Nikkor AF-S 50MM F1.8G or Nikkor 40MM F2.8G DX Micro?
Nikkor AF-S 50MM F1.8G or Nikkor 40MM F2.8G DX Micro?
Is this photography jeopardy? Are we supposed to guess the question? In that case how about this
"name two lenses that autofocus on the baby nikons and that could be used for portraits"
Hi
That's a great question. Let's take a look at both these lenses.
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Nikkor AF-S 50mm f/1.8G
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Let's discuss the Nikkor AF-S 50mm f/1.8G first. This is on the whole a good lens that delivers very good sharpness across most of the FX frame.
Good Points
- The build quality of the lens is good
- It gives excellent sharpness in the center of the picture even when wide open.
- Quiet, quick and reliable auto focus operation.
- Delivers good resolution and bokeh
- Chromatic aberration is pretty well controlled.
- Affordable and reasonable price - about US$200 the last I checked
Bad Points
- I found some vignetting when the lens was wide open, as well as bokeh fringing
- Chromatic aberration and distortion are moderate, more than I would have liked
- No image stabilization feature
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Nikkor 40mm f2.8G DX Micro
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Next, let's discuss the Nikkor 40mm f2.8G DX Micro lens. I personally own one of these and use it with my Nikon D700 often to shoot some excellent photos.
Good Points
- Affordable price of about US$280
- Very suitable for consumers looking for a starter lens on their digital SLR
- Even without higher-end components such as ED elements, aspheric elements, and nano coating, the chromatic aberration, distortion, and flare/ghosting on the lens is very well controlled.
Bad Points
- To achieve 1:1 live-size reproduction with this lens you can't have the lens hood on.
- Even without the lens hood there's only about 4cm working distance from the front rim of the lens to your subject.
- Lighting the subject becomes difficult, and it is easy to cast your own shadow or the camera/lens' shadow on it.
- For extreme closeup shots of 1:1 or even 1:2, you are much better off using a longer macro lens that provides a more comfortable working distance.
On the whole, I find the performance of the Nikkor 40mm f2.8G DX to be better. It does cost a bit more, but in the longer term, I think it does make sense given its slightly more versatile feature set.
Hope this helps you out. Let me know if you have further questions.
Thank you.
Best Regards
Gary Hendricks
http://www.basic-digital-photography.com