The type of photography that you are planning to use is an important decision factor. Here we have evaluated the Nikon 50mm f1.8D and the Nikon 18-55mm f3.5-5.6G VR II for their suitability to various photography scenarios:
Size and Weight Comparison
The size of a lens is a crucial factor to consider when comparing two lenses. Nikon 18-55mm f3.5-5.6G VR II is the longer of the two lenses at 66mm. The Nikon 50mm f1.8D with a length of 39mm, is 27mm shorter. On the other hand, the Nikon 50mm f1.8D has a larger diameter of 64mm compared to the Nikon 18-55mm f3.5-5.6G VR II's 60mm diameter.
The weight of a lens is equally significant as its external dimensions, particularly if you intend to handhold your camera and lens combination for extended periods. Nikon 50mm f1.8D weighs 155g, which means it is 40g (20%) lighter than the Nikon 18-55mm f3.5-5.6G VR II which has a weight of 195g.
Filter Threads
Both the Nikon 50mm f1.8D and the Nikon 18-55mm f3.5-5.6G VR II have the same Filter thread size of 52mm.
Below are links to the 52mm filters that we recommend you to consider for these lenses:
Lens Mounts
The Nikon 50mm f1.8D has the Nikon F (FX) lens mount whereas the Nikon 18-55mm f3.5-5.6G VR II has the Nikon F (DX) lens mount. Some of the latest released cameras that are compatible with these mounts are Nikon D6, Nikon D780 and Nikon D3500 for the Nikon F (FX) Mount and Nikon D3500, Nikon D7500 and Nikon D5600 for the Nikon F (DX) Mount.
Focal Range
Nikon 50mm f1.8D is a prime lens with fixed focal lenght of 50mm. When it is mounted on an APS-C sensor camera with 1.5x crop, it provides a 35mm (FF) equivalent of
75mm.
On the other hand, the Nikon 18-55mm f3.5-5.6G VR II has a focal range of 18-55mm and 3.1X zoom ratio which has an effective (full-frame 35mm equivalent) focal range of 27-82.5mm when used on a APS-C / DX format camera.
