Many people go out and buy a DSLR (digital single lens reflex) or, one of those big, fancy cameras, expecting to produce professional results when, in reality, it is practice and skill that trumps your choice of hardware.

However, this piece of glass has tons of manual features that make it perfect for users to learn at their own pace.

The Nikon AF-S Nikkor 50mm 1:1.4G lens is a prime lens, meaning you cannot zoom in or out — you’ll have to use your feet to shoot up close.

This may seem inconvenient but this is perfect for beginner photographers as this will cause you to think and line up your shot first.

As the famous war photographer Robert Capa once said, “If your photographs aren’t good enough, you’re not close enough.”

This lens also features a very convenient Manual/Auto focusing system. The M/A feature allows you to use the auto focus and then fine tune it by manual focusing. This is perfect for those still learning how to use manual focus, as most other beginner lenses lock out manual focusing entirely if using the auto-focus.

The main attraction of this camera is the fantastic f/1.4 aperture. This means the camera’s aperture (the “eye” of the camera) can open up extremely wide to allow more light in. This means low-light photos (with no flash) look fantastic and you also can get those brilliant, blurry backgrounds that one sees in so many professional photographs. This lens will have absolutely no problem outside whether it is bright or dusky.

Absent from this lens is a VR (vibration reduction) feature though that’s not a big deal at all.

If you’re shooting with any kind of light source (sun, indoors with lights, etc.) this lens will not fail you. In fact, it can shoot as fast as 1/4000th of a second and at a aperture of f/1.4, I’ve had to crank it up there many times for outdoor shots. This lens practically sucks up light.

The AF-S Nikkor 50mm 1:1.4G lens is a great Nikon lens. Whatever brand you use, having a low aperture prime lens is something to consider adding to your arsenal, especially if you’re just starting out in photography.

Rating: A