So proud of myself!!!!

[AtuspidsGoddess]

I finally sat down and went over the controls on my d200 and I think that everything is finally sticking...aperture...f stop...etc!...now as I'm looking...I wanted to know...for those of you who have well trained eyes...is there really a noticeable difference between the bokeh background on the 50mm f1.4 versus f1.8? Is it even worth the money to get the 1.4? I would probably like to get one but just wanted to know, if there is even a noticeable difference at all and if someone could point it out? Maybe my eyes are just not as trained?

 

[Derrel]

Neither the 50/1.4 AF-D nor the 50 1.8 AF or AF-D models have great bokeh...in fact both the 1.4 and the 1.8 are known for rather poor bokeh. The "brand new" 50mm f/1.4 AF-S G-series lens, the one without the aperture ring, has better bokeh than either of the older 50mm designs.

 

[Robin Usagani]

Yes you can. the f/1.4 uses more blades so the bokeh is more rounded. f/1.8 you can really see the shape is a polygon because it uses 5 blades.

OOPS.. im talking about canons

 

[mwcfarms]

I have the 1.8, I do believe there are more elements in the 1.4 so bokeh would probably be slightly different and I have heard that the optics of the 1.4 are better, not too mention the bayonet is metal. Someone will confirm or point out my errors I am sure.

 

[AtuspidsGoddess]

Neither the 50/1.4 AF-D nor the 50 1.8 AF or AF-D models have great bokeh...in fact both the 1.4 and the 1.8 are known for rather poor bokeh. The "brand new" 50mm f/1.4 AF-S G-series lens, the one without the aperture ring, has better bokeh than either of the older 50mm designs.

Yeah I realize they are both pretty poor...I used to have a canon 85mm USM that was a dream as far as bokeh was concerned but that was canon and this is nikon...

...but as far as the background blur that they are able to give...guess I'm wondering if there is much of a difference...is it worth the price difference?

How much does one of the new ones you're talking about go for? I'm on a budget.

 

[mwcfarms]

F 1.8 is 115 - 125 new while the other is 325-350 new. Derrels lens is in the list also.

Nikorr 50mm

 

[kasperjd4]

I think the new 50mm 1.4G runs 300-500 used? I'm not 100% sure but I think that's what I've seen on Craigslist recently. It really depends on what you are using the lens for, and your budget. If it were me, I would get the new 50mm 1.5G.

 

[reznap]

The 50mm bokeh king is the Sigma 50mm f/1.4 - it's $500 though.

I had to send back my first copy since it front-focused.. a frequently reported problem.

If I were you I'd keep the 50 f/1.8 and look at 85mm primes.

 

[AtuspidsGoddess]

The 50mm bokeh king is the Sigma 50mm f/1.4 - it's $500 though.

I had to send back my first copy since it front-focused.. a frequently reported problem.

If I were you I'd keep the 50 f/1.8 and look at 85mm primes.

With the 85mm though, am I then deliberating between the same thing as the 50mm? Cause I'm seeing 85mm 1.4 as well as 85mm 1.8

GAH! Lens are so complicated! *kill me now*

 

[mwcfarms]

The new 85mm F 1.4 is the portrait king of creamy delicious bokeh I have heard. But unfortunately its also 1G I believe. While the other is around 400 to 500 for the 1.8 version. What are you planning on shooting mostly with your new lens. Since your just starting out why not go for the cheaper one, use it well and grow into the more expensive lenses. A shiny new expensive lens with .4 of a difference in aperture isnt going to make a whole hell of a lot of difference at this stage in your journey. Just my opinion, as someone wise says. Take my 2cents, mileage might vary.

 

[c.cloudwalker]

No one I know, including me, shoots for bokeh and, as I've said before, I have yet to hear of a photo that was rejected for its not so creamy bokeh. To be honest, I had never even heard the word until joining this forum.

Bokeh would probably not be on my list of concerns when looking at a possible new lens

 

[AtuspidsGoddess]

The new 85mm F 1.4 is the portrait king of creamy delicious bokeh I have heard. But unfortunately its also 1G I believe. While the other is around 400 to 500 for the 1.8 version. What are you planning on shooting mostly with your new lens. Since your just starting out why not go for the cheaper one, use it well and grow into the more expensive lenses. A shiny new expensive lens with .4 of a difference in aperture isnt going to make a whole hell of a lot of difference at this stage in your journey. Just my opinion, as someone wise says. Take my 2cents, mileage might vary.

I'm going to be taking on a project soon that will require me to be able to take lots of boudoir style photos in low lighting along with portraiture in natural and outdoors type lighting...so I'd like something with great bokeh for portraiture...and swap that between my 50mm as well as I'd like to get a lens that will perform well in low lighting and give me maximum sharpness and detail...

 

[KmH]

Word!

A blurred background, is not bokeh.

Bokeh is a subjective quality of a blurred background many characterize be quantifying by the circle of confusion a lens produces.

I hear photographers talking about an image having a shallow depth of field and calling it Bokeh. That is NOT Bokeh, that is just a shallow depth of field. Bokeh is a descriptor used to describe the QUALITY of the out of Focus areas of an image. And is used to describe the quality of a lens. "That lens has a very smooth and creamy Bokeh" But you cannot use it as: "I decreased my aperture to give the image more Bokeh"

 

[mwcfarms]

The new 85mm F 1.4 is the portrait king of creamy delicious bokeh I have heard. But unfortunately its also 1G I believe. While the other is around 400 to 500 for the 1.8 version. What are you planning on shooting mostly with your new lens. Since your just starting out why not go for the cheaper one, use it well and grow into the more expensive lenses. A shiny new expensive lens with .4 of a difference in aperture isnt going to make a whole hell of a lot of difference at this stage in your journey. Just my opinion, as someone wise says. Take my 2cents, mileage might vary.

I'm going to be taking on a project soon that will require me to be able to take lots of boudoir style photos in low lighting along with portraiture in natural and outdoors type lighting...so I'd like something with great bokeh for portraiture...and swap that between my 50mm as well as I'd like to get a lens that will perform well in low lighting and give me maximum sharpness and detail...

So really you should be looking not at this not from a bokeh sense but a maximum aperature for low light and focal range for portraiture. I thought bokeh was the way the lens shows various points of light in the out of focus areas? You want to be able to blur the background correct. This can be achieved with your subject to background distance to camera distance and aperature that you set.

Someone please correct me if Im wrong. I might be confused about the whole thing.

 

[arturroz]

I recently bought the Nikkor 85 1.4G. It's an amazing lens.