A good choice for those who like to travel light, this Nikon works well as a compact standard prime with an f/1.4 aperture rating.
Compared with the Sigma 50mm f/1.4 lens, the Nikon is only half the physical length and about a third of the weight. It’s a lot simpler than the Sigma, with eight rather than 13 optical elements, and feels rather less robust. The straightforward optical path doesn’t contain an aspherical element (as featured in the Nikon AF-S 50mm f/1.8G), there are no ED (Extra-low Dispersion) elements and no Nano Crystal Coat. Indeed, it’s a very traditional lens that’s more than 20 years old. Centre-sharpness is impressive even at f/1.4, although it loses out to the Sigma towards the edges of the frame. The nine-blade diaphragm helps to maintain smooth bokeh when stopping down, compared with the seven-blade aperture of Nikon’s F-mount 50mm f/1.8 lens.