The following images were taken with the Nikon 58/1.4 on a D800. Each image was recorded in RAW and converted with Lightroom 4.4 at Camera Standard settings. Reduction of lateral CA is ON, Noise-reduction is set to 0, sharpening to 70/0.5/36/10. Apart from WB no extra tone-, color-, or saturation-adjustment was used. You can click on each image to access the large original. Please respect our copyright and only use those images for personal use.

Most of the following images were shot wide open at f1.4.

The first shot should give you an impression of the bokeh that this lens can produce wide open. The 50% crops are from the foreground, the sharpest point, and the background in the overall image and demonstrate the rendering of out-of-focus elements at closer distances (approximately 1.3m). Both foreground and background look pretty smooth. Looking at Douglas R. Hofstadter’s book you can see the effect of longitudinal CA in the greenish hues of the black letters on the back of the book.

Books: Bokeh shot with Nikon 58/1.4G at f1.4 on a D800
Main image and all 50% crops: 58mm, f1.4, 1/60 sec, 100 ISO
foreground, f1.4, 100 ISO		center, f1.4, 100 ISO		background, f1.4, 100 ISO

The following shot shows (again) that bokeh is pretty smooth but there is some green outlining of the white flowers in the background due to loCA. There is also another specific characteristic of the Bokeh: In the middle back-ground it looks like a soft halo around a somewhat defined kernel that still retains some edge-definition.

Flowers: shot with Nikon 58/1.4G at f1.4 on a D800
Main image and all 100% crops: 58mm, f1.4, 1/60 sec, 100 ISO
center, f1.4, 100 ISO		background, f1.4, 100 ISO		middle backgr., f1.4, 100 ISO

Some heavy green outlining in the background is also visible at larger distances at f2.8 as the following shot demonstrates:

Pillars: shot with Nikon 58/1.4G at f2.8 on a D800

Main image and all 100% crops: 58mm, f2.8, 1/2000 sec, 100 ISO

Good detail with acceptable vignetting is shown in the next shot of the church against the blue sky – again wide open.

Lorenzkirche: shot with Nikon 58/1.4G at f1.4 on a D800

Main image and all 100% crops: 58mm, f1.4, 1/8000 sec, 100 ISO

Nice blurring of out-of-focus areas with sharp reproduction of small details like the gossamer on the Putto’s face.

Putto: shot with Nikon 58/1.4G at f1.4 on a D800
Main image and all 100% crops: 58mm, f1.4, 1/4000 sec, 100 ISO
f1.4, 100 ISO		f1.4, 100 ISO		f1.4, 100 ISO

Nice reproduction of fine details of the machine with a soft glow of bright highlights.

Motorbike: shot with Nikon 58/1.4G at f1.4 on a D800

Main image and all 100% crops: 58mm, f1.4, 1/1000 sec, 100 ISO

The texture of the metal and the pavement is faithfully reproduced albeit a bit soft. But this is (again) at f1.4.

Art: shot with Nikon 58/1.4G at f1.4 on a D800
Main image and all 100% crops: 58mm, f1.4, 1/500 sec, 100 ISO
f1.4, 100 ISO		f1.4, 100 ISO		f1.4, 100 ISO

Specular highlights in the background are a good rendering test. Nothing untoward to be seen here except for some loCA. Blurring of oof background and foreground is very strong in the following close-up shot at f1.4.

Schoener Brunnen: shot with Nikon 58/1.4G at f1.4 on a D800
Main image and all 100% crops: 58mm, f1.4, 1/8000 sec, 100 ISO
background, f1.4, 100 ISO		center, f1.4, 100 ISO		foreground, f1.4, 100 ISO

From sharply detailed grass to a blurred background: Only f1.4 on a full-frame body can give you this transition at larger distances.

Sculpture: shot with Nikon 58/1.4G at f1.4 on a D800

Main image and all 100% crops: 58mm, f1.4, 1/8000 sec, 100 ISO

The church door shows good definition and details at f1.4 but also purple fringing of highlights.

Church door: shot with Nikon 58/1.4G at f1.4 on a D800

Main image and all 100% crops: 58mm, f1.4, 1/4000 sec, 100 ISO

At f4.0 the following shot shows great sharpness.

Frauenkirche: shot with Nikon 58/1.4G at f4.0 on a D800

Main image and all 100% crops: 58mm, f4.0, 1/1000 sec, 100 ISO

You can find the same shot at f1.4 here.

Following is one of the most brutal tests for lenses: the sun reflecting on water. This produces extreme specular highlights which mercilessly reveal plenty of longitudinal CAs, purple fringing and coma.

loCA and coma: shot with Nikon 58/1.4G at f1.4 on a D800
Main image and all 100% crops: 58mm, f1.4, 1/1600 sec, 100 ISO
background, f1.4, 100 ISO		center, f1.4, 100 ISO		corner, f1.4, 100 ISO

The following night-shot is a good test for coma. The crops show the effect from the right border at various apertures. The effect is much smaller than with e.g. the Nikon 50/1.4G or the Sigma 50/1.4. Stepping down to f4 eliminates coma completely.

Landscape: night shot with Nikon 58/1.4G at f1.4 on a D800
Main image 58mm, f1.4, 0.8 sec, 100 ISO
f1.4, 0.8 sec, 100 ISO		f2.0, 1.3 sec, 100 ISO		f4.0, 6 sec, 100 ISO

For more examples check out all my high-resolution Nikon 58mm f/1.4 sample images.