Overview of YONGNUO LENS YN50mm F1.4N E (for Nikon)

Many thanks go directly to Yongnuo for providing the YONGNUO LENS YN50mm F1.4 lens.

Navigation

1. In short
2. History
3. All lenses from Yongnuo
4. Main Specifications
5. Assembly
6. Focusing
7. Firmware Upgrade
8. Iris control
9. Flash work
10. Image quality
11. Sample Photos on Nikon D700 (Full Frame)
12. Sample photos on Nikon D90 (crop)
13. Sample photos in processing
14. Differences from Nikon 50 / 1.4G
15. My experience
16. Video review
17. Alternatives
18. Price
19. Conclusion
20. User Comments
21. Add your review or question on the lens

In this review, I will abbreviate the lens ' YONGNUO LENS YN50mm F1.4N E ' (as written on the lens near its front element) as ' Yongnuo E 50/1.4N '.

Spoiler: Radozhiv already has a review of this lens for Canon cameras – YONGNUO LENS YN50mm F1.4 , so a lot of the information in this review will be repeated from YONGNUO LENS YN50mm F1.4.

In short

The Yongnuo E 50/1.4N is a fast f/50 lens from Yongnuo for Nikon cameras. It's heavy, well-built, and offers decent image quality. Its relatively low price makes it a very attractive option for amateur photographers. In fact, the Yongnuo E 50/1.4N is the cheapest autofocus f/1.4 lens for full-frame DSLRs.

The Yongnuo E 50/1.4N is somewhere between the Nikon 50/1.4D AF (price, noisy focusing) and the Nikon 50/1.4G (image quality, built-in motor). However, overall, the Yongnuo E 50/1.4N is closer to the Nikon 50/1.4G.

The Yongnuo E 50/1.4N is a decent lens, easily suitable for amateur photography . On full-frame cameras, it's a standard lens (in terms of focal length) with a very wide range of applications. On crop-sensor cameras, the Yongnuo E 50/1.4N can serve as a good replacement for a portrait lens.

Here I simply must leave a spoiler about the 50mm f/1.4. The creative and practical potential of a fast 50mm f/1.4 is truly difficult to overestimate. It's suitable for a wide range of photographic tasks. Amateur photographers often use it as a portrait lens, especially on cropped cameras (APS-C or 4/3 sensors). Many simply want a fast prime lens to complement their first kit lens. The f/1.4 aperture is exactly four stops wider than the f/5.6 aperture used on the long end of the vast majority of kit lenses. In numerical terms, this means that the Yongnuo E 50/1.4N is approximately 16 times brighter than, for example, the kit Nikon 18-55/3.5-5.6G VR AF-P , which at 50mm focal length uses a maximum relative aperture of only f/5.6. Calculating the difference in relative aperture (i.e., light intensity) is simple: (5.6 * 5.6) / (1.4 * 1.4) = 16.

History

On April 29, 2014 , a prototype of the Yongnuo 50/1.4 was unveiled at an exhibition. It was visually very similar to the Canon 50/1.4 USM . After its announcement, the Yongnuo 50/1.4 prototype never appeared again, and mass production and sales were never established. Information about this lens was removed from the official website.

On May 30, 2018, the modern Yongnuo 50/1.4 lens for Canon EOS cameras was released on the official website . Some users refer to this model as the Yongnuo 50/1.4 Mark II.

On August 18, 2018, the Yongnuo E 50/1.4NE for Nikon cameras, shown in this review, was presented.

Let me remind you that the first lens from Yongnuo Digital was a fifty-centimeter lens for Canon EOS cameras - Yongnuo Lens EF 50mm 1:1.8 (YN50mm F1.8), introduced back in 2014, and the first lens for Nikon was Yongnuo 50mm 1:1.8 (YN50mm F1.8N), introduced in 2016.

All Yongnuo Lenses

Mount Sony E [ DA , APS-C] + Sony FE [ DF , FULL FRAME] and :

1. yongnuo 11 mm 1:1.8 DA DSM WL [overview] (AMAZON)
2. yongnuo 16 mm 1:1.8 DA DSM [announcement] (AMAZON)
3. yongnuo 23 mm 1:1.4 DA DSM WL [announcement] (AMAZON)
4. yongnuo 33 mm 1:1.4 DA DSM WL [announcement] (AMAZON)
5. yongnuo 35 mm 1:1.8 DA ART [overview] (AMAZON)
6. yongnuo 35 mm 1:1.8 DA DSM WL [announcement] (AMAZON)
7. yongnuo 50 mm 1:1.8 DA DSM [overview] (AMAZON)
8. yongnuo 50 mm 1:1.8 DA DSM II [overview] (AMAZON)
9. yongnuo 50 mm 1:1.8 DA DSM III LITE [overview] (AMAZON)
10. yongnuo 56 mm 1:1.4 DA DSM WL [announcement] (AMAZON)
11. +
12. yongnuo 35 mm 1:2 DF DSM [overview] (AMAZON)
13. yongnuo 50 mm 1:1.8 DF DSM [announcement] (AMAZON)
14. yongnuo 50 mm 1:1.8 DF II LITE [overview] (AMAZON)
15. yongnuo 85 mm 1:1.8 DF DSM [overview] (AMAZON)
16. yongnuo 85 mm 1:1.8 DF DSM II [announcement] (AMAZON)

