Review on 📷 Nikon Manual Focus Lens AI-S FX NIKKOR 50mm f/1.2 Fixed Zoom for Nikon DSLR Cameras by Dontell Hawkins

UPDATE: Having been shooting with this lens for two years now I can add to my review and say that this is still my favorite lens. I agree with others who say that sharpness at the widest f1.2 is less than f/1.4 and f/1.8, but if you're using wide open then artistic effects are what you're after and so not a huge issue . And one of the problems is user focus error - wide open, it's very relentless to focus error - the plane of focus is so flat that if you miss even a little, you can be far away. Pro tip: if focus is very important, e.g. For close-up portraits, for example, it can be helpful to put the camera in Live View and zoom in on the LCD screen to get a very clear idea of what you're focusing on. But the main reason I wanted to update my review is to add a few more photos and talk about the wonderful warmth this lens adds in terms of color. Depending on the lighting, this lens can give some shots a very slight, warm yellow-pink hue that is just magical. It's not very noticeable and can easily be mounted in a post, but sometimes you get a wonderful warmth when shooting with this lens. See additional pictures. Summary: As I tell my wife, this is a heartbreaking lens: you drop frames - goalie speed is definitely slower than a modern autofocus lens, but when you get in the frame with it, it's the best result of your life. The quality of the goals shot the goalkeeper in the face forever. This isn't the lens you use to capture a quick event like a birthday party, it's the lens you use to go on a photo walk and keep your passion for photography alive! Wow, that's a sharp, fast lens. I use it on a Nikon D5500 DX body and it's amazing. As a professional FX lens designed for use with a large sensor, it effortlessly delivers incredible sharpness and brightness right into the far corners of the D5500, a camera designed for DX format professionals. The lens shines bright enough to take a picture of a black hole. And the bokeh is creamy and absolutely beautiful (see sample photos for bokeh examples, which also show the lens on the D5500 and without the mount). But this lens is not for beginners for three reasons. First, it's not cheap - not insanely expensive, but not a spur-of-the-moment buy either. Second, it's a fully and completely manual control on modern digital SLR cameras. You have to put the camera in full manual mode to take a picture and then you set the aperture manually with the aperture ring (remember those? to f1.2!) and then you have to set the shutter speed (and ISO) adjust if you want) manually and then of course you have to focus manually. Third, when it's open to the top, the focal plane appears to be about 1mm deep in close-up shots when the subject is within 10 feet or so. Someone smarter than me could perhaps calculate how deep it actually is, but suffice it to say that it really is shallow. Perhaps a person whose face is at a slight angle to the camera (rather than looking straight ahead) may have one eye in focus and the other slightly out of focus with little bokeh on the eye glitter. It's so petty. Of course, the artistic possibilities are huge there, but if you want to use it for full-aperture portraits, you really have to pay attention to focus. The filter diameter is 52mm, it is a very heavy small part. It's not that it's heavy, uncomfortable or unbalanced, it feels tight. It's just beautifully made and feels rock solid as if its volume is 49% glass, 49% metal and 2% oil, with no air gaps. The result is a feeling of suppleness, strength and durability. I can imagine this lens working as new 30 years from now if treated with care. So is this lens suitable for everyday use? In the hands of an experienced photographer, of course, if you want the fastest manual 50mm lens you can get your hands on, but to be honest a beginner could do with one of Nikon's modern f1.4 or f1 fully automatic autofocus lenses feel more comfortable. . 8 Series G . But I highly recommend it for bokeh lovers, intermediate lovers and lens lovers!