Nikon Z 50mm f/1.4
(2025 ~ today)
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Specifications Accessories USA Version
Z9 Z8 Z7II Z6III Z6II Zƒ Z7 Z6 Z5II Z5 Zƒc Z50II Z50 Z30
Z System Z Lenses All Nikon Lenses Flash
Nikon Z 50mm f/1.4 (62mm filters, 14.8 oz./420g, 1.2'/0.37m close focus, 0.17× macro ratio, $497).bigger.
I got mine at B&H. I'd also get it at Adorama, at Amazon or at Crutchfield, or get it used if you know How to Win at eBay.
This 100% all-content, junk-free website's biggest source of support is when you use those or any of these links to my personally approved sources I've used myself for way over 100 combined years when you get anything, regardless of the country in which you live — but I receive nothing for my efforts if you take the chance of getting it elsewhere. Nikon does not seal its boxes in any way, so never buy at retail or any other source not on my personally approved list since you'll have no way of knowing if you're missing accessories, getting a defective, damaged, returned, dropped, incomplete, gray-market, store demo or used lens — and my personally approved sources allow for 100% cash-back returns for at least 30 days if you don't love your new lens. I've used many of these sources since the 1970s because I can try it in my own hands and return it if I don't love it, and because they ship from secure remote warehouses where no one gets to touch your new lens before you do. Buy only from the approved sources I've used myself for decades for the best prices, service, return policies and selection.
June 2025 Better Pictures Nikon Z Z Lenses All Nikon Lenses All Nikon All Reviews
Why Fixed Lenses Take Better Pictures
Sample Images top
Sample Images Intro New Good Bad Missing
Specifications Accessories USA Version
These are just snapshots; my real work is in my Gallery.
More samples throughout this review at Bokeh, Falloff, Macro, Spherochromatism and Sunstars.
These are all shot hand-held as BASIC ★ JPGs; no tripods, NORMAL or FINE JPGs or RAW files were used or needed. Bah!
Canary Palm and Lawn Furniture, 6:53 AM, 28 April 2025. Nikon Z6 III, Nikon Z 50mm f/1.4 at f/6.3 at 1/160 at Auto ISO 100 (LV 12.6), Skylum Luminar Neo software. bigger or full-resolution.
Convertible Bentley Interior, 10:11 AM, 17 May 2025. Nikon Z5 II, Nikon Z 50mm f/1.4 at f/11 hand-held at 1/15 at Auto ISO 100 (LV 10.8), Radiant Photo software. bigger or camera-original © JPG file.
BMW R100 RS, 10:48 AM, 17 May 2025. Nikon Z5 II, Nikon Z 50mm f/1.4 at f/11 hand-held at 1/30 at Auto ISO 100 (LV 11.8), as shot. bigger or camera-original © JPG file.
Hamilton Lancaster Clock, 3:06 PM, 18 May 2025. Nikon Z5 II, Nikon Z 50mm f/1.4 at f/5.6 hand-held at 1/30 at Auto ISO 180 (LV 9.0), Radiant Photo software, perspective correction in Photoshop CC. bigger or full-resolution.
Introduction top
Sample Images Intro New Good Bad Missing
Specifications Accessories USA Version
I buy only from these approved sources. I can't vouch for ads below. |
This new Z lens has excellent optics in a cheap-feeling plastic barrel, with a metal mount, all made in China. History has been like this for 75 years ever since Nikon invented the world's first 50mm f/1.4 lens in 1950: optics continuously improve while the mechanics march towards disposability.
This lens' optics are superb, but it bugs me in actual shooting that it has no AF/MF switch so I have to fiddle with a function button, and that it lacks stabilization. It works great with in-camera stabilization — if you have it.
I got my Z 50mm f/1.4 at B&H. I'd also get it at Adorama, at Amazon or at Crutchfield, or get it used if you know How to Win at eBay.
75 Years of the Nikon 50mm f/1.4
Nikon invented the world's first 50mm f/1.4 lens 75 years ago in 1950 for its rangefinder cameras, which were 35mm mirrorless cameras.
