Nikon Nikkor AF-S 50mm f/1.8G lens

The Nikkor AF-S 50mm f/1.8G is an affordable prime lens for Nikon's range of FX and DX format DSLRs, and as an AF-S model, it'll autofocus on any Nikon body.
Announced in April 2011, the AF-S 50mm f1.8G is the successor to the ageing, but still popular AF 50mm f/1.8D. It's the first renovated f/1.8 prime lens for FX bodies sporting AF-S in Nikon's current range, with the 85/1.8D and 35/2.0D still awaiting an update. And that is sorely needed as the top-of-the-line f/1.4 primes that Nikon updated last year are pretty expensive - the only exception being the 50mm f/1.4G. So it will be interesting to see how the new 1.8G lens performs against it's bigger and pricier cousin.
The 50mm focal length has long been considered 'normal' on full-frame / FX format bodies, delivering a reproduction that is akin to the perception of the naked eye. Mounted on a cropped-frame / DX-format body, 50mm becomes equivalent to 75mm and thus becomes a prime candidate for portrait-photography as it gives you some distance from your subject which leads to a flattering perspective. It might even be more fit for portraiture in small studios on a DX-body than a 85mm prime as it renders a larger frame from any given distance. In this review I'll have a look at Nikon's latest 50mm prime, and find out whether it delivers a good price / performance ratio.
Optics: 7 elements in 6 groups vs. 6 elements in 5 groups on the 50/1.8D and 8 elements in 7 groups on the 50/1.4G. Designs of 50mm lenses tend to be quite simple with the only distinguishing factors being exotic glass, aspherical elements or special coating. The new 50/1.8G is the only current 50mm lens from Nikon that has an aspherical element. And none of the three has Nano-coating. [+]

Nikkor 50mm f/1.x cross-section
The new Nikkor AF-S 50/1.8G		The old Nikkor AF 50/1.8D		The Nikkor AF-S 50/1.4G

Closest focus distance/max. magnification: 0.45m / 1:6.7. This is standard with 50mm primes. [0]

Filter-thread: 58mm = same as 50/1.4G but other than that 58mm is not widely used: the 50/1.8D and the DX 35/1.8G use 52mm. [0]

IS: No = a pity! The Nikon 16-35/4.0 zoom has VRII, so why not a 50mm prime? You can only hope that with a 2.3 stops larger aperture you could crank up the shutter speed to where shake is less likely. But what if you need to stop down to get enough dof? On a 16MP DX-body like the D5100 or D7000 it is recommended to shoot at least 1/125 sec freehand if you want to avoid blur. [-]