Great video! Thanks for taking the time to make these comparisons-it's clear a lot of effort went into it! I'm a fan of the 1.4 lenses. Maybe it's because I've been using F-mount lenses for years and am just used to them. Even if these new 1.4 lenses were more expensive than the 1.8’s, I'd still choose the 1.4’s. One thing I love is how they get sharper when you stop down the aperture. When photographing more than one person, like a group, I'm going to stop down anyway, so this feature really works for me. On the other hand, Nikon designed the S-line lenses to be sharpest at wide-open apertures. From what I've seen (and the test charts online), the sharpness either stays the same or slightly decreases when you stop down with S-lenses. Some people claim that stopping down always increases sharpness and say it's "just physics," but that’s not entirely true. Lens design plays a big role, and manufacturers can design lenses to be sharper at any aperture they choose, even wide open. I definitely prefer the S-line zooms to be designed this way, but large aperture primes I’d prefer to be sharper when stopped down. Everyone’s mileage varies, so it’s great Nikon offers these options.
The 1.8 has a better Highlight Roll off and tonal gradation. Thus produce almost 3D images. My money is on 1.8; Bokeh difference is negligible. Great review though!
Personally, I don't like the rendering of the 50mm f1.4. Yes, there are vintage lenses that have a unique rendering that looks amazing like for example the Minolta MC Rokkor 58mm f1.2 or the Nikon F 58mm f1.4 AF-S mount lens. There are also modern lenses with a nice vintage rendering like the Voigtlander Nokton 50mmm f1.2. But if you ask me, this Nikon Z 50mm f1.4 has the rendering of one of the many "not that great" vintage lenses of the 60s-80s.
When I heard about this new line-up for the first time, I said to myself that for sure I prefer S-line lenses, difference in price is too small to decide for non-S. But after watching side by side comparsions I'm sure I prefer these imperfections of 1.4, both of them. For sure I'll have them both in my collection in the future. When I was close to move from DSLR to mirrorless, watching samples of the modern lenses, I was a bit terrified how clinically sharp and perfect they are. And I didn't like it, it was so artificial. I'm adapting old Canon FD lenses to my Z camera, but now I'm glad there are more and more dedicated lenses delivering good quality and character, including these three cheap Viltroxes - 20/2.8, 40/2.5 and 56/1.7.
Difficult decision but just the video I needed as I felt it was missing on RU-vid! You can already get the 50 f/1.8 for less than the 50 f/1.4 if you buy it second hand... Makes the decision even more difficult. I love that Nikon is doing this, but would also like to see a more compact line of lenses, ideally with an aperture ring! For me, the Voigtlander 40mm f/1.2 provides all the character I need in a lens :)
I own the 50mm 1.8 s and agree that it’s a fantastic 50mm. I don’t plan to get this 50mm 1.4 because I have my sight set on the Voigtlander 50mm f/2 APO. For me, they provide the vintage/dreamy look that I love. Yes, they are manual only, but the rendering you get is just so incredibly pristine. 😍 I look forward to your review on anyone of Voigtlander Z mount lenses. In the meantime, great review, as usual.
I would like to see a comparisen between the 50mm F1.4 and the 35mm F1.4 in crop mode (52.5mm field of view). I'm shooting on a Z8 so loss of pixel is immaterial. If the 2 lens are comparable I won't buy the 50mm lens.
to me the 1.4 has unacceptable performance given its size. if it were half the size and had weather sealing it would have been an instant buy for me as a Zf owner. these f1.4 lenses have me dooming on the whole Zf thing, just absolute misses for me personally. gonna chuck it for the next high res body because Nikon seems uninterested in delivering small + good lenses. a big + bad lens? the fuck? the bigger lenses are good, I love the 105 macro it's such a winner and Canon/Sony's lenses don't deliver like that. The 135? crazy good. But none of those lenses work well with the Zf even with a grip. thank goodness I can afford to have more than one system Leica and Hasselblad both understand the value of comparatively small packages.
