Nikkor Lens Defferences AF-S AF ED

[Dirt_Bike_Ryda]

can some PLEASE explain the difference between the three types of lens that NIKKOR produce?

AF-S
AF
ED

Im going to buy a lens tomorrow pretty sure i know what one i want/need, however my boss told me that the best NIKKOR lens is the ED ranger and the middle being AF and the Kit Lens being the AF-S range. is that true ? and if so why is the AF-S 50mm f/1.4 DEARER then the AF 50mm f/1.4 ??

please can someone give me some insight into this

thanks

[WooD]

AF is an auto focus lens without a built in focus motor.

AF-S means that the lens has a built-in Silent Wave Motor.

ED is the Extra-low Dispersion (ED) glass elements for minimized chromatic aberration.

An AF-S 50mm will auto focus on the D40, and D60's, while a AF 50mm will have to be manually focused.

Your D90 will auto focus with either version.

[Dirt_Bike_Ryda]

yea. but there is no difference in glass quality is what im getting at, like there is in the Canon Lens "L" series verus non redring

probs should have said that. lol

[vandergus]

Like Wood said, ED indicates the use of special glass to reduce chromatic abberations so that usually indicates higher image quality. But the kit lens is actually and ED lens, as it contains one of those special elements (and is pretty good optically, too). AF and AF-S are unrelated to ED and quality of the optics in general. They're more indicative of the age of the lens. Older lenses tend to be AF and new lenses are AF-S (probably a few exceptions). It's just an evolutionary step in Nikons autofocus system.

If you're researching lenses, it's better to evaluate each on a case by case basis than to base your decision on the designations in the lens names. Find some lens reviews, look at sample images, talk to people that have owned them. That sort of thing.

[dcclark]

Fast summary:

Your D90 can use any AF-S or AF lens, so don't worry about the focusing situation.

AF-S is more expensive because there is a small focusing motor built in to the lens. This allows it to work on cheaper Nikons (like the D40, D3000, D5000, and D60). It will also work on your D90, but you don't need it. Plan old "AF" will work too.

ED is unrelated to AF or AF-S. It's a type of glass, as mentioned above.

[Aegea]

I don't think Nikon has an equivalent to Canon's "L" designation. However, the Nikon f/2.8 zooms seem to be aimed at the pro community - as opposed to the "prosumer" f/3.5 zooms. Or you can tell by checking the price :-)

[OsmosisStudios]

Your boss needs to keep his nose out of Nikkor gear.

AF/AF-S are both Autofocus systems. The AF system is older and uses a screwdrive motor in the body to focus the lens. AF-S is an electronic motor in the lens that is connected electronically to the AF system in the camera that focuses the lens. The lower-tier camera bodies do not have the motor required for AF lenses to work, so they require AF-S focusing. Most lenses now are AF-S. Everything from the 18-55 kit lenses to the 14-24 f/2.8 ultrawide and even to the 600mm f/4 super tele primes.

AF-S is generally faster and often more accurate. It's also necessary for Nikon's SWM (Silent Wave Motor) which is a special kind of AF-S system that is almost totally silent.

ED is the Extra-low Dispersion glass which reduces chromatic abberations and, generally, is sharper than standard lenses. ED is a GOOD thing.

There are other terms like VR (VIbration Reduction), IF (internal Focus) and so on.

[bildio]

There are ED lenses, & ED lenses with nano-crystal coat. The latter is a step up from ED.

[WooD]

Originally Posted by bildio

There are ED lenses, & ED lenses with nano-crystal coat. The latter is a step up from ED.

You also have to take into account the amount of ED elements that a lens might have. I have two lens that both have 3 ED elements, and one that only has 2.

The newer 18-55 kit lens only has one ED element.

[Dirt_Bike_Ryda]

yeah. thats what i thought. yeah he said something about the AF-S being poorer quality glass.. but yea. i knew that the AF-S stood for that type of focusing system.

ive ordered the AF-S 50mm f/1.4G anyway. they didn't have the AF 50mm f/1.4D instock and my boss was going down to that shop so i got him to just get me the dearer one lol.

thanks all the same. i just thought there may have been something else different between the two lens rather than justt he focus motor.