which nikkor lens type is right for your d
TRANSCRIPT
Which NIKKOR Lens Type is Right for Your D-SLR?
Reading about all of the different lens types and abbreviations might be a bit
overwhelming, so we'll try to simplify this as much as possible. You're interested in one of the latest NIKKOR lenses, but aren't sure if it will work with your camera. Well, there's an easy way to know—by checking the abbreviations that make up the name of each NIKKOR lens.Nikon makes two different types of D-SLR camera bodies—those that have a built-in focus motor, and those that don't. The cameras that don't have a focus motor built-in need to use a lens that has a focus motor built-in to it. The abbreviation for lenses that incorporate a built-in focus motor is AF-S. NIKKOR lenses that do not have a focus motor incorporated into it are simply called AF lenses.The D-SLR camera bodies that do feature a focus motor built-in are: D70, D70s, D80, D90, D100, D200, D300, D300s, D700, D7000, D1-series, D2-series, D3-series and D4 models. These D-SLRs can utilize both AF and AF-S lenses. Or, in other words, because AF-S NIKKORs have the focus motor built into the lens, they can be used on any current Nikon camera body, whether the body has a focus motor or not, because the lens itself controls the focusing function.Consumer level Nikon digital SLR cameras are designed without built-in focus motors, which allow them to be smaller and lighter than the larger, more professional models. Consumer D-SLRs that do not incorporate a built-in focus motor (and therefore need to use AF-S lenses) include the following: D40, D40x, D60, D3000, D3100, D5000 and D5100. If you own one of these cameras, then you need to use an AF-S NIKKOR lens to get the full autofocus capabilities from the lens.But what if you own one of the aforementioned consumer level camera bodies and really want to use an AF lens. You need to know if your camera can accept the lens—and the answer is yes. An AF NIKKOR lens can be used on a consumer camera such as the models listed above, with limited functionality. You will have to manually focus the lens, using the focus ring on the lens barrel. The electronic rangefinder, which is visible in the lower left portion of the viewfinder, will confirm that your subject is in focus. Rotate the focus ring on the lens and when it lights up green, the subject is in focus.A benefit of the AF-S NIKKOR lenses is that they use a "Silent Wave" motor and focus quieter than do the AF lenses.
Legacy NIKKOR LensesOne of the great aspects of Nikon's camera systems is that most of the legacy lenses—those that you may have used with your film-based Nikon SLR camera—can be used on your digital SLR camera. There may be some limitations, depending upon exactly which NIKKOR lens you're looking to use with your D-SLR, but we'll get into that in a minute.
An AIs lens, the Micro NIKKOR 105mm f/2.8 lens is a manual focus lens. AI LensesWhat if you've got older lenses that you used to use with a Nikon film-based SLR camera-well you can use those lenses as long as they were made after 1977. That's when Nikon began manufacturing AI lenses. AI stands for "Automatic Maximum Aperture Indexing" system, which is the mechanical system for coupling the lens to the camera's exposure system.AI lenses are manual focus, and can be used on any Nikon D-SLR with a few exceptions. In general, the higher-end camera bodies: D1-series, D2-series, D200, D3-series, D300 series, D700, and D7000 models and the D4 will be able to meter through the lens of an AI NIKKOR. The prosumer level bodies: D70, D70s, D80, D90, D100; and the consumer level bodies: D40, D40x, D50, D60, D3000, D3100, and D5000 and D5100 can accept an AI NIKKOR lens, but the exposure will need to be determined manually, using a light meter, not through the lens.The AIS lens, which came later, allowed for automatic aperture control; which controlled the aperture more precisely.
Nikon Ai NIKKOR lens. (r.) A Nikon Ais NIKKOR lens, with lens type signaling pin notch, highlighted in red.An AI-P lens is a manual lens that has a CPU (basically a computer) built into it; which is used to transfer metering data from the lens to the camera.An AF-I lens uses a built-in D/C coreless focus drive motor for speedy autofocus operation and were Nikon's first lenses to offer the now popular M/A focusing mode.So regardless of the other abbreviations you may see on NIKKOR lenses, certain consumer Nikon D-SLR cameras require the use of AF-S lenses for full functionality. The higher-end pro D-SLR camera bodies need only an AF lens for autofocus functionality. An AI lens can be used, when focusing manually, on almost all Nikon D-SLR cameras, but can only meter through the lens when paired with the higher end D-SLR models.Differences between Autofocus and Manual Focus LensesNow that we've gone through a little history of NIKKOR lenses, we'll discuss the differences between autofocus and manual focus NIKKOR lenses.Nikon currently offers lenses that have autofocus operation and others that offer only manual focus operation. Because you sometimes want to be able to control the focus yourself you can actually manually focus any autofocus NIKKOR lens, simply by setting it to the manual focus mode.
