Nikon AF-S FX NIKKOR 58mm f/1.4G Lens for Nikon DSLR Cameras

Great lens! I was hesitant because of the price point but the focal range, color rendering and design make it well worth the dough. As a full-time wedding photographer holding a camera (even with a rapid strap) puts a lot of strain on my fingers/wrist. This lens is so light you don't even know its there. It feels like its 1/3 of the weight of the 24mm or 85mm 1.4!The focal range is rad simply because you get all the nifty fifty versatility but not the distortion that the 50mm 1.4 puts on a closer portrait. I used to shoot my 50mm @ 1.4G a lot because it could handle it. My only complaint with the 58mm is that it doesn't seem to nail the focus as much @ f1.4. f2 is golden though. I'm still getting used to it so that aspect could be me but so far I love it.If I do need the wider look of the 50mm, which is rare, I use my 50mm 1.4D from my F3 film body. Still has the auto focus and aperture ring and works with both film and digital! #nikonforlifeSo far I have shot 2 weddings and 2 engagements with the 58mm. I tend to switch to my 85mm less now simply because it takes care of those closer 3/4 portraits of two people. If I was shooting a single subject I would prefer the perspective of the 85mm though. You can see some examples on my website/blog if you're like me and need a visual to confirm your purchase! WestonCPhotographer.com

I own the current 24mm 1.4G, the 35mm 1.4G, and the 85mm 1.4G lenses. These lenses are all wonderful. They're sharp, professional-grade lenses that perform well in low light with beautiful bokeh, the 85mm 1.4G in particular. Despite owning these wonderful lenses I find myself using my 50mm1.4G around 90% of the time when using a prime lens. This is because the 50mm focal range is so much more versatile and useful to me with the type of photography that I do. I like the 1.4 aperture for its razor-sharp depth of field and low light ability. However, it has always bothered me that my 50mm 1.4G lens is not as sharp as the $200 50mm 1.8G lens. Furthermore, my 50mm 1.4G in no way compares to the quality, both build and optical to my other prime lenses. Honestly, I was hoping that Nikon would build a professional-grade 50mm f/1.2 lens like Canon has, but was happy to hear about this new 58mm 1.4G lens and pre-ordered it. I have never done this for any lens, but since this focal length is my bread-and-butter I went ahead and splurged.I wish that it took a 77mm filter like my other professional lenses (except the 35mm 1.4G which takes a 67mm - what up Nikon?), but a minimal step up ring solves that problem. I don't tend to use the hood on my 50mm 1.4G and probably won't on this lens as the front elements on both lenses are deep and protected without one. Also, not a lot of lens flare occurs in low light. Therefore, I can probably leave the step up ring on full-time (just need a 77mm lens cap). That all said, this lens is quite a bit larger and heavier that my consumer-grade plastic 50mm. It's shaped just like a smaller version of the 85mm 1.4G, which is lovely in my opinion. While larger and heavier than the 50mm it feels good on my D700 and D800E, with or without the battery grips. This is a big, beautiful piece of glass, in my opinion.I don't notice the change in focal length too much. 50mm is a bit tight in some instances and this lens will probably prove more so. This also probably means that my 35mm 1.4G may see more use in the future. 50mm is not a great portrait focal length for FX (perfect on a DX camera), but I still always find myself doing a lot of closeup work with my 50mm and the 58mm will help here. The minimum focus distance seems a tad farther than my 50mm, which focuses quite close (not bad for random macro shots). I haven't looked at the specs, so this could be my imagination. Admittedly, I haven't done a lot of shooting with this 58mm (nor has anyone else at this point a week after the release), but I can tell already that it focuses better in extremely low light than my 50mm 1.4G. I've been able to get the eyes sharp in very low light which has been a challenge with my 50mm 1.4G. No opinion on overall sharpness compared to my 50mm 1.4G. I'll let the techno-blogger geeks figure that one out. What I can say is that this lenses produces unbelievable colors. I am very thrilled in this department.So, if you are in the market for a nifty-fifty or want to upgrade to a professional-grade prime I don't think that you can do better than the 58mm 1.4G in the Nikon world right now. The 50mm 1.8G is a heck of a lens for $200 and will fill most people's needs quite well. However, if you want the very best and 50mm is your bread-and-butter like it is mine I'd say get the 58mm 1.4G now while it's still in stock... Happy shooting!

I have a crop frame camera (D7000), and really love the 85mm portrait lens on full frame cameras. However, because of the crop factor, 50mm was too wide and 85mm was too zoomed in to get that ideal portrait length. 58mm is 87mm on a crop, and with a nice f/1.4 aperture to boot, this was right up my alley. I looked at the other 55mm 1.4s, but they weren't autofocus, or much more expensive than this one. Colors, bokeh, etc are great, and sharpness is really great - let's be real. I'm not printing 11x17s for everything, nor am I really super zooming in on shots in post either; the lens makes sharp, beautifully rendered photos for all of my use.Now you might be saying, "Why did you buy this lens and not use it on a full frame camera?" I don't really have an answer for that other than, I like my body, and was only looking to upgrade my lens. Maybe someday I'll upgrade my body, but then I'll have to actually buy the 85 f/1.4, and hopefully Sigma's ART lineup has an 85mm in it for even sharper photos!

I have used a lot of high quality lenses and so write with a fair amount of experience. I love this lens. In the Nikon range this is the closest thing to the Leica 50mm Summilux that I have come across. Colors are perhaps not as vibrant as with other fine Nikkor lenses but it has a wonderful ethereal feel to it. It is plenty sharp, certainly at the center, and has a wonderful bokeh. But its distinguishing feature is its look. If you are looking for a straight-up 50mm prime (which is unfortunately a bit of a challenge in the Nikon line-up) this lens may not be for you. But if you want what this lens is designed for you won't be disappointed. Don't just think of it as a regular Nikkor because it isn't. Read what Nikon had in mind when they designed it so you know what to expect.

This lens is defective. I’ve tried calibrating it myself and even took it to a shop to be calibrated and it’s only sharp on two apertures. I’ll be sending it to Nikon to have it fixed and by that time, I could have just bought a new lens for the same amount. Thanks for nothing!

This lens will never nail the focus for me like it's cousin, the 85mm. Tried calibrating the focus according to the chart, brought it my local Nikon service and they send it to Nikon for adjusting, but still the same. The weird thing is that it does a lot better on my D7000 than the D810, but then it's not a 58mm anymore. I'm puzzled and frustrated, if I have to shoot over F2 then why not just use the 24-70 zoom.