50 Noctilux is outdated, I think Leica will come up with a new version soon. 75mm 1.25 is a better lens & technology. The 75/90 APO is just as good and cost way less.
is it me am I the drama? I tested both lenses on my ZF, but the 1.8S is just such a nice sharp lens. Feels like it just ticks all the check boxes for me. So I am keeping the 1.8! wish me luck.
I love the look of the 50mm 1.4. Really love that Nikon has flipped the script on 1.4 glass and love that it has character. Great comparison as always Alex!
For the 50 I am firmly in ... both camps. Had the 1.8 already, really like the (admittedly limited) time with the 1.4. Keeping both for different situations. For the 35 had already sold the 1.8, so for 35 only have the 1.4. Useful, succinct comparison, well done ... thx!
If Nikon can repackage this 35 1.4 lens(and the more recent 50 1.4) in a retro style design to fit the Zf, I’ll be getting one along with the Zf. Oh and bring back a clicky aperture ring please!!! 🙏
The customizable ring that's separate from the larger focus ring is a VERY welcome addition for me. Perhaps the 1.8 line should be refreshed with this same design, keeping the A/M switch and more metal materials to differentiate. I have the 50 1.8 and don't plan to move to the 1.4 (that 50 1.8 is magic), but I'm definitely picking up the 35 1.4 since I don't have a 35 prime. Next up... 85 1.4? 🤗
Just got my 50 f1.4 yesterday! Blown away again by the beautiful character in these new f1.4! Pairs very nicely with the 35! I should add I plan to mostly do video work with these, and for that, they are incredible!
like this lens enough on z mount that I kept it, despite the obvious overlap with a superb lens, the Nikon 14-24 2.8 z. The viltrox is a silly good value as well.
I don’t want to sound cocky or anything but why not use an old lens then? It’s cheaper, lighter and most probably built better. I honestly would like your reasoning behind buying this lens against buying old.
Interesting point about AF hit-rate on film cameras. The AF technology in film cameras is pretty weak compared to today's AF. I get missed focus with AF film cameras all the time.
these cameras use the same sensor, so the difference is the lens. btw the pattern on the dress ist caused by the interference between the sensor grid and the screen grid. this can happen like a moire.❤
The 1.4 is sharp enough and one can fix its shortcomings in post . The 1.4 has a desired look and also sports the function ring those are more important than just a bit better sharpness and overall optical superiority of the 1.8 . Photography is an art ,the 1.4 wins .
I jumped back and forth because I am familiar with both cameras. Did I miss any mentioning of the software? Sony's horrible software design vs. Leica's clean and intuitive one.
The old lux seem to have a blend of the vintage and modern look. The new one seems rather clinical. I am shopping for another Summilux and I will probably just save some cash with the old model.
Thanks for sharing this Alex! The ZF has been probably my favorite camera after trying almost every brand's top cameras in the past 5 years. The colors, autofocus, retro vibes, the flip screen, it just checks all of the boxes for me. It reminds me of the SL2-S, which is another favorite of mine, but that camera has a lot more limitations for IMO and it was not reliable enough for me (I had a failed shutter on it after 1yr of ownership). I haven't used the Techart adapter, but I do have the Fotodiox Pronto autofocus adapter and I love it. The AF is a little slower than native z glass (including S glass), but the idea of being able to use the small m mount glass with autofocus instead of the giant Z mount S glass (e.g. 50mm 1.2) is what led me to buying this setup. My only complaints about the Pronto adapter is I wish it had 6 bit encoding, similar to the M to L mount adapter (I used stored lens profile from within the ZF menus, but it's not perfect), and the fact that the adapter is loud as it obtains focus. Btw, thanks for inspiring me to go to the gym more... Take care and keep up the great work!
Thanks Alex - really helpful. You really helped me understand what I'd get when shooting wide open, or close to it. I'd have liked to see f4/f5.6 on both, just to understand the difference stopped down a bit. Good point you made at the end, about lenses being too clinical - it's making me think again about what I really want.