he AF-S version of the Nikon 24-120mm lens; (r.) the AF version of the Nikon 24-120mm lens.AF and AF-S NIKKOR LensesWe know there are two series of autofocus lenses: AF NIKKOR and AF-S NIKKOR. Both AF and AF-S NIKKOR lenses can also be used in manual focusing mode.AF NIKKOR lenses use a mechanical coupling between the lens and the camera body. On several Nikon D-SLR camera bodies, the focus motor is in the camera and a series of gears drives the lens' focusing mechanism, which allows the lens to focus.Autofocus (AF and AF-S lenses) are further categorized into G-type or D-type lenses.D-Type NIKKOR LensesA 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. When used on a D-SLR, the aperture control ring needs to be locked at the smallest possible aperture (generally designated in orange), and the aperture control is maintained through the camera's command dial.
The AF NIKKOR 35mm f/2D lens is an example of a D-Type lens.G-Type NIKKOR LensesA G-type lens does not have an aperture control ring and are intended for use on Nikon D-SLRs that allow the lens aperture to be adjusted via the camera's command dial. Because G-type lenses relay subject-to-camera-distance information to the camera, where it is used to help determine ambient and flash exposure, they are also considered to be D-type lenses. The lack of an aperture control ring is perhaps the easiest way that you can tell if a lens is a G-Type NIKKOR or not.[The AF-S NIKKOR 24-120mm f/4G ED VR lens, shown above is an example of a G-Type lens. Note there is no aperture ring on that version of the lens, while there is an aperture ring on the AF version, above right.]
Manual Focus NIKKOR LensesManual focus NIKKOR lenses, on the other hand, don't have the capability to autofocus at all. Manual focus lenses can be used on all current Nikon D-SLRs, in the manual focus mode.With the inclusion of HD video capture in many new Nikon D-SLRs, manual prime (or fixed focal length) lenses are experiencing a resurgence in popularity. Manual focus lenses will not use the in-camera metering systems on several D-SLRs so make sure to review your instruction manual to understand the compatibility of manual focus NIKKOR lenses and your particular camera. [The Micro NIKKOR 105mm f/2.8 lens, shown as an example of an Ais lens on page 1 of this article is a manual focus lens.]
Photo taken with the AF-S NIKKOR 50mm f/1.8G lens.
Lindsay Silverman
Photo taken using the AF-S Micro NIKKOR 85mm f/3.5G ED VR lens.
Cliff Mautner
Photo taken in Times Square, in NYC using the AF DX Fisheye-NIKKOR 10.5mm f/2.8G ED lens.
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What is a prime lens? Well, it's a lens that isn't a zoom. A prime lens has a fixed focal length which means it has only one focal length. Examples of NIKKOR prime lenses are the AF-S NIKKOR 35mm f/1.4G and AF-S NIKKOR 200mm f/2G ED VR II, and the new AF-S NIKKOR 50mm f/1.8G. Some prime lenses are designed for specific uses, such as the Micro-NIKKOR (AF-S Micro-NIKKOR 85mm f/3.5G ED VR), Perspective Control (PC-E Micro NIKKOR 45mm f/2.8D), and Fisheye (AF DX Fisheye-NIKKOR 10.5mm f/2.8D ED) lenses.If a prime lens gives you only one focal length, but a zoom gives you a range of focal lengths, what are the benefits to using a prime lens?Prime lenses, are smaller, lighter and more compact than zoom lenses and tend to be faster, offering wide apertures of f/2.8, f/1.8 or even f/1.4. The large apertures let in more light, which benefits the photographer in a number of ways. First, you can use fast shutter speeds with large apertures to freeze motion. This becomes important when you're shooting in low light. By using a high ISO, and wide aperture, you'll be able to use high enough shutter speeds so you can hand-hold the camera.Secondly, because fast lenses let in lots of light, the viewfinder will be brighter, and so it will be easier to confirm focus, ensuring your images will be sharp.One of the most sought after benefits of using a prime lens is for the Bokeh achievable by photographers, especially portrait shooters. Bokeh refers to the pleasing diffused softness of the blurred background in an image with shallow depth-of-field.
According to many photographers, a byproduct of using a prime lens is that you physically have to walk into- or step back from your subject(s) when shooting—since you can't zoom in and out. This will often cause them to be more creative in their picture making.
