Chad Huff
Well-known member
You are correct. The AF-D and the AF-I lenses can not be repaired. The AF-S lenses can, as far as I know. The Nikon lens designations can sure get difficult to keep straight.
Nikon 600mm D f/4
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You are correct. The AF-D and the AF-I lenses can not be repaired. The AF-S lenses can, as far as I know. The Nikon lens designations can sure get difficult to keep straight.
@Chad Huff you won't be disappointed if you get yourself a nice lens, the extra reach sure is nice.
I was actually referring to AF-I and AF-S are not repairable, I stated AF-D in error. The 500 I had was an AF-S version, my error, Sorry
You're probably not that far off Charles. The 600mm f/4 D lens came in an AF-S and AF-S II version so it is both a D lens and an AF-S lens. The AF-I versions were even earlier and used a different internal motor design that Nikon scrapped when they moved to AF-S with full time manual focus override. I'd strongly suspect the AF-I versions might have parts problems as they didn't use that motor design for long, hard to say about the first generation AF-S lenses including the first versions of the 500mm f/4D AF-S and 600mm f/4D AF-S.
Nikon will still accept the AF-S II for repair, but not the AF-S and older versions.
Frando
New member
Hi @everyone. Just wanted to (although kinda obsolete due to the confirmation, that the AF-I lens does indeed work on the Z system) remind everyone to not mix in the D into the AF designation. This is something that STILL causes some confusion among amateurs as well as professionals. So maybe first a "what is what": The "D" stands for the distance transfer (so the information about the set focus distance) from the lens to the camera, and this can be used for flash exposure (or matrix metering if necessary). Again, it has nothing to do with the way the Camera aquires focus! All lenses since the very first Nikon F mount days had also a manually operatable Aperture Ring. Okay, that set aside: Nikon has had multiple AF systems over the past decades. After a relatively impractical prototype (80mm f/4.5) in 1971, Nikon introduced two AF Nikkor lenses (the 80mm f/2.8 and the 200mm f/3.5 IF-ED) to the market in 1983, alongside the F3AF. These had internal motors (!), just like modern lenses. Only, that these old lenses had lots of gears and were chunky due to the mechanically driven gears. [Now this would be more interesting: Do these early AF Lenses work on modern DSLRs and Z-Cameras?]. Thereafter came the better known AF NIKKORs which were also mechanically driven, BUT didn't have an internal motor anymore, but relied on the camera to drive the gears. These lenses NEED the camera to have a "Screwdrive" motor. The first to include this was the F501, the big sister of the F301. Many modern DSLRs also work with these. But ot so the lower trier DSLRs and also not the Z Mirrorless cameras (sadly). During that time, Nikon added the bespoken "Distance" functionality. Some lenses were then "updated", often times changing nothing but this functionality. To differentiate them from the ones that don't have this, they added the "D" designation in the lenses name. This is why you find many old AF lenses to be available as a D and non-D version (24 2.8D, 50 1.4D, etc.). So far so good. still, the AF was aquired by moving gears mechanically using a motor inside of the camera.
In 1992, the AF-I lenses were introduced, using again integrated, but more modern electronically driven motors for fast autofocus operation. These were Nikon’s first lenses to offer the now popular M/A focusing mode. AF-I lenses initially were limited to expensive telephoto lenses. From these intermediate now exotic lenses, the AF-S motors were developed, using also Ring-motors around the lense, but using ultrasonic for torque transmission and moving things, allowing the same speed, but being way more silent, beginning with the AI AF-S Zoom-Nikkor 80-200mm f/2.8D IF-ED in 1999. All AF-I and AF-S lenses work (autofocus wise) with all DSLRs and Z Cameras due to that! Besides this: The focus can be set manually (truly manually!) by moving the inner elements directly with the focus ring.
Still with me? Okay: All these lenses had now still an aperture ring! Why is this important? Because many people falsely set AF-D = Aperture Ring, AF-S = No aperture ring, although the AF-S Zoom-Nikkor 80-200mm f/2.8D is an AF-S lense and still has the Aperture Ring and the D Designation at the same time! See, the D Designation doesn't really help that much. The only way it could be used to kinda make sense is when wanting to make sure that you talk about "pre-G" lenses. Because Nikon started to remove the manual Aperture Ring and only allow the Aperture to be set by the camera instead at one point --> G meaning "gelded". Later on there also was the "E" designation, indicating the Aperture was not only set by the camera, but also set Electronically (instead of mechanically). So since the AF-I/AF-S days, not much happened autofocus wise, but the Aperture Ring was removed (D-->G) and the way the aperture was set changed (G-->E), as well as VR was introduced. Only with the newer Stepping motors the AF System was changed again: These use a “Pulse” motor and are even quieter and smoother while focusing. Downside: Older DSLRs can't handle them (well, they could, if their firmwares were to be updated) AND they can't be manually focused...well, not truly that is, since the "manual" focus is translated by the camera/lense into movement of the inner elements, not directly by the focusing ring. And that is where we are in the moment (more or less).
