I bought a used 50 f1:1.2 while traveling in Japan: $450 and virtually new.

I'm not sure why I would spend that much money for a G lens that is not going to be compatible with my "old babies" F3, F4 and F5.

While this may seems expensive for a "normal" lens, Nikon are charging no more for it than for their 85mm 1.4 G - which may have been easier to design and make since it has no aspherical elements whereas this new 58mm 1.4 G has 2 aspherical elements.

We have just got used to cheap 50mm lenses - which were once the kit lens on every SLR. However if manufacturers want to make higher quality normal lenses I expect they are probably just as expensive to design and make as any other high quality lens of moderate focal length.

So, if Nikon are charging too much for this lens, then they are probably also charging too much for the 85mm 1.4G and the 35mm 1.4G - or perhaps the price of all three is fair.

looks like Nikon double the price of 50mm 1.4G....and they double it again...winninggg

to me this is the last nail in the coffin of the Zeiss otus. if there was a market for it it was going to be d800 shooter. they even said it was for newer 40 mp camera (d800) . This lens is priced far more appealing and given the quality of nikons recent primes no reason to think this cant do the job. I may buy this myself but i do tend to favor actual 50s for focal length

nice lookin lens, Nikon.
tad pricey, eh?
(like, an extra digit)

I have no problem to spend 1700.- for a good lens, but why this cheap plastic garbage look?? It´s really a pain if you compare the latest Sigma A build quality with this 100.- toy look
manfred

I'm glad see that Nikon is back! Nikon used to make a lot of specialized products, such as Medical Nikkor, Noct Nikkor, whatever Nikkor, etc., for small markets with specialized needs. If you think this lens is expensive, then you're obviously not the intended consumer for this product. For those who actually require this lens, I know you are happy that Nikon even makes this lens. Any small production, specialized products would be relatively expensive.

Why are people surprised by the cost of this lens? I mean compared to the Leica perfect 50mm f2 ($7,350.00,) and the Zeiss perfect 55mm f1.4 ($4,000.00,) this perfect Nikon 58 is a bargain.

As for the bulbous design, lets thank auto focus.

For a top of the line portrait lens optimized for shooting wide open, the price isn't so bad.

It's obviously a lens for professionals, hense a professional lens price tag.

If I shot with Nikon I'd get it.

If I had this much money, I would gladly buy this one, being sure that it wouldn't be out of date 10 or 15 years later.

So just to be clear, the size of the lens is dictated purely by ergos right? The front element of the lens looks like it's halfway down the length of the lens. The optical formula would probably be achievable in half the size, but they wanted a beefy MF ring and useful distance scale window.

(Don't take this as a flame. I'm just interested in design considerations and trade-offs).

This better be insanely good for that price. It would have to be absolutely flawless.

This is interesting,a lot cheaper than the Otus and decent MTF,I like the 9 bladed aperture and it has a low weight compared to the Otus (385grams vs 1000grams)

this is so interesting. Now this lens is the very direct competitor of Zeiss 55 f/1.4 that costs 4000 USD. Nikon will come with the AF, which really helps for portraits...especially on AF cameras:-)

Just wondering what is the IQ comparison of these 2? I am sure people will soon do it properly.

the point of this lens is simple: shoot wide open without the penalties of shooting wide open. grab a 50mm 1.4 or 1.2, shoot wide open and prepare to be horrified by CA, coma flare, and other aberrations that make the image the equivalent of a fast food burger in quality. now this is a 5 star dinner at the waldorf Astoria.

if your only determinant in quality is aperture, get a f0.95 lens. if you care about the IMAGE QUALITY, this is probably the best 50s you can buy outside of the recently announced Zeiss.

I'm glad Nikon/zeiss see beyond meaningless third of a stop fstop numbers and choose instead to deliver the best quality they can without compromising to reach a marketing gimmick f stop.

I paid $1,700 for a brand new Noct f1.2 about 20 years ago when it was still in production. Been very happy with the results and I'm glad I made the decision to buy this lens since nothing else comes close to what Noct is designed to excel at. $1,700 was as much as my monthly salary at the time, by the way. If this new 58mm can perform as well as Noct, it's a great buy actually.

Does DPreview have the resources to get Andy these expensive 50mm that are coming out? Sony has 2 new ones (one $1500), Nikon with this, and of course the $4,000 one from Zeiss. Would love to see a match up.

