Nikon 50mm f1.8G vs Nikon 50mm f1.8D vs Nikon 50mm f1.4G Side by Side Comparison and Specs

A side by side look at the new Nikon 50mm f1.8G vs Nikon 50mm f1.8D vs Nikon 50mm f1.4G.

Nikon 50mm f1.8D vs Nikon 50mm f1.4G

As regular readers know, I'm a big fan of the little Nikon 50mm f1.8 AF D.

Using the Nikon 50mm f1.8 AF D for Macro Photography

50mm Glory

It's just a fantastic little lens at an incredible price! The Nikon 50mm f1.8 AF D is awesome wide open at f1.8, and it's sharp as a razor. It's lightweight, super small, and focuses very fast.

The 50mm f1.8 AF D may not be an AF-S lens, but it beats the new Nikon 50mm f1.4G AF-S for focusing speed!

The Nikon 50mm f1.8 AF D is about 1.5 inches long and weighs about 5.6 ounces or 155 grams. It is a 52mm filter size, which makes it economical to add filters to it because 52mm filters are some of the least expensive.


The new Nikon 50mm f1.4G AF-S is a beautiful lens, no question about it. It's well-built and comes with its own Nikon HB-47 hood.

The Nikon 50mm f1.4G is relatively small and lightweight, being about 2 inches long and 9.9 ounces or 280g. Add the hood and it's almost double the length. Compared to the Nikon 50mm f1.8D though, it's almost twice the size and weight. The 50mm f1.4G is still light and small, just not as light and small as the 50mm f1.8D.

The Nikon 50mm f1.4G takes a 58mm filter, so it's a little more expensive to buy filters for it than the 50mm f1.8D. Of course, these days people seem to be using less and less filters than they used to before DSLR cameras and digital.

Both the Nikon 50mm f1.4G and the Nikon 50mm f1.8D have a minimum focussing distance of 1.5 feet.

There is a significant difference in minimum apertures between the two lenses. The Nikon 50mm f1.4G has a minimum aperture of f16, while the Nikon 50mm f1.8D has a minimum aperture of f22. This may or may not mean a lot to you depending on what you're shooting.

There is very little difference in maximum apertures between the two Nikon 50mm lenses. Some people will argue until they're blue in the face that they couldn't do without f1.4 and just couldn't live with the 50mm f1.8, but in reality these same people likely couldn't tell the difference between the same shot at f1.8 and f1.4.

Most people would expect a big difference between the 50mm f1.4G and the 50mm f1.8G in terms of bokeh or the out of focus area of an image, but this is where they'll get a not so welcome surprise. The bokeh on the 50mm f1.8 is great, and I can't really say the 50mm f1.4G is any better. They're both very good when it comes to bokeh and the out of focus area of an image at maxium aperture. You'd expect the 50mm f1.4G to be slightly better since it's newer, faster, and 4X the price, but in my opinion, it isn't.

Really, the big advantage of the new Nikon 50mm f1.4G over the Nikon 50mm f1.8D is that you can use it on all the new Nikon DSLR cameras that don't auto focus with non-AF-S lenses. The Nikon 50mm f1.8D won't auto focus on Nikon DSLR cameras like the Nikon D5000, Nikon D3000, Nikon D40, and Nikon D60. If you're like me and use auto focus pretty much all the time, this makes the 50mm f1.4G a no-brainer if you shoot with one of these DSLRs. Of course, my Nikon D300 DSLRs will auto focus just fine with the Nikon 50mm f1.8D, so that doesn't factor into the decision for me.

To sum things up, there really isn't much difference between the Nikon 50m f1.4G and the Nikon 50mm f1.8D other than the price. If you're shooting with a Nikon DSLR that can only auto focus with AF-S lenses, then the 50mm f1.4G is the way to go. If your Nikon DSLR can auto focus with D lenses like my Nikon D300 can (i.e. Nikon D3, D3X, D700, D700X, D90), then I'd think long and hard about whether you need the f0.4 difference in speed, especially considering the 4X difference in price.