Canon RF Mount (Full Frame/APS-C):

1. Yongnuo 23/1.4 R WL APS-C (AMAZON)
2. Yongnuo 33/1.4 R WL APS-C (AMAZON)
3. Yongnuo 35/1.8R APS-C (AMAZON)
4. Yongnuo 50/1.8 R III Lite APS-C [overview] (AMAZON)
5. Yongnuo 56/1.4R APS-C (AMAZON)
6. +
7. yongnuo 35 mm 1:2 DF DSM R [overview] (AMAZON)
8. yongnuo 35 mm 1:2 CR [announcement] (AMAZON)
9. yongnuo 50 mm 1:1.8 DF II LITE [overview] (AMAZON)
10. yongnuo 85 mm 1:1.8 DF DSM R (two subversions with different names) [overview] (AMAZON)
11. yongnuo 85 mm 1:1.8 DF DSM II R [announcement] (AMAZON)

Nikon Z mount [ DF , FULL FRAME + DA , APS-C] ::

1. yongnuo 11 mm 1:1.8 DA DSM WL Z [overview] (AMAZON)
2. yongnuo 23 mm 1:1.4 DA DSM WL Z [announcement] (AMAZON)
3. yongnuo 33 mm 1:1.4 DA DSM WL Z [announcement] (AMAZON)
4. yongnuo 35 mm 1:1.8 DA DSM Z [announcement] (AMAZON)
5. yongnuo 50 mm 1:1.8 DA DSM Z [overview] (AMAZON)
6. yongnuo 56 mm 1:1.4 DA DSM WL [announcement] (AMAZON)
7. +
8. yongnuo 35 mm 1:2 DF DSM Z [announcement] (AMAZON)
9. yongnuo 50 mm 1:1.8 DF DSM Z [announcement] (AMAZON)
10. yongnuo 50 mm 1:1.8 DF DSM II Z LITE [overview] (AMAZON)
11. yongnuo 85 mm 1:1.8 DF DSM Z [announcement] (AMAZON)

FujiFilm X mount [ DA , APS-C] :

1. yongnuo 50 mm 1:1.8 DA DSM X Pro [Announcement] (AMAZON)
2. yongnuo 50 mm 1:1.8 DA DSM X [announcement + overview] (AMAZON)

For Micro 4/3 system :

1. yongnuo 17 mm 1:1.7 [announcement] (AMAZON)
2. yongnuo 25 mm 1:1.7 [overview] (AMAZON)
3. yongnuo 42.5 mm 1:1.7 [overview] (AMAZON)
4. yongnuo 42.5 mm 1:1.7 II [overview] (AMAZON)
5. yongnuo 12-35mm 1:2.8-4 STM ASPH MACRO [announcement] (AMAZON)

Nikon F mount (full frame mirror):

1. yongnuo 14 mm 1:2.8 [overview] (AMAZON)
2. yongnuo 35 mm 1:2 [overview] (AMAZON)
3. yongnuo 40 mm 1:2.8 [overview] (AMAZON)
4. yongnuo 50 mm 1:1.8 [overview] (AMAZON)
5. yongnuo 50 mm 1:1.4 E [overview] (AMAZON)
6. yongnuo 60 mm 1:2 MACRO MF [overview] (AMAZON)
7. yongnuo 85 mm 1:1.8 [overview] (AMAZON)
8. yongnuo 100 mm 1:2 [overview] (AMAZON)

Bayonet mount Canon EF (mirrored full frame):

1. yongnuo 14 mm 1:2.8 [overview] (AMAZON)
2. yongnuo 35 mm 1:2 [overview] (AMAZON)
3. yongnuo 35 mm 1:1.4 [overview] (AMAZON)
4. yongnuo 35 mm 1: 1.4C DF UWM [announce] (AMAZON)
5. yongnuo 50 mm 1:1.8 [overview] (AMAZON)
6. yongnuo 50 mm 1:1.8 II [overview] (AMAZON)
7. yongnuo 50 mm 1:1.4 [overview] (AMAZON)
8. yongnuo 60 mm 1:2 MACRO MF [overview] (AMAZON)
9. yongnuo 85 mm 1:1.8 [overview] (AMAZON)
10. yongnuo 100 mm 1:2 [overview] (AMAZON)

Cameras:

1. Yongnuo YN433 (2023, Micro 4/3, 20 MP, 4K)
2. Yongnuo YN433 II (AMAZON)
3. Yongnuo YN455 (2021, Micro 4/3, 20 MP, 4K)
4. Yongnuo YN450/450M (2019, Micro 4/3 -> Canon EF, 16 MP, 4K)

Lenses, cameras and many other products from Yongnuo can be easily found at the official Yongnuo dealer/store on Aliexpres.

My video on all Yongnuo lenses is here.

