Best Aperture for Nikkor 50mm 1.8G?

I know that most lenses operate best 2 stops above their lowest and 2 stops below their highest aperture. Is this the case with the 50mm Nikkor Prime? What aperture have you all had the best and clearest results with?

 

The 50 1.8 is pretty good straight from 1.8 from the charts I have seen, check out Welcome to Photozone!. It has some reviews of the 50 1.8G.

My Sigma shoots nicely from 1.4 and I often shoot it at 1.4 cos otherwise their would be no point in owning a 1.4 lens. It is not as sharp as it is at say F2, but the slight softness at 1.4 creates a special look all by itself.

I guess my point is... don't listen to the chart watchers who say you shouldn't shoot at maximum aperture because the results are not as good. Ultimate sharpness is not always the key to a good photograph.

 

been wondering about this......i notice i have a hard time getting sharp shots at 1.8 on my older 50mm 1.8 AF but at 2.2 is pretty easy. i have nothing else to compare too beacause its the only prime ive owned.....dont know if its me or the lens, but probably me

 

My friend that I've been tutoring just got the 50/1.8G for his D3100. I tell him to AT LEAST stop it down to f/2.2, but it would be better stopped down to f/3.2.

He shats a brick over a shallow DoF... So it's hard to convince him to shoot on a smaller aperture.

 

Use whatever aperture is necessary to create the image you have imagined.

 

I don't totally disagree with what you've said, I shoot my 35mm f/1.8 at f/1.8 sometimes. However, even if you never shoot wide open with a fast lens, it still has a point. The point then becomes being able to shoot a stop or two down, razor sharp, and it still being pretty fast.

For instance, you can shoot a 50mm f/1.4 at f/2.0 and it's WAY sharper than a 50mm f/2.0 at f/2.0.

 

I try not to go past 3.2-2.5 on my nifty 50

 

My results are MUCH sharper stopped down to 2.5 to 4 than they are at 1.8.

 

If you need to shoot at the widest aperture for a given shot, then shoot at the widest aperture for a given shot.


It's there when you need it or want it.

 

Yeah, though I think that the point people are making is that the vast majority of the time, you don't need to shoot wide open, and your pictures look worse because of it. It's pretty rare that I ever need to shoot anything more open than f/2.8. Usually you getter results bumping your ISO up a couple stops than shooting wide open.

 

Everyone does when the first get into the hobby.

It's the easiest way to bring the eyes to your subject with within a bad composition!


But when used well in a beautiful composition....

 

Of course.

But getting sharper exposures at wider apertures requires perfect focus better lighting.

This isn't the greatest example because my focus plane is slightly off to be shooting at f1.4.(you can tell because only the Henn of Hennessy is tack sharp)



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