Having reviewed more than 35 50mm lenses over the last decade, Christopher Frost can make a strong claim in being able to judge which lens is the sharpest. Here’s his run down of the seven best 50mm lenses, with a few APS-C honorable mentions along the way.
The 50mm lens is arguably both the most versatile and the most boring of prime lenses, being a jack of all trades and a master of none. Manufacturers almost treat them as being the apogee of their lens-making expertise, crafting both incredibly cheap and insanely affordable versions to suit every budget. From the $59 Yongnuo YN 50mm f/1.8 through to the $7,996.95 Nikon NIKKOR Z 58mm f/0.95 S Noct, there’s definitely a lot to choose from.
As Frost notes, being the sharpest doesn’t necessarily mean the best, though the lens appearing at the top of his list probably does push it quite close in terms of all-round performance. Is it too expensive, however? It might be a lot of money but that’s a hard argument to sustain given that it sits in first place.
Does Frost have it right? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.
I think he should look at Schneider Kreuznach Lenses for MF, the sharpness required for a 150mpix camera is far greater...
I joined FStoppers because I appreciated the writeups, but I'm progressively finding out that a major part of the articles are just linked YouTube videos. Pity.
Good overview, thank you- and you covered more than just resolution, which tends to get too much attention. Sony users might also consider the Voigtlander 50mm f2 apo-lanthar, which I think would be in the top half of your league table. It’s a great lens for landscape where manual focus is not a problem.
I am also curious about how that would rank. I am guessing that C. Frost hasn’t tested one.
Is sharpness even important
Seems to me the Nikon 1.8 reviewed here is the real winner considering its price compared to the Zeiss & Canon 50's....
Article Title: Are these the seven sharpest 50mm lenses ever made?
Clearly, no.
Video Title: The sharpest 50mm lenses I've ever tested.
Big difference, and an interesting video. Thanks.
However, any test seeking maximum quality that does not include the current Leica 50mm APO-Summicron-SL is not comprehensive. That lens resolves to past 100MP equivalent and it's not even a MF lens.
One of the sharpest is the Micro Nikkor 55mm f/2.8 AI-S. But honestly, who cares about the sharpness of a 50mm as they are all reasonably sharp?
Got one and it is mind blowing sharp and cheap to buy. Rumor has it that it could be used as an enlarging lens bithd.
I vote for the Summicron-M. Lovely rendering. Also like the collapsible Elmar-M. At f:2.8 has plenty of Boka for such a small lens, which I'm partial too b/c of the weight & compactness. 8 hours with an M on a shoulder gets old