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A quick example of how the Nikon AF 50mm f/1.8 D should be set on a new Nikon dSLR. This is "Locked at f/22;" roll your mouse over the photo to see all of the notes. The photo above should answer just about everyone's question about this lens.

FYI: For those that have D40/x, D60, D80 & D90's etc. that use this lens on a "Auto" mode setting, the Maximum Aperture (Widest) that the camera will do is f/2.8! If you want to go wider than f/2.8 (f/2.0, f/1.8, f/1.4, etc.) than you NEED to be on the manual modes.
(P / S / A / M)

PS: For those of you thinking about getting the Nikon AF 50mm f/1.4 D prime lens,
most of the notes / instructions above are the same except you lock it @ f/16.

Edit 2/16/10: I decided to add some basic instructions because the comments are getting a bit long. :)

INSTRUCTIONS

Step 1: Make sure the camera is powered off.

Step 2: Mount the lens, it might require a bit more "Umph" if you aren't used to it.

Step 3: Rotate the Aperture ring until the #22 is below the White Dot / Line.

Step 4: Flip the locking tab so that the two dot's line up, just like in the photo above.

Step 5: Power on the camera and rotate the top dial until you select "A" meaning Aperture Priority or "M" meaning Full Manual Priority.

Please Note:
THE APERTURE IS CONTROLLED BY THE CAMERA BODY. YOU DO NOT ROTATE THE RING AS YOU WOULD ON A FILM CAMERA!!

Step 6: Look in the viewfinder and rotate the dial that controls the Aperture. For the users that only have one dial, (D40/x D60, D3000, D5000, etc.) move the rear dial until you see the Aperture number in the viewfinder lower. If you see f/8, f/11, f/16, move it in the other direction. ;)

For the folks who have two dials, use the one that controls the Aperture. (The default, I believe, is the front dial.) The numbers should go from 5.6...4.0...3.5...2.8...2.0...1.8, etc. (...or something along those lines.) This depends on how the Aperture values in the camera are set up. Typically it's either 1/3-stop or 1/2-stop increments; this setting will directly affect in what you see in the viewfinder as far as the Aperture Values are concerned.

Step 7: For folks who have a Auto Focus Motor in the body, choose the appropriate focus mode via the switch. (S - Single / C - Continuous / M - Manual). Happy Shooting! It will be interesting to hear the AF motor kick in for the first time, esp. if you primarily have AF-S lenses. :)

For those people who do not have a AF motor, D40/x, D60, D3000, D5000, etc., rotate the focus ring and look in the viewfinder. In the lower left corner, there should be a green dot. If you do not see a dot, keep turning the ring. If the dot blinks / flickers, your subject is almost in focus. If it is solid, your subject is in focus according to the camera's algorithms.

Hint: Sometimes I have moved my neck back and forth a little bit to aid in focusing. A blinking green dot will drive you nuts at first. ;)

Step 8: Final Thoughts...
Manually focusing takes a little practice. Manually focusing and dealing with a shallow depth of field is even more difficult. Expect to blow a lot of shots when first learning about f/1.8. F/2.8 is a lot more forgiving. Some portrait photographers that I know like using f/2.2, so you might want to start there.

Nikon has released the AF-S 35mm f/1.8G lens, which retails for about $199 online. I highly recommend getting one for the D40/x, D60, etc. crowd. It's not much more that the old AF 50mm f/1.8D lens, and it makes things really simple by autofocusing and having everything controlled via the camera body. I have also seen good stuff from the new AF-S 50mm f/1.4G lens. Esp. on the D700, that's where the AF-S 50 f/1.4G lens really shines. (Though the D700 seems to back-focus a lot with the 50mm f/1.4G. Try setting your AF Fine tune to -7 and see if it improves.)

One more thing...

I realize that when you first mount the lens and look at it through the glass, the aperture blades seem to disappear, which might throw some at first. Just in case if you were wondering, as the camera is about to take the photo, the aperture blades will go into their correct position just before the shutter is released.

Oh, and be sure to read through the comments below if you still have questions. Chances are someone has already asked and I've answered. it. ;)

Revisiting an earlier spot for this type of shot but now using a remote release - well worth the cash, much easier to capture.