Wanted Nikon 50mm f/1.4G AF-S lens

[yummymummy1]

Hi all, I am saving up for this lens so if anyone has a used one which they would like to sell please let me know
Thank you

[Kenny]

Have you not thought of going for the 1.8 version of the lens? Its still a wonderful lens and probably a lot more chance of finding one of them than the 1.4 version.

[Carmen]

The F1.8 doesn't autofocus on the D40 though Kenny (I think Yummymummy has a D40). There isn't yet an AF-S version of the F1.8

I have an F1.8 and despite the lack of autofocus it's a fantastic lens and Very good value for money, I took a lot of my steam engine pics with it - very sharp. One day I may get the 1.4 AF-S, but I will be looking secondhand too.

[Kenny]

oops

sorry bout that.Forgot she had a D40.:ops:

[yummymummy1]

I didn't think they would be that hard to find, have been looking on Ebay but there are no used ones and all the new ones are going for well over £300. I did think about getting the F1.8 but not sure if I'd be happy with it and will probably wait until I can afford the F1.4 (if I can find one by then!)

[BarryM]

ask yourself why you need a lens with one stop difference, the 1.8 is way cheaper, and is a fantastic lens for its price, pin sharp too and 1.8 is amazing.

[Carmen]

Barry I the difference is also AF or non AF on this lens not just the stop difference. The 1.8 is manual focus only on a D40. The new 1.4 will autofocus.

I'd say give the F1.8 a try. If you don't get on with it being manual focus only you won't lose much as I'm pretty sure you'd get close to what you paid for it if you sold it secondhand on ebay as lots of people are always on the lookout for one. I lost several auctions before I won mine!

[yummymummy1]

the 1.8 would be fine but it doesn't auto-focus on my D40. However after looking tonight the only 1.4 I could find in stock was form Pro Visual and was £430!! I was hoping to pay under £300 so I may just try the 1.8 for £100!!

[yummymummy1]

ahh, good idea loonymoon, I may just try that. I've sold a few things on ebay and got more than I bought them for (apart from my £300 pram which I sold for 99p but that's another story oops!!)
thanks everyone x

[~~Julie~~]

Now I'm confused...

I'm after a nifty fifty too, I currently have a D40, although will shortly be buying a D300.

There are 3 different 50mm avialable from Nikon
AF-S NIKKOR 50mm f/1.4G
AF NIKKOR 50mm f/1.4D
AF NIKKOR 50mm f/1.8D

To my understanding after reading up on them from the Nikon website, (I may be wrong tho!) all 3 are autofocus and all 3 are compatible with DX (which the D40 is) So why can't the 1.8 autofocus on the D40?? This really has me baffled!

http://www.nikonusa.com/Find-Your-Nikon/Product/Camera-Lenses/2137/AF-NIKKOR-50mm-f%252F1.8D.html

[tinysmall]

The D40 has no internal focusing motor and as such only AF-S lenses will autofocus on it. If a lens is AF then it means it will focus when used on a camera with a motor. Then there is manual focus which means that even with a camera with a motor, you will still need to focus manually.

Just so you know, Nikon are planning on bringing out a 50mm AF-S lens soon.

[~~Julie~~]

Oh!! Thanks Matt. They should really put that on their product page! I understand now!

[Carmen]

35mm 1.8 AF-S sounds interesting as I do sometimes find the 50mm a little long on the D40.

£198 on Warehouse express.

Rather too much for me, but I may look used, though I don't expect it'll be that much cheaper if I did find one!

The 50mm F1.8 is still £113 which is rather more than I paid. Mine was £75 second hand.

[tinysmall]

The other one to look at is also already out, the 35mm AF-S lens, which on a DX body gives the 50mm equiv focal length, roughly equivalent to naked eye view which is what made 50mm the 'standard' focal length on a 35mm or fullframe body.. (and it will autofocus on a D40)

The 35mm could be the one I'm thinking of as it was going to be 50mm for dx sensors. But that has had some pretty dreadful reviews.

[sweatysocksnapper]

what about the siggy 30mm 1.4 HSM?

[yummymummy1]

Would that make a good portrait lens? as I mostly take pics of my boys. Also would it auto focus on my D40?
Thanks

[BarryM]

id have said no, a good focal length for portraits is around the 80mm mark, 30mm might give some distortion when used close up..

[sweatysocksnapper]

For me it depends on how you are going to shoot the kids, or how much they are moving and the style. I find the 50 can be too narrow in limited space. in a studio barry you are absolutely right but in a living room etc then I think you sometimes need something wider.

PS - HSM on siggy means it will autofocus on a d40.

[sweatysocksnapper]

sorry - just one further thing to suggest - if you are wondering about the focal length of the lens - why not try to keep your 18-55 sat at a particular length and try to take some pics just at that length (e.g 30mm then 50mm) - you will get a reasonably good idea about whether it is too wide or narrow etc.

[Carmen]

sorry - just one further thing to suggest - if you are wondering about the focal length of the lens - why not try to keep your 18-55 sat at a particular length and try to take some pics just at that length (e.g 30mm then 50mm) - you will get a reasonably good idea about whether it is too wide or narrow etc.

I was going to say that.

Barry -is 80mm the focal length you'd use on a full frame sensor. In which case a 50mm on a crop sensor comes close at 75mm on a D40.

Yummy mummy, I posted some shots in your other thread about this subject, taken with a 50mm F1.8 prime manual focus only on a D40 just to give you some idea.

[yummymummy1]

Thank you all for your suggestions, I will have a play around tomorrow, and thanks for posting the pics on the other thread Loonymoon.
I'm just so impatient I want a new lens now, not in 6months when I've saved up for one!