Nikkor Z 50mm f/1.8 S lens review with samples (Full-frame & APS-C)

...and what's the most obvious choice for my second Nikon Z lens review? Their fast 50mm lens option, of course. It's got a reputation for being sharp - let's see how it really performs.
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All sample pictures taken by me on a Nikon Z7 camera.
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Music:
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[@Eihei]

People who complain that it's "too expensive for nifty fifty" need to understand that it's NOT a plastic fantastic nifty fifty. It's simply a Nikon version of Sony Zeiss 55mm 1.8, except it's slightly sharper and cheaper than Sony. It's absolutely amazing lens.

[@trym2121]

Cheaper really depends on buying used or not. But better is indisputable with very low chroma, sharp, etc.

[@user-fd8eh4vu1w]

I haven't used the lens or nikon z system but I own a zeiss 55/f1.8. From the pricing I guessed it would be a zeiss 55 competitor and from the review I can conclude it is exactly what I thought it would be.

[@todanrg3]

@M Tech I rather get a very high quality 50mm 1.8 like this one than a monster 1.2 version. Aperture is not everything, sometimes other parameters are more important.

[@hofra01]

@M Tech phones are taking over, cameras are coming to an end, loool. Man I have iPhone 12 pro Max and guess what my Sony Zv1 outperforms it all day everyday in every way imaginable. And that is only 1inch sensor size. If you think that phones will replace a dedicated camera then you live in an illusion. Phone cameras are just to record memory’s and quick snap snap and that’s pretty it. Every other things dedicated camera all day everyday.

[@hofra01]

@M Tech oh and I forgot to mention that Sony Zv1 is cheaper than the pro Max lol, hallelujah.

[@chrisparkes]

I cannot overstate how perfect this lens is. Every single time I use it, it delivers. Every. Single. Time.

[@lorenschwiderski]

Can it be used without the hood, with little flare or contrast issues? I am thinking street use.

[@chrisparkes]

@@lorenschwiderski you caaaaaan but I’d advise having the hood to hand on very bright days?

[@LawerChannel]

This lens is just insane. If some day I'll move to Nikon Z system this will be my first lens.

[@coltoncyr2283]

I'm contemplating this as well. I have few Nikon lenses, I'm struggling to sell them. I want to go Sony because of lens options and costs, however I can't get the money back... might as well stick with Nikon and get the adapter.. hmm

[@trym2121]

@@coltoncyr2283 optically this is better than zeiss 55mm. You can compare the sharpness and LoCA. In fact, Zeiss 55mm LOCA is worse than Sony nifty fifty which is softer. If you like 50mm, this has no compromise optically, just the money

[@princekhandelwal8069]

Thanks to your review i bought this Lens for my Nikon ZFC and i'm so happy as the first day in studio when i shot with it without any light just directly amd everyone got shocked that how much clear, sharp and contrasty that image came out, and it was looking much better than my sir's Canon R6 with 85mm 1.4 lens and he was also using studio light but still can't get those colours, contast and sharpness like mine, so happy with this pair and i bought this lens new for 430 dollar here in india.

[@andgainingspeed]

With 5 1.8 primes at 20, 24, 35, 50 and 85, Nikon has already covered a lot of popular focal lengths with solid performers. Prices seems average against their other ML brands and quality is good. It might not be as sexy as the larger aperture primes that are bound to show up at some point but it looks like Nikon chose the sensible road map. Except for the 50mm f0.95.🤑

[@marc6652]

This combo would be my dream : Z7ii + 50 f:1,8. Period. This lens is light, discret, affordable, and one of the sharpest AF 50mm for hybrid cameras (with the excellent 55 f:1,8 Sony-Zeiss). And for those who prefer a 50 f:1,4, Sigma will soon propose the (heavy and big) ART series in Nikon mount.

[@detectivejonesw]

At f4 this lens is absolutely phenomenal quality, and wide open it's still excellent for any use case you would have for it

[@pahountisg]

I wish canon would make also such a lens, light but high quality, and with a reasonable price. I appreciate the rf 1.2 but it is pricey and heavy.

