cjc2 Loc: Hellertown PA

You might also want to look into the Sigma ART! Best of luck.

nikonuser750 Loc: Monroe, LA

You don't mention where you are located. If you are in the USA and buy your lens in Hong Kong, it will be a Gray market lens in the USA and Nikon USA will not service it in the USA. I know the odds of a problem with that lens is very slim. I still have my 50mm from my Nikon FE film SLR from 1982 and it is just fine.

However, I did want to be sure you were aware that any Nikon camera or lens bought outside the USA will not be serviced by Nikon in the USA.

therwol Loc: USA

Not true. If you walk into a brick and mortar store in Hong Kong and buy the lens, and if you have a receipt to prove you were physically present when you bought the lens, it is not considered gray market. Gray market means that the product was imported into the USA by someone other than Nikon USA and sold here. Nikon will service the lens should anything happen to it, but they will not do it under the Nikon USA warranty. You will have to pay for the service. If you want it serviced under the Nikon international warranty, you will need the warranty card that came with the lens and send it back to Hong Kong for service.

hammond

So here's the conclusion to this story; not sure anyone cares that much, but here it goes anyway:

I checked out all the lenses suggested by Ughoggers here on this thread, and of course, this lead me to a plethora of videos and comparison pieces on other lenses in this category, and after narrowing down a list of final candidates, I spent about two months thoroughly reviewing the following lenses:

- Nikon 50mm f1.4 D and G - nice lenses for around $400-500 but ultimately nothing particularly special.

- Sigma 50mm f1.4 Art - super sharp, but kind came across as pretty sterile, and quite a heavy 50mm. Ultimately I was turned off by the size, and the number of people selling this lens used for less than half the MSRP. It's not a great kudos when it seems like a lot of people who bought it want to get rid of it.

- Voightlander 58mm f1.4 - super nice lens loved by many, and probably would have bought this one were it auto-focus. I've used a handful of manual focus lenses, and I'm sure there are purists who love this approach, but it's not what I was looking for.

- Zeiss Otus 55mm f1.4 - yeah right, $4k is more than the D850 I would buy if my wife would let me spend that kind of money on camera gear right now.

- Nikon 58mm f1.4G - okay, now I was kinda miffed when people in this thread even mentioned this lens, since it lists at $1599 MSRP. I mean come on, that's not even the same ballpark as the 50mm 1.4D or G... the DXO scores were not impressive at all. Furthermore, the critics were pretty unimpressed when they first unboxed and tested this lens: most were pretty mystified at how Nikon was asking $1699 (when first released) for a lens that was really plasticy and not particularly sharp.

But as I watched more and more video reviews, I noticed something: as time wore on, the reviews started warming up to this lens: even Angry Photographer guy initially called it a piece of crap, only to later admit it was 'something special' in his review of all Nikon lenses. And a lot of reviewers admitted they initially didn't 'get it' with this lens, only later to fall in love with it. Those that did love it, didn't just recommend the lens, they talked about it passionately.

Of course, another big piece of my research involved at looking at actual pictures taken with these lenses. The Sigma Art pics were mostly tack-sharp: as in "nice picture" kind of images, but the pictures I saw taken with the Voightlander and the Nikon 58mm were like 'wow' - some even took my breath away. Maybe there was some inherent bias per the ability of the photographers using more expensive equipment, but when I saw those images I was ready to save up my cash and spend a little more for a better lens.

So I narrowed it down to the Voight and the Nikon 58mm - and revisited all the specs, tried them both out at a local camera shop, and determined that the auto-focus was kind of critical for me.

Found the Nikon 58mm at KEH for a steal of a price ($1,120 complete with the hood and 6 month warranty), and they shipped it to me in Hong Kong for $60. It looks brand new, not a mark on it (apparently there is one somewhere, but I can't find it), and it works like a charm.

Still getting the hang of it, but here's a pic I took of my buddy the first time I took this glass out for a spin.

Yeah, and as for Thomas902's remark:

"Oh well, if you are focused on useless razor thin DOF then there is always the AF-S NIKKOR 58mm f/1.4G Nikkor which is ideal for those with deep pockets... with this puppy at f/1.4 when the eyes are sharp the nose and ears are out of focus... how cool is that... lol"

Dude you're right: it IS super cool. I know you're being facicist, but it's not just the DOF, it's also the OOF (and the OMG)

Lonefrontier

I need your help! I'm having trouble finding the answer I need. Upfront, the question is, is autofocus as fast with afd lenses? Or are you kind of not getting your money's worth out of the camera and newer lenses should be used? I'm looking at a d850 and d500 for wedding and sports.

I shoot a good amount of film and want get into a system where I can switch between film and digital easily. I also enjoy older more mechanical things that are built to last and figured Nikon F is the way to go. I get lens selection for 60+ years but specifically the afd line has me interested in crossing between film and digital with full aperture control. I shot Nikon, but was enticed away by Fujifilm and their mechanical like controls. Ive grown to hate it. It's an electronic version of mechanical controls and they are far more delicate than my old Nikon gear.

MauiMoto Loc: Hawaii

Is it the unmatched buttery smooth bokeh that everyone likes? I almost bought it this last Nikon refurbished sale for around $1200, but I got the 105mm micro instead.

hammond

I just love this lens. Sure, the bokeh is as promised, and as my first premium prime, I love the experience of shooting within this fixed focal length (I'm on D500, so I guess it's more like a 82mm).

Moreso than the bokeh, I love being able to shoot in low light conditions with no problem whatsoever.

Have picked up the 105mm f1.4 since then, and am equally impressed with it. Have my eyes on the 24mm f1.4 next, though the 28mm f1.4 is also a potential candidate.