I own this lens and the Zeiss 55 1.8 for Sony EF mount. It’s sharper, superior bokeh, much better with backlight, and much better rendering from in focus to out of focus. How DxOMark rate the 55 Sony Zeiss a better lens is beyond me.
Million thanks for this real life comparison . Only confirms what other review sites like CameraLabs have said : the Nikon Z 50mm f/1.8 is better that the venerable Zeiss Otus 55 mm f/1.4 !! That's saying something . How better than this can a lens get ? There's no way any other company Sony , Panasonic or Canon could get better if they could equal this level of performance. That is the reason why we have growing confidence in the Nikon Z mount Mirrorlress systems as one of the best systems going forward . Thank you so much Ricci for this painstakingly patient and detailed information about the lens performance
I wanted to get this 50mm but later ended up buying the Voigtlander 40mm f1.4 with an adapter. No regrets so far. I don't understand why sharpness has become so important which ends up pricing this lens so high. Good overall IQ is important
I own both lenses: the Zeiss Otus 55 f1.4 and the Nikon Z Nikkor 50 f1.8S. Unfortunately, I have to say, with the aperture open, the Nikkor is better than the Otus. The Nikkor has zero CA. Only from aperture f4 the picture quality is about the same. Tested with the Z 7.
sanch Sanchayan hes echoing what everyone that tested these lenses against each other are saying... it happens, newer technology in design and manufacturing making possible for a much less expensive lens to outperform a much older lens that happens to cost a lot.
Thanks for the in depth review Ricci. I'm blown away by the sharpness of this lens, especially when compared to the 105mm 1.4E. The only trade off for me is the onion skinned bokeh from those aspherical elements - otherwise I find the out of focus rendition very pleasing.
Great review man! I plan on picking up the 50mm f1.8. If the prices of these S line lenses are any indicator of what the 50mm f1.2 is going to cost. Then I can imagine that lens is going to start at no less than $2000 USD and be huge. The new Canon RF 50 f1.2 is about $2200 USD.
All the new Nikon S lenses, because of the extra large lens mounts, will be sharper, lighter, and smaller than their complimentary F mount lenses. Or, for that matter, any other manufacturers equivalent lenses. This will become ever more obvious as time goes by. The extra large mount is going to be a coup for Nikon. Brilliant.
At about 22:00 it's *really* interesting how the F mount version of the lens just snaps into focus near instantly going from the background to foreground, while the Z mount lens slowly drifts from far to close. Yet the Z mount version can go from close to far focus smoothly, while the F mount is so bumpy and jerky trying to land far focus. It's almost like the Z mount 50 is balanced for everything, while the F mount is tweaked for close-ups.
Very good review. I like your delivery style. I don’t use a 50mm often enough to justify the expense of a f1.2 lens. So this f/1.8 S on my new Z7 will fill the bill. Subscribed!
Thank you, Ricci! That "focus falloff" difference between the F-mount and the Z-mount is really noticeable. The Z series obviously produces the nicer focus gradient. Thank you for taking the time to shoot these images, and for sharing them with us! Looking forward to your upcoming video for Nikon users! Take care.
NIce review of the Nikkor S 50 f/1.8 lens! As a Fujifilm X-System landscape and product photographer, I value image sharpness and detail above all else in terms of lens quality. I am frankly deciding on whether to sell my excellent Fujifilm X-System for a FF kit, either the Nikon Z7 or the Sony a7Rlll. My question is, do you think that the Nikkor S 50 f/1.8 is at least as sharp as the renowned Sony FE 55 f/1.8? Thank you sir.
Excellent video Ricci. I agree with you regarding the way the rendering of the depth of field, truly outstanding. I’m in the latter camp so still deciding if I want to jump to mirrorless. I am slowly coming round to the idea based on these videos 👍👍
As always, a GREAT review. I’ve been noting a higher quality and sharpness off my S-series compared to my F-Mount. It’s nice to see that someone else is seeing the same. Thank you for the posting!
Hey i think i need help. i just listened at the focus breathing part.... your z50 1.8s makes no noise at all when focusing. mine does obvious focus noise when focusing from close range to the background in both video and photo. could it be a problem with my unit? :O
Great vid...question though. I'm looking at getting a Z6II and right now I can get the Z 50mm 1.8 or the Z 24-70 f4 for virtually the same price. I mainly shoot weddings, portraits/headshots, landscapes...which way would you go for a first Z lens? (My current most used lenses are my Sigma 18-35 Art 1.8 and Nikon 70-200 f4)
The sharpness of the Z mount 50mm is phenomenal. I hope you can also compare it to the 24-70mm Z mount when you decide to do its dedicated review. Im actually looking at the 24-70 but if the 50mm is still sharper at F4, it can change things a lot. Thanks for this review. Its always a pleasure to watch your review.
Thanks for pointing out your 24-70 review. Im just curious how the two lenses compare at f4, ie is 50mm better? There is really No rush. I am inclined to the f2.8 release of the 24-70. Thanks again!
I have a Z50 and just ordered this lens :) I tried the old 1.8G with the FTZ adapter, the picture quality was really good but as he mentioned the auto focus noise was too loud for videos.
