Nikon AF-S Nikkor 58mm f/1.4G Hands-on Review

[@DigitalrevTV]

Nikon's new 58mm f/1.4 is a sly nod to one of their classic lenses - has it all gone a bit "DF" or is high-priced prime worth the premium price tag? Nikon AF-S Nikkor 58mm f/1.4G Review

[@sebastiangeisler8999]

Guess it's time to make a battle of the fifties. Sigma 50 1.4, the upcoming Sigma 50 1.4 Art, the Nikons and the otus?!

[@deathguitarist12]

Steve Jobs Its purpose was also to avoid coma for point light sources at night such as in astrophotography applications. Hence another reason it is absurd this was not tested at night.

[@ombanggoel6133]

Nano xd

[@onetwotreefourfi]

I'm sure I would call the bokeh comparison fair, F/1,4 vs F/1,8 you could at least used the same aperture..

[@wonderwall135]

MarkusPhotography.dk well the other lens is only a 1.8 so he was comparing them both wide open.

[@brandonkriegerKNSS]

Great video, my question which would you choose Nikkor 50mm f/1.8G or Nikkor 58mm f/1.4? Does the 58mm make that much of a difference? And how is it for video shooting?

[@LovensPresume]

Where did they film this review? Looks like a incredible vacation spot.

[@FrederickDunn]

Unfortunately, now I have to go get one... it's a complete necessity for me in any case.. thanks as always!

[@KandiKlover]

No it isn't, but I guess you gotta tell your wife something.

[@davidfarinaofficial]

Wondering how it compares against the 50L

[@MegaGman61]

The close up of that cat is worth it alone!

[@MrFilipe95]

The cat picture is really nice.

[@alsibley7571]

Have I told you lately how much I love your show? Bravo

[@karnivorx]

I'm sure this is a good lens, but is it $1200 better than the 50mm 1.4?

[@KandiKlover]

much

[@mylordszabo5953]

Is the AF-S DX NIKKOR 35mm f/1.8G similar to this one?

[@alexabadi7458]

I knew that in Hong-Kong they drive on the left side, but I did not know that they have to walk backwards...

[@phattube81]

What kind of lapel mic are you using?

[@Clint_the_Audio-Photo_Guy]

Why would anyone pay more for this 58mm than the fabulous 85mm f/1.4G? The 85 has even better bokeh, no coma, is as sharp or sharper, and is a proper portrait focal length, which is exactly where you'd want a bokeh master of a lens. I don't get it. If it was an f/1.2 I'd get it...I mean the concept, I don't know that I'd still be paying the asking price they want. I was waiting for an ultimate 50mm from Nikon, but I'm let down with this. It should be a 50mm f/1.2G AF-S ED N aspherical for $900 or less. Otherwise Sigma will just make it instead.

[@rvjr]

+Photo314159 a 58mm 1.4 is equivalent to 50mm 1.2. this is their ultimate 50mm.

[@Clint_the_Audio-Photo_Guy]

+Renato Valenzuela By that logic the 85mm f/1.4 should be equivalent to a 50mm f/1.0 then. That doesn't make sense.

[@rvjr]

you need a refresher on where f-numbers come from dude. the ratios of the maximum aperture to focal length of a 58mm at f/1.4 and that of a 50mm at f/1.2 are the same to the nearest integer.

[@Clint_the_Audio-Photo_Guy]

Renato Valenzuela I know. That makes the 85mm even faster for less money. It doesn't mean I can use an 85mm when I need a 50. I know it's their ultimate 50 ish mm lens, it just fell short IQ and cost wise.

[@rvjr]

Image Quality can mean many different things. You don't get a fast-aperture prime for its sharpness. You get it for its low-light gathering ability, its shallow depth-of-field and its ability to render out of focus elements smoothly. If "image quality" is about sharpness, you're better off with a 1.8 regardless of focal length. Photography isn't just about taking sharp pictures. It's also an art.