This is Nikon's first 50mm f/1.4 for mirrorless digital cameras. Here's the bloodline:
5cm f/1.4 NIKKOR-S (1950-1962, the world's first 50mm f/1.4)
58mm f/1.4 NIKKOR-S (1959-1962, Nikon's first SLR 50/1.4)
50mm f/1.4 NIKKOR-S AUTO (1966-1974)
AI 50mm f/1.4 (1977-1981)
AI 50mm f/1.4s (1981-2021)
AF and AF-D 50mm f/1.4 (1986-2021)
50mm f/1.4 NIKKOR-S Y2K (2000-2002)
AF-S 50mm f/1.4 G (2008-today)
New intro top
Nikon's first 50mm f/1.4 for their Z cameras.
Good intro top
Sharp.
Fast.
Small.
Claims dust and drip resistance.
Extra unclicked control ring.
Hood included!
Bad intro top
Production dumped to China, not made domestically in Japan:
Nikon Z 50mm f/1.4. bigger.
Plastic filter threads and plastic exterior (metal mount).
Soft plastic filter threads are easy to cross thread, typical of consumer lenses in 2025.
Missing intro top
No AF/MF switch.
No Stabilizer switch for in-camera stabilization.
Only stops down to f/16, not f/22.
Mounting index dot is the same white as everything else, so it doesn't stand out when you need to find it to mount your lens.
No aperture ring.
No case included.
No focus or depth-of-field scales.
No infra-red focus indices.
No focus lock buttons.
Will not work with any teleconverters.
Nikon Z 50mm f/1.4. bigger.
Specifications top
Sample Images Intro New Good Bad Missing
Specifications Accessories USA Version
I got my Z 50mm f/1.4 at B&H. I'd also get it at Adorama, at Amazon or at Crutchfield, or get it used if you know How to Win at eBay.
Compatibility
This lens works only on Nikon's Z-series mirrorless cameras.
It does not so much as even mount on any other camera.
Name specifications top
Nikon calls this the NIKKOR Z 50mm f/1.4:
NIKKOR: Nikon's brand name for almost all their lenses since 1932.
Z: For Nikon's mirrorless cameras, only.
Nikon's Model Number: 20128.
It also has:
STM: Stepper (Pulse) autofocus motor.
Aspherical: Specially curved glass elements for sharper pictures.
G: Gelded; has no aperture ring.
IF: Internal focusing; nothing moves externally as focused.
Ø62: 62mm filter thread.
Optics specifications top
Nikon Z 50mm f/1.4 Internal Optical Construction. Aspherical element. bigger.
10 elements in 7 groups.
1 Aspherical element.
Nikon Super Integrated multiCoating (SIC).
Diaphragm specifications top
Nikon Z 50mm f/1.4. bigger.
9 rounded blades.
Electronically actuated.
Stops down to f/16.
Filters specifications top
62mm filter thread.
Focal Length specifications top
50mm.
When used on APS-C (DX) cameras, it sees the same angle of view as a 75mm lens sees when used on a full-frame camera.
See also Crop Factor.
Angle of View specifications top
47º diagonal on FX.
31½º diagonal on DX.
Autofocus specifications top
No external movement as focussed, so no air or dust is sucked in.
Focus Scale specifications top
No.
Not on lens, but may be displayed in-camera.
Infinity Focus Stop specifications top
No.
You have to focus somehow to get precise focus at infinity, just like at every other distance.
Depth of Field Scale specifications top
No.
Not on lens, but may be displayed in-camera.
Infrared Focus Index specifications top
No.
Close Focus (distance from subject to image plane) specifications top
1.2 feet (0.37 meters).
Maximum Reproduction Ratio specifications top
1:5.9 (0.17×).
Reproduction Ratio Scale specifications top
No.
Not on lens, but may be displayed in-camera.
Image Stabilizer specifications top
NONE.
