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The Best Nikon 50mm Lens for Portraits
The best Nikon 50mm lens for portraits is the Nikon AF-S 50mm F1.4G. It’s sharp, easy to use, and inexpensive. That’s not a combination that you find all the time, especially when it comes to lenses.
If you want to learn more about the best Nikon 50mm lens for portraits or check out a few other options including the best budget and mirrorless lenses, read on!
Table of Contents
Best Nikon 50mm Lens for Portraits
50mm lenses are some of the most produced lenses out there. It’s a very common focal length for photographers from various genres to use, and that definitely includes portrait photography.
Professional portrait photographers tend to use lenses with focal lengths between 50mm and 85mm, so choosing the best Nikon 50mm lens for portraits puts you exactly where you need to be to capture some great portraits.
Deciding between the various 50mm lenses that Nikon makes is going to come down to your needs and your budget. Luckily, as previously stated, 50mm lenses are extremely common, so there are several options available to you.
All the 50mm lenses on this list will capture quality portraits. You’ll just need to decide how important it is to get the highest image quality as opposed to a respectable image quality.
With all that in mind, here’s our choice for the best Nikon 50mm lens for portraits.
Best Overall
Nikon AF-S 50mm F1.4G
An easy choice for the best Nikon 50mm lens for portraits, this 50mm F/1.4G is an extremely affordable option that can capture some stunning photos.
It’s combination of value and quality is remarkable. It’s not everyday you find lenses this good this cheap.
Pros:
- Extremely small and lightweight
- Good auto-focusing
- Great build quality
- Very affordable
Cons:
- Some distortion at edges
Best Budget
Nikon AF-S 50mm f/1.8G
We put this lens on here because it certainly deserves a spot. It’s one of the least expensive lenses you’ll find on the market, especially when you consider it’s quality.
However, for only a couple hundred more dollars, you can purchase the 50mm F/1.4 above, which is absolutely a better lens. If you can afford the slightly higher price, the 50mm F/1.4 is a better option.
Pros:
- Extremely affordable
- Small, compact design
- Easy to use
Cons:
- Not as sharp as the 50mm F/1.4
Best Mirrorless
Nikon Z 50mm f/1.2 S
This Nikon Z 50mm F/1.2 is without a doubt the best 50mm lens on this list and the best 50mm mirrorless lens from Nikon. It’s also by far the largest and most expensive.
If price is no concern and you want a mirrorless lens, this is the best 50mm out there.
Pros:
- Extremely sharp
- Easy to use
- Very high build quality
- Great auto-focusing
Cons:
- Expensive
- Large for a 50mm lens
Nikon Z 50mm f/1.8 S
This Nikon Z 50mm F/1.8 offers a much more affordable option for those that want a mirrorless 50mm lens for portraits.
Obviously, the image quality won’t be as good as the Z 50mm F/1.2 listed above, but the image quality overall is still quite respectable. It’s a good choice if you’re on a tighter budget.
Pros:
- Affordable
- Good image quality
- Great build quality
Cons:
- Somewhat large for a 50mm lens
Recommendations
The Nikon AF-S 50mm F1.4G is simply too good of a lens at too attractive of a price for us to suggest anything else. It’s extremely affordable and offers some pretty outstanding image quality.
Even if you have a Nikon mirrorless camera, you can purchase a FTZ Adaptor to use with the 50mm F/1.4G and it will still be smaller than the Z 50mm F/1.2 S. The image quality won’t be as good, but you’ll be cutting your purchase price nearly in half.
With that being said, if you have a Nikon mirrorless camera and you don’t mind spending the money, the Nikon Z 50mm F/1.2 S truly is the best Nikon 50mm for portraits.
It’s larger and more expensive than the others on this list, but it also produces the best photos.
Finally, check out our Gear page to read more articles just like this with up-to-date product reviews for gear across all photography genres.
Frequently Asked Questions
What kind of Nikon lens is best for portraits?
Many professional Nikon portrait photographers choose to use prime lenses. Specifically, the Nikon 85mm F/1.4G is a beloved lens by professionals.
Is a 50mm lens good for portraits?
The short answer is, yes! 50mm is a great focal length to shoot portraits.
What is the Nikon 50mm lens good for?
Nikon 50mm lenses are good for a wide variety of photography. Portrait, product, and street photography are just some of the genres that they are great for.
What is the best focal length for portraits?
Many professional portrait photographers choose to use focal lengths between 50mm and 85mm. This seems to be the most common range used in the industry.