For two excellent Nikon 50mm reviews, check out Bjorn Rorslett's Nikon 50mm Reviews and Thom Hogan's Nikon 50mm f1.4G Review.

Using the Nikon 50mm f1.8 for Macro Photography

The Nikon 50mm f1.8 is one of my favourite lenses, as you probably gathered if you've read 50mm Glory.

The Nikon 50mm f1.8 is lightweight, tack sharp, and a SUPER bargain at just over $100.00 new.



Technically, the Nikon 50mm f1.8 isn't a macro lens. By definition, macro photography is 1 to 1 magnification and above, and the Nikon 50mm f1.8 is listed by Nikon as having a Maximum Magnification Reproduction Ratio of 1:6.6.

A true macro lens like the Nikon 105mm Micro f2.8 VR has a Maximum Reproduction Ratio of 1:1. Mind you, it also costs almost $800 more than the Nikon 50mm f1.8, not to mention being much larger and heavier.



So, it's probably more correct to say we're talking about using the Nikon 50mm f1.8 for close-up photography rather than macro photography. Regardless of what you want to call it, close-up photography or macro photography, you may be pleasantly surprised with the Nikon 50mm f1.8 if you haven't used it for this purpose before.

A couple of my photographer friends and I went out last Friday to do a little personal shooting, and we chose the Wings of Paradise Butterfly Conservatory in Cambridge, Ontario as our destination. (As a sidenote, Wings of Paradise is a great place to go for a photo trip or just to take the family for an outing.)

Opening my camera bag, my Nikon 50mm f1.8 quickly found it's way onto one of my D300 DSLR bodies, and I was off to hunt butterflies. Here's some of the photos I got with the 50.



Nikon D300 with Nikon 50mm f1.8 @ ISO 200 1/250th @ f8



Nikon D300 with Nikon 50mm f1.8 @ ISO 200 1/400th @ f4



Nikon D300 with Nikon 50mm f1.8 @ ISO 200 1/250th @ f8



Nikon D300 with Nikon 50mm f1.8 @ ISO 200 1/250th @ f8



Nikon D300 with Nikon 50mm f1.8 @ ISO 200 1/250th @ f8



Nikon D300 with Nikon 50mm f1.8 @ ISO 200 1/250th @ f8



Nikon D300 with Nikon 50mm f1.8 @ ISO 200 1/250th @ f10



Nikon D300 with Nikon 50mm f1.8 @ ISO 200 1/250th @ f11



Nikon D300 with Nikon 50mm f1.8 @ ISO 200 1/250th @ f8



Nikon D300 with Nikon 50mm f1.8 @ ISO 200 1/60th @ f4

As many of you have probably guessed, most of these were shot with off camera flash. I held one of my Nikon SB-800 Speedlights in one hand, and the camera in the other, and played around with the angle and distance of the flash until I liked what I saw on my D300's LCD.

I used my SU-800 as the controller for the SB-800 which allowed me to keep the camera set-up lightweight and made flash adjustments to the SB-800's output quick and easy. I could've used the D300's pop-up flash as a commander, but even when set not to contribute to the exposure, I find it still does.



The SU-800 is also easier to use as a commander than the D300 is, making changes and adjustments much easier. You could also use another SB-800 or an SB-900 as a commander, but they're heavier and much more bulky then the SU-800. I prefer the SU-800, but of course, if you don't have one, by all means use an SB-800, SB-900, or your camera's pop-up flash if it has one with a commander function like the Nikon D300 does.

Next time you're wanting to do some macro photography, or close-up photography if you want to technically correct, why not give your 50mm a try? Even if you have a macro lens, you may be surprised what the little Nikon 50mm f1.8 can do. If you don't have a macro lens, just throw on your 50mm and start shooting! :)

Read more about the Nikon 50mm f1.8D:

Nikon 50mm f1.8D vs Nikon 50mm f1.4G

50mm Glory