See, I know its complicated and even complex at times. But we should make sure to be as technically correct as possible, to make sure we talk and mean the same thing. Else, misinformation is the result, and that is these days multiplied by the internet and hard to get rid of (i mean there are still people thinking teine and caffeine are different molecules for example). I Might also have included some mistakes, so feel free to point them out. I just hope i made it a bit clearer to everyone what all these Letters mean and why it is important not to just repeat "AF-D", when it technically doesn't make sense, since there is no "D" Autofocus. There is only AF, AF-I, AF-S and AF-P. Aperture wise there is pre-Ai, Ai/Ai-S, G and E. The D is just something that was used to differentiate between AF lenses with/without the distance information forwarded to the camera. Just see it as an extra letter, just like PF for phase-fresnel or VR for vibration reduction.
In 1992, the AF-I lenses were introduced, using again integrated, but more modern electronically driven motors for fast autofocus operation. These were Nikon’s first lenses to offer the now popular M/A focusing mode. AF-I lenses initially were limited to expensive telephoto lenses. From these intermediate now exotic lenses, the AF-S motors were developed, using also Ring-motors around the lense, but using ultrasonic for torque transmission and moving things, allowing the same speed, but being way more silent, beginning with the AI AF-S Zoom-Nikkor 80-200mm f/2.8D IF-ED in 1999. All AF-I and AF-S lenses work (autofocus wise) with all DSLRs and Z Cameras due to that! Besides this: The focus can be set manually (truly manually!) by moving the inner elements directly with the focus ring.
Still with me? Okay: All these lenses had now still an aperture ring! Why is this important? Because many people falsely set AF-D = Aperture Ring, AF-S = No aperture ring, although the AF-S Zoom-Nikkor 80-200mm f/2.8D is an AF-S lense and still has the Aperture Ring and the D Designation at the same time! See, the D Designation doesn't really help that much. The only way it could be used to kinda make sense is when wanting to make sure that you talk about "pre-G" lenses. Because Nikon started to remove the manual Aperture Ring and only allow the Aperture to be set by the camera instead at one point --> G meaning "gelded". Later on there also was the "E" designation, indicating the Aperture was not only set by the camera, but also set Electronically (instead of mechanically). So since the AF-I/AF-S days, not much happened autofocus wise, but the Aperture Ring was removed (D-->G) and the way the aperture was set changed (G-->E), as well as VR was introduced. Only with the newer Stepping motors the AF System was changed again: These use a “Pulse” motor and are even quieter and smoother while focusing. Downside: Older DSLRs can't handle them (well, they could, if their firmwares were to be updated) AND they can't be manually focused...well, not truly that is, since the "manual" focus is translated by the camera/lense into movement of the inner elements, not directly by the focusing ring. And that is where we are in the moment (more or less).
See, I know its complicated and even complex at times. But we should make sure to be as technically correct as possible, to make sure we talk and mean the same thing. Else, misinformation is the result, and that is these days multiplied by the internet and hard to get rid of (i mean there are still people thinking teine and caffeine are different molecules for example). I Might also have included some mistakes, so feel free to point them out. I just hope i made it a bit clearer to everyone what all these Letters mean and why it is important not to just repeat "AF-D", when it technically doesn't make sense, since there is no "D" Autofocus. There is only AF, AF-I, AF-S and AF-P. Aperture wise there is pre-Ai, Ai/Ai-S, G and E. The D is just something that was used to differentiate between AF lenses with/without the distance information forwarded to the camera. Just see it as an extra letter, just like PF for phase-fresnel or VR for vibration reduction.
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Guido Bee
Active member
Jbear
Active member
Just another piece of info. Nikon would not work on my 300 2.8 VR l (they say they don't support it any more). You might consider purchasing from MPB or KEH as they will warranty the lens even if Nikon won't service. They will fix it or find a place that will OR refund your purchase price toward another item. I just did this with a 200-400VR at KEH and added an extra 2 years for $94. I hope never to hold them to it, but it's piece of mind if you're buying an older lens of any significant value.
Guido Bee
Active member
I just got my 300 2.8 VR II back from Nikon LA. They replaced the mount (and no idea what else), so they will / can work on a VR II.
I'd bought the lens used but I chose to send it to Nikon rather than return it so I would be able to talk to them (Nikon) if I needed to.
This way I have a record of who did it and what the did. Had the lens been in lesser condition (other than the mount issue), I'd have sent it back to the vendor.
As it is, I paid for the repair; I still hope to not need to avail myself of any further discussions with Nikon, etc. It works fine now (both on F mount body and Z with adapter).
All the best.
Jbear
Active member
VR ll yes...VR l...no. I think ACR will still work on older gear to. There are parts around...just have to be willing to search for the right place.
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Guido Bee
Active member
Some years ago I'd sent Nikon LA a 200mm F/2.0 VR I and feel lucky now that I did it then. It was not inoperative, but I had fallen on it and broken the window covering the distance indicator. They repaired that and did some other stuff, including replacing the VR unit and mount. I have several older pieces of glass, and some worries about keeping them going over the long term. I am satisfied with the optics of the older glass, but acknowledge that the coatings, AF and VR systems have been improve in the newer offerings. The old stuff works for me. Might migrate to some Z-mount glass someday as this current stuff ages out.
All the best.