Nikon NIKKOR 50mm F 1 2 Review | 54 Data compared

The Photography Life review of the Nikon 50mm f/1.2 Ai-S highlights a, robust, manual-focus lens capable of exceptional center sharpness between f/2.0 and f/4.0, superb contrast, and pleasant bokeh from its 9-blade diaphragm. Conversely, the lens exhibits significant spherical aberration, coma, and dreamy softness at maximum aperture, along with pronounced focus shift and field curvature, resulting in a distinct "two personality" performance.

The Nikon Nikkor 50mm f/1.2 AI-S is a fast, commercially made normal lens designed for the F mount that is highly regarded for its build quality and low-light performance. It features a unique optical construction of 7 elements in 6 groups and a 9-straight-blade diaphragm, allowing photographers to achieve a very shallow depth of field when shooting wide open at f/1.2. The review praises its good contrast and sharpness, noting that it produces stunning results when focus is accurately acquired. Additionally, the lens features clear depth of field (DOF) and infrared (IR) markings, and its robust construction ensures it is built to last. However, the lens has notable drawbacks, particularly regarding manual focusing and optical aberrations. Chromatic aberration is prominent when shooting wide open and remains visible until f/2, although the reviewer notes it still outperforms the Noct-Nikkor in this aspect. Achieving precise focus is also highly critical and difficult without a split prism, as the depth of field is less than 6mm when shooting at the minimum focusing distance of 0.5 meters. Furthermore, using the recommended HS-12 lens hood...

The Sam Hurd Photography review highlights the vintage Nikon 50mm f/1.2 manual focus lens as a solid, specialty portrait tool valued primarily for its distinct artistic character. The prominent pros of this lens include its exceptional, rock-solid, all-metal build quality and an incredibly smooth, fast focus ring designed intentionally for manual operation. Additionally, its physical aperture ring makes it highly useful for creative techniques like freelensing. Performance-wise, it delivers exceptional sharpness when the subject is kept within 10 feet, and it produces a unique, beautiful bokeh that gives photos an irreplaceable "X-factor". Conversely, the review addresses notable cons, emphasizing that the lens lacks autofocus and is strictly manual, making it a poor choice for photographing fast-moving or dynamic subjects. Its immense f/1.2 speed also offers very little practical difference in light transmission or bokeh depth when compared to a standard f/1.4 lens. Furthermore, its optical sharpness degrades noticeably on distant subjects, requiring a different lens if shooting far away. To mitigate these focusing difficulties, users must rely on the camera viewfinder's "green dot" electronic rangefinder for accuracy, rendering this classic...

The Nikon 50mm f/1.2 AI-S is a lightweight manual-focus prime lens that delivers a distinct, artistic look to portraiture and wedding photography. When shot wide open at f/1.2, the lens creates a dreamy, ethereal glow with a heavy melting away of the background into "onion-like" bokeh shapes. While it suffers from noticeable chromatic aberration and a lack of sharpness at its maximum aperture, these optical imperfections add a highly desirable "x-factor" or "special sauce" to slow-paced portrait sessions. Focusing at f/1.2 can be challenging through a standard viewfinder, so using the camera’s Live View mode with magnification is highly recommended to ensure precision. Conversely, when stopped down past f/2, the lens shifts character to become an exceptionally sharp tool capable of shooting up to f/16 without critical diffraction issues, making it surprisingly functional for landscapes and panoramas. Its compact size, light weight, and manual-focus design make it an enjoyable addition for landscape shooters and film photography enthusiasts alike, performing beautifully on bodies like the Nikon D800 and F100. The primary drawbacks include the complete lack of autofocus—making it poorly suited...

The Nikkor Z 50mm F1.2 S is a premium, high-performance prime lens designed for Nikon’s mirrorless Z-mount system, carrying an MSRP of $2,250. Weighing nearly 1100g and measuring 150mm in length, it is an exceptionally big and heavy "extreme instrument" that feels substantial when paired with a beefy body like the 45MP Nikon Z8. The lens features excellent build quality with robust weather sealing, a customizable clickless control ring, an OLED display screen, and a 9-blade rounded aperture iris that creates beautiful specular highlights. Its dual STM autofocus motors provide reliable, highly confident tracking for portraits and wedding photography, and it boasts well-controlled focus breathing for video applications. Optically, the lens excels at creating a beautiful, shallow depth of field with "bokehlicious" background rendering and high flare resistance. However, the lens has notable drawbacks, primarily its hefty weight and high price tag, which may deter hobbyists and casual users. Its autofocus speed is only average compared to newer premium lenses, and its video autofocus occasionally suffers from gradual focus pulls or racking in the wrong direction. On the optical side,...

The Nikon Z 50mm f/1.2 S is hailed by Photography Life as an elite, professional-grade lens offering outstanding optical sharpness, beautiful rendering, and reliable low-light autofocus performance. Its robust, weather-sealed build includes premium features like an OLED display, dual control rings, and a custom button, making it a stellar performer for demanding shooters. Conversely, the lens's main drawbacks are its significant physical size, heavy weight, and high $2,250 price point, rendering it a specialized, rather than everyday, tool. The review notes that for fast-action sports, the focus speed is slightly slower than f/2.8 zoom alternatives, suggesting many users might prefer the more practical Z 50mm f/1.8 S.

