Image quality of Nikon 50/1.2 versus 55/1.2

hk300 · Joined: 30 Oct 2008 Posts: 1041 Location: Hong Kong

I currently use the Nikon 50/1.2 and someone in my neighbourhood is selling a Nikon 55/1.2 at a relatively low price, since it needs to be repaired.

Does anyone have experience with these 2 lenses? Which one has the better glass quality?

Attila · Expire: 2025-11-18

No idea.

the_Suede · Joined: 30 Oct 2008 Posts: 67 Location: Sweden

The 55 has worse SA, so it can be felt to be less sharp... But in many ways I think it was (at least) as sharp as my 50/1.4 AIS from 1.4 to 4.0. But it has a perfectly flat field (well, as good as it gets, better than the 50/1.2 anyway) and a lot less coma-effects. I prefer the 55's rendering even though I'm a sucker for sharpness.
It's not good that the lens needs repair, it's a very hard lens to get perfectly centered (realigned) if you have to disassemble it deeper than just the f/b groups... I've heard that the specs on the element seats was a little to "loose". (? rumour) The one I had was perfect.

I cannot say that I have a direct comparison, but I have owned a 55 and used a 50/1.2 for an extended period.

A worthwhile anecdote:
The Nikkor 55/1.2 is the ONLY fast lens marked "1.2" that actually IS a 1.2 except for the Contax anniversary editions... (I measured a 46mm (!) clear infinity aperture at work) Smile

It also has one group more than the 50/1.2 (7/5 instead of 7/6), so one freedom group less with the same coatings means that light-throughput is phenomenal. It's T-stop is almost on Noctilux levels... If low-light performance is important, then this is an important aspect of this lens.
The 50/1.2 was 1.24, Canon 50/1.2L is 1.27, 85/1.2L is 1.28, and all of these have higher transmission losses to add in after the clear aperture measurements.

The reason I sold mine was that someone offered me a ridiculously high price since it was in "NIB" shape and optically perfect. It was very good, but not very well matched to the photography I do. If you're satisfied with your 50, all depends on the price you're paying...

LucisPictor · Expire: 2013-12-03

I "only" have got the 1.2/55 and I love this lens!
But with a lens at f1.2 I do not care that much about perfect image quality. If I need to use a lens at f1.2, I am in a very special situation and grateful that I get a picture at all. Wink

Esox lucius · Expire: 2011-11-18

I can't comment for the oldest 55/1.2 versions, but I got myself a 55/1.2 Type V (dated 1978) a few years back at a photographer swap meet. A year later I had the chance to buy a new 50/1.2 when visiting Japan. Sold my 55mm as I quickly found the 50mm noticeably better.

When comparing the two, the 55mm needs to be stopped down more to deliver. The 50mm can easily be used at f/2 for great results. The 55mm in my opinion is what I call an artsy lens - don't expect sharpness Smile

while the 50mm delivers a good bite in the center even wide open.

The 50/1.2 also gives a very nice bokeh that I find the best of all Nikkor 50 something mm lenses. Haven't tried the 55/1.2 on a D3 but on D2x it needed stopping down to f/4...5.6 to give me the same results the 50/1.2 does at f/2...2.8. On a D3, the 50/1.2 is plain wonderful and an excellent price/quality lens that I find being able to justify its presence in any Nikkor owner's bag, even with modern lens designs.

spiralcity · Joined: 02 Oct 2008 Posts: 1207 Location: Chicago, U.S.A

The 55 1.2 is sharper at the center than the edges. It's not a great lens if you use a bellows for close up work

I've never used the 50 1.2, but I understand that it is sharp. I know that the 50mm 1.4 is sharp even when used wide open.

hk300 · Joined: 30 Oct 2008 Posts: 1041 Location: Hong Kong

so ... if used in dark environments the nikkor 55/1.2 has the more sensitive lens, whereas the 50/1.2 is the sharper one.

by the way for how much are these lenses going?

the_Suede · Joined: 30 Oct 2008 Posts: 67 Location: Sweden

"sharper" depends on how you see it... Good 50's definitely have more "edge acuity", but the 55 has better mid-frequency contrast. Used at high ISO's, maybe you would find the 55 "sharper" - I find that "sharp" is a very personal impression with large aperture lenses.
I got enough out of my 55 to buy a D40... But as I said it was in "new in box" cosmetically which is very rare with these lenses. They're made to be banged up in dark streets... Smile

Going price on european fleabay seems to be 200-300� (based on my memory statistics), or even more depending on cosmetic shape, which seems to be very important in Germany.

Long focal lengths and wide apertures seem to make sample variation worse, so you never know until you try an individual lens if it's up to what it claims... Can you try the lens?

hk300 · Joined: 30 Oct 2008 Posts: 1041 Location: Hong Kong