Caps specifications top
LC-62B 62 mm snap-on front cap, included.
LF-N1 Z-mount rear cap, included.
Hood specifications top
Nikon HB-115 Hood for Z 50mm f/1.4. bigger.
Nikon HB-115 Hood, included.
Case specifications top
None included.
Nikon suggests the CL-C1 cloth bag as an accessory, but a tube sock works better.
Size specifications top
2.93" ø maximum diameter × 3.41" extension from flange.
74.5 mm ø maximum diameter × 86.5 mm extension from flange.
Weight specifications top
14.8 oz. (420 g).
Quality & Ethics specifications top
Nikon Z 50mm f/1.4. bigger.
Made in China.
Announced specifications top
12:43 AM, Tuesday, 10 September 2024, NYC time.
Promised for specifications top
Late September 2024.
Included specifications top
LC-62B 62 mm snap-on front cap.
LF-N1 Z-mount rear cap.
Packaging specifications top
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|
Box. bigger. |
Box end. bigger. |
Micro corrugated cardboard box.
Corugami innards.
Model Number specifications top
20128.
Price, U. S. A. specifications top
June 2025
$497 at B&H, at Adorama, at Amazon and at Crutchfield.
About $404 used if you know How to Win at eBay.
April 2025
$497 at B&H, at Adorama, at Amazon and at Crutchfield.
About $400 used if you know How to Win at eBay.
Optional Accessories top
Sample Images Intro New Good Bad Missing
Specifications Accessories USA Version
I got my Z 50mm f/1.4 at B&H. I'd also get it at Adorama, at Amazon or at Crutchfield, or get it used if you know How to Win at eBay.
Nikon HB-115 hood (replacement).
LC-62B 62 mm snap-on front cap (replacement).
LF-N1 Z-mount rear cap (replacement).
CL-C1 lens sack:
Optional CL-C1 Lens "Case". bigger.
Nikon claims it's a case, but it's only a CL-C1 cloth bag. A tube sock works better.
Getting a Legal U. S. A. Version top
Sample Images Intro New Good Bad Missing
Specifications Accessories USA Version
I got my Z 50mm f/1.4 at B&H. I'd also get it at Adorama, at Amazon or at Crutchfield, or get it used if you know How to Win at eBay.
This section applies in the U. S. A. only.
You must have a USA Warranty Card, and the serial number must match the one on the bottom of your lens, otherwise you have no warranty:
Nikon Z 50mm f/1.4 U. S. A. Warranty Card. bigger.
If you don't have this card, if the card doesn't say "VALID IN THE CONTINENTAL UNITED STATES" or the serial number on the card doesn't match the one on your lens exactly, you got ripped off with a gray market version from another country. All legitimate cameras and lenses come with printed warranty cards, even if you prefer to register online. (The serial number on the outside of the box doesn't have to match, but if it doesn't it means you bought from a shady dealer who took lenses out of boxes and then resold these used lenses cameras as new.)
The U. S. A. warranty card comes from "NIKON INC.," the U. S. A. office; the Japanese headquarters is "Nikon Corporation." The card should be inside your box. The serial number on the card must match the serial number on your lens.
The warranty is also valid only if you are the original purchaser and only if it was purchased from an authorized dealer. All because a store or someone claims to be authorized doesn't mean they are. That's why I only buy from my personally approved sources.
Shifty dealers may include color copies of a card from a legitimate U. S. A. product in a gray-market box, hoping you won't check serial numbers and catch their fraud. A card with the wrong serial number means nothing other than that you have no warranty coverage.
Nikon stopped offering 5-year lens warranties in 2021 in an effort to save themselves money at our expense.
Always be sure to check your box, warranty card and serial numbers while you can still return it, or just don't buy from unapproved sources or at retail so you'll be able to have your camera serviced and get free updated firmware as needed.
This is why I never buy anyplace other than from my personally approved sources. You just can't take the chance of buying elsewhere, especially at any retail store, because non-USA versions have no warranty in the U. S. A., and you won't even be able to get firmware or service for it — even if you're willing to pay out-of-pocket for it when you need it!
