This Nikon legend still only exists in manual-focus form but that takes nothing away from its deserved reputation as one of the Kings of Bokeh.Produced by Nikon since 1978 and still produced new even now, the 50mm f/1.2 was not the company’s first f/1.2 lens, that was the 55mm f/1.2 made between 1966 and 1978. If the words ‘they don’t make ‘em like they used to’ have ever passed your lips, be prepared for a big surprise: they do, and this lens is the living proof.
Nikon has made the 50mm f/1.2 AI-s ever since 1981, and still makes them today. They have made about 150,000 AI-s 50mm f/1.2 lenses so far, which makes it a moderately popular lens.
The previous 7-bladed diaphragm AI version – which I own – was produced from 1978-1981 with presumably the same optics. Nikon made about 75,000 of these and whilst the performance of the bokeh with a 7-blade aperture diaphragm is not as good [or as round] as that with a 9-blade aperture, the older Ai lens is still a gem.
Nikon made a 55mm f/1.2 from 1966 through 1978 in various AI and non-AI configurations and produced about 175,000 of them.
The 58mm f/1.2 NOCT aspherical was made from 1977-1981 as an AI lens, and from 1981 – 1998 as an AI-s. Nikon made about 10,000 of them. The Noct sold for triple the price, which is why people bought fewer of them. There is one in the ‘cabinet of special treasures’ at the Nikon House in Ginza, Tokyo. It has a price-tag of around 357,000Yen. It has, not surpisingly, been there ever since I have been using the shop [about 18months].
What makes the 50mm f/1.2 so special? – apart from the crazy bokeh you get with this lens wide-open at f/1.2 [especially with the 9-bladed AiS version] , this is the sharpest of Nikon’s 50mm lenses when used at f/2. At that aperture this lens is working at peak performance, something even the excellent 50mm f/1.4 D lens can not lay claim to.
This lens is also built very well. Just, in fact, like they used to make them: rock solid optics, a focussing ring that moves with the touch of one fingertip and black enamel over black anodized aluminum for the body. Even Zeiss doesn’ t go that far these days. Their lenses are more expensive and skip the enamel.
For one, full, technical run-down of this lens, visit Ken Rockwell’s page.
Let’s see some pictures then!! - the gallery below has a few of the shots I have made with my 50mm f/1.2 Ai, which is of the 1979 vintage. It’s a slightly ecclectic selection but there are more on the way as I am going out in the next week to have a bit of Fifty-Fest with myself, my D300 and my 1.2.
![Hanami [cherry blossom season], Naka-meguro, Tokyo](http://japanorama.co.uk/wp-content/gallery/nikkor_50_12/hanami08_nakameguro010.jpg "Hanami [cherry blossom season], Naka-meguro, Tokyo")
![Hanami [cherry blossom season], Naka-meguro, Tokyo](http://japanorama.co.uk/wp-content/gallery/nikkor_50_12/hanami08_nakameguro012.jpg "Hanami [cherry blossom season], Naka-meguro, Tokyo")
![Hanami [cherry blossom season], Naka-meguro, Tokyo](http://japanorama.co.uk/wp-content/gallery/nikkor_50_12/hanami08_nakameguro018.jpg "Hanami [cherry blossom season], Naka-meguro, Tokyo")
![Hanami [cherry blossom season], Oomori, Tokyo](http://japanorama.co.uk/wp-content/gallery/nikkor_50_12/hanami08_oomori001.jpg "Hanami [cherry blossom season], Oomori, Tokyo")
![Hanami [cherry blossom season], Ueno, Tokyo](http://japanorama.co.uk/wp-content/gallery/nikkor_50_12/hanami08_ueno004.jpg "Hanami [cherry blossom season], Ueno, Tokyo")
![Sakura [cherry blossom], Kumin Koen Park, Oomori, Tokyo](http://japanorama.co.uk/wp-content/gallery/nikkor_50_12/kuminkoen_sakura0001.jpg "Sakura [cherry blossom], Kumin Koen Park, Oomori, Tokyo")
![Hanami [cherry blossom season], Oomori, Tokyo](http://japanorama.co.uk/wp-content/gallery/nikkor_50_12/hanami08_oomori002.jpg "Hanami [cherry blossom season], Oomori, Tokyo")
![Okiyome [water cups], Meiji Jingu Shrine, Tokyo](http://japanorama.co.uk/wp-content/gallery/nikkor_50_12/okiome_jingu001.jpg "Okiyome [water cups], Meiji Jingu Shrine, Tokyo")
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Useful and interesting links:
- Ken Rockwell’s comparison of Nikon 50mm lenses
- Ken’s 50mm f/1.2 ’sharpness’ page
- Nikon’s own data on the 50mm f/1.2 AiS
- The 50mm f/1.2 group on Flickr
- MIR’s super series of ten pages on all of Nikon’s 50mm lenses down the years
- Nikon lens database [useful for checking your serial number against, to see which version of what lens you have]
- Wikipedia on ‘boke’
- The Luminous Landscape’s piece on boke
- Rick Denney’s bokeh test and comparisons. Informative page.