Excellent review, sir! As a landscape and product photographer who puts a premium on image sharpness and detail, I find this Nikkor S 50 f/1.8 to be the sharpest lens I've every used in 45 years of photography! That said though, for macro work, since the new 105 f/2.8 Mikkor S MC hadn't arrived when I git the Laowa f/2.8 Ultra-Macro lens, I found that for Macro (i.e., "Micro" in Nikon land) work, the Laowa renders a somewhat sharper image that this NIkkor S (only at its closest focus distance). So, my question is, how much sharper is the new Nikkor S 105 f/2.8 MC lens than this awesome Nikkor S 50 f/1.8 (at closest focus distance of course)? Thank you!~
Great review Ricci, I ordered one yesterday evening for what I consider to be a great UK price (£389 inc del.) and it arrives tomorrow. I'm really looking forward to using it!
Thanks for the review Ricci. I picked up the Z 50 this weekend and have been very impressed with the sharpness (making me feel better about the pricetag!). I have to say that I am very surprised about the F mount 50/F1.8 performance on the Z7 and Z6. I would have expected better sharpness. It has left me to wonder if the F mounts lenses suffer some degradation when paired with FTZ/Z bodies. Would be curious to see a D850 w/ F Mount 50/F1.8 versus Z7/FTZ w/ F Mount 50/F1.8.
I have the Z lenses 24-70 and 14-30 F4.5s for my Z6 but I am still thinking about this lens for low light and Gimbal work (mainly so I don’t have to keep rebalancing the Gimbal every time I change the focal length!)
Nice review! Would you recommend this lens on a crop sensor camera? I'm thinking to get it for the z50 as it would be a great portrait/ short telephoto lens. Would be the image quality the same as on the z6/z7?
Nicely picks apart what we are getting with high quality modern designed lenses Vs classic designs, and the 50mm 1.8 is very much a classic the benchmark for quality when I was young, the sharpest in the bag for the most part. Stil at the price the Z series is not a like for like replacement you have to really want what it does to justify it over a kit lens + a specialist long lens for wildlife, a macro or portrait for example. I think one use case is as a replacement for faster trad primes like the 50mm 1.4 which are not very sharp wide open and not used much at that setting because of it , but are best when slightly stopped down where there is still plenty of leeway for soft background.
Pleasant and positive approach - thanks. After decades of using Nikon pro kit, my biggest pet peeve is not sharpness, but absence of chromatic aberration. The examples are not revealing as to this issue. So far I have not seen any review trying to illustrate how good these Z lenses are in this respect. If you do another test, I would look for that ,again.
@@RicciTalks- fast, excellent, thanks. Take a sheet of white paper with text that has no copyright attached. Shoot it under continuous light spectrum light. Maybe 45 degree shooting angle. You'll see differences between aperture values in (DoF and) CA. IMO at CA, my 35/1.4G is very bad, the 85/1.4G not so good. Taking a lens that is known to have the issue could be a convenient starting point. The F 50/1.8 is probably in the 85/1.4G ballpark or slightly better. My prejudice is, generally, the faster lenses are worse.
I have to say that I wasn't happy with the higher price of the Z mount 50 f1.8 over the F mount 50 f1.8, but your demo seems to justify the price difference. Thanks for this review. ;-)
This looks fantastic. Can't wait for the next versions of the Z cameras which hopefully will have dual card slots. Since you work for Nikon, any idea why there's no F1.2 or 1.4 lenses in the roadmap except for the 50 1.2? Nikon has made such a big deal about the Z mount size but not having faster lenses is sort of counter intuitive.
If the other f1.8 lenses are as good as this Z-50mm then who needs a f1.4 or f1.2??? What will you gain from a f1.4 or f1.2, a small amount of extra light and a lot of extra weight, all of which would negate the reason I moved to mirrorless. As for a dual card slot well every digital camera I owned until my last DSLR had only one card slot, what's the issue?
Wow good job you helped me make a decision, my prime g lenses dont hold a candle to the native Z glass...WHAT A DIFFERANCE...LOL I was going to attempt to the f lens with the adapter for my cinema and photo work but not after seeing your video...I'm sold its fantastic. great video good job as always
Great review! Thanks for sharing. An incredible lens, it would be fantastic to combine it with extension tubes for macro photography. The only thing is that I guess there are no extension tubes for the Z cameras available.
awesome video, thanks for the review, I always buy gear based on your reviews, keep up the great work. Can you increase your voice audio a little bit? :D
I't more than a joke that DPreview vote it to the worst lens of 2018!. i use my Z 50mm 1.8S also for a month and absolutely love it on my Z6. I never had/saw a sharper lens from edge to edge (even at 1.8) with no color failure and such smooth transitions at videos.
Hi @Ricci Talks is this Z 50mm f1.8 worth it on the Nikon Z50 APS-C since the smaller sensor camera does not have IBIS? Please let me know if it’s worth the bigger price compared to the cheaper glass F mount for the Z50 APS C thanks
Its a sharp lens. I was surprised when i first used it. Very cheap priced too i got mine at £423 delivered. This lens is significantly sharper than the Z 24-70 f4 that comes with the camera.
Is it normal that it makes some noise while focusing or trying to hold focus? I noticed this in a silent room, after travelling with it in the bag... The kit lens seems to be more silent...
A Different thing to the classic double Gaus nify fifty designs even though it's nominally the same. Gets you into Leica territory at a fraction of the price.
Thanks for the review Ricci. My question would be, how does this lens compare for sharpness in comparison to the new 24-70 (set at 50mm) at a similar aperture- f8 for example??