The Nikon Nikkor Z 50mm f/1.2 S is a premium autofocus lens that delivers outstanding image quality, appealing colors, and beautiful bokeh, though its massive footprint demands careful consideration. Retailing at $2,096.95, it features a rugged, fully weather-sealed housing complete with a top OLED information panel and a customizable control ring. When tested on a Nikon Z6 III, its multi-focus stepping motor provided silent, fast, and highly accurate autofocus tracking during street photography. While the resulting imagery is rewarding with minimal vignetting issues, the reviewer noted that its overall rendering does not offer a groundbreaking optical leap over cheaper manual-focus alternatives, like the Voigtländer Nokton 50mm f/1.2. The primary downsides of this lens are its overwhelming size and weight, which can cause significant physical fatigue during prolonged shooting sessions. Weighing a heavy 2.4 lbs (1,090 g) and stretching 5.9 inches long, it is significantly bulkier than competing f/1.2 offerings from Sony and Canon. It can also feel poorly balanced on standard-sized bodies like the Z6 III, making an additional battery grip or a larger camera body like the Z8 or...

Conversely, the lens comes with several noteworthy cons and handling challenges. Its physical footprint makes the overall setup quite large, particularly when the mandatory hood is attached, and it requires expensive 82mm filters. While the main focusing ring is generous, the customizable control ring near the throat is critically thin. Optically, vignetting is prominently visible at f/1.2, requiring the lens to be stepped down to f/1.8 to improve. Additionally, flare does occur immediately around bright light sources within the frame. Finally, the lens's autofocus tracking speed is slower than some alternatives like the Sigma 50mm f/1.4 Art, and managing the razor-thin depth-of-field at close distances requires significant practice.

The Nikon Z 50mm F1.2 S is evaluated as a top-tier, professional S-Line flagship prime lens that delivers exceptional optical performance across full-frame Z-mount camera bodies. The reviewer notes several standout pros, highlighting its outstanding center sharpness even when shot wide open at F1.2, virtually nonexistent lens distortion, and impeccably controlled chromatic aberration. Furthermore, its "bokeh monster" status is justified by remarkably creamy background blur, smooth rendering transitions, and excellent focus breathing control that benefits hybrid video shooters. The lens also features a robust, weather-sealed premium construction complete with an OLED information display and customizable control rings. On the other hand, the review emphasizes significant cons centered around the physical footprint and financial investment required for this glass. Weighing approximately 1.09kg, it is a massive and heavy lens that stands out as a clear drawback for anyone looking to maintain a lightweight travel setup. Additionally, its steep price tag of around $2,099 limits its appeal primarily to dedicated professionals rather than casual hobbyists. Minor optical flaws include mild vignetting and slightly softer corner resolution when shooting wide open at F1.2,...

The DPReview sample gallery for the Nikon Z 50mm F1.2 S highlights an ultra-fast, high-end prime lens, with optical construction (17 elements in 15 groups, including ED and aspherical elements) that provides exceptional sharpness, dual stepping motors for fast focusing, and specialized coatings to minimize aberrations. It is particularly noted for creating an extremely shallow depth of field and smooth background blur, ideal for portraiture. Conversely, the lens is described as a very large and heavy, weighing 1.1kg (2.4 lbs), which, combined with a high price point and 82mm filter size, makes it a significant investment in both cost and portability. The gallery suggests it is a specialized tool that may be hard to justify over the lighter, more affordable Z 50mm F1.8 S for some photographers.

The Ken Rockwell review identifies the manual-focus Nikon 50mm f/1.2 as an exceptional specialty lens, highlighting its superior sharpness at f/2 compared to other Nikon 50mm lenses. Key pros include this peak performance at f/2, the total elimination of focus shift, and a durable, all-metal construction. Conversely, the lens suffers from significant spherical aberration at f/1.2 and f/1.4, causing low contrast and a soft, dreamy look that lacks sharp definition. It provides no practical speed or sharpness advantage over cheaper f/1.4 alternatives when shot wide open.

The Nikkor Ai-s 50 mm f/1.2 is a solidly built manual-focus legacy lens manufactured between 1981 and 2020, offering excellent versatility and ease of adaptation to modern mirrorless systems and select higher-end Nikon DSLRs. Ergonomically, it features a broad, grippy focus ring with a lightweight helicoid movement that allows for minute adjustments, though its short 110-degree throw can sometimes lead to accidental shifts when wearing gloves. The mechanical aperture ring is highly tactile with substantial full-stop clicks, which makes counting stops easy even without visual verification. Furthermore, the lens boasts strong resistance to flaring and ghosting due to high-quality coatings, shows almost no significant geometric distortion, and produces a highly subjective but generally pleasing bokeh. Conversely, the lens suffers from notable optical defects when shot wide open at f/1.2, exhibiting severe softness and a lack of definition caused by spherical aberrations, alongside egregious purple fringing from longitudinal chromatic aberrations in high-contrast settings. A major design flaw is the absence of a calibrated intermediate click between f/1.2 and f/2, preventing photographers from easily stopping down slightly to mitigate these aberrations. Optical...