BebuLamar

D means distance (the lens provides focus distance to the body) and any lenses introduced after the AF-D lenses are also D lenses. But I do understand when people say D lenses. If I understand what a person means I wouldn't want to tell them that he/she is wrong. It's more important to understand each other than being correct and nobody understands you.

Bill_de Loc: US

If you can convince them of that, maybe you will be successful in convincing folks that there is no VR 2.
If there was we would be up to VR 37 or some such thing.

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SuperflyTNT Loc: Manassas VA

If you’re gonna keep going there you should at least realize the word you want is “vaunted”

Thomas902 Loc: Washington DC

"... I have a little 28-105 f/3.6-4.5 D zoom that is noticeably sharper than the 24-120 f/4 VR that I bought for my D810..."Exactly therwol! Totally with you on this epic mid-range vintage Nikkor. I went out and shot mine Saturday 11-13 after you reminded me in another post how fabulous this little gem actually is!

For those who are under the delusion that the latest and greatest "plasticware" is better, maybe rethink that the over weight and over priced Nikon AF-S NIKKOR 24-70mm f/2.8E ED VR Lens is the best thing since sliced bread.
At $2,096.95 it cost way over 10 fold over what I paid for my AF 28-105 f/3.5-4.5D (purchased previously owned in condition 9 from B&H for $119) nearly a decade ago. Unlike the "New" 24-70mm f/2.8 this vintage Nikkor is virtually free from distortion and wonderfully sharp out to nearly the edge of the frame.

therwol below is the image I captured Saturday on my Nikon D3x mated to that epic vintage AF 28-105 f/3.5-4.5D.
Note: There is no cropping here... this is native FX format edge to edge (albeit I had to down-sample to 8x12 from 13x20 in order to stay within UHH upload limits). I challenge any other "Armchair" photographers in this thread to post validating images of their so called fabulous high end mirrorless or DSLR mid-range zooms which show how they can meet or exceed with I accomplished here with a 13 year of camera and a 24 year old "D" screwdriver Nikkor (which btw uses civilized 62mm filters not pricey 82mm filters like the Plastic Latest and Greatest 24-70mm.)

And yes I chose a "Kodachrome" day to shoot this in... Hand held with that massive D3x body dampening any mirror vibration. Though I'm not foolish enough to shoot a f/4.5 in low light without a tripod... enough said

As for Nikon's Z line? If I wore a younger man's clothes I would indeed be very interested... however I've mastered my D3x and my deliverables are well received by my clients. At the end of the day nothing else matter to me...
I do not seek to establish my persona by the "Kit" I use, only by the deliverables I produce, my client list and my published tearsheets...

Thank you for your inspiration therwol...
Greatly appreciate!
Cheers!
.

Nikon D3x mated to a vintage AF 28-105 f/3.5-4.5D at f/10; SS: 1/250; ISO: 100

(Download)

jeweler53

My point exactly. I could add my 55 and 105 Micro Nikkor 2.8. I might be able to get a 'sharper lens' but I doubt it and don't need it.

joecichjr Loc: Chicago S. Suburbs, Illinois, USA

Stupendous 🍒🍒🍒🍒🍒

therwol Loc: USA

Let's set this straight again. I conceded to you in a past thread that "D" has nothing to do with the way a lens focuses. "D" indicates that distance information is transferred to the camera, and this designation began with the second generation Nikon AF lenses. All subsequent Nikon autofocus lenses are also D lenses, even though they may not have "D" stamped on the lens barrel.

On the other hand, nearly all lenses with D stamped on them are from the generation where a motor is needed in the camera for autofocus. D on a lens has become synonymous with "needs a motor in the camera." It's in common usage now. But again, to concede to you, it is not always true. The lens in this photo is stamped D and has an internal focusing motor. I have to credit Ken Rockwell for the photo. Love him or hate him, he knows hardware in and out.

(Download)

jeweler53

Very well said. I just didn't (and don't) want the thread hijacked over semantics. We all know what a "D" lens is, and if we didn't we do now.

DEBJENROB Loc: DELRAY BEACH FL

I sold all my D lenses and a camera ..... switched to Sony .....

therwol Loc: USA

I get results similar to this with my 28-105 f/3.5-4.5 D lens as I've demonstrated to you elsewhere. Physics hasn't changed. The sharpest lens I own is a 55mm f/3.5 manual focus Micro that dates to the late 60s. It uses a simple, 4 element Tessar design. Low dispersion glass and aspherical elements are now cheaper than they were back in the day, so in theory they can push performance a bit, but the price may not be worth it in all cases, and these modern wonders with a zillion elements in them tend to be expensive and bulky. It's a joy to walk around with a zoom that's not much bigger than a 50mm prime and get good performance out of it for barely over 100 bucks.

CHG_CANON Loc: the Windy City

correction made to my inventory of great thoughts, thx!

User ID

There’s the usual UHH silliness about the term “D lens”. Common usage is not technically correct, but it communicates. That communication gets muddied by the jargon gestapo, cuz there exist some “AF-S D” lenses.

“D lens” in common parlance means a nonAF-S lens with a shaft drive AF connected to the camera body motor.

The way to avoid the jargon gestapo is to be specific. When referring to a shaft drive lens call it a shaft drive lens. I realize this is waaaaay too simple and accurate for UHH. Thaz too bad.

Quixdraw Loc: x

Jeez - and all this time I thought the D stood for Dai Nippon! ;-)

User ID

There’s a difference no one mentions between two classes of lenses that do NOT have AF on the FTZ.

The so called “D lenses” have a CPU chip but the Ai lenses do not. “D lenses” can deliver automated exposure and auto iris functions while Ai lenses are strictly dead manual, not even auto iris stop down.

Adding an AF shaft drive motor to an adapter would benefit “D lens” users but still won’t deliver auto iris stop down speed and convenience to Ai lens users.

The problem crudely described is that Ai lenses do not have a precision iris stop down lever. It moves full arc every time (on an old camera). “D lenses” have a precise iris stop down lever action. The Nikon FTZ provides precision iris lever actuation, so “D lenses” can let the body control the aperture. Ai lenses are just outa luck.

Bill_de Loc: US

To be accurate I believe the designation for the shaft drive lenses is simply labeled "AF"

Nikon AF Nikkor 50 mm f/1.8 D



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