Main technical characteristics of YONGNUO LENS YN50mm F1.4N E

Review Instance Name	Near the front lens: YONGNUO LENS YN50mm F1.4 Ø58mm YONGNUO LENS MADE IN CHINA. On the YOUNGNUO DIGITAL 50mm. On the box: YOUNGNUO DIGITAL Standart prime lens YN50mm F1.4
Basic properties	N (Nikon) - lens designed for full-frame cameras Nikon fx E – (Electromagnetic Diaphragm) - Electromagnetic diaphragm DC motor - built-in micro focus motoranalog Nikon AF-I / AF-S Lack of aperture control ring, analog Nikon G AF / MF (Acles Focus - MAnnual Pass Focus) - the lens is equipped with a focus mode switch USB port to upgrade lens firmware Multi-Enlightened Optics Microprocessor Gold Plated Contacts Metal mount Separate window focusing distance scale DOF Scale The optical design uses high refractive index optical elements Important: a lens from a third-party manufacturer, which imposes some restrictions on its practical use
Front Filter Diameter	58 mm, metal thread for filters
Focal length	50 mm, EGF for Nikon DX cameras is 75 mm
Zoom ratio	1 X (this is a fixed lens, it does not have a zoom)
Designed by	for full and cropped Nikon digital cameras
Number of aperture blades	7 rounded petals
Tags	bayonet mount tag, window with a scale for focusing distances in meters and feet, DOF scale (only for F / 22)
Diaphragm	F / 1.4 to F / 22
MDF	0.45 m, maximum magnification factor 0.15x (1: 6.67)
The weight	577 g
Optical design	9 elements in 7 groups. The lens uses special optical elements with an extremely high refractive index (shown in blue)
Lens hood	Bayonet type hood. The hood is not included in the delivery, the instruction does not indicate its type / marking. Fit Canon ES-71II or any clone of it
Manufacturer country	MADE IN CHINA (Made in China)
Period	From August 18, 2018
Instructions	View my scan (English only)
Price	Aliexpress prices

The lens's optical design features a massive, concave front element. This design likely derives from the Carl Zeiss 1,8/50 Ultron / Voigtlander Color-Ultron 1.8/50. Among modern autofocus lenses, a similar concave front element can be found on the Carl Zeiss Sonnar FE 1,8/55 ZA T* (aka Sony SEL55F18Z FE 1,8/55 ). The optical design of the Yongnuo E 50/1.4N (like the YN50mm F1.4 for Canon) likely originates from an older, unreleased Nikon/Canon lens that never made it into mass production.

Assembly

The lens came to the review completely new.

In a small box is a warranty card, instructions in Chinese and English, a card with a production date of 15-10-2018, a desiccant and the lens itself with a front (YN-58) and a back cover. The front and rear lenses of the lens are initially covered with special transport films of blue color. Unfortunately, one of these films left a small mark on the front lens, which I easily cleaned with a special cloth for optics.

Overall, the lens is well-built. The Yongnuo E 50/1.4N has a metal bayonet mount . The focusing ring is plastic, not rubberized, but wide enough and comfortable to use. The lens barrel is primarily made of metal . The filter threads are also metal. The microprocessor contacts are stated to be gold-plated.

There was one serious assembly issue: the lens arrived with the front barrel (the barrel) slightly loose. Just for fun, I tried to unscrew the barrel completely, but I couldn't, so I screwed it back on tightly. This issue hasn't recurred. Unfortunately, I consider this a complete disgrace.

The Yongnuo E 50/1.4N weighs almost 600 grams. In the hand, the lens feels well-made, better than the Yongnuo 50/1.8 . The Yongnuo E 50/1.4N weighs significantly more than the top-of-the-line original Nikon 58/1.4G . When paired with relatively heavy cameras, the Yongnuo E 50/1.4N provides a good weight balance for the camera and lens combination.

The design of the Yongnuo E 50/1.4N is very similar to the Canon Compact-Macro 50/2.5 . This time, the design was not copied from a Nikon Nikkor lens, as was the case with the Yongnuo 50mm 1:1.8 , which was visually copied from the Nikon 50/1.8G.

The aperture consists of 7 blades and forms an opening in the shape of a regular heptagon, while in photographs in the out-of-focus area, rather round disks of blur are obtained in the range of F/1.4-F/2.5.

The lens has a USB port on the lower rear of the lens (near the lens mount). This port is used for firmware updates (details are provided in the relevant chapter ). The USB port does not have a rubber plug.

Unfortunately, the bundle does not include a hood, a bag for transportation, a USB cable and a software disk (software can only be downloaded from the official website).

The Canon ES-71 II lens hood is compatible with the Yongnuo E 50/1.4N. I used the Canon ES-71 II hood (for the Canon 50/1.4 USM lens ). The hood attaches to the lens barrel, not the extending "trunk," which adds structural rigidity and makes the movement of the front element less noticeable. Important: this hood doesn't attach in reverse (for transport mode); the lens is too thick, and the hood gets stuck in the middle. It's a funny situation: a Nikon lens, but you need a Canon hood.

Yongnuo E 50 / 1.4N does not have a rubber mount mount and is not an all-weather lens.

I'll add that I've shot over 10.000 frames with the Canon version of this lens ( YN50mm F1.4 ), and it's never malfunctioned or let me down. The only minor issue I had was unscrewing the polarizing filter, which jammed.