[@namdude0373]

I have a Tamron 90mm f/2.8 VC macro lens and i think it has the best bokeh and its also really sharp wide open. It would be cool to see DRTV review more third party lenses, Tamron seems really underrated

[@quickcuts3000]

I just bought mine today. I have the other 1.4 nikkors, I love the special look of each.

[@primozkerin]

I almost forgot, that I'm subscribed to this channel.

[@Antoine7881]

Classic digrev video. I'll stay subscribed!

[@nickolastiguan]

please do reviews on the new Art Sigma that are coming out, i want to know if they are indeed nikon and canon killers

[@KandiKlover]

That's a really weird focal length to have for a prime but I have seen quite a few like that for some reason. Love it though, my first SLR was a Konica AutoReflex T with a 57mm f1.4 hexar lens. The images just looked so right. Perfect for historic preservation.

[@ting2222]

Anyone still watching in the pandemic 2021

[@DjJoeee]

WE ARE HERE! Nice review Kai man Wong

[@ViperZeroX1]

With which camera is this recorded? Between 1:10 and 1:40 (bridge part backwards) the lines moves too much, kinda weird to see

[@212lohs]

Do a review on the Otus!

[@bokeflo]

Wow! Great Review! It's the first time I've had a good explanation of why the Nikon 58mm 1.4 might be worth something. Great Job.

[@tristanvdw]

Where is Alamby?

[@Kilogreenful]

Are you guys going to review the 55/1.4 Otus?

[@ArturoTabera]

Put in on crop camera and it's like a 85 1,4 on FF, so it DOES make SOME sense.

[@wiwi10191019]

I miss Alamby!

[@vietambercool]

Is the Bokeh better than the Leica 50mm f/1.4?

[@Daniel_Zalman]

Look at that huge spot on the lens at 2:35

[@cazjosh]

Thats probably from putting the lens open faced on the bare rough surface at 0:24

[@RangerAmateur]

color rendering looks nice

[@ShreyButle]

Does the shutter speed depend on the camera body or the lens that you are using? Sorry if this is a super stupid question, but I'm super interested in Photography and I'd like to learn more about my camera!

[@krishnadoshi7442]

no- all dslrs and mirrorless cameras have the abiliity to pick any shutter speed you want from bulb (the shutter is open as long as you hold the shutter button) to 1/4000 seconds, 1/8000 (usually 1/8000 is in more intermediate or higher, better dslrs) to even 1/32000 with a few mirrorless cameras.

[@graymatrrocks]

Better than Pentax Limited Lenses?

[@SunRiseQ8]

Hi 😚.... What's good canon 100d or 600d ??

[@nmlewan]

And now for the Zeiss Distagon Otus? For those who still have some spare change...

[@bananaboyatwork]

Nice review! Would you PLEASE compare "Voigtländer 40mm f/2 vs. Nikon Af-S 35mm f/1.8 FX G" I'm dying to know which one suite me better. Thanks!!!

[@DAW1968]

Wouldn't it have made more sense to compare the bokeh to a 50mm 1.4 AF-S as appose to the 1.8? As I feel the 50mm 1.4 is as good in my opinion.

[@stanchung69]

not even close. nasty green bokeh rings.

[@DAW1968]

stanchung69 You've obviously got or used a bad copy then 'cause mine is spot on. I was also pointing out that they're both 1.4 instead of 1.4 and 1.8 :-)

[@emuk5543]

So how does it compare to the canon 85mm 1.2 Bokeh?

[@plshack]

review the d610 or the d5300?

[@TheMetroZone3]

I want to see the Zeiss Otus!!

[@k0pix]

please do a review over the Sony zeiss 55mm 1.8

[@rounak301]

Sold my car & bought this for the bokeh Now bokeh drives me to office

[@AnHuyPham]

3:22 "You look younger in person. I saw your videos"

[@cameravision8181]

How can we change aperture nikon 50mm 1.4g on Sony a6000 with "manual adaptor" ?