Using a Prime Lens for VideoWhen shooting HD video, prime lenses are ideal to use. They give you the ability to achieve the same shallow depth-of-field at wide open apertures for your video footage as you already get with your still photography. This is something that is generally difficult to do using a traditional video camera. Many photographers who are shooting HD video with their Nikon D-SLRs will appreciate the prime lenses ability to autofocus precisely and quickly when AF-F (Full-time AF) is selected or even to manually focus, which will lessen the occurrence of noise from the lens being picked up by the camera's internal microphone.Prime lenses are well suited to a variety of subjects including; portraits, architecture, nature, landscape, sports and action, flora and low light. Nikon offers a range of prime or fixed focal length lenses. Click here to view the full line of NIKKOR prime / fixed focal length lenses.
Lindsay Silverman
Specifications
Type
Single-lens reflex digital camera
Lens Mount
Nikon F bayonet mount
Picture Angle
Nikon DX format
Effective Pixels
24.1 million
Sensor Size
23.5mm x 15.6mm
Image Sensor Format
DX
Image Sensor Type
CMOS
Total Pixels
24.71 million
Dust-reduction system
Image sensor cleaning
Airflow Control System
Image Dust Off reference data (optional Capture NX 2 software required)
Dust-Off Reference Photo
Yes
Image Area (pixels)
DX-format
(L) 6,000 x 4,000
(M) 4,496 x 3,000
(S) 2,992 x 2,000
File Format Still Images
JPEG: JPEG-Baseline Compliant with fine (approx 1:4), Normal (approx 1:8) or Basic (approx 1:16) Compression
NEF (RAW): compressed 14 bit
NEF (RAW) + JPEG: Single Photograph Recorded in both NEF (RAW) and JPEG Formats
Picture Control
Landscape
Monochrome
Neutral
Portrait
Standard
User-customizable Settings
Vivid
Storage Media
SD
SDHC
SDXC
Card Slot
1 Secure Digital (SD)
File System
Compliant with DCF (Design Rule for Camera File System) 2.0
DPOF (Digital Print Order Format)
EXIF 2.3 (Exchangeable Image File Format for Digital Still Cameras)
PictBridge
Viewfinder
Eye-level Pentamirror Single-Lens Reflex viewfinder
Viewfinder Frame Coverage
95% Horizontal
95% Vertical Approx.
Viewfinder Magnification
0.78x Approx.
Viewfinder Eyepoint
17.9mm
Viewfinder Diopter Adjustment
-1.7 to +0.7 m¯¹
Focusing Screen
Type B BriteView Clear Matte Mark VII screen
Reflex Mirror
Quick-return type
Lens Aperture
Instant-return type
Lens Compatibility at a Glance***
AF-S and AF-I CPU lenses only
Compatible Lenses
Autofocus is available with AF-S and AF-I lenses.
Autofocus is not available with other type G and D lenses, AF lenses (IX NIKKOR and lenses for the F3AF are not supported), and AI-P lenses.
Electronic Rangefinder can be used if Maximum Aperture is f/5.6 or Faster
Non-CPU: Can be used in mode M, but Exposure Meter does not Function; Electronic Rangefinder can be used if Maximum Aperture is f/5.6 or Faster
Shutter Type
Electronically controlled vertical-travel focal-plane
Shutter Speed
1/4000 to 30 sec. in steps of 1/3 or 1/2 EV
Bulb
Fastest Shutter Speed
1/4000 sec.
Slowest Shutter Speed
30 sec.
Flash Sync Speed
Up to 1/200 sec.
