Nikon AF-S VS. AF-P (Page 2): I recently purchased a refurbished D 3400 and it came with the AF – P 18-55 lens. I had read that this particular lens is supposed to be very good if...

Chicopee Loc: NY State, USA

I recently purchased a refurbished D 3400 and it came with the AF – P 18-55 lens. I had read that this particular lens is supposed to be very good if you’re doing video, which I do not do. So I ended up using an older AFS 18-55 that I bought many years ago and I find the image quality better.

Rab-Eye Loc: Indiana

MrBumps2U wrote:

For an 18-55 lens the advantages of AF-P may not be obvious, but for longer glass, the AF-P technology is stunning. The AF-P 70-300 lenses, both the DX and FX versions, focus almost instantly and are super quiet. IMHO, AF-P is a significant improvement.

I agree about the focus. I wish it had a physical switch for the VR, but I rarely need to turn it off so it’s not a big deal.

fetzler Loc: North West PA

It is always good to check Ken Rockwell's page for compatibility. https://www.kenrockwell.com/nikon/compatibility-lens.htm

Apparently both lenses are fine with your camera.

Bill_de Loc: US

fetzler wrote:

It is always good to check Ken Rockwell's page for compatibility. https://www.kenrockwell.com/nikon/compatibility-lens.htm

Apparently both lenses are fine with your camera.

Why Ken's page instead of going straight to the Nikon page for compatibility?

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ELNikkor

If you get the 18-140, you probably won't be using the 55-200 very often. I have the 55-200, but would prefer the 18-140.

rangel28

The AF-P lenses use a stepping motor, which makes autofocusing faster and smoother.

The AF-P 18–55 is a very light, small lens, and superior to the AF-S 18–55. IT has faster, smoother and quieter focus. Faster focus is better for photo taking, and smoother and quieter focus is good for video. The downside is no physical button to turn VR on our off. I have owned both lenses and would definitely recommend the AF-P version.

Dalek Loc: Detroit, Miami, Goffstown

The AF-P designation means that a lens uses a pulse motor, hence the "P." The pulse motor relies on stepping motors to move elements inside the lens to achieve focus. This is in contrast to AF-S lenses, which use Nikon's Silent Wave Motor (SWM) and rely on rotational energy to focus a lens's optics. Both are good!

Starman441 Loc: Iguana Land, Fl.

Silverrails wrote:

Just a suggestion, drop the 18-55 kit lens and investigate and research the Nikon 18-140 3.5--5.6 lens, I have this lens and it has produced excellent images and has the exact same Aperture range as the 18-55 kit lens.

Thanks for the tip. I may consider this lens for a future upgrade. As for now, it would overlap the 55mm-200mm that I have in my kit.

Starman441 Loc: Iguana Land, Fl.

Dalek wrote:

The AF-P designation means that a lens uses a pulse motor, hence the "P." The pulse motor relies on stepping motors to move elements inside the lens to achieve focus. This is in contrast to AF-S lenses, which use Nikon's Silent Wave Motor (SWM) and rely on rotational energy to focus a lens's optics. Both are good!

Thanks for the info. The AF-P is said to use magnetic energy to drive the VR. It's been said to be quieter for videos. I'm also curious as to battery consumption between these lenses. I shoot mostly stills (Nature/Landscapes), & very little video; so far.

Bill_de Loc: US

Starman441 wrote:

Thanks for the info. The AF-P is said to use magnetic energy to drive the VR. It's been said to be quieter for videos. I'm also curious as to battery consumption between these lenses. I shoot mostly stills (Nature/Landscapes), & very little video; so far.

Change VR to focus and you be on the right track

"The AF-P designation means that a lens uses a pulse motor, hence the "P." The pulse motor relies on stepping motors to move elements inside the lens to achieve focus. This is in contrast to AF-S lenses, which use Nikon's Silent Wave Motor (SWM) and rely on rotational energy to focus a lens's optics"

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truckster Loc: Tampa Bay Area

Silverrails wrote:

Just a suggestion, drop the 18-55 kit lens and investigate and research the Nikon 18-140 3.5--5.6 lens, I have this lens and it has produced excellent images and has the exact same Aperture range as the 18-55 kit lens.

I agree ...

Charles P Loc: Southern Central NY State

rangel28 wrote:

The AF-P lenses use a stepping motor, which makes autofocusing faster and smoother.

The AF-P 18–55 is a very light, small lens, and superior to the AF-S 18–55. IT has faster, smoother and quieter focus. Faster focus is better for photo taking, and smoother and quieter focus is good for video. The downside is no physical button to turn VR on our off. I have owned both lenses and would definitely recommend the AF-P version.

I agree with rangel28. I too have both versions of this lens, and the AF-P is the sharper of the two. I shoot with a D5300 as well. I had to update the firmware, but that was no big deal. I also have the AF-P 70-300VR and it too is a very sharp lens. These lenses are not pro grade, but excellent for the money and are all that an amateur really needs.

woodweasel Loc: bellingham Wa

Silverrails is right . My 18-140 is as n excellent lens.

Siemienczuk

Here’s another vote for the 18-140.
Also, I recently was looking at a couple of AF-P refurbs for a D7200. One with VR, one without. As noted earlier in this thread, there is no switch on the lens for VR. When I last checked (6 months), the latest firmware update for the D7200 did not include addition of VR switching to the menu. This was a zoom that extended to 300mm, so kind of a sweet spot for VR. But the lack of appropriate firmware update meant I had to choose between “VR always on or always off.” Considered valuable to turn off for tripods and panning. So I went with an AF-S lens. Maybe the firmware will work in your D5300. But check.

Starman441 Loc: Iguana Land, Fl.

MrBumps2U wrote:

For an 18-55 lens the advantages of AF-P may not be obvious, but for longer glass, the AF-P technology is stunning. The AF-P 70-300 lenses, both the DX and FX versions, focus almost instantly and are super quiet. IMHO, AF-P is a significant improvement.

Thanks for the insight. I just updated my firmware. I'll try one out at a local retailer to see if there are any issues.