Cheers@@RicciTalks ! I'm thinking of a way I can sell everything I own and buying a Z7. (This would include any limbs, and vital organs etc lol) but then which lens to buy to go with it??? The 24-70 f4, when bought as a kit is virtually the price as the 50mm f1.8 , but the zoom lens would obviously be more versatile.
@@MichaelJenkinson Sold a few limbs and now have the Z7 and 24-70, I would like to say how good it is but unfortunately as I am missing a few limbs turing the zoom ring past the locking position has been impossible :D :D :D Seriously, the Z7 kit is one stunning piece of kit, one of my better photographic decisions.
I was concerned about the bokeh as DP Review had rated the Z-50mm f1.8 as one of the worst lenses of 2018 due to the terrible bokeh but based on what you have shown in this video that DPR rating is clearly a load of hogwash. I have some questions, although I am unsure if you can or will be able to answer them: The 2019 roadmap indicates that there will be 6 lenses launched this year, the 58mm Noct is likely to be the first launched (probably going to be awesome but not something I plan to purchase as it will be too pricey for my pocket) but what will come next? How do you see the roll-out progressing and do you have your sights set on a specific lens due for launch this year? An excellent video Ricci thanks for posting, now I have the dilemma of whether to part-ex my AFS 50mm f1.8 for the Z-50mm or sit tight!!!
btw... DP Review admitted that they had mistaken the lens for another lens... it's on their website, however the damage has been done as so many people have seen that rubbish of a video already... also their conclusion for the worst lens of the year was made without them personally handling the lens at all... it was based on some images they saw that were taken by some other lens, which they mistook for the 50mm... surely not the most reliable website to go to for reviews...
I just purchased the 50f1.8 and i can feel and hear the af especialy at continuose focusing. Is this normal? because i have the z24-70 f4 and its totally silent. Everything works well just was wondering if it was normal. thanks.
I love shooting my Z6, and my D850 had since getting it, the big gripped best DSLR-ever-made, sits on the shelf next to the D800. excellent evf and handling are a pleasure to use. BUT, as goods the camera is, the real benefit is the S lenses. I remember the usual RUclips gurus panned the bodies and lenses causing slow sales at first but as more people got them and realized they had been lied to for marketing and view count boost and realize none of those over million subscriber channels that push Sony day in and day out, are actual photographers, one was a marketing specialist another hung around punk bands and took bad photos of bad bands, and another was on Sony direct payroll and each makes over a $1million a year making videos and nothing from photos. What is special about the S lenses that got so much bad press from the YT personalities who called hem cheap plasitic kit lenses? The new large mount combined with the shortest flange distance in the industry promise big advantages in design options. I got the Kit 24-70 reluctantly because I had both G and E 24-70 2.8 so why would I need that "kit" lens when it was in the bundle? The first hour of shooting told me, without pixel peeping that he 24-70 at f/4 had identical sharpness across the frame that was clearly better at every FL and aperture the much more expensive 24-70 2.8E and had better stabilization. Zero color fringing, tack sharp in the corners that get pretty soft on the F mount lenses. Next I addd the 35 and 50 1.8 S. I have lots of fast glass in the 50-58 FL range and the only lens could come close in the center was my Sigma 1.4 ART but moving away from the center and the S lens stayd sharp, contrasty and zero CA and color fringing. The ART and Nikkors got better at f/8 but still not as good. The 35 is not a favorite FL for me, preferring longer or shorter but it was better than anthing else I had. The 24-70 f/4 S was better at 35 than my Nikkor 35 1/4G prime! mostly it was color and out of focus rendering in the center but wide open the fringing which is something you get used to until you see a lens that doesn't have it. Later the 24-70 2.8 came out in Z mount,a lot more expensive so I sold a body and got it after trying it in the store. Again, without pixel peeping it was clear, 100% correct picking which shot was with that lens. Wide open it is better across the frame than any other zoom I have used stopped down. It is crazy to even imagine a 2.8 being sharper and better color than a top zoom at F/8. I have never seen a zoom of any make that competed with the best primes at any FL. It tested the 14-30 f/4 zoom but did not buy it...running out of toy money but it was clearly better than my beloved 14-24 2.8. But I had a recent Tamron 15-30 2.8 G2 with excellent build and stabilization that is more than good enough for all my wide-angle needs Most of lenses are purchased for studio or environmental portraits, fashion, product and theater/actor headshots so have lots in the 85 to 200 mm range. I have the 85 1.4G, 1.8G, Sigma ART 1.4, 105 1.4, 105 2.8 DC, 135 2.0 DC and my old workhorse 70-200 2.8. All of them worked well with the Z6 but I used the 1.8 G most on the FTZ because if its size and for walking around lens. The DC lenses are manual focus on the Z cameras because those lenses require a body motor but with the excellent focus peaking on the Z bodies, they are a joy to use in MF. A week ago the country I now live in got their first 85 1.8 S lenses and bought one without even looking at it. Here it is a bit over $1000. I tested it by going to a favorite pub to have a beer, flirt with the waitresses and place in the darkly lit dark wood cozy pub. The first shot told me I did not waste a $1000. I ended up doing some candids of the girls, which turned out better than in person;>) they loved the photos and I loved the color, contrast, and creamy foggy out of focus rendering and it has not been off the camera in a week. If you have a Z body and do any work at 85, wide open or stopped down, this a great lens. The S lenses are the best-kept secret why the best mirrorless system is the Z out now. The rendering of specular and bokeh balls is really nice and Zero color fringing so wide open they are clean sharp edges without the loss of detail that CA/fringing normally brings. The bokeh balls are solid, without onion ringing. Shooting wide open using pinpoint AF or Eye AF if the subject is moving esults in almost every shot spot on. A friend bought a 58 f/0.95 but I have not been able to see it yet but if it is like the 1.8 S lenses, it is going to be killer. I am very interested in that lens but it might take 6-8 months to save for it AFTER I get the soon to be announced 70-200 2.8 S and sell off all my collection of F mount. Using the 24-70 2.8 and knowing every S lens has beaten their F counterparts, I have no doubt that S 70-200 2.8 will complete my lens needs.