Synchronizes with shutter at 1/200s or slower
Bulb Shutter Setting
Yes
Shutter Release Modes
Continuous low-speed [CL] mode; 1-3 frames per second
Continuous high-speed [CH] mode; 1-5 frames per second
Delayed remote (ML-L3)
Interval timer photography supported
Quick-response remote (ML-L3)
Quiet shutter-release
Self-timer mode
Single-frame [S] mode
Continuous Shooting Options
DX-format
CH: Up to 5 frames per second
CL: Up to 1-3 frames per second
Top Continuous Shooting Speed at full resolution
5 frames per second
Self-timer
2, 5, 10, 20 sec.; 1 to 9 exposures Timer duration electronically controlled
Exposure Metering System
TTL exposure metering using 2,016-pixel RGB sensor
Metering Method
Center-weighted: Weight of 75% given to 8mm circle in center of frame
Matrix: 3D color matrix metering II (type G and D lenses); color matrix metering II (other CPU lenses)
Spot: Meters 3.5mm circle (about 2.5% of frame) centered on selected focus point
Metering Range
0 to 20 EV (3D color matrix or center-weighted metering)
2 to 20 EV (spot metering)
Exposure Meter Coupling
CPU
Exposure Modes
Aperture-Priority (A)
Manual (M)
Programmed auto with flexible program (P)
Shutter-Priority (S)
Scene Modes
Autumn Colors
Beach / Snow
Blossom
Candlelight
Child
Close-up
Dusk / Dawn
Food
Landscape
Night Landscape
Night Portrait
Party / Indoor
Pet Portrait
Portrait
Sports
Sunset
Exposure Compensation
±5 EV in increments of 1/3 or 1/2 EV
Exposure Bracketing
3 frames in steps of 1/3 or 1/2 EV
Exposure Lock
Yes
Mirror Lock Up
Yes
ISO Sensitivity
ISO 100 - 6400
Hi-1 (ISO 12,800)
Hi-2 (ISO 25,600)
Lowest Standard ISO Sensitivity
100
Highest Standard ISO Sensitivity
6400
Lowest Expanded ISO Sensitivity
ISO 100 equivalent
Highest Expanded ISO Sensitivity
Hi-2 (ISO 25,600 equivalent)
Expanded ISO Sensitivity Options
Hi-1 (ISO-12,800 equivalent)
Hi-2 (ISO 25600 equivalent)
Long Exposure Noise Reduction
Yes
High ISO Noise Reduction
Low
Normal
High
Off
Active D-Lighting
Auto
Extra High
High
Normal
Low
Off
D-Lighting Bracketing
2 frames using selected value for one frame
Single-point AF Mode
Yes
Dynamic AF Mode
Number of AF points: 9, 21, 39 and 39 (3D-tracking)
Auto-area AF Mode
Yes
Autofocus System
Nikon Multi-CAM 4800DX autofocus sensor module with TTL phase detection
Detection Range
-1 to 19 EV (ISO 100, 68°F/20°C)
Lens Servo
Autofocus (AF): Single-servo AF (AF-S); Continuous-servo AF (AF-C); auto AF-S/AF-C selection (AF-A); predictive focus tracking activated automatically according to subject
status
Manual focus (MF): Electronic rangefinder can be used
Focus Point
Can be selected from 39 or 11 focus points
AF-area mode
9, 21 or 39 point Dynamic-area AF
Auto-area AF
Single-point AF
3D-tracking (39 points)
Focus Lock
Focus can be locked by pressing AE-L/AF-L button
Focus can be locked by pressing shutter-release button halfway (single-servo AF)
Focus Modes
Auto AF-S/AF-C selection (AF-A)
Continuous-servo (AF-C)
Face-Priority AF available in Live View only and D-Movie only
Full-time Servo (AF-A) available in Live View only
Manual (M) with electronic rangefinder
Normal area
Single-servo AF (AF-S)
Wide area
Maximum Autofocus Areas/Points
39
Autofocus Sensitivity
-1 to +19 EV (ISO 100, 20°C/68°F)
Built-in Flash
Yes
Built-in Flash Distance
12/39, 13/43 with manual flash (m/ft, ISO 100, 20°C/68°F)
X-Sync Speed
1/200
Flash Control
TTL: i-TTL flash control using 2,016-pixel RGB sensor are available with built-in flash and SB-910, SB-900, SB-700, or SB-400; i-TTL balanced fill-flash for digital SLR is used
with matrix and center-weighting metering, standard i-TTL flash for digital SLR with spot metering
Flash Sync Modes
Auto
Auto with red-eye reduction
Auto slow sync
Auto slow sync with red-eye reduction
Fill-flash
Rear-curtain sync
Rear-curtain with slow sync
Red-Eye reduction
Red-Eye reduction with slow sync
Slow sync
Off
Flash Compensation
-3 to +1 EV in increments of 1/3 or 1/2 EV
Flash-ready indicator
Lights when optional flash unit such as SB-910, SB-900, SB-700, SB-400, SB-R200 is fully charged
Accessory Shoe
Yes
Nikon Creative Lighting System (CLS)