[@rayng4249]

you can get the 50mm 1.8 EFS STM from canon for about 120 USD. Its light and superb for the price, and the adapter that comes with the R and RP (During promotions) is superb,a good as mounting it natively

[@pahountisg]

@@rayng4249 thank you Ray but it is really a not a lens I would buy. I have the sigma art 1.4 for the ef mount. The Nikon 1.8 lens is a really nice lens and not a crappy cheap lens like the canon :) in other words I m willing to pay more for something with no major compromises like this Nikon lens

[@Boros777]

The more budget friendly RF options will probably come soon, for now there is only EF or the 35mm

[@Boros777]

Kafala that will change really quick when they release the first budget camera... But I think it made sense to start building the lineup with the professional lenses...

[@sarfaraz.hosseini]

This lens goes on sale every year for $435/£350. I don't know if Nikon will do a summer sale this year, but keep an eye out.

[@floods0ftears]

This lens is insanely good, and there are often a discounts and Nikon deals so it can be had for about 375€ which is great price. This lens experts say is Zeiss Otus 55 quality with AF and much less money, so good deal however you look at.

[@kristianaltmann7721]

Love your lens tests especially for the corner sharpness and now even with the coma. These are very if not the most important aspects for astro photography. Greetings from austria.

[@tpp5151]

I truly love the 50mm prime lens. There is something about the quality of the 50mm that produces beautiful shots with lots of light and beautiful colors. The photos also have a nostalgic property to them, in my opinion, possibly because many of our old film family photos feature prime lenses. The 50mm and 35mm are essential to even the amateur photographer, even more than a zoom lens I think.

[@Avinash-wg7xl]

this lens sits on my z6 24/7 and i can say for sure that this lens is simply the best 50mm lens ever made.. there is no exaggeration in my statement, its simply a fact.. even nikon couldn't replicate the same performance in other z mount lenses

[@christopherfrost]

It's a nice, nice lens...if you can afford it :-)

[@skydj100]

Love this lens even with my Nikon Z50.

[@toniagutierrez6464]

I have that cámara . Will it fit?

[@TheNeybor]

@@toniagutierrez6464 Yes. Just be aware that you will be shooting at a 75mm full frame equivalent.

[@toniagutierrez6464]

@@TheNeybor what does it mean?

[@sameerchakma]

@@toniagutierrez6464 aps-c sensors are smaller and thus have a crop of 1.5x which is 75 mm in this case.

[@debanjanliverpool]

@@sameerchakma does it affect even the aperture of the lens? Like f1.8 being f1.8x1.5 crop shooting on dx bodies?

[@tuomas_h]

Thanks for the great review - it illustrates perfectly why I love this lens with my Z 6 and I rarely go anywhere without it.

[@UXXV]

I just compared this to my old AFS 50mm 1.4 F mount and it’s blows it away. Bokeh looks far better too. Glad I picked this one up!

[@escapewheel821]

Used this with the Z6 and Z50 and it's spectacular. It is big and somewhat expensive for a 50/1.8, but when you see what it's capable of, it's a bargain compared to some competitor's lenses. Nikon just needs to hurry up and release some compact primes or open the mount up to 3rd party developers.

[@trym2121]

You gotta try sigma 56. That's the best lens for apsc sensor. For me, it's better than many 50mm-ish FF lenses as well.

[@AbhisekDutta94]

Hey will this be a good choice for Z50, given neither the body nor the lens has VR/ image stabilization?

[@alvarochan1829]

Speed of change in focus can be adjusted in camera, I've heard.

[@Harnam99]

Yes you heard right

[@shawnzhu9027]

Just got this lens, I have to say it is definitely worth the value, it is super sharp with an insane resolution

[@Azeemmerchant]

Could u kindly compare Nikon Z and Sony fe equivalent lenses... Nikon Z 50mm vs zeiss 55mm f1.8 fe Nikon Z 35mm vs Sony 35mm f1.8 fe

[@floods0ftears]

Nikon Z 50 is better than Sony 55 in every way. Nikon 35 is about the same as Sony, less sharp wide open but more uniform sharpness across the frame and much less chromatic aberrations. You cant go wrong with any modern lens these days.