[@NL0Gwenster]

Despite having the Nikon 14-24/2.8, 70-200/2.8 VR2 and 85/1.4G ? My favorite and by far most often used lens is my 50/1.2 AIS - sure. It's manual focus unlike the others I have. But who gives a shit. I even shoot fast-moving subjects with it and nail it, just a matter of practice. And the bokeh looks great ! And as low as F/2 it's already at critical sharpness. Looks like I won't be needing to replace my AIS with this 58/1.4

[@ianmacdonald2017]

When are going to do a review of the Tamron 24-70 VC and 70-200 VC. I would love to see Kai review these!.

[@ingaman]

I just bought a D3200 last year. Should I upgrade to the D3300 or D5300 this year?

[@yuchaoren2201]

No difference what so ever apart from being able to connect to wi-fi, but your phone can do that already, or save some money and get an eye-fi sd card

[@ingaman]

I read the processor is better though and it can do 1080p video at 60fps. The D3200 is good, but the pictures are still blurry in a dark room unless I use the flash. The D3300 and 5300 is supposed to be better for that.

[@TecCkey]

ingaman better buy a sweet lens instead of a new camera. Why? Because the lens is more important

[@yuchaoren2201]

ingaman The advertisements are all great, but since there is no change in the sensor in the d3300, there is no change in low light performance, the processor helps with the 5fps burst which one might consider useful, but not a huge upgrade from the 4fps. The 60 fps film is great if your are doing some serious professional cinematography, since the real use for 60 fps is so that you can half the play speed in post processing to create some slow-mo clips. For the average user, who will just be playing the film at its normal speed, there is no difference between 30 fps and 60fps. All you will notice is that a 2 min video file will be 4GB, and much of your SD card space is filled. Honestly for videos, just use your phone - it's high def, much faster focus, and so much easier to share clips. If you would like to improve your photos, spend some money on lenses with 4 stop-VR to help steady your shot in the dark, or buy a tripod or monopod. Perhaps are fast prime lens to boost image quality and play with the apertures to learn photography. There are very little difference between dslrs, the most important thing is the human behind the camera, creating the shot.

[@phourtwenteephorlife]

Having my kidney removed today so I can grab up the new 58mm 1.4G...I can run on one kidney and it's worth it for the BOKEH

[@agogobell28]

This could be an amazing crop-sensor portrait lens...

[@TheGermanElectrician2000]

Yes, but it´s not worth to spend so much more money in compare to the 50mm 1.4

[@KandiKlover]

@@TheGermanElectrician2000 Yes it is

[@KingGameReview]

I'd like to see a comparison video of this vs the new Zeiss Otus. That thing I'm sure annihilates this lens.

[@KandiKlover]

Nope

[@ttttiiimmy10bit]

Love the pics of the cat & dog around 4:02+ looks great !

[@Droopytown]

So just out of curiosity, did you guys fire Alamby? You didn't really have to do that. We do love you more than her, we were just playing hard to get.

[@markread7639]

They fired Alamby?!

[@Droopytown]

Mark Read Well she hasn't worked for them since October...

[@DescaDK]

Great review! The price is appalling, so I'm just going to stick with my 50mm f/1.8G.

[@ulogy]

Cool lens. Damn shame a Helios-44M has that same kind of swirl for ~40. Don't know if $1660 is worth it for AF

[@Reelunique]

So I bought a Vivitar 85mm f1.8 portrait lens for a great price... I figured it would be shit. surprisingly it was really good considering the other 85mm lenses in the market. The price was great for what I got. And it has a manual focus ring. IDK if you guys have tried it out yet... would be cool to see a tutorial on it.

[@yilong76]

Just wondering, but sometimes a completely stand-alone camera is a better buy for 1 particular function, than buying an expensive lens. For example the FZ200 supposedly beats out a lot of expensive DSLR zoom-lenses, so you'd be better off just buying a FZ200 isntead of a new lens. So if this lens only stands out for it's bokeh, which stand-alone compact/system/whatever camera would come close to delivering that same kind of bokeh-quality, without costing 1500+ bucks!?