It never fails to annoy me when I see the US dollar and OK pound pricing being almost the same number...And I will not stop writing about it, in case more Europeans wake up and see that companies are trying to rip them off just because we let them get away with it. A pound has been around 1.6 dollars for years now. And the tax differences amount to around 15-20%. So anybody with a brain has to wonder why on Earth do those companies ask 50-60% more in Europe than the US, for the same product made in Japan or China. My last purchase was based primarly on this consideration. I bought the Sony RX100 exactly because it was the only camera in that category that was offered at a fair price in Europe compared to the US. That is it was about 15% more expensive in Europe. Not 50% or 60% as the rest were. If more of us start thinking like this then maybe these companies will realise that you Europeans are not as rich/stupid as they think you are.
EDIT: If I wasn't clear, this lens is 2560$ in UK

Oh my goodness its expensive. Guess what good lenses were always expensive. Is it worth it to you? Who cares. Is it worth it me? Why would you care? Is it good? No one knows, yet. Is it the right focal length? My guess its the best auto focus 58mm available for Nikon.

i think they who bash this lens actually don't know what is Noct - Nikkor.. i know it's not exactly the same as the legendary Noct, but i think that it will produce awesome result straight from f 1.4
i want it, but i admit that maybe i won't buy it because it's expensive, but i don't bash it
why bash it? if you can buy, buy it, if u can't buy, then just drool over it, no need to bash it.. don't be jealous :D
i believe that price does matter, it will produce good result..
is it 4 times better than AF-S 50 1.4 G or 9 times better than AF-S 50 1.8 G? of course not, but i'm sure it will be a special lens.. and for some people, even it's just a tad better, as long as it serves their purpose and they have the money, they will buy it..
if everyone just think for value for money products, there won't be luxury brand right now, there won't be Hermes, LV, Leica, Loubotin, etc..

I've been waiting for a autofocus lens in the 50mm range that performs exceptionally well wide open...this may be it!

If this Haruo Sato designed lens performs as well as my 85 1.4G, then I'm all in!

Homage to Noct? What marketing pig hooey. Maybe if it was 1.2 or 1.0. It's a 1.4 lense, nothing to see here.

But they sure are hooked on grabbing two thousand dollars for mid-range primes now. The Vampire is back as Hogan would say.

It's the samples at f/1.4 that will sell this lens, not the "references" or the "homages". And they better be *that* good.

The night shot on the official samples page doesn't show point sources for the street lights. They are all triangles and sheared. There's also lots of blue fringing around lots of the lights (purple fringing).

Looking at the portraits the lens doesn't seem as contrasty or sharp at f/2 as one would like. My DA*55 seems better.

I'll take a look at one when they are available though as I love my 35/1.4 G despite what people say about it.

Poor Olympus and Olympus photographers....moral was high and climbing not too long ago........then came this A7 & A7r stealing their thunder big time....

It's about time Nikon. The DPR forums are constantly saturated with people screaming for an f1/4 standard lens for close to $2k and you finally delivered. Good call on ignoring the very small minority of whiners who think an updated 24-70 f/2.8 is necessary.

Can't wait to see how it compares to the $4,000 Zeiss :-)

I know 58mm is a historical focal length, but I'm not too sure it's a very good idea. While pretty much nobody on planet Earth will not buy a 50mm lens because it isn't a 58mm lens, I'd bet there are several people, including me, who will not buy a 58mm lens because it isn't a 50.
On the other hand I'm glad to see the apparition of more and more high-grade prime lenses.

Where's the market for this lens?
The 50mm costs around €300 This new 58mm lens is about € 1600 retail and the 85mm sells for €1300,00.

Buy the 50 and the 85 together (perfect companions) and you have two excellent lenses for the same amount as you would buy the 58mm only.....

Keep your mouth shut! I want this lens!

Some of the rational. Sato is one of the premier lens designers out there. This is going to be a special lens.

http://imaging.nikon.com/history/scenes/33/index.htm

So what's the deal with all these new 55 and now 58mm lenes? Is it their FL on croppers? If so why not just release an 85mm for DX?
Also, I don't think it's invoking anything other than Nikon's marketing department.
Canon has f/1.2 primes with AF and they aren't being compared to the f/0.95 Leica.

Leica just released an official statment reguarding this lens 'invoking the spirit of Noctilux':

"Aw, isn't that cute".

Canon couldn't be reached for comment but was reported as simply 'smiling' after learning of the aperture.
:D

Jokes aside- if I shot with Nikon, I'd probably get it.
(assuming its as good as the description/price indicates).

"Invokes spirit of Noctilux" ?
By changing it from f1.2 to f1.4...I think "insults" would be a better choice than "invokes".

It took Nikon long enough to catch up with Pentax. Pentax have had a 55mm f1.4 SDM lens for APS-C (DX) since 2009.