[@panhaveng6788]

@@floods0ftears Where did you watch the review ? highly appreciate if you can provide the link

[@Photomeike]

@@AIP404 Yeah I agree. I used the 55mm f1.8 on the A9 and was blown away by its performance. The 55mm is a Zeiss. and Zeiss makes some awesome quality glass, pricey as well.

[@karim1485]

Alejandro Ilukewitsch 55mm 1.8 is one of the few I didn‘t sell and take with me allthe time. Such a fast focus, super sharp, light and plain awesome!

[@lilnape2604]

Alejandro Ilukewitsch blog.kasson.com/nikon-z6-7/nikon-50-1-8-s-otus-55-on-z7-zony-55-on-a7riii/ CliffsNotes: negligible differences in center. Nikon 50 1.8S is significantly sharper than the Sony 55 outside of center. Nikon lens also has much less chromatic aberration. Both are absolutely excellent. Otus slightly better than the Nikon.

[@carloscipriani2438]

Esta revisión se ajusta a la realidad. Es un objetivo fantástico. En la Z5 también da imágenes con nitidez fabulosa!!!!!

[@timlinssen]

Epic lens, but the price might be a bit much at first glance for a 1.8... However well earned, as this review show once more. The trick is to wait for a good sale price. Got mine from Germany for around 370 euros.

[@HarryPowerColt]

Where?

[@AlanHoey86]

@@HarryPowerColt I'd like to know this also!

[@floods0ftears]

​@@AlanHoey86 what is there to know? Nikon had discounts all over Europe twice last year. 200-400€ discount on all Nikon Z gear and many F mount lenses. I got 50/1.8 for 375€ in Slovenia and every shop in most countries had such discounts including Germany.

[@diatomsaus]

I heard Germany Amazon had a really epic sale where the 50mm 1.8S was sold for 350 Euros or something. I got mine for $500 AUD used, 300 euros. I'd be happy to pay 50 more to get a new copy with the box.

[@patrick.771]

I hope Nikon give us cashbacks this summer. My local camera shop doesn't know if there will be discounts on Nikon but in about 2 weeks there will start a Sony cashback. Hoping to get a Z6 with 24-70, 14-30 and 50 mm ... it really makes sense to wait for Nikon discounts - you get a new camera + lenses for the price of a used one.

[@derrysam1990]

Brilliant review. Just what I wanted to see before getting meself a copy 👍

[@skylight_zone3313]

Would be interesting to see a review on NIKKOR Z DX 18-140mm f/3.5-6.3 VR

[@dct124]

I agree with Peter Read Miller, these days faster lenses aren't worth what they once were, so instead of buying a 1.2 or 1.4 lens turn up your ISO if you have a modern camera. Of course if you think the bokeh between 1.8 and 1.4 is enough to spend extra money by all means cut the check. I personally don't see the purpose of 1.4 any longer and would just go to 1.2 or .95

[@yuval9064]

Would love to see a z50 review with the z full frame lenses like 24-70f4 and 20 f1.8

[@patrick.771]

and with the 16-50 kit lens :)

[@shadyninja1]

I've been watching Mr Frost since 2015 and my efforts have paid dividends through this video. Please don't forget to post one on the Z 35mm 1.8 S and the lord will reward you in heaven

[@p.sethia1830]

love it on my z50!

[@IanWilkinson]

Spoiler alert: it's a great lens!

[@HR-wd6cw]

Out of the primes in the Z system so far, this is probably my favorite because of it's versatility. The price is a bit high, but it is also very good optically, so I can live with the higher price tag. It is a nifty fifty but it's doesn't have the built or optics of the F-mount G version which is truly a cheaper nifty fifty -- not as sharp, and build quality feels more cheap than the Z version. Although the G version was a lot smaller, which is beneficial in some cases, but I actually like that the Z version is a bit bigger. EAsier to hold (using proper handling/grip) although I would have possibly liked to see them make the focus ring smaller, and maybe add a a slim secondary ring that you could use for things like aperture control or exposure compensation (as I've grown to like this feature on the Zoom lenses that have this extra ring).

