On Thu, 5 Jun 2003 13:55:34 GMT, Michael Moore <m.moore@utoronto.ca> wrote:

>Neuman - Ruether wrote:

>> Lenses vary from sample to sample, and differences are

>> generally greatest at the widest stops (and with the more

>> complex designs, like zooms, "floating-element" WAs, etc.).

>> The 50mm f1.4 Nikkor (many samples tried) appears to have

>> good consistency - and to show good resolution over most

>> of the frame at f1.4, but low contrast. By f2, the

>> resolution and contrast over most of the frame are

>> excellent, and the lens is quite sharp short the far

>> edges (not terrible there, but at f2 the f1.8 50mm Nikkors

>> beat it, but with lower overall image contrast). By

>> f4, the differences other than in linear distortion

>> between the 1.4 and 1.8 lenses are pretty much gone, and

>> both are excellent. Choose the 1.4 for brighter viewing

>> image and "snappier" image-quality over most of the frame

>> at the widest stops except for f1.4; choose the f1.8 for

>> lower linear distortion and more even center-to-corner

>> sharpness at f2-2.8... Both are good choices, but the 1.8

>> gives "more bang for the buck"...;-)

>Does this apply to all f1.8 50mm Nikkors? Including the compact barrel

>one I see the B&H website?

No - I should have been more thorough...;-)

I was refering to the latest 50mm f1.4 design (there

have been a few...) and also to the current 50mm f1.8.

The 50mm f1.8 AF/AFD, the compact-version AIS, and the

E are the same design (the E is not multicoated); the

f1.8 AI/early-AIS is a different design that is a tad

better in the far corners, but with more linear

distortion than the AF and variants... See

www.David-Ruether-Photography.com/slemn.html.