I resisted buying this lens as long as I could. I really did. I had the previous generation of 50mm F/1.8 AF before owning this lens, and I was VERY happy with it. It was the sharpest lens in my Nikon Bag. But I kept hearing how great the new AF-S was and after saving some cash buying my new bodies online (D700 at B&H is $400 less than the retail price on the stores, at least here in Miami). I've tried this baby on my D200 (Soon a couple of pictures from D700 and D3s), the color and the contrast were as close to perfect as can be. This is the better version, and it's really the top of the heap. So if you want sharp and AF simultaneously, this will be your best bet. It's sharper edge to edge than the old version at all settings.
All I can say is WOW! This is my new favorite Nikon lens. This little toy is sharp. The focus is fast and precise. The low-light performance is superb in every possible way specially with the Noise-Free-ISO on the new FX formats, is totally a revelation in my equipment. I love the fact that the lens is very compact, light and yet produces stunningly beautiful images. The build quality is good, one of the best things was the smooth focus ring.
The lens comes with a nice tiny hood (Well, compared to my 70-200mm f/2.8 it is tiny, lol) and a very nice soft case. It's simply a must have lens for those who need to shoot in low-light and who want really sharp images. Also from the first day that I bought my first 50mm, is my all around lens, you could use it for anything, it will never let you down! Photographic icon Henri Cartier-Bresson was known for using only one camera, a Leica range finder, and one lens, a 50mm, for almost all of his life's work.
Finally some pictures from the test...You can see more on my Flickr!
Miami Night-Skyline @ Venetian Way (D200 - 20Sec - f/11 - ISO100)
Self-Portrait @ Venetian Way (D200 - 1Sec - f/1.4 - ISO100)
Colony Theatre @ Lincoln Road (D200 - 1Sec - f/5.6 - ISO100)
Enjoy!!!
PS: I will post some pictures of the lens soon! :)