[@analogdesigner]

Christopher, thanks again for another superb lens review and I'm a Canon guy!

[@frederikvanreusel]

Gonna wait an spare some money for a Z5 + FTZ + 50mm 1.8s, looks like the perfect camera and lens to get into FF mirrorless while still being able to use the lenses that I use on my D3500 and D7200 right now

[@patrick.771]

Thank you for your reviews! Help a lot when you have to decide between two cameras or lenses. Would love to see a Nikon Z50 + kit lenses review too :)

[@JB-ou6fl]

Great review! Thanks for making this video. You've convinced me to buy this lens.

[@Photomeike]

Well done!

[@Ohlukei]

a comparison with the nikkor dx 16-50 and the nikkor dx 50-250 at 50 mm would be interesting

[@benni1015]

A great review for a great lens. Maybe you could make a video about lets say the "Evolution" of Nikons 50mm lenses, starting in the 1970-80s with the Nikon Serie e 50mm f1.8 and ending with the Nikon z.

[@MetalSlugzMaster]

Wow. HUGE improvement over the previous generation DSLR 50's. Worth the price IMO. Only real concern is flare. This lens will fog and reduce contrast in some situations, and you can see that in the last example shot with the backlit statue.

[@Agm1995gamer]

Juat got my Z5 in the mail Now to wait for the next paycheck for a lens and memory card XD

[@cohoonatube]

Great Review thanks! As a previous Nikon DSLR user, I still find Nikon colors to best... the best of them :). Loved the Greek closeup. I wish Nikon would give us the D3600 variable rear screen. Great content, Sub'd.

[@Mr09260]

I Love mine ..Super Sharp and Image Quality better than Zeiss Otus

[@nathan88274]

Hi christopher! Love your videos, and you are my go to when it comes to lens reviews. Please do review some Nikon DX lenses when you have the time for that, there are still lots of us out here! In particular I'm interested in the best value for money telephoto for Nikon DX. Thanks, take care.

[@p.sethia1830]

this is magnificent on my z50

[@ElGrecoDaGeek]

Christopher, I recently got a barely used (NIB return) 50 1.8 S at B&H. Works great but the AF motor is audibly louder than that of my 20-70 f4 S and my 35mm 1.8 s. While the AF motor definitely has an audible wine to it, as I was trying to figure it out I noticed that the aperture "flutters" as focus changes contributing to the noise. It's most obvious if you manual focus the lens slowly. It flutters every so often. If you focus a tad bit faster it flutters even more. It's as if there some sort of crosstalk between the AF motor and the aperture motor. I don't think this is normal, but have you seen this in your copy? I'd hate to RMA a perfectly good lens if this is some sort of quirk that the lens exhibits (though my gut tells me it's a defect of this specific lens and may even be why it was originally returned). Thanks in advance.

[@iyzyz]

Phenomenal lens.

[@evertonporter7887]

Wait till the Chinese get their hands on it LOL...

[@videojeroki]

I never been into Nikon, but this lens and the 35mm f/1.8 make me want to jump to the Z.

[@pizzablender]

Christopher is waiting for a Samyang AF lens for the Sony Z system...

[@coltoncyr2283]

The manual lenses? Please dont even bother! It's 2020!!!! I believe Tamron will start to engineer Z lenses, now THATS worth waiting for!

[@wilko4085]

I have the nikon z5. I am looking to do family portraits. Is this the best lens for this?

[@carloscipriani2438]

No conozco otro lente que haya recibido tantos comentarios favorables como este Z 50mm f/1.8

[@nomdutilisateur]

I love how subtly you inserted piano music. Any special setting to get that result? It felt like it’s coming from behind me while your voice was in front of me.

[@elboogie2324]

I just got the Z6II and I'm getting this lens used.

[@SimonMcCabe]

Hi Chris - Recommend your channel, which I love by the way, on my vlog out this evening.

[@kevingoza]

Great review! Love the focus on the Greek New Testament!