[@logtothebase2]

Bring back Alamby!

[@Alexandra-Rex]

You should check the SMC Pentax K 135mm f/2.5. It is truly something special in both sharpness and bokeh.

[@Ps1504]

no, thanks! too expensive. I'll stick with my 50mm 1.8g :)

[@Phank]

Was this lens used with a D600?

[@kylefarris]

Yep.

[@Mathview]

Are optical glass lenses better than plastic lenses from an optical performance point of view? In geometric optics the index of refraction of the material and the shape of the optical elements determine the image. Plastic or glass? Geometric optics doesn't care, as far as I know. As to durability, I suppose one could make the case that glass lenses are harder and less deformable than plastic ones. Not sure how that balances out. Great review as always. TY DigitalRev for this, and all the Bitcoins too.

[@hynee]

Psst, the 58/1.4 wouldn't have plastic lenses, that entire lens is plastic, except glass/electronics. There's probably metal inside too. Kit lenses have lens elements which have an aspherical plastic piece glued to them, and they're always interior elements. The 58/1.4 has moulded aspherical glass pieces inside. The 58/1.2 had hand ground aspherical elements. Source: this video and the internet.

[@Mathview]

Hynee Ah...ok. So both lenses referenced in this video review are in fact optical glass lenses. The narrator mentioned plastic and plasticy so many times it gave the impression the lens system was actually made of optical plastic elements. He must have been referring to the lens body.

[@hynee]

Mathview Yep.

[@marktech101]

Are the sample photos swapped accidentally at 4:58?

[@hegyitaho]

yes

[@PKGTI]

hegyitaho Don't think so: right looks a bit closer (58mm) than left (50mm).

[@carlosvanvegas]

Would taking some shots of your awesome & crispy, slaveringly cool wristwatch be right up this len's alley?

[@JishinimaTidehoshi]

I've been watching the show for 2 years now and for some reason I never made myself this question, is Kai a good photographer? I mean he's a great show presenter and he has charisma knows his tech and stuff but, is he a good photographer? Also, I need to find more of his photo works (that are not part of a camera's review).

[@1uk3]

He's very good IMHO: secure.flickr.com/photos/kaisphotos/

[@JishinimaTidehoshi]

Luke Addison I've noticed that his style is street photography (and lots of Bokeh!). I'm curious to see more of Kai's work, his Flickr only has 44 photos plus apparently he shoots on film too? I would like to see those works :)

[@Droopytown]

Luke Addison He's slightly better at photography than shooting animals with Airsoft guns.

[@sophiebeaumont9608]

He's shots with the Noctilux 50mm f0.95 were featured in Leica's own magazine

[@cmckenna]

Do the Olympus 75mm... this lens deserves a review and the bokeh on that is impressive, and wide open it is sharp, sharp, sharp!

[@JacobCarlson]

Not diggin' the stabilized footage. It's a little "warpy"...

[@dguceleste]

Why do you leave lenses on the wall without caps?????

[@krishnadoshi7442]

Francesco L because if they put the bottom of flat lens mount cap, on a curved, rounded surface- it will roll off or wobble, potentially falling into the sea, then $thousands will be lost forever....

[@TheHouseOfEstest]

I just don't get why so many people here commenting are so freaking angry! Personally, I enjoy DigitalRev videos, I enjoy the entertainment value and personalities. If you don't enjoy them, it's not hard core enough for your sensibilities then don't watch. If you are so knowledgable, create your own channel and review shit!

[@TechOnMac]

BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOKEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEH!

[@BennyVermeulen]

The video needs more ... booooooooooookeeeeehhhh!

[@paulmcgee850]

Anybody know the music used in this video when he starts talking about the bokeh?