Advanced Wireless Lighting supported with SB-910, SB-900, SB-800, or SB-700 as a master flash or SU-800 as commander; Flash Color Information Communication
supported with all CLS-compatible flash units
Flash Sync Terminal
Sync Terminal Adapter AS-15 (available separately)
White Balance
Auto
Cloudy
Direct Sunlight
Flash
Fluorescent (7 types)
Incandescent
Preset Manual
Shade
White Balance Bracketing
3 shots in steps of 1
Live View Shooting
Photography Live View Mode
Movie Live View Mode
Live View Lens servo
Autofocus (AF): Single-servo AF (AF-S); full-time-servo AF (AF-F)
Manual focus (MF)
Live View AF-area mode
Face-priority AF
Wide-area AF
Normal-area AF
Subject-tracking AF
Live View Autofocus
Contrast-detect AF anywhere in frame (camera selects focus point automatically when face-priority AF or subject-tracking AF is selected)
Live View Scene Auto Selector
Auto mode
Auto (flash off) mode
Movie Metering
TTL exposure metering using main image sensor
Movie Maximum recording time
20 minutes at highest quality
29 minutes 59 seconds at normal quality
Movie File Format
MOV
Movie Video Compression
H.264/MPEG-4 Advanced Video Coding
Movie Audio recording format
Linear PCM
Movie
HD 1,920x1,080 / 60i
HD 1,920x1,080 / 50i
HD 1,920x1,080 / 30 fps
HD 1,920x1,080 / 25 fps
HD 1,920x1,080 / 24 fps
HD 1,280x720 / 60 fps
HD 1,280x720 / 50 fps
VGA 640x424 / 30 fps
VGA 640x424 / 25 fps
Movie Audio
Built-in microphone, stereo
External stereo microphone (optional)
Microphone sensitivity can be adjusted
Monitor Size
3 in. diagonal
Monitor Resolution
921,000 Dots
Monitor Type
Wide Viewing Angle
Vari-angle TFT-LCD
Monitor Angle of View
170-degree wide-viewing angle
Monitor Adjustments
Brightness, 3 levels
Brightness control using ambient brightness sensor
Playback Functions
Auto Image Rotation
Full-Frame and Thumbnail (4, 9, or 72 images or calendar)
Highlights
Histogram Display
Image Comment
Movie Playback
Movie Slideshow
Playback with Zoom
Slideshow
In-Camera Image Editing
Color Balance
Color Outline
Color Sketch
D-Lighting
Distortion Control
Edit Movie
Filter Effects
Fisheye
Image Overlay
Miniature Effect
Monochrome
NEF (RAW) Processing
Perspective Control
Quick Retouch
Red-Eye Correction
Resize
Selective Color
Side-by-Side Comparison
Straighten
Trim
Image Comment
Yes
Interface
Accessory Terminal: Remote Cord: MC-DC2 (available separately); GPS unit: GP-1 (available separately)
HDMI output: Type C mini-pin HDMI connector
Hi-speed USB
Stereo Microphone Input
WR-R10 wireless remote controller (available separately)
Wi-Fi Functionality
Eye-Fi Compatible
WU-1b Wireless Mobile Adapter
GPS
GP-1 GPS unit
GP-1A GPS unit
Total Custom Settings
22
My Menu
Yes with customization
Recent Settings
Yes
Supported Languages
Arabic
Brazilian Portuguese
Chinese (Simplified and Traditional)
Czech
Danish
Dutch
English
Finnish
French
German
Greek
Hindi
Hungarian
Indonesian
Italian
Japanese
Korean
Norweigan
Polish
Portuguese
Romanian
Russian
Spanish
Swedish
Thai
Turkish
Ukrainian
Date, Time and Daylight Savings Time Settings
Yes
World Time Setting
Yes
Battery / Batteries
EN-EL14 Lithium-ion Battery
Battery Life (shots per charge)
500 shots (CIPA)
AC Adapter
EH-5b AC Adapter; requires EP-5A Power Connector (available separately)
Battery Charger
MH-24 Quick Charger
Tripod Socket
1/4 in.
Approx. Dimensions (Width x Height x Depth)
5.1 in. (129 mm) x 3.9 in. (98 mm) x 3.1 in. (78 mm)
Approx. Weight
17.8 oz. (505 g)
camera body only
Operating Environment
0–40 °C (+32–104 °F)
Supplied Accessories
o EN-EL14 Rechargeable Li-ion Battery
o MH-24 Quick Charger
o DK-20 Rubber Eyecup
o UC-E17 USB Cable
o EG-CP16 Audio Video Cable
o AN-DC3 Strap
o DK-5 Eyepiece Cap
o BF-1B Body Cap
o BS-1 Accessory Shoe Cap
o NikonView NX2 CD ROM
*SRP (Suggested Retail Price) listed only as a suggestion. Actual prices are set by dealers and are subject to change at any time.
**Specifications and equipment are subject to change without any notice or obligation on the part of the manufacturer.
***Refer to the product manual or the Compatible Lenses Specification for additional details.
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