is it worth selling the 50mm 1.8G for the Z 50mm 1.8 S? Not really interested in a 1.2 due to the pricing and taking pictures in 1.8 seems bokeh enough
Nikon have done a great job with this lens, except they’ve made a classic Nikon mistake. A $600 50mm f1.8 is hard to market. People hear the price and unless they do any research, they automatically think it’s too much for a 1.8. They should’ve made it a 1.7 or 1.6. But those of us who have researched realize that it’s a great price for the performance you get, and the incredible sharpness in a lightweight package is much more important than an extra 1/3-2/3 stops of aperture.
@@rattoh fair point. Although that has the benefit of saying Zeiss on the side. Many people seem to forget logic when they see the word "Zeiss" (or "Leica" as Panasonic has benefited from). Zeiss 55mm conjures up images of the $4000 Otus, while Nikkor 50 1.8 conjures up images of a $200 lens.
The temptation to get this lens keeps growing and growing.
Just got this lens for my ZF..it's amazing and more than enough for my type of work 💯
I own this lens and the Zeiss 55 1.8 for Sony EF mount. It’s sharper, superior bokeh, much better with backlight, and much better rendering from in focus to out of focus. How DxOMark rate the 55 Sony Zeiss a better lens is beyond me.
Million thanks for this real life comparison . Only confirms what other review sites like CameraLabs have said : the Nikon Z 50mm f/1.8 is better that the venerable Zeiss Otus 55 mm f/1.4 !! That's saying something .
How better than this can a lens get ? There's no way any other company Sony , Panasonic or Canon could get better if they could equal this level of performance.
That is the reason why we have growing confidence in the Nikon Z mount Mirrorlress systems as one of the best systems going forward .
Thank you so much Ricci for this painstakingly patient and detailed information about the lens performance
Thank you for watching !
I wanted to get this 50mm but later ended up buying the Voigtlander 40mm f1.4 with an adapter. No regrets so far.
I don't understand why sharpness has become so important which ends up pricing this lens so high.
Good overall IQ is important
I own both lenses: the Zeiss Otus 55 f1.4 and the Nikon Z Nikkor 50 f1.8S. Unfortunately, I have to say, with the aperture open, the Nikkor is better than the Otus. The Nikkor has zero CA. Only from aperture f4 the picture quality is about the same. Tested with the Z 7.
oh goodness
I hope to see the same quality on future lenses.
Wow. Could I ask you to shoot some stars wide open and check for "wings" in the corners please? (Astigmatism)
crop it 4:1 and then see the difference
sanch Sanchayan hes echoing what everyone that tested these lenses against each other are saying... it happens, newer technology in design and manufacturing making possible for a much less expensive lens to outperform a much older lens that happens to cost a lot.
The Z mount lenses are truly a revolutionary game-changer and thank you for demonstrating that to us.
Subbed.
Thanks for the in depth review Ricci. I'm blown away by the sharpness of this lens, especially when compared to the 105mm 1.4E. The only trade off for me is the onion skinned bokeh from those aspherical elements - otherwise I find the out of focus rendition very pleasing.
Great review man! I plan on picking up the 50mm f1.8. If the prices of these S line lenses are any indicator of what the 50mm f1.2 is going to cost. Then I can imagine that lens is going to start at no less than $2000 USD and be huge. The new Canon RF 50 f1.2 is about $2200 USD.
Thanks a lot !
I do think most people will be more than happy with the 1.8. Will have to wait and see what the F1.2 brings
Photo-Me-Ike get used to it 😀
I have a feeling that we are not going to see a f1.4 line.
It will be either f1.8 or f1.2.
All the new Nikon S lenses, because of the extra large lens mounts, will be sharper, lighter, and smaller than their complimentary F mount lenses. Or, for that matter, any other manufacturers equivalent lenses. This will become ever more obvious as time goes by. The extra large mount is going to be a coup for Nikon. Brilliant.
At about 22:00 it's *really* interesting how the F mount version of the lens just snaps into focus near instantly going from the background to foreground, while the Z mount lens slowly drifts from far to close. Yet the Z mount version can go from close to far focus smoothly, while the F mount is so bumpy and jerky trying to land far focus.
It's almost like the Z mount 50 is balanced for everything, while the F mount is tweaked for close-ups.
Yup it feels like the F mount could predict the close-ups
Holy cow! The Z-mount 50mm f1.8 seems out of this world! And your lens comparison is stellar! A million thanks Ricci!
Thank you 😊
Awesome review and very impressed by the comparison to the superb 105mm f1.4 Thank you so much!!!
Agreed !! this blew my mind.
That was such a high-quality Review, the side by side comparison is really making the difference!
