augieg27 Loc: Central California

Wow, I'd learned a lot during this discussion.
I'm considering the old Nikon 105mm 2.8 D wich can be purchased for around $200 in good condition.
What do you guys think about that?
Augie

RWR Loc: La Mesa, CA

If it is from a trusted vendor such as B&H or KEH, you cannot go wrong. Super lens! Get the best condition you can find, a lot of them have seen hard pro use.

Bill_de Loc: US

That is one of the three lenses I purchased with my first Nikon, an F100. I still have it, and use it. It is an AF Nikkor which means for auto focus the body needs to have the focus motor.

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Chris T Loc: from England across the pond to New England

Actually, RWR … no, it won't!!!

The question was - to YOU - how would YOU define - what has been termed on UHH - "D" Lenses …

Chris T Loc: from England across the pond to New England

Augie - hate to bang an old drum … but D lenses won't work on the D5500 …

Nikon entry-level cameras - such as the D3000 series, and D5000 series - are missing a screw which engages with the AF in older lenses. These cameras REQUIRE modern lenses, I'm afraid …

I discovered the problem, some years back, after I bought a couple of Tokina lenses, and found, to my dismay - they would not AF with my D3200. So, that sent me out looking for a ProSumer camera. Found a used D90, for a pittance - but had to send it back, at the end of the trial period. Its replacement was a Refurb D7000 - which has served me well. It will take just about any Nikkor lens I try on it … but my D3200, D5300 and D5500 - will NOT, unfortunately ….

RWR Loc: La Mesa, CA

If I didn’t already know, I would Google “Lens Designations” for the brand in question and see what the “D” stands for.

Chris T Loc: from England across the pond to New England

RWR - I'm pretty sure the "D" assignation is applied to ALL lenses of this type - be they Nikon, Sigma, Tamron or Tokina ….

Here's some of the incongruities - a Bing Search revealed -

Sigma 70-200mm F/2.8 APO D EX HSM (N90S & Later) …
$399.00
KEH Camera
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D-Type NIKKOR Lenses A D-type lens relays subject-to-camera-distance information to Nikon D-SLRs that feature 3D Color Matrix Metering (all versions), 3D Matrix Metering, 3D Multi-Sensor Balanced Fill-Flash and i-TTL Balanced Fill-Flash. Many D-Type lenses have an aperture control ring and can be used on older Nikon SLR cameras that allow for manual control of the aperture, as well as on D-SLRs—especially useful for adjusting aperture while recording D-Movies on higher end models.

The Nikon Nikkor AF-D series“Nikonists” still highly appreciate the AF-D-series lenses, all of which appeared in 1994. (Nikon usually adds the “D” after the aperture, as in “50mm f/1.4D AF,” rather than “50mm f/1.4 AF-D,” but both refer to the same lenses.)

May 12, 2014 · The D in model designations indicates that the lens can tell the camera the distance the focus is set to. This makes metering a little easier. At some point Nikon started building lenses that are no longer AI-S compatible. These are lenses with G in the name. Most notably, G lenses lack an aperture ring. All G lenses are also D lenses.

SX2002 Loc: Adelaide, South Australia

Deleted

RWR Loc: La Mesa, CA

Open and read the links I posted and you will see that the “D” assignation does NOT mean the same to all manufacturers.

Chris T Loc: from England across the pond to New England

It really doesn't matter whether it does or it doesn't, RWR …

The fact is - it ALL comes OUT to be the same …

There IS a class of lenses, be they Nikon, or Third-Party - which just will NOT AF with entry-level DX bodies!

Bill_de Loc: US

Wrong again CT! When will you stop spreading false information?

Some D lenses won't and some will. The D has nothing to do with it. I own 3 "D" lenses that also happen to be AF-S

17-35 F/2.8, 300 F/4.0, and 500 F/4.0. There are others.

Toby Cole Loc: Newport, Oregon

Some years ago I highjacked my ex-son-in-law's Sigma 105 macro w. circular lens strobe, as a humming bird took up nesting approximately 20 feet from our front window. With a step ladder in the front room (my wife loved it) I was able to get some shots of this family for the approximate 30 days before leaving the nest. I considered it my privilege to be able to eve drop in this manner and it is one of my fondest memories. When my grandsons were asked what we should call the baby hummers, one said "Ying and Yang grandpa!" The second lad not to be outdone piped up " Yaa but mommy should be called Mrs. Tiddlebutt"; go figure.

gmontjr2350 Loc: Southern NJ

I bee liking that photo!!! Really nice and sharp

Toby Cole Loc: Newport, Oregon