Review on Nikon Nikkor 50Mm 1 4 AI S by Adam Radford

Smooth and consistent focus, image quality and excellent construction make this my favorite lens for shooting 3/4 portraits. Nature and bokeh shots on my Canon DSLRs, Canon film cameras and Nikon 35mm film cameras. Pros: * Much softer manual focus than newer Canon EF or Nikon 50mm AF lenses * Shorter focus distance and more compact size than Nikon 50mm 1.2 AiS (approx. 18" vs. 20") * Super sharp in range from f/2.8 to f/9.5 (DxO resolution with 5D Mark II is 15 megapixel perception, which is higher than any other lens on this camera)* Very good exposure - consistency Cons: * Soft bokeh "ring condom " with specular light sources (e.g. Christmas lights) ; better than Nikkor 50mm f/1.2, worse than Sigma 50mm f/1.4 and Canon EF-II 50mm f/1.8* with cheaper bokeh, requires careful focusing (I use Live View or the interchangeable Eg-S matte precision screen on 5D MkII); no problem with older pre 1982 frosted glass screens (like Nikon FM and FE)*. "Play with them. Haven't found a brand that's really reliable yet. For those who enjoy silky-smooth manual focusing with excellent colors, contrast and resolution, this comes highly recommended.