Small Advice: Add some B-roll (shot on a slider) to step up your game even more, especially when it comes to build quality.
Thank you Ricci for this video. Rumors about the sharpness of this lens turns out to be very accurate. And the bokeh of the lens seem very good...
Very good review. I like your delivery style. I don’t use a 50mm often enough to justify the expense of a f1.2 lens. So this f/1.8 S on my new Z7 will fill the bill. Subscribed!
I have just bought the Z5 and blown away with the 24-50 kit lens. I think this one is going to be my next lens, hopefully before Christmas 🤶
I`m blown away by this lens! Phenomenal!
This is a great video! Good job. This settles a lot of questions for me on which 50mm F1.8 to buy for my Z6. Superb!
Thank you, Ricci! That "focus falloff" difference between the F-mount and the Z-mount is really noticeable. The Z series obviously produces the nicer focus gradient. Thank you for taking the time to shoot these images, and for sharing them with us! Looking forward to your upcoming video for Nikon users! Take care.
Thank you for watching!
@@RicciTalks My pleasure. (I've purchased this lens, and am VERY happy with it!
NIce review of the Nikkor S 50 f/1.8 lens! As a Fujifilm X-System landscape and product photographer, I value image sharpness and detail above all else in terms of lens quality. I am frankly deciding on whether to sell my excellent Fujifilm X-System for a FF kit, either the Nikon Z7 or the Sony a7Rlll. My question is, do you think that the Nikkor S 50 f/1.8 is at least as sharp as the renowned Sony FE 55 f/1.8? Thank you sir.
Excellent video Ricci. I agree with you regarding the way the rendering of the depth of field, truly outstanding. I’m in the latter camp so still deciding if I want to jump to mirrorless. I am slowly coming round to the idea based on these videos 👍👍
As always, a GREAT review. I’ve been noting a higher quality and sharpness off my S-series compared to my F-Mount. It’s nice to see that someone else is seeing the same. Thank you for the posting!
Hey i think i need help. i just listened at the focus breathing part.... your z50 1.8s makes no noise at all when focusing. mine does obvious focus noise when focusing from close range to the background in both video and photo. could it be a problem with my unit? :O
Mine is making noise when I change the aperture and when focusing as well.
Is this normal?
Great vid...question though. I'm looking at getting a Z6II and right now I can get the Z 50mm 1.8 or the Z 24-70 f4 for virtually the same price. I mainly shoot weddings, portraits/headshots, landscapes...which way would you go for a first Z lens? (My current most used lenses are my Sigma 18-35 Art 1.8 and Nikon 70-200 f4)
Interesting. The Z6 with the Z lens had more detail than the Z7 with the g series.
The sharpness of the Z mount 50mm is phenomenal. I hope you can also compare it to the 24-70mm Z mount when you decide to do its dedicated review. Im actually looking at the 24-70 but if the 50mm is still sharper at F4, it can change things a lot. Thanks for this review. Its always a pleasure to watch your review.
I have already done a 24-70 review ... but not a comparison between the two lenses
Thanks for pointing out your 24-70 review. Im just curious how the two lenses compare at f4, ie is 50mm better? There is really No rush. I am inclined to the f2.8 release of the 24-70. Thanks again!
I have a Z50 and just ordered this lens :) I tried the old 1.8G with the FTZ adapter, the picture quality was really good but as he mentioned the auto focus noise was too loud for videos.
Suresh Vinasithamby I just bought the same camera today with this lens. How are you enjoying it?
@@RVingTheCountry it's really good. The 50mm is very sharp. Never regret buying either of those things. Have fun with your gear
Excellent review, sir! As a landscape and product photographer who puts a premium on image sharpness and detail, I find this Nikkor S 50 f/1.8 to be the sharpest lens I've every used in 45 years of photography! That said though, for macro work, since the new 105 f/2.8 Mikkor S MC hadn't arrived when I git the Laowa f/2.8 Ultra-Macro lens, I found that for Macro (i.e., "Micro" in Nikon land) work, the Laowa renders a somewhat sharper image that this NIkkor S (only at its closest focus distance). So, my question is, how much sharper is the new Nikkor S 105 f/2.8 MC lens than this awesome Nikkor S 50 f/1.8 (at closest focus distance of course)? Thank you!~
I may need to add this to my kit. That’s a wicked sharp lens and has a $100 rebate locally. I love a good prime.
That was a shocking review. That sharpness is wild. Amazing job on this review. Thanks!
Thanks for watching!
Great review Ricci, I ordered one yesterday evening for what I consider to be a great UK price (£389 inc del.) and it arrives tomorrow. I'm really looking forward to using it!
Thanks for the review Ricci. I picked up the Z 50 this weekend and have been very impressed with the sharpness (making me feel better about the pricetag!). I have to say that I am very surprised about the F mount 50/F1.8 performance on the Z7 and Z6. I would have expected better sharpness. It has left me to wonder if the F mounts lenses suffer some degradation when paired with FTZ/Z bodies. Would be curious to see a D850 w/ F Mount 50/F1.8 versus Z7/FTZ w/ F Mount 50/F1.8.
I have the Z lenses 24-70 and 14-30 F4.5s for my Z6 but I am still thinking about this lens for low light and Gimbal work (mainly so I don’t have to keep rebalancing the Gimbal every time I change the focal length!)
Nice rev!, why no one is talking about this lens exeptt you..?
Thx for the review. I Hope to see a comparison to the Sigma Art.