Nikon U. S. A. enforces its trademarks strictly. It's unlikely, but possible that US customs won't let your camera back in the country if you bought a gray-market version in the U. S. A., carried it overseas, and try to bring it back in. (If you take the chance of buying one overseas, be sure you have a receipt to prove you bought it overseas and be prepared to pay duty on it.)
If a gray market version saves you $200 it may be worth it, but for $100 or less saved I wouldn't risk having no warranty or support.
Get yours from the same places I do and you won't have a problem, but if you take the risk of getting yours elsewhere, be sure to check everything while you still can return it.
Performance top
Sample Images Intro New Good Bad Missing
Specifications Accessories USA Version
Overall Autofocus Manual Focus Breathing
Focus Distance Recording Bokeh Coma Distortion
Ergonomics Falloff Filters Flare & Ghosts Hood
Lateral Color Fringes Lens Corrections Macro
Mechanics Sharpness Spherochromatism
Stabilization Sunstars Teleconverters
I got my Z 50mm f/1.4 at B&H. I'd also get it at Adorama, at Amazon or at Crutchfield, or get it used if you know How to Win at eBay.
Overall performance top
This lens has great optics, but in a light-duty barrel and lacking an AF/MF switch.
Autofocus performance top
Autofocus isn't particularly fast. Autofocus speed is moderate.
I found that at f/1.4 in the corners I got much better results using the center sensor and locking focus in AF-S mode than by using an AF sensor in the corner. Weird, but try this if you're not getting super-sharp results at f/1.4. This is from focus shift, and may vary between samples.
Autofocus makes a slight whiney sound as it focusses. This isn't likely to be audible except in a very quiet place, and then only to the photographer.
Manual Focus performance top
Manual focus is great; there's a big rubberized manual focus ring that's always active.
Manual focusing is entirely electronic; the manual focus ring isn't connected to anything other than a digital encoder.
Just grab this electronic manual focus ring for instant manual-focus override anytime the camera is awake in any mode.
Even if you're in AF-C (continuous AF), once you turn the manual focus ring, it focuses and stays put. This is much better than Canon cameras, which keep autofocusing in that mode as soon as you let go of the manual focus ring, entirely defeating the purpose!
There is no AF/MF switch; you have to set this in a menu, boo!
Focus Breathing performance top
Focus breathing is the image changing size (growing and shrinking slightly) as focused in and out. It's important to cinematographers that the image not breathe (change size) as focus gets pulled back and forth between different actors as they speak. The image is said to breathe because it expands and contracts as the focus follows the dialog back and forth.
There's no significant breathing. The image can become very slightly larger as focussed more closely under very close scrutiny at f/16, but I doubt anyone or even I would ever see it in any practical application.
Focus Distance Recording performance top
I see no focused distance in the lower left of my screen in Photoshop's lens correction filter.
Bokeh performance top
Bokeh, the feel, character or quality of out-of-focus areas as opposed to how far out of focus they are, is excellent at large apertures and neutral at smaller apertures.
Here are photos from headshot distance wide-open. I'm focused on the DAVIS logo. Click any for the © camera-original file:
Made-in-U. S. A. Davis 6357 Vantage Vue Wireless Sensor Suite (use with WeatherLink console), 29 April 2025. Nikon Z6 III at 1/1,600 with Tiffen ND 0.9, 1/3,200, 1/800 and 1/160 at Auto ISO 100, +1 stop exposure compensation (LV 14.6, 14,6, 14.6 and 14¼). click any for the camera-original © file.
As always, if you want to throw the background as far out of focus as possible, shoot at f/1.4 and get as close as possible.
Coma performance top
Coma, or sagittal coma flare, was often seen with fast normal to wide lenses as weird batwing shapes on bright points of light in the corners at night.
I see very little coma in this lens at f/1.4, which is excellent.