[@cryptobyt2403]

The cheap nift fifty for z is 40/2

[@haydar9004]

Never have any nikon camera, nor intend to get one in recent day, but still watch this review anyway

[@parthsethia4223]

It's a really enjoyable lens. Easily found on a great price second hand...

[@vaibhavpisal]

I thought this was a review of noct 58mm when I saw thumbnail. It looks quiet big in your thumbnail.

[@adleneboulebtateche156]

Christopher, you're the best lens reviewer on KZbin. Your Channel diserves a lot more subscribers.

[@stjepanjina]

AF speed can be changed in the menu, so this speed is definitely not a real data of how fast the lens or AF is.

[@RagingBubuli]

Nikon Z got a Medium Format mount. Is Nikon planning to make Medium Format Body?

[@jtouch2859]

i would to see review for meyer optik trioplan 50mm & 100mm version ii , you can find them in b&h

[@scottluterotty9923]

Just curious. . . What's 'covered-up' on your lens? Purchase store? Rental shop? Return info? I'm thinking if I spend $500 on a lens and it comes in with an advet , , I'd return it

[@jonfletcher147]

You're the man Chris!

[@Bikash_Jana]

Excellent review.. ❤

[@momchilyordanov8190]

My previous camera was Z6. I was not very impressed by it (apart of the sensor), but all Z lenses that I had, were significantly better than the F-mount ones. It was noticeable in real world use, I'm not surprised it shows in testing too.

[@16-bit-trip5]

I'm curious, what did you switch to? I currently shoot with an A7RIII(main body), D800 (back up), and X-T30 (go anywhere) and would be interested in moving to Nikon Z system as my primary system in the future but not until they get more time to refine their bodies.

[@momchilyordanov8190]

@@16-bit-trip5 I went completely different way. Switched to Olympus, because wanted the whole system to be smaller and easier to carry around :)

[@davidmanze7563]

Good job!!

[@adeebmd5701]

Do you think that nikon would release an APSC mirrorless, but a D7XXX series equivalent ?

[@pramodkati561]

I have z50... would you recommend to buy 50mm 1.8s for sharp images? or would you recommend 85mm 1.8s?

[@ohneyn27]

Awesome, thanks!

[@artsmodelstation9396]

Is the lens truly completely silent ? Mine I can hear the inner motor working. Buzz sound. Is this normal ? Or should I expect no noise whatsoever?

[@Gondolaberry]

Chris, what is the reason for the felt or velcro that you have on the lens near the writing?

[@djchips]

Will you ever review the Nikon 35mm 1.8 S lens?

[@MindaKaronwithG]

Hey chris can you review the afs nikkor 50 1.8g coz u already compared it to this 50 1.8s.. thanks

[@mas921]

what I like about this lens is its microcontrast, its almost like the zeiss' 3d pop

[@christopherfrost]

LOL please tell me you are trolling me right now ;-)

[@mas921]

@@christopherfrost ?? am..not... 😥.... its no batis ofcourse, but i definitely think its better than the typical nikkor lens in that aspect.

[@jimstirling7223]

@@mas921 It competes well enough with the Zeis Otus for those complaining about the price :-) blog.kasson.com/nikon-z6-7/nikon-50-1-8-s-otus-55-on-z7-zony-55-on-a7riii/

[@airjaff]

I thought thus lens was a pretty good price considering its performance, I think I bought it for just over £350

[@AbhisekDutta94]

Will this work fine on Z50 given that neither the body nor the lens has VR/image stabilization?

[@dima1353]

I really like this philosophy.

[@tommihommi1]

This is a great lens, but the 1.8G is half the price, smaller, lighter, and still performs very well. It kinda should be a 1.4 at this size, it looks like there's a lot of material around the lens elements that makes it bigger, probably some fancy element movements going on to reduce breathing

[@avinashrai11141]

1.8g is 1/3 of price of z 1.8

[@JamesClark1991]

I wish Sony's 50mm 1.8 was this good 😔

[@coltoncyr2283]

Sony has 4749382 more lens options, don't feel sorry, and the new Tamron E lenses are the best $/quality lenses ever made. Wish I could switch to Sony. Oh well.

