50mm f1.8 AF vs. AF-S?

Wavejumper

I have a Nikon D80. I do a lot of portraits of families and kids and am starting to get into wedding and engagement photos as well. Also want a great lens to take photos of my 3-year-old without having to use a flash. After debating between the 35mm f1.8, 50mm f1.8 and 50mm f1.4, I think I have decided on the 50mm f1.8.

BUT - which is better: the AF or the AF-s. There is about a $100 price difference (AF-s is more expensive) between these. I want something super sharp with great bokeh. Does anyone know if there is any difference between the AF and AF-s in terms of these two things? Or any other negatives/positives between the two?

Also, am I smart in saving a few hundred dollars and going with the 1.8 over the 1.4? I had read this was the smart thing to do, but if not and I should spend the extra money now, I want to know. And I want to order a lens ASAP.

Thanks!

DoctorIt

Hi jumper - I've moved your post to the Accessories forum, for discussion and advice. When you've decided on the one you want, come on back to Flea Market.

Thanks,

ziggy53

For weddings, engagements and events I think you could make an argument that the Nikkor AF-S 50mm, f1.4G would be best, based on light gathering ability (valuable for both the camera's imager and the camera's AF section), best bokeh signature and best control over DOF.

Whether that is your smartest option might also depend on the other lenses that you have and what order you intend to purchase additional lenses.

Also, do you currently have an external flash? If not, I can highly recommend at least one decent external flash, probably one capable of Nikon CLS. You also need a few light modifiers for the flash, a couple of which you can DIY for almost nothing.

time2smile

My vote between the two would be the AF-S it heard a lot of good stuff about it, i think theres a post listed below in accessories.

found it

http://www.dgrin.com/showthread.php?t=199348&highlight=nikon+50mm

cmadness

I've had both. They're both hard to tell as far as image quality. The af-s has better bokeh. I love the new 50 1.8 G. It's very light, sharp, and has no external moving parts. I payed just over $200 so it's no deal breaker.

You can't go wrong either way, but why not go for the newest and latest tech.

Matthew Saville

Honestly now that the new 50mm f/1.8 AFS-G is here, I just can't bring myself to recommend the AF-D to a friend that I care about. If money is an issue, just keep saving and get the AFS-G in a few more months. You'll be so glad you did!

The new AFS-G 50mm is a gem. It's very well built, in fact it even has the "pro only" rubber gasket for keeping moisture and dust at bay... It focuses silently and you don't have to worry about harming the AF motor if you bump the focus ring, but MOST IMPORTANTLY, I have found autofocus to be more accurate and consistent in low light. To me, that's the deal breaker. It gives me more accuracy and consistency, when shooting wide open in close quarters, even in low light.

:-)

=Matt=