Nikon Nikkor Z 50 mm f/1.4
4. Image resolution
Let's check how the Nikkor Z 50 mm f/1.4 compares – its results in the frame centre, on the edge of the APS-C/DX sensor and on the edge of full frame presents a graph below.
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At first glance it's hard to deny you get here a full analogy to the performance of type 1.4/50 double gauss devices we've observed on 20-24 Mpix sensors. 40+ Mpix sensors are far more demanding – that's why Nikon decided to present a lens optically more complex and, at the same time, still smaller and lighter that the rivals and also a lens that is able to guarantee at least decent results.
Indeed, in the frame centre, close to the maximum relative aperture, sharpness is perhaps not mind-blowing but still it is a tad above the decency level. At the same time that resolution increases very quickly on stopping down the aperture. By f/2.0 you have values of 55 lpmm, by f/2.8 – almost 72 lpmm, and by f/4.0 the lens lands on an already excellent level of almost 82 lpmm. As you see here the lens performs very well and you can have no reservations.
Still you can't say the same thing about the edges of the frame. The closest area of the maximum relative aperture are not sharp both on the edge of the APS-C/DX and on the edge of full frame. Still, here also stopping down is quite effective so the decency level is reached more or less near f/1.8. Up to the f/2.8 aperture the results on edges of both detectors don't change much from each other and only by f/4.0 you see a noticeable advantage of the edge of the smaller sensor, with very good results.
At the end it's worth having a look at the graph below, with a comparison of the performance of the tested lens and its slower but also bigger, more expensive, and optically more complex brother so the Nikkor Z 50 mm f/1.8 S.
It's clear that the significantly more expensive and slower model fares better in the wide area of the maximum relative aperture. Only from the f/4.0 upwards both lenses perform equally well presenting an excellent result.
At the end of this chapter, traditionally, we present crops taken from photos of our resolution testing chart which were saved as JPEG files along the RAW files, used for the analysis above.
| Nikon Z7, JPEG, 50 mm, f/1.4 |
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| Nikon Z7, JPEG, 50 mm, f/4.0 |
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