Nikon launches ultra-bright 50mm F1.4 fixed entry-level lens

Until now, the Nikon catalog only had 50mm fixed focal lengths in the S series, the top of the range at Nikkor with a Nikkor Z 50mm F1.8 S, less bright, and an exceptional Nikkor Z 50mm F1.2 S. On paper, this new lens should therefore naturally position itself between the two, but this is not the case.

Indeed, if the first two lenses belong to the prestigious S range, the newcomer does not display this letter and it is indeed an “entry-level” lens offered less expensively than its big brother F1.8 in the S series. In terms of price, Nikon is currently offering the f/1.8 model at the price of €709, the f/1.2 model at the price of €2,599 and the new f/1.4 model at the price of €559.

A classic optic

As a reminder, a 50 mm is an essential fixed focal length for many photographers and perhaps even the first and only fixed focal length you should have! It is a so-called normal focal length, very versatile, which is present in many situations such as reporting, street photography or even portraiture.

Featuring a very bright maximum aperture of f/1.4 and combined with a 9-blade diaphragm, this lens has very good capabilities for achieving very pronounced bokeh effects with a reliable depth of field or handheld photos in low light conditions. Nikon announces very good optical quality thanks to an optical formula composed of 10 lenses divided into 7 groups with an aspherical lens. If we compare the optical formula of the lens to that of its “big brother” F1.8 S series (12 lenses in 9 groups with 2 ED glass lenses, 2 aspherical lenses and lenses with nanocrystal coating) we realize that it is simpler. Logically, we can therefore expect lower optical performance, but all this will have to be confirmed during testing.

So f/1.4 or f/1.8 S?

The rest of the lens features a fast and quiet internal autofocus motor that provides a minimum focusing distance of 37 cm and a magnification ratio of 0.17x. It is compact (approx. 9 cm long), lightweight (420 grams) and weather-protected. In addition to the wide manual focus ring, there is a second programmable adjustment ring that can be assigned to the aperture or exposure compensation, for example.

This new lens, which will be available at the end of the month, is therefore the ideal companion for the 35 mm F1.4 released a few months ago with the same philosophy. It will therefore be up to photographers to make a choice: the very large F1.4 aperture or an F1.8 aperture with better optical performance for around €150 more!

In any case, an “entry-level” 50mm prime lens, even with a very large F1.4 aperture, at over €550 is still expensive. With the Nikon Z mount now open to third-party manufacturers, it's a safe bet that more affordable alternatives will soon emerge.