If there’s one lens that I recommend to photographers who only have the kit lens that came with their camera, it’s the nifty fifty. The Nikon 50mm f/1.8 S is no exception, delivering gorgeous bokeh and sharp subjects without dropping the thousands usually required for a bright zoom lens. And the bright nifty fifty has just dropped to its lowest price in months.
The Nikon 50mm f/1.8 S typically costs more than $660 in the US, but right now the lens is $200 off. The only time the lens was cheaper was last Black Friday, when it was $427. The discount is so good, it pushes the lens under Nikon’s non-S series budget nifty fity.
The nifty fifty is one of my favorite lenses because it mixes a medium focal length that’s great for portraits with a bright aperture. The Nikon 50mm f/1.8 S in particular is exceptionally sharp, even towards the corners, and that wide f/1.8 helps subjects pop against creamy bokeh.
Nikon has more than one nifty fifty lens for mirrorless cameras. The luxury option is the Nikkor Z 50mm f/1.2 S, but it’s a pricey choice. Nikon, however, has two more affordable 50mm lenses: the Nikkor Z 50mm f/1.8 S and the Nikkor Z 50mm f/1.4. (There's also Nikon's macro option, the Nikon Z MC 50mm f/2.8.)
While typically the F/1.4 lens is usually more expensive than the f/1.8, that’s not quite the case here. The 50mm f/1.8 is part of the S series, which designates Nikon’s more high-end optics. It’s sharper than the f/1.4 version. The reason the f/1.4 sits on our list of the best Nikon lenses is because it’s more affordable than the S series lens – or at least, it usually is.
With the $200 discount, the 50mm f/1.8 S becomes more affordable than the non-S series lens, which is only discounted by $100 right now.
Multiple US retailers are offering that discount, but photo specialty retailers add in freebies, with B&H adding a UV filter and Adorama adding a filter set, cleaning kit, and case.
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