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D Lenses
Both lenses are Nikon D lenses. These lenses contain circuitry to allow them to work more cohesively with the Nikon camera and Nikon Speedlight flash system's "through the lens" (TTL) metering system. The optics in the D lenses are also coated for more optimal contrast and sharpness.
Materials
Both lenses are constructed with plastic housing and a metal mount. This may make them seem less durable than a metal-housed zoom lens, but they are actually quite resilient due to the lack of moving parts compared to a zoom lens. Both lenses are bayonet-mounted onto the Nikon SLR camera.
Aperture
One of the major differences between the 50mm f1.4 and the 50mm f1.8 is the aperture. The aperture of each lens contains seven blades that can "stop down" to F 22. While the 50mm 1.4 can open to an F 1.4, the 50mm 1.8 can only open to an F 1.8. This means that the f1.4 can shoot under lower lighting conditions than the 1.8. If you plant to take photos under low-lighting conditions, this capablity may lead you to choose the f1.4 over the f1.8.
Focus
When deciding between the 1.4 lens and the 1.8 lens, depth of field is one of the major considerations that can lead you to choose one lens over the other. Here the close focus range is the same with both lenses at 1.5 feet. Additionally, the 50mm 1.4 lens focuses more sharply at an f stop of f.2. By the point that both lenses are set to f.4, their focusing range is identical. The f1.4 lens also has more distortion.
Price
When photographers weigh the pros and cons of one lens over the other, the price point is typically a third deciding factor in choosing one lens over the other. Although the price for each lens varies from dealer to dealer, the 50mm 1.8 averages around $115, while the 50mm 1.4 is priced almost three times that at around $300.