February 15th, 2009 at 7:31 am
This time, at least looking at your images, I have to totally disagree with you.
Since you are also linking to his site, in order to explain what I mean I will use a few paragraphs extracted by a very good article on “bokeh” written by Ken Rockwell some time ago at http://www.kenrockwell.com/tech/bokeh.htm
“The word “bokeh” comes from the Japanese word “boke” (pronounced bo-keh) which literally means fuzziness or dizziness.”
“Bokeh describes the rendition of out-of-focus points of light. Bokeh describes the appearance, or “feel,” of out-of-focus areas.”
“Ideal bokeh would render each of these points as blurs, not hard-edged circles. Poor Bokeh is when the edge is sharply defined and even emphasized for a point that is supposed to be out-of-focus, while the center is dim.”
Which is what I am seeing in the images you attached to this article. Especially if you look at the images #5, #7 and #9, you will notice that the blur created by each out of focus point of light looks like a “donut”, with a sharp thick bright border and a dimmer center. While I really like the images, isn’t this the definition of “bad bokeh”?
February 15th, 2009 at 11:13 am
Francesco. Part of the reason why those pictures have more hard-edged or ‘bad’ bokeh could be down to the way I treated them out of the camera; the tonal contrast has been increased a little which gives more texture to the image, including the bokeh. Ken is intrinsically right; good bokeh is soft-edged and his 50mm f/1.2 is the newer version, which has a 9-blade aperture – the same as my 85mm f/1.4. This is much better for soft-edged bokeh because bokeh is basically a defocussed image of the aperture you are seeing. Hence, polygonal apertures are more inclined to produce hard-edged bokeh, whereas the 9-blade apertures form much more of a circle than a polygon. Spherical aberration as it gets worse produces harder-edged bokeh. Ken has a peach of a 1.2 by the looks of it, bought brand-new and in AiS form. Mine is a 30 year-old Ai, 7-bladed version which always produced slightly less desirable bokeh.
So, whilst my vintage 50mm f/1.2 might not be a King, the more recent versions can certainly lay claim to that title I believe. But, just for safety’s sake, I have added a question-mark to the title of this article now
February 15th, 2009 at 1:07 pm
Alfie, thanks for the explanation. I did notice an equivalent improvement upgrading from the cheap Canon 50 f/1.8 (which had only 5 blades and a very ugly pentagonal bokeh) to the much better Canon 50 f/1.4 which has 8 blades.
March 1st, 2009 at 4:25 pm
I like your photos, and they are so impressive.
Do you use photoshop or lightroom to adjust the contrast or saturation of your photos?
March 1st, 2009 at 7:38 pm
I use Photoshop, yes. I have a pretty-much standard set of things I do, just like I used to have in the darkroom. My post-processing is largely based on knowing how things used to look when I shot them on a certain film, developed and printed in a particular way. That’s the start-point anyway. It’s all about knowing when to stop processing
May 12th, 2009 at 1:25 pm
Pro tip:
Taste is subjective, and is not defined by what Ken Rockwell says.
May 12th, 2009 at 2:32 pm
Indeed it is not, Dan, but his views should at least go in the pot with all others’. Nothing at all is ‘defined’ by what Ken Rockwell or anyone else says. The great thing about opinions? Everyone has one.
June 3rd, 2009 at 6:03 pm
The real king of bokeh within this range of lenses is the 58mm f1.2 Noct, a rare animal that sells above 200.000 Yen these days. I used to have one but it didn’t perform as well as I had hoped on the FX Nikon bodies.
Cheers,
Bernard
July 25th, 2009 at 10:11 am
Is the 50mm 1.2 AI much worse then the 50mm 1.2 AIS
Does it worth 360 USD in a very good condition?
Sorry for the questions, but I need some opinions before I buy the AI version
Bests,
Attila
August 14th, 2009 at 8:48 am
Hi fantastic photos – just one question, the photo with your son at the bus stop was it taken with your 85mm or 50mm lens as on flickr you have the same photo but under the 85mm set.
August 19th, 2009 at 7:33 pm
Wow amazing photos, really makes me want to got back to Tokyo.
Im gonna have to save up for one these lovely f1.2 lens.
Just wondering is it very difficult to get shots focus with it wide open? has anyone compared it directly to the new sigma 50mm f1.4 on a DX body?
February 9th, 2010 at 7:19 pm
Ive been reading a few posts and really and enjoy your writing. Im just starting up my own blog about my new nikon d5000 camera and only hope that I can write as well and give the reader so much insight.
March 11th, 2010 at 4:38 pm
Great pictures! The focus is #21 is great. After reading what you and other people have said about the 1.2, I am leaning towards buying it. Thank you for putting the time into writing this article!