Distortion performance top
This Nikon Z 50mm f/1.4 has no visible distortion, with or without electronic correction, which is a huge improvement over all its SLR and DSLR 50mm f/1.4 lenses.
For more critical scientific use, use these corrections in Photoshop's lens correction filter to JPG images.
These aren't facts or specifications, they are the results of my research that requires hours of photography and calculations on the resulting data.
Correction factor with uncorrected images on Full-Frame |
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| +0.50 | +0.70 |
© 2025 KenRockwell.com. All rights reserved.
Ergonomics performance top
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Nikon Z 50mm f/1.4. bigger. |
Nikon Z 50mm f/1.4. bigger. |
Half the lens is the manual focus ring, which is great.
There's no AF/MF switch; you have to set this in a menu, which is really bad.
Good news is that manual focus is superb, and it always has instant manual-focus override and locks when you're done moving the ring so that can help, but I still wish it had an AF/MF switch.
It also has an extra unclicked control ring which can be assigned to lots of things like aperture or white balance or exposure compensation, but lacking clicks I find it too weird to use.
Falloff performance top
With correction ON, falloff on full frame is minor at f/1.4 and insignificant stopped down.
I've greatly exaggerated the falloff by shooting a gray field and placing these on a gray background; it will not look this bad in actual photos of real things:
Falloff on full-frame at infinity, Vignette control at its default of NORMAL:
© 2025 KenRockwell.com. All rights reserved. |
If you save only raw data rather than create JPG images in-camera, whatever software you use to create visible images from that raw data later may or may not correct this as is done in-camera as JPGs. You're on your own there; I don't bother with raw data.
If you go out of your way to turn off the correction, or possibly in some raw software, vignetting is moderate at f/1.4 and goes away as stopped down:
Falloff on full-frame at infinity, Vignette control turned OFF:
© 2025 KenRockwell.com. All rights reserved. |
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Filters, use with performance top
There's no need for thin filters. I can stack several standard 62mm filters with no vignetting at any setting on full-frame.
Go ahead and use your standard rotating polarizer and grad filters.
Flare & Ghosts performance top
There's nearly no flare or ghosts.
See examples at Sunstars.
Hood specifications top
Nikon HB-115 Hood for Z 50mm f/1.4. bigger.
The included HB-115 Hood is actually pretty deep and, unlike almost all hoods for zooms today, looks to be very effective at keeping your fingers and the sun out of the lens.
Lateral Color Fringes performance top
There are no color fringes as shot on Nikon cameras as JPG, which by default correct for any that may be there.
If you shoot raw and then use non-manufacturer software to process that data into images then there is the possibility that there might be some, but I doubt it.
Lens Corrections performance top
The Z9, Z8, Z7 II, Z6 III, Z6 II, Zƒ, Z7, Z6, Z5 II, Z5, Zƒc, Z50 II, Z50 and Z30 correct for any or all of distortion, diffraction and falloff (vignette control). Each of these three may be turned ON or OFF as you like.
The Z9, Z8, Z7 II, Z6 III, Z6 II, Zƒ, Z7, Z6, Z5 II, Z5, Zƒc, Z50 II, Z50 and Z30 always correct for lateral color fringes (lateral chromatic aberration). This is part of Nikon's secret sauce and never appears in any menu.
Macro Performance performance top
Oddly after 75 years of advancement, this 50mm doesn't focus significantly closer than any other Nikon 50mm lens.
Here's how close it gets on full frame:
At f/1.4
It loses contrast due to spherical aberration and there are color fringes on out-of-focus highlights due to spherochromatism, which has been the case for pretty much every other 50mm f/1.4:
Casio G-Shock Solar Atomic Watch at close-focus distance, 29 April 2025. Nikon Z6 III at 1/1,600 with Tiffen ND 0.9 at Auto ISO 100, +1 stop exposure compensation (LV 14.6). bigger or camera-original © file.
1,200 × 900 pixel (5× magnification) crop from above. bigger or camera-original © file.