UPDATE : The lens from the review on the Nikon D5100 stopped being detected by the camera after using it for a few days (not by me). Repairs cost about $20.

Focusing

The lens has a built-in DC focus motor ( Direct Current Motor — a conventional DC electric motor). Specifically, the Yongnuo E 50/1.4N is similar to Nikon's AF-I series lenses . Unlike Nikon's AF-S lenses , which use Nikon's SWM ultrasonic focus motors , older Nikon AF-I lenses use a built-in whirring micro-focus motor, similar to the Yongnuo DC.

The lens will automatically focus on all Nikon DSLR cameraseven on amateur series models Nikon DXthat do not have a built-in focus motor: D40, D40x, D60, D3000, D3100, D3200, D3300, D3400, D3500, D5000, D5100, D5200, D5300, D5500, D5600as well as mirrorless cameras Nikon Z with adapter FTZ / FTZ II.

The focusing speed is average (closer to slow), roughly comparable to the original Nikon 50/1.4G lens . Focusing speed is not affected by lighting conditions or camera type. Some modern Nikon lenses can change focusing speed depending on lighting conditions. In low light, for example, when simply closing the front lens cap, focusing speed can drop significantly.

With the protective cover installed, the Yongnuo E 50 / 1.4N does not perform focusing from infinity to MDF. If you focus from infinity towards MDF, the lens stops at 0.6 meters. If you focus from MDF to infinity, the lens stops at 1 meter. Sometimes this can happen in cases where the lens is just scouring and cannot focus. Please note that this is just a small feature that in real shooting conditions does not affect the convenience of focusing. This behavior I observed only with some lenses from Yongnuo.

The autofocus is very noisy . When shooting video using autofocus and the camera's built-in microphone, the noise level is very loud. This noise from the focus motor makes viewing the recorded video unpleasant.

I haven't had any particular issues using it on the Nikon D90 , Nikon D80 (with the simple Multi-CAM 1000 focusing system ), and Nikon D700 (with the advanced Multi-CAM 3500FX focusing system ). Performance varies slightly from camera to camera. However, I should note that focusing accuracy is worse than that of the original lenses.

On the Nikon D90, I tested the presence of back and front focus at various focusing distances (including infinity and MFD). I used shots taken in Live View mode (which doesn't suffer from back/front focus) as a benchmark. Focusing accuracy using phase detection was completely consistent with that in Live View mode.

In a photo shoot with a Nikon D80 and a Yongnuo E 50 f/1.4N (all shot wide open), out of 1000 frames, about 200 had obvious focus errors , which I discarded. I didn't experience any obvious focusing issues while using the Yongnuo E 50 f/1.4N.

Of the cameras mentioned, the Yongnuo E 50/1.4N focused worst on the Nikon D700 , and best on the Nikon D90.

The wide plastic focus ring rotates approximately 225 degrees (5/8 of a full 360-degree rotation) in manual focus mode. When reaching its extreme positions, the ring doesn't stop, but rather continues to rotate very slowly and very tightly. Manual focusing is comfortable. While manual focusing produces an annoying "plastic rubbing against plastic or metal" sound , the ring rotates smoothly and quite comfortably. There is a slight lag when changing focus direction , but it doesn't cause any significant discomfort.

The lens barrel features an AF-MF (autofocus/manual focus) switch. The switch positions are reversed compared to the original lenses (' M/AM ' <-> 'MF-AF'). During autofocus, the focus ring remains fixed , but can be freely rotated 360 degrees without affecting focus. Unfortunately, unlike many original Nikon lenses, the Yongnuo E 50/1.4N does not support full-time manual focus control for Nikon M/A (or similar) lenses. The focus ring rotates in the same direction as the original Nikon 50/1.4G.

The lens does not have internal focusing ; during focusing, the barrel (the "trunk") extends forward approximately 1.5 centimeters, while the front element does not rotate . Various filters can be used without any problems.

The minimum focusing distance is 45 cm, while you can get the maximum magnification for macro photography 1: 6.67, which is typical for a large number of such fifty dollars.

The lens has a window with a distance scale with marks in meters and feet. The scale is small, on it there are marks for 3, 1.5, 1, 0.8, 0.6, 0.5, 0.45 meters and a label of 'infinity'. There is also a label with the depth of field scale, but only for the value of F / 22. There is no tag for working in the infrared spectrum.

Other focusing features:

1. on the distance scale, the focus ring has a large 'travel beyond infinity'. The Yongnuo E 50 / 1.4N does not have a hard infinity mechanical stop that allows you to accurately and quickly focus the lens to infinity under any external temperature conditions. For accurate aiming at infinity, you cannot just bring the focusing ring to its extreme position.
2. Focus shift (shift-focus) is missing.
3. The Yongnuo E 50 / 1.4N has a tangible 'Focus Breathing' effect (changing the viewing angle during focusing). During focusing towards the MDF, the viewing angle decreases.
4. Teleconverter compatibility unknown
5. It's important: This lens does not work with Nikon FTZ / FTZ II adapters
6. Nikon FT1 adapter compatibility unknown
7. Focusing is performed by simultaneously moving the entire lens block (all lenses) relative to the focal plane

Important: The Yongnuo E 50/1.4N is a third-party lens. It may not work correctly with some Nikon cameras.