Nikolaj Freiesleben me too!!! Please ☺️
Nikolaj Freiesleben me tooo
Nice review! Would you recommend this lens on a crop sensor camera? I'm thinking to get it for the z50 as it would be a great portrait/ short telephoto lens. Would be the image quality the same as on the z6/z7?
I absolutely love it on my
Z50
Nicely picks apart what we are getting with high quality modern designed lenses Vs classic designs, and the 50mm 1.8 is very much a classic the benchmark for quality when I was young, the sharpest in the bag for the most part. Stil at the price the Z series is not a like for like replacement you have to really want what it does to justify it over a kit lens + a specialist long lens for wildlife, a macro or portrait for example. I think one use case is as a replacement for faster trad primes like the 50mm 1.4 which are not very sharp wide open and not used much at that setting because of it , but are best when slightly stopped down where there is still plenty of leeway for soft background.
Pleasant and positive approach - thanks. After decades of using Nikon pro kit, my biggest pet peeve is not sharpness, but absence of chromatic aberration. The examples are not revealing as to this issue. So far I have not seen any review trying to illustrate how good these Z lenses are in this respect. If you do another test, I would look for that ,again.
Not seen any real signs of chromatic aberration in my shots but then Iv not looked extremely hard for it... I’ll see what I can do.
@@RicciTalks- fast, excellent, thanks. Take a sheet of white paper with text that has no copyright attached. Shoot it under continuous light spectrum light. Maybe 45 degree shooting angle. You'll see differences between aperture values in (DoF and) CA. IMO at CA, my 35/1.4G is very bad, the 85/1.4G not so good. Taking a lens that is known to have the issue could be a convenient starting point. The F 50/1.8 is probably in the 85/1.4G ballpark or slightly better. My prejudice is, generally, the faster lenses are worse.
Awesome video Ricci! I enjoy your reviews 👍🏻 Any 35mm 1.8 s review video on the to do list? Would love to see it! Go well!
The difference is huge! But my devil mind is thinking maybe because of adapter F mount lenses loses some quality?
Thats what i was thinking should have tested the f mount with the d850
I have to say that I wasn't happy with the higher price of the Z mount 50 f1.8 over the F mount 50 f1.8, but your demo seems to justify the price difference. Thanks for this review. ;-)
First Class video. Thank you Ricci.
Thanks a lot ! Thanks for watching
Would be keen to know how it compares against the 24-70 f4 for street use.
Thank you for explaining the 50 and show us the differences to the "old" 50.. appreciate that! :)
Just looking at the histogram change you can see the Zed is sharper..
This looks fantastic. Can't wait for the next versions of the Z cameras which hopefully will have dual card slots.
Since you work for Nikon, any idea why there's no F1.2 or 1.4 lenses in the roadmap except for the 50 1.2?
Nikon has made such a big deal about the Z mount size but not having faster lenses is sort of counter intuitive.
If the other f1.8 lenses are as good as this Z-50mm then who needs a f1.4 or f1.2??? What will you gain from a f1.4 or f1.2, a small amount of extra light and a lot of extra weight, all of which would negate the reason I moved to mirrorless. As for a dual card slot well every digital camera I owned until my last DSLR had only one card slot, what's the issue?
Very nice to see the sharpness difference between the F and Z lens. Surprising, with that big difference, how similar the bokeh balls are.
Yes, thanks for this great review. I'm gonna buy this lens now! Waiting for your next reviews...
Wow good job you helped me make a decision, my prime g lenses dont hold a candle to the native Z glass...WHAT A DIFFERANCE...LOL I was going to attempt to the f lens with the adapter for my cinema and photo work but not after seeing your video...I'm sold its fantastic. great video good job as always
this lens is crazy...must have
Damn Ricci. After watching this video I instantly bought the Nikon 50mm f/1.8 S lens.
Thanks so much ! Glad u found it useful !
the 50mm S lens is fantastic! can't wait for the 85mm!
This is by far the best 50mm 1.8 ive ever had.
Thank you for that video!!!!! Really important for decoding buy or not
Great review! Thanks for sharing. An incredible lens, it would be fantastic to combine it with extension tubes for macro photography. The only thing is that I guess there are no extension tubes for the Z cameras available.
awesome video, thanks for the review, I always buy gear based on your reviews, keep up the great work. Can you increase your voice audio a little bit? :D
50 s 1.8 vs sigma art 1.4 ..? that is the cuestion here.
Sigma is very sharp, has much better bokeh and is 1.4. Win win win then?
@@patryk2700 thanks i have the sigma, I wanted to know if Z was better
@@MrPrivara Per other's review, Z 50 1.8/s is sharper than Sigma 50 1.5ART
Thank you for your time and your nice review.
Great review. You did not comment on the onion ring pattern of bokeh balls with the Z-mount 50mm.
Nearly as good as the mighty Otus but 5 times cheaper and has an AF! Well done Nikon! Great review Ricci!
Thanks a lot for watching
I't more than a joke that DPreview vote it to the worst lens of 2018!.
i use my Z 50mm 1.8S also for a month and absolutely love it on my Z6. I never had/saw a sharper lens from edge to edge (even at 1.8) with no color failure and such smooth transitions at videos.
Hi @Ricci Talks is this Z 50mm f1.8 worth it on the Nikon Z50 APS-C since the smaller sensor camera does not have IBIS? Please let me know if it’s worth the bigger price compared to the cheaper glass F mount for the Z50 APS C thanks
Love the music can I ask where did you get it from?