If this 1,200 × 900 pixel crop is about 3" (7.5cm) wide on your screen, then the complete image printed at this same large magnification would be about 10 × 15" (25 × 38cm).
If this 1,200 × 900 pixel crop is about 6" (15cm) wide on your screen, then the complete image printed at this same extreme magnification would be about 20 × 30" (50 × 75cm).
If this 1,200 × 900 pixel crop is about 12" (30cm) wide on your screen, then the complete image printed at this same insanely high magnification would be about 40 × 60" (1 × 1.5 meters).
At f/8
Like every lens, it's ultra sharp at f/8:
Casio G-Shock Solar Atomic Watch at close-focus distance, 29 April 2025. Nikon Z6 III at 1/500 at Auto ISO 100, +0.7 stops exposure compensation (LV 15.0). bigger or camera-original © file.
1,200 × 900 pixel (5× magnification) crop from above. bigger or camera-original © file.
If this 1,200 × 900 pixel crop is about 3" (7.5cm) wide on your screen, then the complete image printed at this same large magnification would be about 10 × 15" (25 × 38cm).
If this 1,200 × 900 pixel crop is about 6" (15cm) wide on your screen, then the complete image printed at this same extreme magnification would be about 20 × 30" (50 × 75cm).
If this 1,200 × 900 pixel crop is about 12" (30cm) wide on your screen, then the complete image printed at this same insanely high magnification would be about 40 × 60" (1 × 1.5 meters).
Mechanical Quality performance top
Nikon Z 50mm f/1.4. bigger.
It has a Metal mount and glass glass, and the rest is plastic. It has great optics, and otherwise feels relatively disposable.
Exterior Finish
Black plastic.
Hood
Plastic bayonet.
Front Bumper
None.
Filter Threads
Plastic.
Hood Bayonet Mount
Plastic.
Vanity Trim at Front of Barrel
Anodized aluminum.
Barrel Exterior
Plastic.
Focus Ring
Rubber-covered plastic.
Extra Control Ring
Hard plastic.
Identity
Printed around front of lens with invisible dark gray paint, also "50/1.4" printed on top of barrel.
Internals
Seem like mostly plastic.
Dust Gasket at Mount
Yes.
Mount
Chromed metal.
Markings
Just paint; nothing's engraved except the serial number.
Serial Number
Nikon Z 50mm f/1.4. bigger.
Laser engraved in warm black on black on the bottom of the barrel.
Date Code
None found.
Noises When Shaken
Mild clicking from the diaphragm blades.
Truth & Ethics
Made in China.
Never disclosed in any advertising, marketing materials or online offers for sale.
Sharpness performance top
Lens sharpness has nothing to do with picture sharpness; every lens made in the past 100 years is more than sharp enough to make super-sharp pictures if you know what you're doing. The only limitation to picture sharpness is your skill as a photographer. It's the least talented who spend the most time worrying about lens sharpness and blame crummy pictures on their equipment rather than themselves. Skilled photographers make great images with whatever camera is in their hands; I've made some of my best images of all time with an irreparably broken camera! Most pixels are thrown away before you see them, but camera makers don't want you to know that.
This lens is super sharp, limited of course by diffraction at the smallest apertures.
If you're not getting ultra-sharp pictures with this, be sure not to shoot at f/11 or smaller where all lenses are softer due to diffraction, always shoot at ISO 100 or below because cameras become softer at ISO 200 and above, avoid shooting across long distances over land which can lead to atmospheric heat shimmer, be sure everything is in perfect focus, set your camera's sharpening as you want it (I set mine to the maximum) and be sure nothing is moving, either camera or subject. If you want to ensure a soft image with any lens, shoot at f/16 at ISO 1,600 or above at default sharpening in daylight of subjects at differing distances in the same image.
People worry waaaaay too much about lens sharpness. It's not 1968 anymore when lenses often weren't that sharp and there could be significant differences among them; ever since about 2010 all new lenses are all pretty much equally fantastic.