USB firmware update

The Yongnuo E 50/1.4N lens has a USB port for updating its firmware. Unfortunately, the YNLensTool Updater Version 1.00 program, which controls the lens, has very limited functionality. It only allows you to view the current firmware version and update it to the latest version. Firmware versions can be found on the official website. I couldn't find firmware for my Yongnuo E 50/1.4N , even on the official website (it may be released later).

A widespread USB 2.0 MICRO-B port (like a large number of portable devices) is used for connecting to the lens. A USB cable is not included. To connect, I used a USB cable for my old android phone. My lens had firmware V1.01.

The firmware update likely improves the lens's compatibility with new cameras, improves autofocus performance, and eliminates a few other bugs. I truly appreciated the usefulness of this feature while working with the Yongnuo 100mm 1:2 and Yongnuo 40mm 1:2.8 lenses for Nikon cameras. However, it's still a shame that there's no way to roll back (restore) the original firmware that came with the lens.

To upgrade the firmware (software) of the lens:

1. Turn off the camera, detach the lens
2. Open program YNLens Updater for updating (program for Window or MacOs can be downloaded on the official website here)
3. Attach the lens to the computer using a USB cable. If everything went well, the program will automatically detect the connected lens
4. Click [Browse] and select the file with the desired firmware
5. Click [Start] to start the update. Wait for the update to finish
6. Disconnect the cable, attach the lens to the camera and start shooting

Iris control

Yongnuo E 50 / 1.4N uses electromagnetic diaphragm control. Only some Nikon digital cameras can correctly handle this lens.

The exact list of digital cameras that support working with 'E'-type lenses:

Nikon D3, D3s, D3x, D4, D4s, D5, D6, Df, D600, D610, D700, D750, D780, D800, D800E, D810, D810a, D850, D300, D300s, D500, D7000, D7100, D7200, D7500, D5000, D5100, D5200, D5300, D5500, D5600, D3100, D3200, D3300, D3400, D3500

+ Nikon Z FX , Nikon Z DX with Nikon FTZ / Nikon FTZ II adapter.

+ Nikon 1 CX with Nikon FT-1 adapter

The exact list of cameras that do not support working with 'E'-type lenses:

Nikon D1, D1h, D1x, D2x, D2h, D2xs, D2hs, D40, D40x, D50, D60, D70, D70s, D80, D90, D100, D200, D3000

+ Fujifilm FinePix S1 Pro , S2 Pro , S3 Pro , S3 Pro UVIR, S5 Pro , IS Pro

+ Kodak DCS PRO 14n and Kodak DCS Pro SLR/n

'E' type lenses on the cameras in this list will always shoot at full aperture. Other features of the work are possible.

Electromagnetic iris control has some advantages over the older method of iris control by means of mechanical levers of the camera and lens:

• increases aperture value accuracy
• Increases the response speed, which is important for high-speed shooting.
• As far as I know, the old mechanism with the diaphragm lever was designed for a maximum speed of 10 frames per second. The electromagnetic diaphragm can easily work at higher speeds.
• simplifies iris operation during movie shooting
• the mechanism is quieter (at least there is no noise from the aperture control mechanisms built into the camera)
• simplifies the design of the camera itself, as well as macro rings, teleconverters and other adapters. This is very critical for telephoto lenses with a focal length greater than 500 mm.
• third-party lens design is simplified for Nikon / Canon and many other systems, especially mirrorless ones. The manufacturer does not need to globally change the design of the lens for different aperture control mechanisms on different cameras. For all, an electromagnetic diaphragm is used without additional mechanical parts. Let me remind you that, for example, all lenses for cameras Canon EOS equipped with an electromagnetic diaphragm since 1987
• most likely there are other positive features, less obvious, such as improved power consumption or the possibility of having a huge number of aperture blades

The only downside to the electromagnetic diaphragm I'd highlight is its compatibility issues with older cameras. For example, with older cameras like the Nikon D90 , D3000 , and D2xs, aperture control on the Yongnuo E 50/1.4N will no longer be possible.

For the official website stated that the lens fully compatible with the following cameras: Nikon D5, D4,D4s, D3, D3x, D3s, D850, D810,D810a, D800,D800E, D750, D700, D610, D600, D500, D300, D300s, D7500, D7200, D7100, D7000, D5600, D5500, D5300, D5200, D5100, D5000, D3400, D3300, D3100 (and where D3500, D3200, DF?).

Flash work

The Yongnuo E 50 / 1.4N is an E-lens, which theoretically means that it includes all the functions available to G lenses, which in turn includes all the functions available to D-lenses. Therefore, the Yongnuo E 50 / 1.4N must correctly transmit the focusing distance to the object to the camera. This information is very important when using external flash units in some automatic modes such as i-TTL. Yongnuo E 50 / 1.4N accurately conveys the focusing distances and I did not find any problems with the flash.

Image quality

As for its class, Yongnuo E 50 / 1.4N shows quite acceptable quality of the created image.

