Is the Nikon 50mm f/1.4D AF Nikkor Lens sharp? This page visually answers that question. Shown above are 100% crops from a lab-captured 50mm f/4.0 test image. Observe the contrast and resolution of these results.
Is the Nikon 50mm f/1.4D AF Nikkor Lens set to 50mm f/4.0 sharper than the Canon EF 50mm f/1.4 USM Lens set to 50mm f/1.8? The image quality comparison above also answers that question. Switch between the results to see the sharpness differences between these lenses.