[@mikeismad61]

Sorry Kai - when I compare the 50 1.8 to the 58 1.4 (check out 4.59) I see a MASSIVE colour shift across into green with GREEN highlights as opposed purple highlights with the mega expensive 58 - anyone else see this ? We all know that Nikon have had problems with green shift on LDC displays of the D600 / D800 cameras - are Nikon now ensuring their new lenses continue with this trend ???

[@ReclusiveMountainMan]

I think "had" is the correct word. My D800e doesn't have the green LCD problem. That said, I'm not sure about this lens.

[@charlieplatnum82]

Kai, what king of watch is that?

[@patricksmith2553]

Funny how after this so-so review he added this lens to the greatest top 5 Nikon lenses!

[@skiaddict08]

His bokeh fetish is real

[@MandrakeCigars]

Df+58/1.4= match made in heaven

[@gabe3366]

Anyone know what type of dog it is at 1:06?

[@blarkdexture8899]

I'm getting one for my D40.

[@KandiKlover]

D40 ftw!

[@KidsWithGuns1992]

What's the G on f/1.4G for?

[@Clint_the_Audio-Photo_Guy]

It means "Gelded" which means that they took the aperture ring off. G is actually a lack of a feature done for cost savings.

[@Feintgames]

Photo314159 Aperture rings weren't "removed" for cost savings. New lenses were designed to be simpler, faster and better without them. Electronic control of aperture is much more accurate than mechanical control. When using HDSLRs like the D800 and D4S, the G lenses work much better than their mechanical aperture "D" cousins when making slow aperture changes (aperture racking) while shooting video. It's also much more accurate to make 1/3 stop increment changes with a G lens through the camera than via turning the aperture ring to a click full stop. It's also faster and more ergonomic to change aperture via the sub-command dial rather than reaching around to rotate a ring, especially when handholding heavy lenses like the 70-200 f/2.8 or 24-70 f/2.8. And time lapse videos have a lot less flash frames when using G lenses because control over the size of the aperture is more consistent and accurate than with a lens with an aperture ring.

[@fergie9275]

Photo314159 Gelded means castrated. You're referencing a Ken Rockwell joke.

[@muffemod]

+KidsWithGuns1992 Gangsta

[@KidsWithGuns1992]

muffemod Awwww yeeee

[@simonkonglo]

Where is Alamby? I miss her.

[@gorkan]

okay, but is it any better than the sigma 50mm 1.4?

[@hameednw]

g

[@MrSimonj1970]

When you handle a 1970s/80s AI(S) Nikkor, the build quality of modern lenses seems like a bad joke...I still use a 1973 105mm, I doubt these new ones will still be working in 40+ years!

[@CarzorStelatis]

That's one of Pentax's good points (which admittedly are not hugely numerous these days): their Limited lenses, even the modern DA ones, are very nice all-metal construction.

[@MrBo130]

The bigger question is: Will there be a camera that accepts the mount of these lenses in 40 years? Nikon has moved on with the Z mount. How long until no one cares about the F mount and the F mount cameras stop being produced?

[@KTheeky]

You guys need to make a video to tell what really happen with Alamby!!

[@migazl]

Wouldn't it be better to just get the 24-70???

[@AaronAnglin]

I would put my money into the whole set of f1.8 primes before forking over for this lens. (and that would still be cheaper) Granted I don't think this lens was design for practicality, it's more of a luxury item.

[@9eightFilms]

Kai. I love your Panerai Pam 111? Brilliant watch and review. :D

[@premangelina]

dear brother i was planning to nikon crop sensor camera d5300 beacause i dont have big budget so iam palnning to nikon d5300 with 18-105 nikon vr lens for normal and use for potraights and wide angle iam palnning to take nikon 35mm 1.8g afsplease suggest is my camera selection is good for the price iam paying my budget is nikon d5300 budget only so please me about this if you have any other best choice for my camera on the same range of nikon d5300 suggest me if any better than the nikon d5300 and lenses same range if any if not suggest me good budget lense for nikon d5300 for best qality potraights and wide angle and low light photography plss help me brotherrr pleaseee

[@tjarsun]

So I can have a set of a 28mm 1.8G, a 50mm 1.8G and an 85mm 1.8G for less money?