Sharpness

1. in the center of the frame at F / 1.4 for resolution, nothing surprising, but still it is enough for many photo tasks
2. F / 1.4 aperture at 12 megapixels of the cropped sensor shows itself normally, at 12 megapixels of a full frame - good
3. there is a noticeable drop in sharpness to the edges of the frame at f / 1.4
4. good resolution in the center of the frame on covered apertures after F / 2
5. good resolution at the edges of the frame on covered apertures after f / 4
6. good contrast

Distortion

1. small barrel distortion
2. the overall level of distortion is at a level typical for such lenses
3. the nature of distortion is unified, easily corrected in the editor

Vignetting

1. general level vignetting is at the level typical for such lenses
2. noticeable vignetting observed most strongly at F / 1.4-F / 2
3. vignetting amplified with focus towards MDF
4. on APS-C cameras with a sensor vignetting practically disappears at F / 2.0-F / 2.8
5. vignetting easily fixable in the editor
6. vignetting not amplified when using a sufficiently thick filter (with high sides)

Aberration

1. open diaphragms have a noticeable amount of spherical and chromatic aberrations
2. the strongest chromatic aberration visible at the edges and corners of the image
3. general level HA is at the level typical for such lenses
4. there is strong friging (HA in the blur zone sample shot) and blooming (HA on very contrasting small details)
5. there is a strong coma in the corners of the image on f / 1.4-f / 2.0

Rest

1. diaphragm forms fairly smooth discs of blur only in the range of F / 1.4-F / 2.5, at values ​​of F / 2.8-F / 22 you can clearly trace the regular polygons from point light sources in the blur zone.
2. color rendering is neutral, pleasant. The lens uses front lens enlightenment, which casts green shades. Many modern lenses have enlightenment that shimmers like the Yongnuo E 50 / 1.4N.
3. in some situations, the lens is very afraid of side and back light. The lens can catch a noticeable flare of the frame (sample shot in backlight).
4. The wide f / 1.4 aperture creates strong near / far blur, while the bokeh character is quite smooth and pleasing. I should note that the perception of bokeh is mostly subjective.

Important: At the time of writing this review, there was no Yongnuo E 50/1.4N profile for popular RAW converters. However, I noticed that lens profiles for the latest versions of Adobe Camera Raw and Adobe Lightroom have already been released for the Yongnuo 50/1.8 lenses for Nikon/Canon, as well as for the Yongnuo 35/2.0 lenses for Canon. Therefore, it's likely only a matter of time before a Yongnuo E 50/1.4N lens profile appears.

Sample Photos on Nikon D700 (FX)

Photos taken with the full-frame Nikon D700 . The photos in the gallery below are unprocessed; the original RAW files were converted using the original Capture NX-D converter without any additional adjustments.

The original photos in JPEG format (Capture NX-D converter) can be downloaded from this link . The original photos in RAW format (.NEF, 14-bit, normal compression) can be downloaded from this link.

Sample Photos on Nikon D90 (DX)

Photos taken with a cropped Nikon D90 . The photos in the gallery below are unprocessed; the original RAW files were converted using the original Capture NX-D or ViewNX-I converters without any additional adjustments. Please note that the Nikon D90 lens can only operate at a wide-open aperture of f/1.4, as it does not support lenses with electromagnetic aperture control. The pixel density of the older D90 is higher than that of the Nikon D3x, D600 , D610 , D750 , and Nikon Z6.

The original photos in JPEG format (Capture NX-D converter) can be downloaded from this link . The original photos in RAW (.NEF) format can be downloaded from this link.

The photos in the gallery are resized to 2048 x 1535 pixels (approximately 3.1 MP) using the free software FastStone Photo Resizer 3.1. EXIF ​​data ( shutter speed , aperture, ISO) is imprinted at the bottom of the photos. When resizing photos, I use a quality equal to 80% of the original. This quality percentage is more than sufficient to convey all the details in the photo without creating excessively large JPEG files . With a 3 MP resolution, you can easily print photos up to A4 size. The small size of the photos allows you to quickly view sample photos to get a general idea of ​​the lens's capabilities and saves both download time and disk space on my website. When viewing photos on different devices, the website automatically resizes the photos to the size of the device being used. To view a photo pixel by pixel at 1:1, simply open it in a new browser tab. This can be done easily by clicking on the photo thumbnail with the middle mouse button (using the scroll bar) or using the context menu 'open link in a new tab/window'.

Sample photos processed by Nikon D80

Photos taken with a Nikon D80 crop sensor . The photos in the gallery below are slightly edited. Please note that the Nikon D80 lens can only operate at a wide-open aperture of f/1.4, as it does not support lenses with electromagnetic aperture control. When working with the Nikon D80, it is best to use 'A' (aperture priority) or 'M' (manual exposure mode) and not change the f/1.4 setting to anything else. In short, with this camera, you will always shoot at a wide-open aperture, and this fact must be taken into account at all times.

The original photos in JPEG format (on-camera JPEG) can be downloaded from this link . The strange file names are due to the fact that after 10.000 shots, the frame counter on the Nikon D80 , like on the vast majority of other Nikon cameras, resets and starts over, and it's not always possible to place files with the same name in the same folder. The archive contains 100 files , including 38 portrait shots. Some photos were taken using a HOYA 58mm PL-CIR polarizing filter.

