Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

Under the technical details this is listed as a zoom lens. It is not. It is a prime lens and does not zoom. You must change your position to frame your photo. This lens will not autofocus with many DX cameras. Specifically the D40, D40x, D60, D3000, d3100, D3200, D3300, D5000, D5100, D5200, D5300. Autofocus is a critical function for these are cameras aimed at novice/newer to digital photographers. It will mount on these cameras, it will function in all respects but the autofocus. It WILL fully function with the D90, D7000, D7100, more expensive cameras aimed at enthusiasts. They contain a focusing mechanism in the camera body that works with the AF designated lenses. That being said, this is a spectacular lens as others have reported. A prime lens can rock your world in terms of clarity and photo quality. When being used on a DX camera it does NOT function as the "nifty fifty" that many are looking for. That label is a holdover from film photography. It indicates the the focal length that mimics the normal view of the human eye and gets a tad confusing with the development of the DX 1.5 cropped sensor. This is a 50mm lens on an FX camera. Mounted on a DX camera it is the equivalent of a 75mm (short telephoto). In an average sized room you may run out of room to back up to get everyone in the frame. If you want the 50mm view on a DX camera a better choice is the wonderful Nikon 35mm f/1.8 AF-S G. This prime lens will give you the 50mm lens (52mm approximately) you are looking for and works very well in low light/no flash situations. It will autofocus on all DX cameras as it has Nikon's Silent Wave Motor in the lens (the S in AF-S). This 50mm lens is a standard lens that is as fine as they come for camera bodies with an internal focusing motor. I love it and use it as a short tele on a D7100. I also have tried it on a D5100 and a D60. It is sharp and the shots are beautiful. You just need the time to manually focus properly, not always possible with fast moving toddlers and pets. These bodies will indicate that a correct focus has been achieved by displaying a dot in the viewfinder. Catching that perfect focus manually takes more practice than the casual photographer has time for. I like Nikons' fast accurate autofocus and do not see any benefit in not spending a few bucks more to get the lens that fully works with the camera (I also own the 35mm f/1.8G AF-S ). I have personally muddled through this world of digital from film and I hope this helps the next budding photographer in choosing the best lens for your needs.