Nikon Series E 50mm f/1.8 Type 2 (Nikon’s Best 50mm Manual Focus?) | Round Glass Review

The Nikon Series E 50mm f/1.8 lens is a truly great optic with versatility for users across formats, subjects, and photographic interests. This lens is a strikingly good performer that has earned its reputation as such. There’s a quiet sort of nature to this lens that shows up on your camera, does its thing, does it very well, delivers images that, from a technical perspective, likely will not let anyone down, and does so with neither showmanship nor braggadocio. This is the humblest of lenses and will be happiest in use delivering for your photographic aims. To that end, here is perhaps the best thing I can tell you about the Series E 50mm f/1.8: It's not a lens that screams favorite, and a lot of people may look at you like you have two heads if you tell them that it is; however, if you care more about your images than you do about your gear and what people think of it, this lens will be one that consistently and quietly says, ‘hey, you never have to tell anyone, but I know I’m your favorite.’
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Video Index:
0:00 - Intro
0:11 - Nikon Series E 50mm f/1.8 Round Glass Review
1:57 - Nikon Series E 50mm f/1.8 Specifications
2:46 - Nikon Series E 50mm f/1.8 Tips & Tricks
5:59 - Nikon Series E 50mm f/1.8 Aberration & Bokeh Analysis
7:14 - Nikon Series E 50mm f/1.8 Lens Diagram
8:26 - Nikon Series E 50mm f/1.8 Video Use
9:42 - Nikon Series E 50mm f/1.8 Strengths & Weaknesses
13:02 - Nikon Series E 50mm f/1.8 Review
References:
lens-db.com/nikon-series-e-50...
lens-db.com/nikon-series-e-50...
imaging.nikon.com/imaging/inf...
www.handprint.com/ASTRO/ae4.html
www.pencilofrays.com/lens-des...
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[@avcle]

These lenses render beautiful photos and it’s probably my most used Nikon lens. I get so happy anytime I come across one at my local camera shops because they’re usually under $50, a bargain in my opinion. It’s also wonderful adapted to my GFX 50R.

[@DavidHancock]

Definitely and it's a good thing that there are so many of these around, too. I was also really shocked by how well it covers GFX.

[@cameronrramos]

This is my favourite lens, was talking about it today with a friend I lent it to so funny this video popped up!

[@tonyhayes9827]

I have this lens also. Great lens. Old pancake lens but performs well even wide open

[@joshuagaude6084]

One of these came on an EM that I bought when I started getting into photography a few years ago. Been a solid lens. Recently bought the modern equivalent AF Nikkor 50mm f/1.8D, new. The old E series one holds its own pretty well.

[@DavidHancock]

Nice! Yeah, these are really well designed lenses.

[@sinus2220]

Cool video! Gotta love this good old nifty fifty Nikkor. Got one with my FM2n film camera. It's a very likeable little lens.

[@DavidHancock]

Nice!

[@sghound]

lovely review. time for a tier list 🙂

[@DavidHancock]

Thank you! Do you mean something like a 50mm f/1.8 showdown video?

[@sghound]

@@DavidHancock no a tier list of all the lenses you've reviewed

[@DavidHancock]

@@sghound ohhhhh. Hmm. That's an interesting idea. Let me think about how to do that. Maybe I could thank them at the end of each year.

[@MrSimonj1970]

Gauss rhymes with mouse, not horse FYI

[@Narsuitus]

I use my Nikon 50mm f/1.8 Series E as a backup to my Nikkor 50mm f/1.4 AIS.

[@DavidHancock]

Nice!

[@flowermaze___]

This makes it difficult: I was about to sell mine and keep the 50 1.4 ai… now I have doubts 😂 Opinion on which is the keeper of the two?

[@DavidHancock]

I would say wait till August 8 and check out the 50mm f/1.4 showdown I'm releasing that day. The Nikon 50mm f/1.4 AI is in that video. The Series E isn't, but that video may help you make up your mind on the Nikons because some of the tests are performed for both the reviews and the showdowns.

[@flowermaze___]

@@DavidHancock the suspense! If you were to hint at which to keep, which to sell? I love the compact form of the pancake series e, but the 1.4 has that allure of the extra stop 😁

[@matskay1971]

I have this lens . it is infested by fungus and haze . Just wondering if it is worth sending to repair shop for deep cleaning. Your thoughts?

[@DavidHancock]

IF it has emotional meaning to you, sure. If not, you can try fixing it yourself. These should be fairly easy to disassemble. You can always pick one up used for a relatively good price as they're plentiful.

[@alberte58]

Is the Nikon Series E 50mm f/1.8 Type 2 the best Nikon manual focus 50mm f/1.8 lens. NO IT ISN’T!!! The Nikon Pancake-NIKKOR 50mm f/1.8 AI-S sold only in Japan is the best 50mm (from all versions. Made between 1980-1982; 0.45m close-focus, 100% metal construction; except for the ribbed rubber band on the metal focus ring; only one row of rubber ribs on the metal focus ring (Older versions of the 50/1.8 had two or three rows of rubber ribs); NIKKOR," not "Series E on lens front; First digit of the serial number is a 2, not a 4. Got my version directly from Japan and I used it on my F3/T as the standard walkaround lens. Nothing beats this, not one of the other f/1.2, f/1.4, f/1.8 50mm Nikons, not the Zeiss Planar T* 50mm f/1.4 ZF.2. Maybe the Manual focus Nikon AIS 55mm f/2.8 Micro or Zeiss Otus 55mm f/1.4 can come close image quality wise, but they are bigger, heavier, more expensive (Zeiss).

[@robertcuny934]

Good to know. However, demand driven price increases since the start of the COVID lockdowns might make the Nikon Series E 50mm more practical for many people.

[@MrSimonj1970]

I've got the international version which is the same except MFD is 0.6m instead of 0.45m - and it's a nice lens, but not as good as the latest AFS 50mm f/1.8 wide open. There's nothing magical about it at all IMO, it's pure nostalgia to suggest otherwise.

[@cameraprepper7938]

No ! I had that Lens, no quality. You could not buy a new camera without this Lens sat on the camera, so there must be many thousands hide away of those.

[@DavidHancock]

I can believe there would be quality variations with these given how many there are.

[@cameraprepper7938]

@@DavidHancock Nikon SLR Lenses had a few very good Lenses, but many average to bad.