You can also find some additional photos in my gallery on 500Px . More slightly retouched photos taken on the Canon EOS 5D and Canon EOS 750D (aka Canon Digital Rebel T6i , aka Canon Kiss Digital X8i ) with the YONGNUO LENS YN50mm F1.4 lens for Canon can also be found in the 500Px gallery.

Differences from Nikon 50 / 1.4G

In terms of its characteristics, the Yongnuo E 50/1.4N is most similar to the original Nikon 50mm 1:1.4G AF-S Nikkor SWM

Advantages of Nikon 50 / 1.4G over Yongnuo E 50 / 1.4N:

1. Nikon 50 / 1.4G uses 9 aperture blades. Yongnuo E 50 / 1.4N aperture blades have only 7
2. Nikon 50 / 1.4G uses virtually internal focus
3. Nikon 50 / 1.4G significantly shorter
4. Nikon 50 / 1.4G approx twice as easy
5. Nikon 50 / 1.4G focuses much quieter and more accurately
   
6. Nikon 50 / 1.4G uses ultrasonic focusing motor Nikon SWMand the Yongnuo E 50 / 1.4N uses a conventional micro motor. Focusing speed is almost equal
7. Nikon 50 / 1.4G has a feature continuous manual focus control Nikon M / A
8. Nikon 50 / 1.4G has tag for infrared more
   
9. Nikon 50 / 1.4G has rubberized ring focusing without lag
10. Nikon 50 / 1.4G has more familiar switch directions focus modes
11. Nikon 50 / 1.4G uses high quality SIC enlightenment (Nikon Super Integrated Coating). The specific type of Yongnuo E 50 / 1.4N multi-coating is unknown
12. Nikon 50 / 1.4G has rubber mount sealproviding basic protection against dust and moisture
13. Nikon 50 / 1.4G Profile sewn into modern camerasthat can automatically correct some types of distortion, such as distortion or vignetting. Also, the profile for Nikon 50 / 1.4G is present in almost all modern RAW converters and allows you to quickly get rid of some distortions.
14. Nikon 50 / 1.4G consists on the Nikon NPS list and is a professional lens, which in some cases can significantly simplify its repair or replacement

Advantages of Yongnuo E 50 / 1.4N over Nikon 50 / 1.4G:

1. Yongnuo E 50 / 1.4N 10 years newer. The original Nikon 50 / 1.4G was introduced back in 2008
2. Yongnuo E 50 / 1.4N costs approximately half as much
3. Yongnuo E 50 / 1.4N uses more complex and unusual optical design. Nikon 50 / 1.4G uses a more classic design
   
4. Yongnuo E 50 / 1.4N has USB port for firmware upgrade
5. Yongnuo E 50 / 1.4N has more long stroke focus ring
6. Yongnuo E 50 / 1.4N uses diaphragm electromagnetic device

The optical performance of the lenses is at a similar level, but overall the original Nikon 50/1.4G will be better.

All Nikon 50-58 / 1.4 / 1.2 autofocus lenses

1. Nikon 50mm 1: 1.4 AF Nikkor (first version, MK I) - the lens was produced only in Japan from 1986 to 1991
2. Nikon 50mm 1: 1.4 AF Nikkor (second version, MK II, also known as the 'N', or the 'NEW' version) - the lens was only available in Japan from 1991 to 1995
3. Nikon 50mm 1: 1.4D AF Nikkor (third version, MKIIIbetter known as 'D'-version) - the lens is available from 1995 to this day. There are two subversions that are no different.
   • MIJ (MADE IN JAPAN)
   • MIC (MADE IN CHINA)
4. Nikon 50mm 1: 1.4G AF-S Nikkor SWM (fourth version, MKIVbetter known as 'G' version) - the lens is only available in China from 2008 to this day.
5. Nikon N AF-S Nikkor 58mm 1: 1.4G Nano Crystal Coat SWM Aspherical (version better known as'58/1.4') - the lens is only available in Japan from 2013 to this day.
6. Nikon Nikkor Z 58mm 1: 0.95 S Noct - The lens is available from 2019 to this day. Premium Lens for Mirrorless Cameras Nikon Z... It does not have automatic focus, but has a record aperture. Complex optical design with 17 elements in 10 groups, with 4 ED elements and 3 aspherical elements.
7. Nikon Nikkor Z 50 / 1.2 S - The lens has been produced from 2020 to the present day. Professional S-line lens for mirrorless cameras Nikon Z... Complex optical design with 17 elements in 15 groups, with 2 ED elements and 3 aspherical elements
8. Nikon Nikkor Z 50mm 1: 1.4 - the lens has been produced since 2024 to this day. Complex optical design with 10 elements in 7 groups, with 1 aspherical element

My experience

I am very good with Yongnuo E 50 / 1.4N. For a little money, it turned out to be a perfectly suitable fifty dollars with a fully functional F / 1.4 aperture (for some photo tasks).

