Nikon 50mm Dilemma

[kuul13]

I know this has already been asked many times. And, I have read the reviews, comparisons and suggestion in number of sites but it has made me more confuse. I am taking about Nikon 50mm 1.4G versus 1.8G.

1.4G seems to give slightly better bokeh, better build quality and less color fringing.
1.8G has better and faster focusing, good bokeh, lighter and above all $200 CHEAPER.

After going through the reviews and price I very much made my mind to buy 1.8G but read this somewhere today, someone said - if you buy 1.8G, after some time you might think that you should have bought 1.4G but if you buy 1.4G now, surely you won't be thinking that it was better to buy 1.8G. Again got confused

I am not a pro but just a hobbyist. And there were many instances when I wished that I could go little low with my aperture. With my current lenses I could only manage to go as low as 3.5. I want to know if that 1/2 stop (1.4 vs 1.8) really makes lot of difference? Can't we compensate it by bumping the ISO a little? Will there be a massive difference in the quality of a picture? Do you guys think I should wait for sometime to see if the price for 1.4 goes down, may be around Christmas?

[autofocus]

Bottom line...you'll be happy with whichever one you buy. Here's a shot done today using a 50mm f/1.4D version...great lens, but the f/1.8 reviewed very well, and it's a great value.
I'm torn...would welcome your opinion

[kuul13]

Originally Posted by autofocus

Bottom line...you'll be happy with whichever one you buy. Here's a shot done today using a 50mm f/1.4D version...great lens, but the f/1.8 reviewed very well, and it's a great value.
I'm torn...would welcome your opinion

Thanks autofocus for a quick response. your picture was a great example. I don't know how to make my mind firm on 1.8 and don't feel sad later that I should have bought 1.4. I feel bad to be such an indecisive person.

[autofocus]

Originally Posted by kuul13

Thanks autofocus for a quick response. your picture was a great example. I don't know how to make my mind firm on 1.8 and don't feel sad later that I should have bought 1.4. I feel bad to be such an indecisive person.

You say you are a hobbyist and I'm absolutely certain the f/1.8 will be very sufficient for your needs. Save some money, buy the lens, and have fun with it..I'm sure you won't be disappointed with it.

[mbrobich]

1.4 if you do lots of indoor poorly lit areas like bars and concert halls, but other than that I think you would be hard pressed to be able to tell the difference between the 2 in daytime photography. But if your budget allows it, go 1.4 then you are done for the rest of your life.

[kuul13]

Originally Posted by autofocus

You say you are a hobbyist and I'm absolutely certain the f/1.8 will be very sufficient for your needs. Save some money, buy the lens, and have fun with it..I'm sure you won't be disappointed with it.

Originally Posted by mbrobich

1.4 if you do lots of indoor poorly lit areas like bars and concert halls, but other than that I think you would be hard pressed to be able to tell the difference between the 2 in daytime photography. But if your budget allows it, go 1.4 then you are done for the rest of your life.

Thanks you guys for the tip. Once more question, I think focusing matters a lot and when people say 1.4 is not as fast as 1.8, what does that mean? Another thing that bothers me is color fringing.. not sure if this should be the main deciding factors? As of budget, for one time investment I can manage the cost for 1.4. What do you say? I know, I am so so much confused

[Doug Sundseth]

"Speed" when used unmodified of a lens, refers to the fact that a wider aperture can take a shot with a faster shutter speed than a smaller aperture.

If a shot would require 1/60 second at f/1.8, it would require about 1/100 second at f/1.4.

Autofocus speed is an entirely separate issue, depends on both lens and body, and is moderately difficult to find information on.

Note that a wider aperture also means a narrower depth of field (see DOFMaster for examples). Sometimes this is exactly what you want, sometimes it's the price you have to pay to get the shot.

Color fringing (chromatic aberration) depends on the lens and the aperture you're shooting at, not the maximum aperture of the lens specifically. It's generally pretty easy to fix with software any more.

Main decision criteria will depend on your needs and won't be the same for every shooter. For my shooting, I can't see the reason to get an f/1.4 lens at twice the price of an f/1.8 lens. If I shot indoor sports for a living, I might well change that assessment.

[Fishpic]

I am a hobbyist as well and went through the same though process as you. At that time they only had the D, but I just could not justify the extra cost. I used the money I saved and put toward another strobe.

[kuul13]

Originally Posted by Fishpic

I am a hobbyist as well and went through the same though process as you. At that time they only had the D, but I just could not justify the extra cost. I used the money I saved and put toward another strobe.

Hey that is really helpful and makes complete sense to save that money to buy something else. Thanks for your help.

[Scottm]

Simple suggestion to your situation - buy the 50mm 1.8 as it will suffice in almost every situation (I have the 50mm f1.4 and almost never use the lens fully open), and use the savings to buy the 35mm f1.8dx (you will still have some budget left over !!!)