit My Images
No
among the many things id like to invest in is a nice(er) 50mm lens. Ive got an e series f1.8 a friend gave/lent me and so far its been great but in time ill spend on a 1.4. My question is the af-s worth the extra over the af-d?

i know it will auto focus on my d40 and the m/a priority would be handy but given my current lens is completely manual i may not use auto anyway.
 
Assmuming you are talking about the 50mm f/1.4 AF-D, the new one is a bit sharper with less CA. The old one focuses quicker!

IMHO if you are going to be spending £300 on a f/1.4 you should be looking at the Sigma 50mm f/1.4 instead.

The 50mm f/1.4 AF-D didn't become a bad lens overnight - I think only you can answer the "worth" question as this is subjective.
 
I upgraded from the D to the S, and I must say - it's a fantastic lens. Really, really sharp and nails focus in even the lowest light.

Slower to focus, from back to front, although I rarely find this an issue since once focus has been obtained the speed becomes negligible (especially when using either 3D tracking or continuous focus modes).

Would I upgrade from D to S again? Yes - it's so damn sharp even wide open.

I owned the Sigma HSM first by the way, it was terribly inconsistent at focusing (albeit faster than the Nikon) and was not as sharp. Many people here love the lens so I obviously got a duff copy.
 
to clarify i dont think the af-d is an old lens, it would more be a case of whether the af-s offers real benefits (for the money) or if the af-d is more than good enough

sigma would be an option but im based in madrid and the thought of buying one at home and getting a bad copy fills me with dread
 
I don't think you've got any more chance of getting a bad Sigma lens then you do a Nikon.

So far there have been two reports here of bad Sigma 50mm's and two reports here of bad Nikkor 50mm f/1.4 AF-Gs. Considering the oodles of both that have been sold - I wouldn't worry about it!
 
fontmoss said:
sigma would be an option but im based in madrid and the thought of buying one at home and getting a bad copy fills me with dread
Click to expand...

Couldn't you just exchange for another if you get a duff one?

I have the Sigma 50mm btw :thumbs:
 
Is it worth it - IMO yes.

On the D3 the older model is a little quicker to focus (but not noticeable on the D700 IMHO) but, and this is never mentioned, it's nowhere near as accurate, particularly in the 1.4 to f2 range. The AF-S allows for far quicker and more accurate micro-adjustments. It also has far less CA, is sharper wide-open, is whisper quiet and very small and light.

I tried the Sigma and got a total lemon so it went back. It's clearly an excellent lens though (albeit bigger and heavier at 505g vs 290g, or more than half the weight difference between a D3 and D700). As I'm happy with the AF-S and was scratching an itch for myself I elected to stick with what I have.
 
yeah sdb i could but if i bought one in the uk and had to return it then it would become such a pain in the backside. although as puddleduck says theyre rare i have heard of a few dud sigmas
 
I tried my Sigma on my D40 (I'm not a fan of 50mm on a cropped sensor so this was the first time I used it on it!)

Test shot (focus on number plate)

http://www.odysseus-software.co.uk/LensTests/50mm-test.jpg

100% crop (1)

50mm-crop1.jpg


100% crop (2)

50mm-crop2.jpg


I think you'll be very happy with the Sigma, as its excellent wide open and certainly works well on the D40 :)
 
thanks puddleduck, very good of you to do that! interesting you dont like the 50 on the dx format, i love mine just bought a 28mm from ebay so maybe ill end up looking at the new 30mm af-s instead
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top