[@quangpham4372]

Your voiceover sounds a little different lately. Any changes in your sound recording equipment, or are you entering puberty again for some reasons?

[@christopherfrost]

Not sure about puberty hehe, but I do have a minor long-term health issue which can sometimes affect my voice

[@DentargPL]

I do not even plan to own any Nikon bodies. But still watched :).

[@wanbhakupardkhar1588]

Bro i have a lens of 18-55mm(without VR mode)NIKON D3400, idk it has been one year i think sometimes it works and sometimes it shows LENS NOT ATTACHED even though I've attached it correctly, and now it doesn't work anymore...it only work on MANUAL MODE that also i can't control the APERTURE, and it shows that it is a NON CPU LENS. how to fix it bro..please reply brother.😭

[@christopherfrost]

No idea, sorry. Try contacting Nikon

[@AmirulNoorazmi]

Chris, how do you record what the camera is seeing in your EVF? 🙈 You are like my first point of reference before purchasing any lenses 🔥

[@thegrayyernaut]

HDMI is the answer :3

[@AmirulNoorazmi]

@@thegrayyernaut I looked at the camlink option, but abit costly though for a beginner KZbinr like myself 🥺

[@sloppyjoe9156]

Hi Christopher. I'd love to see reviews of the DX Z mount lenses that come bundled with the Nikon z50. There's a 16-50 pancake and a 50-250 compact zoom both are f3.5-6.3 .You can also buy them separately so don't think you need to go buying another camera and return them after the review if you don't want them.

[@pinkybreak8411]

Is it worth changing from my Nikkor 50mm 1.8 on the FTZ adapter to this one?

[@ghas4151]

This Z 50mm has legendary optical performance. On another planet to the F-mount 50mm f1.8.

[@Hofsaedter]

How does it against the sigma art 50mm 1.4 ?

[@toniagutierrez6464]

Why does the focus goes green from red

[@ttgrigoriy]

I believe that Nikon could have made a lens with a bigger apperture, but it would cost much more and would have been much heavier - to remain the same picture quality and low focus breathing at open apperture, even for one stop of exposure. But this lens does look like a great one for its size, though the apperture is 1.8. Thank you for another great review!

[@opalyankaBG]

And Nikon will still make a lens exactly like what you're describing - it's the future 50mm f/1.2.

[@ttgrigoriy]

Yoan Mitov That's great, isn't that. =) Bigger choice for those who wish to pay more for a wider aperture. We'll have to see is Christopher will review it sometime. =) I suppose though, that it's still going to have a decent sharpness at the edges at open aperture.

[@robertcudlipp3426]

How, realistically, do both Canon and Nikon expect to attract volume purchasers to their new mirrorless bodies FF if the native glass is so expensive? I will not repeat this post in the video you have done on the Nikon 24-7?

[@thomsn5670]

Two to three times a year Nikon executes sales programes and cashbacks and during that phases the 50mm f/1.8 was already available for as little as ~300 EUR.

[@koolkutz7]

And look at the price of Panasonic's lenses too; their 50mm F1.4 is £2,300 in UK-insane!

[@Mahatma618]

why not f:1.4 for that price?

[@avinashrai11141]

Please review 50mm f1.8g

[@xander2drax]

Thanks!

[@christopherfrost]

Thanks!

[@Drvishnucnair]

Best reviews

[@aimeecute4216]

A great lens

[@frankluo230]

Next obvious choice of test is the Noct 58mm F0.95 the review will gain you double the subscribers by that alone. Lol

[@TheGeoDaddy]

Focus Drift was why I chose to stick with my legacy Nikkor 1.8 (sharper than 1.4) nifty 50mm since I mostly manual focus on my Rhino Arc II

[@parthsethia4223]

Nice!

[@peterhamilton7218]

I'm going to need you to pick up a Panasonic S series camera and start testing their lenses on the L mount! Just in case you needed more lenses to review.

[@doctorrunef4534]

First. Never been this early! Another fantastic review.

[@jwproductions5070]

DoctorRunef haha same lol

[@MrNecropodo]

2:26 I think nikon Z lenses are the most good looking nikon lenses, the most sexys.