Nikon 2137 AF Nikkor 50 mm F/1.8 D FX Full Frame Prime Lens for Nikon DSLR Cameras

The optical quality of this lens is a revelation. For many years I owned only the standard 18-55mm zoom that came with my camera. This 50mm prime lens is in a different class entirely. Clear, crisp images with wonderful colours, no distortion, that wide f/1.8 aperture is a great asset in low light too, as well as making shots with shallow depth of field where the background is beautifully out of focus. This has got to be the greatest value for money lens there is, don't let the price tag fool you into thinking it is a compromised budget model. Luckily the lack of a built in focus motor is not an issue on my camera, but I'm not sure it will autofocus on a D40 or even the newer D5200 and D3200 - best check that out if you are thinking of buying one for those models and expect autofocus to work.It used to seem logical to carry my SLR with a zoom like the 18-55 or 18-70 as the standard and occasionally swap it when needed. But now I can carry my camera around with this lens on all day and be reluctant to change it, only when necessary. So what if I have to walk around a bit more to compose a shot? If I was only allowed to own one lens, this would be it. I'd recommend this lens to anyone (check whether your model can autofocus it though!) - it will work just fine on both consumer DX cameras like mine or professional FX cameras, unlike all the other DX lenses you might have!

I have a variety of lenses (ranging from 12 - 300mm) and this is the one that I keep returning to. If I'm shooting anything around 50mm, I will always use this lens when I can. You just can't beat the sharpness (unless you go for a more expensive 50mm prime - which you're not going to have if you're looking to buy this one) and at f/1.8 you have a lot of flexibility in terms of speed and depth of field.Pros:* That price.* It's small, so there's rarely any reason not to take it with you.* It's discrete, so you can pair it with a small body and do some street photography without looking like a paparazzi/pervert/spy.* It's simple, which makes it a great training lens for amateurs since modern DSLRs have become very complicated.Cons:* No autofocus motor (but this is also a plus if your body already has a motor - because it saves you a few £)* Some people complain about it being 'plasticky' but who really cares? It takes good pictures.* Also note, that if you have a cropped sensor body (There'll be a DX symbol on the front of your Nikon camera body) this lens will behave more like an ~85mm lens. If you want an approximate 50mm effect with a cropped sensor body, you want to go with the 35mm lens.To conclude:There's only 2 reasons *not* to buy this lens:1. If you already own a better 50mm prime (then why are you here?)2. If you need the model with the autofocus meter built in (check if your body has an autofocus motor)

This is a great little lens (I have had it for a few years now), far cheaper than any similar alternative and in my opinon better than most. OK so it is not telephoto (well on a DX camera it is 75mm equvalent) nor is it wideangle, but it does allow crystal clear images at very low light levels. I have a Nikon D80 which means I get an effective short telephoto image from this lens. I find I use it for about 50% of my shots. I use it a lot for portraits and family shots, and with the f1.8 it is easy to get creamy out of focus backgrounds or even soft focus midgrounds. But it can also be great for reportage type shots, the slight telephoto on a DX body means you can get fairly intimate shots without intruding. Even landscapes can work well, though clealy that type of shot often calls for a wider angle. At this price it is well worht considering and you will find lots of glowing recommendations on the net about this lens. Cartier Bresson almost always used a fixed 50mm, so thats got to say something.If you want a true 'normal' lens and have a DX body (especially if it is a body without an internal autofocus) the you need to look at the newer and more pricey Nikkor 35mm as this will give a truer normal focal length of 52mm.Personally I am now interested in getting a really wide angle lens to round out my lens collection, but they cost a lot more than this little gem...

I was looking for a cracking optical lens that could give me fast shutter speeds in all types of light. I am very sport orientated and do a lot of outdoor activities. Therefore I needed to be able to take action shots everywhere and the fact that I can get close up to my subjects meant that I would not have to fork out £600 plus for a fast telephoto lens.So lets just say that the manual focus posed some great difficulties for me when taking moving shots. The 1.8 aperture is superb for the low light fast shutter speeds but because the depth of field is so small you tend to miss the focus point very quickly when capturing moving objects. It is then down to more luck that judgement in that respect yet I have still taken some amazing pics with it. its just that lets say one pic may be spot on out of 15!!But hey maybe I am using this for stuff other than its sole purpose - A portrait lens!If you are wanting to take images of static objects, people etc then pound for pound this is the best lens money can by. So really I am being harsh on not giving it 5 stars but its just my personal opinion in relation to faffing with the focus.Also for the type of photography I am talking about (Action Shots) the 50mm lens is still a little too much on the zoom aspect for my liking. I've now bitten the bullet and purchased the Nikon 35mm 1.8F AF-S. And I must say that the extra investment is well worth it. You still get the amazing optics, you can stand a little close to your subjects and the quite auto focus is fast and sharp. It basically takes the hassle out of photograpy!So all i can say is consider what photography you do most. The auto focus 35mm is far more versatile and can capture superb portrait shots too. It also focuses surprisingly close up to your subject so garden plants, insects etc in your back yard are easily captured. Hope this helps folks!!