Awesome review, thanks so much
Hey Ricci. Thanks for the review. Very helpful, I think I'm going to move from pentax for the Z. Do you have a link to the sample images?
"individual bits of dust on the fan... lovely" also, in a restaurant around food. LOL
Keeping up with the good content, ty!
Thank you for this very interesting review. Are you planing on making on of the 35 mm S lens?
Excellent review. I have not owned a "normal" 50mm lens since my film days, but I think this one is going to end up in my bag.
Any estimates on availability of f1.2 50mm for the Z, I realize it's on the roadmap for next year.
I am also interested in the 1.2 that is why I have not purchased the 1.8 yet. I sold my Zeiss Milvus 50mm/1.4 mainly due to the CA.
Nikon just made an announcement for it.
Its a sharp lens. I was surprised when i first used it. Very cheap priced too i got mine at £423 delivered. This lens is significantly sharper than the Z 24-70 f4 that comes with the camera.
E-infinity online camera store
Is it normal that it makes some noise while focusing or trying to hold focus? I noticed this in a silent room, after travelling with it in the bag... The kit lens seems to be more silent...
awesome review! great comparison. I'm convinced :D
A Different thing to the classic double Gaus nify fifty designs even though it's nominally the same. Gets you into Leica territory at a fraction of the price.
Fantastic Ricci - the 50mm Z lens looks brilliant. Do you own the 35mm as well - if so how do you find that lens.
I do have the 35mm as well. I personally prefer the 50mm but purely because of the focal length not because of quality.
Amazing review, just made my purchase
Thanks for the review Ricci. My question would be, how does this lens compare for sharpness in comparison to the new 24-70 (set at 50mm) at a similar aperture- f8 for example??
This is a great question I will pick this up in an upcoming video if that’s ok !
Cheers@@RicciTalks ! I'm thinking of a way I can sell everything I own and buying a Z7. (This would include any limbs, and vital organs etc lol) but then which lens to buy to go with it??? The 24-70 f4, when bought as a kit is virtually the price as the 50mm f1.8 , but the zoom lens would obviously be more versatile.
I have done a review of the 24-70mm too could be worth watching that.
Depending on what you shoot like you say the 24-70 is much more flexible
@@MichaelJenkinson Sold a few limbs and now have the Z7 and 24-70, I would like to say how good it is but unfortunately as I am missing a few limbs turing the zoom ring past the locking position has been impossible :D :D :D Seriously, the Z7 kit is one stunning piece of kit, one of my better photographic decisions.
Please do one with the 35 and the sigma art:)
capturedbyannamarie yeesssss
Excellent objective review. More of the same pls !
Excellent Job ! thanks
what soft ware are you using to demonstrate 1:1, 2:1, 4:1 and such ? TY.
I was concerned about the bokeh as DP Review had rated the Z-50mm f1.8 as one of the worst lenses of 2018 due to the terrible bokeh but based on what you have shown in this video that DPR rating is clearly a load of hogwash.
I have some questions, although I am unsure if you can or will be able to answer them: The 2019 roadmap indicates that there will be 6 lenses launched this year, the 58mm Noct is likely to be the first launched (probably going to be awesome but not something I plan to purchase as it will be too pricey for my pocket) but what will come next? How do you see the roll-out progressing and do you have your sights set on a specific lens due for launch this year?
An excellent video Ricci thanks for posting, now I have the dilemma of whether to part-ex my AFS 50mm f1.8 for the Z-50mm or sit tight!!!
btw... DP Review admitted that they had mistaken the lens for another lens... it's on their website, however the damage has been done as so many people have seen that rubbish of a video already... also their conclusion for the worst lens of the year was made without them personally handling the lens at all... it was based on some images they saw that were taken by some other lens, which they mistook for the 50mm... surely not the most reliable website to go to for reviews...
Im confused . What lens should i buy nikkor 50mm 1.8s or sigma 1.4 art for my z 6
I just purchased the 50f1.8 and i can feel
and hear the af especialy at continuose focusing. Is this normal? because i have the z24-70 f4 and its totally silent. Everything works well just was wondering if it was normal. thanks.
I just brought this lens in second market. Z50mm F1.8 had noise during focusing. Is it normal?
At this price point, I think you should'v compared the Z 50 1,8 to the F 50 1,4 no?
A lot of people regard the fmount 50 1.8 as a better lens than the fmount 50 1.4 and more people have the 50mm 1.8 that was the reason behind it
Wait.... AF speed +5? You can adjust speed?
Any astro shots yet please? What's the actual focus throw please (I find my 24-70 z barely over 90 degrees!)
Have you reviewed the 35mm 1.8 s
I love shooting my Z6, and my D850 had since getting it, the big gripped best DSLR-ever-made, sits on the shelf next to the D800. excellent evf and handling are a pleasure to use. BUT, as goods the camera is, the real benefit is the S lenses. I remember the usual RUclips gurus panned the bodies and lenses causing slow sales at first but as more people got them and realized they had been lied to for marketing and view count boost and realize none of those over million subscriber channels that push Sony day in and day out, are actual photographers, one was a marketing specialist another hung around punk bands and took bad photos of bad bands, and another was on Sony direct payroll and each makes over a $1million a year making videos and nothing from photos.
