Nikon AF FX NIKKOR 50mm f/1.8D Lens for Nikon DSLR Cameras

Under the technical details this is listed as a zoom lens. It is not. It is a prime lens and does not zoom. You must change your position to frame your photo. This lens will not autofocus with many DX cameras. Specifically the D40, D40x, D60, D3000, d3100, D3200, D3300, D5000, D5100, D5200, D5300. Autofocus is a critical function for these are cameras aimed at novice/newer to digital photographers. It will mount on these cameras, it will function in all respects but the autofocus. It WILL fully function with the D90, D7000, D7100, more expensive cameras aimed at enthusiasts. They contain a focusing mechanism in the camera body that works with the AF designated lenses. That being said, this is a spectacular lens as others have reported. A prime lens can rock your world in terms of clarity and photo quality. When being used on a DX camera it does NOT function as the "nifty fifty" that many are looking for. That label is a holdover from film photography. It indicates the the focal length that mimics the normal view of the human eye and gets a tad confusing with the development of the DX 1.5 cropped sensor. This is a 50mm lens on an FX camera. Mounted on a DX camera it is the equivalent of a 75mm (short telephoto). In an average sized room you may run out of room to back up to get everyone in the frame. If you want the 50mm view on a DX camera a better choice is the wonderful Nikon 35mm f/1.8 AF-S G. This prime lens will give you the 50mm lens (52mm approximately) you are looking for and works very well in low light/no flash situations. It will autofocus on all DX cameras as it has Nikon's Silent Wave Motor in the lens (the S in AF-S). This 50mm lens is a standard lens that is as fine as they come for camera bodies with an internal focusing motor. I love it and use it as a short tele on a D7100. I also have tried it on a D5100 and a D60. It is sharp and the shots are beautiful. You just need the time to manually focus properly, not always possible with fast moving toddlers and pets. These bodies will indicate that a correct focus has been achieved by displaying a dot in the viewfinder. Catching that perfect focus manually takes more practice than the casual photographer has time for. I like Nikons' fast accurate autofocus and do not see any benefit in not spending a few bucks more to get the lens that fully works with the camera (I also own the 35mm f/1.8G AF-S ). I have personally muddled through this world of digital from film and I hope this helps the next budding photographer in choosing the best lens for your needs.

This lens is absolutely phenomenal. I have used a variety of lenses of various quality and mounts since the 1980s, and this prime lens is quite possibly the best I've ever used.Every facet of this lens is superb. For those just starting, the autofocus is quick and precise. For those more advanced, the focus precision combined with fantastic optics provide incredible Bokeh and Depth Of Field control. At f/1.8, this lens has such a narrow DOF that only shallow items (eg, *not* flowers with long pistils and stamens) will focus well. Yet at f/4 with moderately broad DOF, you still get amazing Bokeh. Processing shows little (virtually none) lens distortion which translates to better quality images.My concern is for moderate- and low-light imaging. This lens captures light very well, allowing me to run my body at lower ISO and thus obtain better quality images.Compared to older 50mm prime lenses I've owned, both Screw Mount and Canon Mount, this lens is physically smaller and lighter. Its image capture is on par with the Canon-branded lens and far superior to the East German Hanimex Screw Mount (no surprise there). The Canon FD 1.8 provided similar Bokeh and quality at wide open aperture, but seemed to allow less light in at f/16 (the smallest aperture on the Canon lens) than the Nikon lens does (possibly due to slightly smaller diameter lens in the Canon). More light transfer = better image capture, all else being equal. The Nikon lens aperture shuts down all the way to f/22 giving almost infinitely wide DOF which is great for allowing hurried manual-focus shots of wildlife or sports.If you don't have this lens in your bag, it is a must-have no matter what body you are using. Keep in mind that the lowest level Nikon bodies (D-3xxx and D-5xxx series and older D40, d50, d60 models) do NOT support autofocus of this lens. Even so, I would still recommend purchasing this lens due to its excellent physical and image quality. This lens will be an asset for a life well beyond most bodies and will serve those with Full-framed FX bodies as well as the cropped DX bodies.