I will dwell on the price separately. Yongnuo E 50 / 1.4N is:

• at the time of this review, the Yongnuo E 50 / 1.4N is the cheapest electromagnetic aperture lens for Nikon
• The cheapest autofocus fifty dollars for Nikon SLR cameras with F / 1.4
• the cheapest fifty dollars among all autofocus fifty dollars with F / 1.4, which you can buy new
• the cheapest autofocus full-frame lens with f / 1.4
• The Yongnuo E 50 / 1.4N is cheaper than not only any full-frame lens with F / 1.4, but also any cropped autofocus lens with F / 1.4

The Yongnuo E 50/1.4N is slightly cheaper than the original Nikon 50/1.8G . The f/1.4 aperture is approximately 2/3 brighter than f/1.8. Ultimately, choosing the right one is a difficult and open question.

In general , I recommend using the balanced original Nikon 50/1.8G.

Original Nikon 50 / 1.8G it focuses faster and is much quieter, has virtually internal focusing, a rubber mount mount seal, a mode of constant manual focus control, weighs less and uses aspherics in its optical design.

Video review

You can watch the video review on my modest YouTube channel at this link , or below:

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Prices

The Yongnuo E 50/1.4N isn't a particularly expensive lens. The easiest and cheapest way to buy the Yongnuo E 50/1.4N is on AliExpress.com , for example, from a trusted seller at this link.

Conclusion

The Yongnuo E 50/1.4N is a very functional lens for a reasonable price. In many situations, the Yongnuo E 50/1.4N can be an excellent replacement for the original Nikon 50/1.4G . Overall, the Yongnuo E 50/1.4N is better than the original, venerable Nikon 50/1.4D AF.

Advantages

1. low cost ($ 150-180 for the new Yongnuo E 50 / 1.4N). This is the cheapest autofocus lens with F / 1.4 in general among all autofocus lenses
2. high aperture
3. unusual / unique optical design. The optical scheme uses special elements with an ultrahigh refractive index. The front element is concave (a rarity for this kind of lens)
4. electromagnetic aperture control (nice feature for Nikon SLR camera users)
5. USB port for firmware upgrade
6. convenient manual focus, the focus ring rotates 225 degrees
7. there is a window with a scale of focusing distances
8. the filter frame does not rotate during focusing
9. fixed focus ring during auto focus (e.g. Nikon 50 / 1.4D AF the ring rotates and cannot be touched)
10. good build quality: metal bayonet mount, most of the body is metal, reliable and comfortable covers, bayonet type hood, hood is not mounted on the trunk
11. depth of field scale, no focus shift
12. seven-petal diaphragm, round discs of blur in the range of F / 1.4-F / 2.5
13. nice / neutral drawing, which can be used as a good artistic technique during portraiture
14. Confident sharpness starting at f / 1.4 in the center of the frame. Moderate level of basic optical distortion (aberration, vignetting, distortion) comparable to the original Nikon 50 / 1.4D AF and / or Nikon 50 / 1.4G

Weaknesses

1. limited options for adjusting the lens via the USB port. You can only upgrade the lens firmware. Cannot roll back firmware to previous version
2. at the time of writing the review on the official website for the lens there were no any firmware
3. big weight (577 grams for Yongnuo E 50 / 1.4N vs 280 grams for Nikon 50 / 1.4G)
4. during focusing towards MDF, the front of the frame (trunk) moves forward
5. average focus speed (closer to slow)
6. ordinary micro focusing motor and, as a result, the lack of constant manual focus control, similar to, for example, M / A mode у Nikon 50mm 1: 1.4G
7. tangible noise from the focus motor
8. unsystematic focusing errors (but it cannot be said that there are tangible problems with focusing)
9. plastic focus ring, unpleasant rubbing sound during manual focus
10. a small lag of the focus ring during manual focus when changing the direction of rotation
11. no hoods included, no official information on compatible hoods
12. The lens trunk can be partially unscrewed with a little effort. A copy from the review has already arrived with a half-unscrewed trunk. The problem is easily treated with stronger trunk screwing, done simply by hand, without any tools
13. there is no basic dust and moisture protection (for example, Nikon 50 / 1.4G there is a rubber mount seal)
14. tangible effect of 'Focus Breathing' (changes in viewing angle during focusing)
15. the aperture at F / 2.5-F / 22 is poorly rounded and is a regular heptagon
16. there is no tag for working in the infrared spectrum, the depth of field and focusing distances are small
17. There is incompatibility with cameras that do not support electromagnetic aperture control (an exact list is in the review). This is more a Nikon system problem than a Yongnuo E 50 / 1.4N
18. unknown compatibility with Nikon FTZ and Nikon FT1 adapters and teleconverters
19. lack of data about the lens in modern cameras, which makes it difficult to automatically correct some types of optical distortion (distortion, vignetting etc.)
20. lack of a lens profile in popular RAW converters (temporary drawback, you can create a profile yourself or wait for its release)
21. the survivability of this lens and the variation in quality are unknown. Little Information on Certified Yongnuo Lens Service Centers
22. certain imperfections in the image (poor sharpness at F / 1.4 at the corners and edges of the image, poor resistance to side light without a lens hood, a set of optical distortions characteristic of such fifty dollars)

This material was prepared by Arkady Shapoval . The greatest support for the site is if you use links on this site, such as Amazon , when purchasing anything . It costs you nothing, but for this site, and therefore for my family, it's the main source of support.