What is special about the S lenses that got so much bad press from the YT personalities who called hem cheap plasitic kit lenses? The new large mount combined with the shortest flange distance in the industry promise big advantages in design options. I got the Kit 24-70 reluctantly because I had both G and E 24-70 2.8 so why would I need that "kit" lens when it was in the bundle? The first hour of shooting told me, without pixel peeping that he 24-70 at f/4 had identical sharpness across the frame that was clearly better at every FL and aperture the much more expensive 24-70 2.8E and had better stabilization. Zero color fringing, tack sharp in the corners that get pretty soft on the F mount lenses. Next I addd the 35 and 50 1.8 S. I have lots of fast glass in the 50-58 FL range and the only lens could come close in the center was my Sigma 1.4 ART but moving away from the center and the S lens stayd sharp, contrasty and zero CA and color fringing. The ART and Nikkors got better at f/8 but still not as good. The 35 is not a favorite FL for me, preferring longer or shorter but it was better than anthing else I had. The 24-70 f/4 S was better at 35 than my Nikkor 35 1/4G prime! mostly it was color and out of focus rendering in the center but wide open the fringing which is something you get used to until you see a lens that doesn't have it. Later the 24-70 2.8 came out in Z mount,a lot more expensive so I sold a body and got it after trying it in the store. Again, without pixel peeping it was clear, 100% correct picking which shot was with that lens. Wide open it is better across the frame than any other zoom I have used stopped down. It is crazy to even imagine a 2.8 being sharper and better color than a top zoom at F/8. I have never seen a zoom of any make that competed with the best primes at any FL. It tested the 14-30 f/4 zoom but did not buy it...running out of toy money but it was clearly better than my beloved 14-24 2.8. But I had a recent Tamron 15-30 2.8 G2 with excellent build and stabilization that is more than good enough for all my wide-angle needs
Most of lenses are purchased for studio or environmental portraits, fashion, product and theater/actor headshots so have lots in the 85 to 200 mm range. I have the 85 1.4G, 1.8G, Sigma ART 1.4, 105 1.4, 105 2.8 DC, 135 2.0 DC and my old workhorse 70-200 2.8. All of them worked well with the Z6 but I used the 1.8 G most on the FTZ because if its size and for walking around lens. The DC lenses are manual focus on the Z cameras because those lenses require a body motor but with the excellent focus peaking on the Z bodies, they are a joy to use in MF. A week ago the country I now live in got their first 85 1.8 S lenses and bought one without even looking at it. Here it is a bit over $1000. I tested it by going to a favorite pub to have a beer, flirt with the waitresses and place in the darkly lit dark wood cozy pub. The first shot told me I did not waste a $1000. I ended up doing some candids of the girls, which turned out better than in person;>) they loved the photos and I loved the color, contrast, and creamy foggy out of focus rendering and it has not been off the camera in a week. If you have a Z body and do any work at 85, wide open or stopped down, this a great lens. The S lenses are the best-kept secret why the best mirrorless system is the Z out now. The rendering of specular and bokeh balls is really nice and Zero color fringing so wide open they are clean sharp edges without the loss of detail that CA/fringing normally brings. The bokeh balls are solid, without onion ringing. Shooting wide open using pinpoint AF or Eye AF if the subject is moving esults in almost every shot spot on.
A friend bought a 58 f/0.95 but I have not been able to see it yet but if it is like the 1.8 S lenses, it is going to be killer. I am very interested in that lens but it might take 6-8 months to save for it AFTER I get the soon to be announced 70-200 2.8 S and sell off all my collection of F mount. Using the 24-70 2.8 and knowing every S lens has beaten their F counterparts, I have no doubt that S 70-200 2.8 will complete my lens needs.
Z6 body and I own the Nikkor 50mm 1.4g is worth it to sell that lens and purchase the Nikon Z 50mm1.8?
I would say so yes
is it worth selling the 50mm 1.8G for the Z 50mm 1.8 S? Not really interested in a 1.2 due to the pricing and taking pictures in 1.8 seems bokeh enough
I would certainly say so
Thank you
It was really useful
Thx
Great one man ......You rock....👏
Great strategy from nikon. Make best f1.8 ever and make f1.2 for those who actually need f1.2
Any astro examples please?
Have you used the Z 35mm? If so, which is sharper, 35 or 50?
Nikon have done a great job with this lens, except they’ve made a classic Nikon mistake. A $600 50mm f1.8 is hard to market. People hear the price and unless they do any research, they automatically think it’s too much for a 1.8. They should’ve made it a 1.7 or 1.6. But those of us who have researched realize that it’s a great price for the performance you get, and the incredible sharpness in a lightweight package is much more important than an extra 1/3-2/3 stops of aperture.
Didn't stop Sony from selling a lot of their $998 Sony Zeiss 55 1.8...
@@rattoh fair point. Although that has the benefit of saying Zeiss on the side. Many people seem to forget logic when they see the word "Zeiss" (or "Leica" as Panasonic has benefited from). Zeiss 55mm conjures up images of the $4000 Otus, while Nikkor 50 1.8 conjures up images of a $200 lens.
Does it have image stabilization in it... As nikon say vr.
It does not have VR. The Z7 and Z6 have VR in the body.
Why would anyone need a 1.2 50mm. And why presume it would be sharper.
How does this lens do on the z5 ?
It does fantastic
I use that set up for a lot of different types of photography
@@RicciTalks definitely will purchase one today thank you for the reply