This lens is super sharp corner-to corner at every aperture, limited by your vision as an artist and of course by diffraction at the smallest apertures. Avoid f/16 unless you really it for deep depth of field because diffraction takes its toll. See also How to Calculate the Sharpest Aperture.
The corners can seem to lose a little sharpness at f/1.4 if you're really looking for it, but the only time anything would actually be in focus in the corners is for shooting test charts (which don't matter), or for astrophotography, for which this lens is fine. If you really care (I sure don't), go ahead and buy the Z 50mm f/1.2 which is just a little sharper in the corners wide-open. Guess what: for all I know what seems like a tiny loss of corner sharpness might be due to the light falloff, both having to use higher equivalent ISOs in the far corners so noise reduction has to work harder, and the simple fact that when the corners get a bit darker at f/1.4 our eyes cant' see as much detail in the images, even if it's there! Look at the MTF chart, which says that's it's super sharp out to the corners:
Nikon's MTF chart at 10 cyc/mm and 30 cyc/mm. The solid lines are the sagittal (radial) and the dotted lines are the meridional (tangential) measurements.
While it's usually valid to compare rated MTFs between different lenses of similar vintage from the same maker, every maker measures or simply calculates MTF very differently, and therefore one cannot compare these curves between brands. For instance, Sony seems to ignore diffraction and simply calculate overly optimistic MTFs that hug 100%, which no real lens can do at f/8, while other brands are more realistic and include diffraction. Only Canon offers any insight on how they arrive at their curves.
Spherochromatism performance top
Spherochromatism, also called secondary spherical chromatic aberration or "color bokeh," is an advanced form of spherical and chromatic aberration in a different dimension than lateral chromatic aberration and therefore cannot be corrected with software or automatic corrections. It happens mostly in fast normal and tele lenses when spherical aberration at the ends of the color spectrum are corrected differently than in the middle of the spectrum. Spherochromatism can cause colored fringes on out-of-focus highlights, usually seen as green fringes on backgrounds and magenta fringes on foregrounds. Spherochromatism is common in fast lenses of moderate focal length when shooting contrasty items at full aperture. It goes away as stopped down.
It has a lot of spherochromatism, with vivid blue fringes behind and orange-red fringes ahead of the plane of perfect focus. I'm not impressed; all these decades of advancement, but no better spherochromatism:
Mondaine A132.30348.11SBB at close-focus distance, 29 April 2025. Nikon Z6 III at 1/2,500 with Tiffen ND 0.9 at Auto ISO 100, +1 stop exposure compensation (LV 15¼). bigger or camera-original © file.
1,200 × 900 pixel (5× magnification) crop from above. bigger or camera-original © file.
If this 1,200 × 900 pixel crop is about 3" (7.5cm) wide on your screen, then the complete image printed at this same large magnification would be about 10 × 15" (25 × 38cm).
If this 1,200 × 900 pixel crop is about 6" (15cm) wide on your screen, then the complete image printed at this same high magnification would be about 20 × 30" (50 × 75cm).
If this 1,200 × 900 pixel crop is about 12" (30cm) wide on your screen, then the complete image printed at this same extreme magnification would be about 40 × 60" (1 × 1.5 meters).
Image Stabilization (VR) performance top
This lens has no Optical Image Stabilization (OIS, IS or VR (Vibration Reduction)), but it works great with in-camera stabilization.
I get five full stops of real-world improvement with my Z5 II, allowing me to get perfectly sharp shots most of the time at a half a second!!!
"Percent Perfectly Sharp Shots" are the percentage of hand-held, free-standing with no support or bracing, frames with 100% perfect tripod-equivalent sharpness as viewed at 300%. Hand tremor is a random occurrence, so at marginal speeds some frames will be perfectly sharp while others will be in various stages of blur — all at the same shutter speed.
