Canon 50mm f/1.8 STM vs Nikon 50mm f/1.8G lens?

Question

Is there anyway we can do some kind of comparison between these two prime lenses from Canon and Nikon respectively?

Things to look for are - CA, Bokeh/color fringing, Bokeh ball rounding, sharpness etc.

Answer 1

Sure, there are multiple sites that let you head-to-head shots of test charts against each other or test results.

• the-digital-picture.com's shot comparison
• dxomark.com's test results comparison

But whether or not you get any meaningful information about how they perform in use in the field is questionable.

The reality is that these are very similar lenses: low-cost, relatively simple construction, and fast primes. Same focal length, same max. aperture. They'll behave very similarly, and trying to find something to choose between them is like splitting hairs, and about as practical. You're unlikely to use both, since few shooters have both Canon and Nikon systems (and those who do probably don't care about 50/1.8 lenses), so which one you'd want is determined by which mount system you shoot in.

Answer 2

Sure, take a picture of the same subject with the same lens settings and the same lighting conditions, using film Canon/Nikon SLRs loaded with the same film stock. Develop the film and compare the results.

You can use a lens before buying it by renting. Rent the two lenses. Also rent a camera, such as a Sony A7R (or other E-mount camera), along with a Canon-EF-to-Sony-E adapter and Nikon-F-to-Sony-E adapter. By using the exact same camera, the only differences in the shots will be due to the lenses (and perhaps your own technique).

Answer 3

I'm curious why you want to compare these lenses? Surely you're not trying to decide whether to buy a Canon or Nikon camera based on the quality of their consumer-grade nifty fifty?

There are so many other factors like sensors (Canon insists designing their own mediocre ones, while Nikon uses the best it can get [usually Sony]), ergonomics, metering systems (Canon can't hold a candle to Nikon), AF systems (Nikon has mostly caught up with Canon), and more, which are more important than the cheapest and most quickly outgrown lens in each system's line-up.

This is even more true because neither of the lenses you mentioned are as good as the Sigma 50/1.4 Art or Tamron 45/1.8 (or more expensive manual focus Zeiss Milvus 50/1.4 & Otus 55/1.4) which are all available for either system.

Answer 4

They're fine. This is an easy lens design, but they're also made to be low cost, without a lot of glass or super-exotic elements. For the purposes of actual photography (as opposed to benchmark scores), there is virtually no difference.

It sounds like you are using this comparison to choose between systems. I wouldn't recommend that. The actual impact to your work will be negligible. And, anyway, it's just one budget lens — other lenses may be different, and anyway both companies offer great lenses in all price ranges, including fancier 50mm options. (And not just Canon or Nikon — same with Pentax and Sony. And there are great third party lenses for all of these systems, too. )

If, on the other hand, you want to know in order to settle some wrestling match over which brand is more awesome — well, okay, that's a funny hobby, but I know many people enjoy it. There are plenty of reviews out there, and you can probably cherry pick your favorites in order to support your side.

Answer 5

I just found out that the Nikon model is sharp @f1,8 and the Canon isn't :(

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I received some die votes which I understand so here some more details:

I compared the sharpness measurement of the 2 lenses on dxomark:

Canon 50mm STM

Nikkor 50mm 1.8G

On these 2 pages you are able to see sharpness charts Nikkor sharpness Sharpness Canon EF

As you can see the Canon version is not that good whose open (red bad - green good) whereas Nikon's lens starts with light green which already is good. (More expensive Canon 50mm lenses perform similarly,so the price difference is not the best argument!