The Nikon AF-S Nikkor 58mm f/1.4G ($1,699.95) is a modern update on the classic Noct-Nikkor 58mm f/1.2 manual focus lens. Like the older lens, it’s designed with a specialized purpose in mind: to minimize sagittal coma (illustrated below). That’s important for astrophotography and images of cityscapes at night, and if the lens was as deadly sharp as our Editors’ Choice Sigma 50mm F1.4 DG HSM ($785.00 at Amazon)(Opens in a new window) , which is available for Nikon cameras, its premium price could be better justified. The Nikkor 58mm doesn’t quite hold up to the competition in optical performance when shot at its widest aperture, but its images have a definite character to them that can’t be defined by lab tests.

When you take its wide aperture into consideration, the Nikkor 58mm ($1,596.95 at Amazon)(Opens in a new window)  is fairly compact at 2.7 by 3.3 inches (HD). It weighs 13.6 ounces and accepts 72mm front filters. The front element is recessed in the barrel, and a reversible lens hood is included. There’s no optical stabilization, which isn’t uncommon for a wide aperture prime lens, so the only control switch on the barrel is a toggle to change between manual and autofocus.

The manual focus ring is on the narrow side, but still comfortable to adjust, with ridges so you can better grasp it. There’s a distance scale to let you know where the lens is focused, but it’s not at all practical to focus this lens by scale at all but very narrow apertures. The lens can focus as close as 22.8 inches, so don’t expect to fill the frame with small objects. The magnification factor is just 1:7.7; the Sigma 50mm can focus a bit closer and capture images at 1:5.6. Neither is a true macro lens, like the Zeiss Makro-Planar T* 2/50 ($1,283.00 at Amazon)(Opens in a new window) , a 50mm lens that renders image at half-size (1:2) magnification.

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The lens is optimized to minimize an optical aberration that’s known as sagittal coma. This effect can render points of light in an unpleasing way. Instead of perfect circles, the lights can flare at wider apertures, as you can see from the crop above, from an image shot with the Carl Zeiss Planar T* 1,4/50 ($725.00 at Amazon)(Opens in a new window) at f/2. The 58mm Nikkor minimizes this effect; in one test image at f/1.4, the red lights of distant traffic signal were rendered as perfect circles.

I used Imatest(Opens in a new window) to check the sharpness of the lens when paired with the 36-megapixel Nikon D800 . The lens falls well shy of the 1,800 lines per picture height we use to call a photo sharp at f/1.4, scoring just 1,448 lines on our center-weighted sharpness test. Images shot at the maximum aperture have a soft look to them, especially when the lens is focused near its minimum distance.

Images shot at greater distances show more even detail across the frame, which is evidence that the 58mm captures images with a curved plane of focus. But even at the center focus point, the lens only resolves 1,667 lines in the center third of the frame, which is on the soft side. The Sigma 50mm F1.4 DG HSM captures photos with a flat field of focus, and scores better on our center-weighted sharpness test. At f/1.4 it manages 2,440 lines, even when tested on the Canon EOS 6D ($1,699.00 at Amazon)(Opens in a new window) , which features a lower resolution 20-megapixel image sensor.

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At f/2 the sharpness score increases significantly to 2,359 lines. This is due to a huge jump in the center third of the frame (3,215 lines). There’s a drop-off in sharpness as you move away from the center, with the middle third still showing some softness (1,623 lines) and the outer third showing just 1,151 lines. Performance evens out at f/2.8; the center-weighted score is 2,902 lines, and while the middle area of the frame is still softer at 2,143 lines, there’s plenty of detail there. Edges are about the same at f/2.8 as they are at f/2, another sign of curved plane of focus.

The lens sharpens more and more as the aperture is narrowed. At f/4 the center-weighted score tops 3,000 lines, and it tops 3,400 lines at f/5.6. That’s the first aperture where the edges show marked improvement, as they approach 1,500 lines, which is likely due to both the improved performance netted by stopping down the lens down and the greater depth of field that a narrow aperture provides. At f/8 the Nikkor scores 3,559 lines, with edges that top 2,000 lines, and it shows its best performance at f/11. At that narrow setting, the center-weighted sharpness score is beyond excellent at 3,599 lines, and even the very edges of the frame approach 2,900 lines.

There is some barrel distortion, about 1.7 percent, which causes straight lines to appear to curve slightly outward. That’s not atypical for a standard-angle f/1.4 lens, but the Sigma 50mm f/1.4 avoids it. The Sigma shows some fall-off at wider apertures, which causes the corners of the frame to be a bit dimmer than the center, which is also typical for lenses of this type. Despite not being overly sharp at the edges, the Nikkor 58mm manages to avoid fall-off, delivering even illumination across the frame even at f/1.4.

The Nikon AF-S Nikkor 58mm f/1.4G is a lens that includes some very specialized optical characteristics, and one that comes with a premium price tag. Its sharpness is disappointing at its widest aperture, but there is marked improvement in image detail at f/2. You’ll have to contend with some field curvature, so you’ll want to shoot at a narrower aperture when the situation calls for it. Images are a lot sharper at f/2, and the increased depth of field that narrowing the aperture provides ameliorates the effects of the field curvature as you stop down.

But the price tag that comes with the Nikkor 58mm f/1.4G is high, especially when compared with the excellent Sigma 50mm F1.4 DG HSM. The Sigma lens delivers images that are sharper at f/1.4, and its flat field of focus ensures edges are going to be just as sharp as the center. The Nikkor 58mm is appealing if you often shoot images that demand minimal optical aberrations, specifically sagittal coma, and if you prefer the rather soft look the lens can provide at close distances when shooting at f/1.4. There aren’t a lot of lenses made today that can match its character, and that’s something that no lab test will be able to measure. It’s a specialty lens that’s going to be perfect for the right photographer, but most shooters will find that the Sigma 50mm F1.4 DG HSM is a better choice, and one that’s available for almost half the cost of the Nikkor.