This rates what percentage of shots are perfectly sharp, not how sharp are all the frames:
| % Perfectly Sharp Shots on stabilized Z5 II | 2s |
1s |
1/2 |
1/4 |
1/8 |
1/15 |
1/30 |
1/60 |
1/125 |
| Stabilization ON | 0 |
10 |
70 |
90 |
100 |
100 |
100 |
100 |
100 |
| Stabilization OFF | 0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
70 |
100 |
I see FIVE stops of real-world improvement, which is great!
Sunstars performance top
With its 9-bladed rounded diaphragm, I get pretty good 18-point sunstars on brilliant points of at smaller apertures.
Likewise ignore the crazy rainbow dots at small apertures; these are sensor artifacts caused by interference among the divisions between pixels on the sensor. These are made visible because we're using enough exposure to show the dark underside of a huge palm tree, and then putting the blinding disk of the mid-day sun in it. Doing this will show everything due to the insane lighting range.
Click any to enlarge:
Click any to enlarge.
Teleconverters performance top
Not compatible with either of the Nikon Z TC 1.4× or 2× teleconverters.
There's no hole at the back to accommodate the protruding elements of these converters. Sorry.
Recommendations top
Sample Images Intro New Good Bad Missing
Specifications Accessories USA Version
I got my Z 50mm f/1.4 at B&H. I'd also get it at Adorama, at Amazon or at Crutchfield, or get it used if you know How to Win at eBay.
Want a sharp, fast, lightweight and reasonably priced 50mm lens? Here you go! I prefer this to the huge Z 50mm f/1.2 because I don't want to carry the f/1.2, even if you gave it to me.
I use a clear (UV) protective filter instead of a cap (exactly like an iPhone) so I'm always ready to shoot instantly. I only use a cap when I throw this in a bag with other gear without padding — which is never. The UV filter never gets in the way, and never gets lost, either.
The very best protective filter is the Hoya multicoated HD3 62mm UV which uses hardened glass and repels dirt and fingerprints.
For less money, Olympus makes an PRF-ZD62 PRO Clear Protection Filter which is also optically superb, and the Nikon 62mm NC (No Color) protective filter is also an excellent choice, especially if you don't expect to abuse your filter and keep your fingers off the glass, but the Hoya HD3 is the toughest and the best.
Filters last a lifetime, so you may as well get the best today. The Hoya HD3 stays cleaner than the others since it repels oil and dirt. I use my classic Nikon 62mm L37c (multicoated 370 nanometer UV) filters because I bought them back in the 1980s when they were the best, and they never wear out. Putting a 1980s 62mm L37c on this new lens gives a tip of the hat to when Nikon ruled the photography world.
If I was working in nasty, dirty areas, I'd use an uncoated 62mm Tiffen UV filter instead. Uncoated filters are much easier to clean, but more prone to ghosting.
All these filters are just as sharp and take the same pictures, the difference is how much abuse they'll take and stay clean and stay in one piece. Since filters last a lifetime or more, there's no reason not to buy the best as it will last you for the next 40 years. Filters aren't throwaways like digital cameras which we replace every few years, like it or not. I'm still using filters I bought back in the 1970s!
I got my Z 50mm f/1.4 at B&H. I'd also get it at Adorama, at Amazon or at Crutchfield, or get it used if you know How to Win at eBay.
This 100% all-content, junk-free website's biggest source of support is when you use those or any of these links to my personally approved sources I've used myself for way over 100 combined years when you get anything, regardless of the country in which you live — but I receive nothing for my efforts if you take the chance of getting it elsewhere. Nikon does not seal its boxes in any way, so never buy at retail or any other source not on my personally approved list since you'll have no way of knowing if you're missing accessories, getting a defective, damaged, returned, dropped, incomplete, gray-market, store demo or used lens — and my personally approved sources allow for 100% cash-back returns for at least 30 days if you don't love your new lens. I've used many of these sources since the 1970s because I can try it in my own hands and return it if I don't love it, and because they ship from secure remote warehouses where no one gets to touch your new lens before you do. Buy only from the approved sources I've used myself for decades for the best prices, service, return policies and selection.
Thanks for helping me help you!
Ken.
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