[@arunrajs6572]

REVIEW OF 5300 & 3300 PLS..

[@dannyboy12244]

Doesnt the 85mm f1.4 nikon make more sense than this? Cheaper, sharper it seems, great bokeh, better lenght for portraits. 58mm weird focal lenght i think

[@songkeat]

compare the bokeh with voitglander 58 f1.4

[@MontassarZAYER]

Better than canon 50mm f1.2 u mean ? What about a test ?

[@photo3338]

Definitely, the best review on this lens thus far. If I were to buy such a lens, I would be out shooting neon signs at night. Maybe not across the harbor, but somewhere in Tsimshashui, Mong Kok or Causeway bay at night. But this review cut to the chase and talked about what we geeks wanted to Know...How's the Bokeh? What's it made out of? And How much does it cost? Watch Kai M. and find out. But, hint, it's made of the same thing as the D610 that he tested it with. Nikon seems to be listening to those of us who have stuck with them. Nikon, I didn't buy the D610 because I hated the way if felt, handled, and how it's set up. If I were to ever get to handle one of these lenses, I would probably feel the same way about this lens. Not so much how it's set up, though it wouldn't work on my FM2n. But, I'll have to drawn the line at the plasticy lenses. There is a Zeiss 50mm f/1.4 that is made out of metal, has an F stop ring, and nice bokeh, and costs less than half as much as this lens. I'll probably get a 24-70mm f 2.8 for about the same money as this lens. I don't think the bokeh on this lens is THAT much better than the top end Nikon zooms. But, Nikon please don't even think about Making any more top of the shelf G lenses out of plastic (just in case Nikon's marketing dept reads this).

[@Sportstouring]

I attach my 55mm f2.8 manual focus Micro Nikkor to my D300. Perfect results.

[@markialright8302]

sir is the d300 is still good today? i have it but i don't have CF card reader to transfer at android device

[@reinholdthomas1187]

Nikon has created 1 of the top lenses in the 58 millimeter range 1.4 G I preferred the 58 a 1.4 G, the 105 1,4 E, because the bouquet of the 58 is better for me by lengths. Which doesn't mean that the 105 is a 1.4G worse, but the 58 mm a 1.4G definitely has the better more meaningful images you can imagine. Because the optics are absolute dream lenses, but I would always prefer the 58 millimeters for the normal standard range, the 105 as just too special and you have it accordingly not so often with on the road and the 58 you actually always have with. Unfortunately, the old F format is slowly dying out and is being replaced by the Z format for mirrorless cameras. For me, mirrorless cameras are simply a soulless photograph. Nikon 58 mm 1.4G is an absolute top top lens and should never be compared. With a 50 a 1 4G Nikon lens because that can never be enough for the salt water. And people who claim otherwise definitely have a problem with their eyes, or laugh with their camera.

[@Tap-a-roo]

you're an idiot. Both the 58mm and 105 are crap lenses.

[@DavidDeandre]

Awesome ... Now I wanna Buy It

[@NewsIn60Seconds]

Plastic filter thread? Now that speaks of quality with a $1,700 price tag.

[@iRawrh]

Wow to me the 50 1.8 photos looked better!

[@farnsworth3000]

More Alamby please.

[@dwt110]

wow converting quid to USD its $900+ more to buy it in england

[@trevorpinnocky]

This is not a standard prime, it is a specialty lens. Considering the cost the plastic shell is just ridiculous, imo. The classic 58mm 1.2 Noct is about $3000 in fair condition and more in good condition. So comparatively the 58mm 1.4 is an absolute steal, if it's a lens you need. This is not a walkabout standard lens.. cheers.. :)

[@Az-fotosDe]

"Nikon AF-S Nikkor 58mm f/1.4G Review !" Thanks to DigitalRev ! Best regards from cologne, Andreas