Nifty Fifty, now for Nikon: Yongnuo’s dirt-cheap Canon lens clone gets a new mount (and it’s metal!)

 

 

Almost 18 months ago, we told you about Yongnuo's how-can-that-be-legal clone of the Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 II lens, often referred to as the "nifty fifty" or "plastic fantastic". We're not sure how they've managed it, but all this time later Yongnuo isn't just continue to sell its more-affordable version of what's already an incredibly low-cost optic, it's decided to dial up the cheek factor by making a variant for Canon's long-time rival in the camera world.

That's right, you can now get the extra-thrifty nifty fifty on Nikon-mount cameras, and if anything it's actually slightly better than the Canon-mount variant. That's because at the same time as switching the lens mounts, Shenzhen, China-based Yongnuo has also changed the mount material. Where the original Canon optic and its rather slavish Yongnuo reproduction both have plastic mounts, the Nikon-mount plastic clonetastic has a metal lens mount that should prove more durable.

 

 

But you'll have to pay for that difference. The Canon-mount version of Yongnuo's lens sells for around US$50, but the Nikon-mount variant comes in at a rather spendier $82. That's still far cheaper than any name-brand Nikon optic, though. The most affordable Nikon lens right now is the AF Nikkor 50mm f/1.8D, and that retails at around $132, saving you about $50.

 

 

Of course, whether you'll get similar optical performance is another matter entirely, but for this little cash we're not going to quibble about such things -- and we doubt many potential customers will either.

(via Shutterbug)