Nikon Nikkor 50mm f/1.8 AI-s

NormalMount: Nikon F50mmf/1.8 – f/22
Introduced: 1979
Nikon Nikkor 50mm f/1.8 AI-s
Image: Metroplex — CC BY-SA 3.0

Nikkor 50mm f/1.8 AI-S is Nikon's standard kit prime — the most-produced Nikkor lens in any era. The f/1.8 maximum aperture is one stop slower than the f/1.4 sibling but the lens is significantly smaller, lighter, and cheaper. Many Nikon photographers consider the 50mm f/1.8 AI-S the best price-to-performance Nikon lens ever made.

Key features

  • 50mm focal length on 35mm full-frame
  • f/1.8 maximum aperture
  • 52mm filter thread
  • AI-S aperture coupling
  • 6-element double-Gauss design — clean optical formula
  • Compact + lightweight — pancake-like profile

Use case + rendering

  • Standard prime for everything from portrait to street to landscape
  • Sharp wide-open at center; very sharp by f/2.8
  • The "Nikon 50" most photographers default to recommending

Compatible bodies

  • All Nikon F-mount manual-focus bodies: F through FM3a and F6

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