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Nikkor alphabet soup

gogopix

Subscriber
Ok. I could 'google' it, but I think I will get a better answer here.

What the heck is all this "ED", VR" AIS" "IF"
isnt VR like AIS for stability?
what's ED? (extra dispersion glass????)

why dont they have sensible names like 'sumicron' and 'elmarit' :ROTFL:

Helppppp....

Let the experts pipe in :lecture:
like, cost aside, what are the three or four toop

normal
wide
long
extralong
lenses?

Victor
 

Terry

New member
Hey I learned all this stuff over the last week. Thank you David Farkas

ED - extra low dispersion glass
VR - vibration reduction (there is VR and VRII)
IF - Internal focusing (very helpful when you are using filters as the lens front doesn't rotate)
AIS - manual focus lenses, AF-S is autofocus with a motor which is better (faster/quieter) than the older D
G lenses have no aperture ring

Hey if I got something wrong here, I'm a newbie.
 

rayyan

Well-known member
IF - (Internal Focusing) enables focusing without changing the length of lens barrel

D - signifies distance information for flash computation



Hey I learned all this stuff over the last week. Thank you David Farkas

ED - extra low dispersion glass
VR - vibration reduction (there is VR and VRII)
IF - Internal focusing (very helpful when you are using filters as the lens front doesn't rotate)
AIS - manual focus lenses, AF-S is autofocus with a motor which is better (faster/quieter) than the older D
G lenses have no aperture ring

Hey if I got something wrong here, I'm a newbie.
 

gogopix

Subscriber
merci beaucoup!

ARe AF with motor in body or like Contax with motor in lens? or are there some of each??
What means 'consumer' vs 'pro' Is there difference like the regular Leica's and 'summarits"?

I assume ED means more pro, but VR can be either esp sports.

I must say, I am impressed with Nikon but nothing beats what I have, only getting close - with autofocus. As calendar pages keep slipping off, eyes getting less MF oriented. May consider a camera that is AF (execpt of course I DO have a Contax 645 with P435+, but to use venacular- low light without stobes sucks!

SO, this is first camera that has tempted me for street shooting (though size is issue) and time will tell whether AF really works as well for wildlife.

Can someone comment on long lenses?

Also, sorry, but to follow an old tradition of the Leica critics, I really would like to see usable 16 bit. DR is good but not great, but hey, I will admit I have not seen an item from the Canikon group (Jim, can I say that?) that tempted me as much as the D300.D3 (though size and the density of the pixels throw me to the D300 right now, WDRT Kurt et al, unless I can see high ISO difference and better bit depth.)

So it may be a race R10 or D4 :ROTFL::ROTFL::ROTFL:
 

robmac

Well-known member
I have yet to test a D3, but from my tests of D300s and the 40D - test one and you will know the real world IQ and ISO performance of both with (for my taste) ISO 800 being the ceiling before NR kills acceptable detail. Some other notes:

AF: 40D Wins.

The D300 was consistently SLOOOW (2 bodies tested from 2 different stores about a month apart) to lock on a static and as well as slow moving target using only center point AF (simplest test). The lens would 'glide' into place vs snap - in good light. Once locked on tracking was great, but getting a very shot quick? Not so much.

The 40D was better but ANY Canon 1 series (save the 1D3) would eat both for lunch and come back for seconds with nary a burp. The D3 appears to be more 1 series in AF 'snap' and apparently once locked is like your wife's divorce lawyer on your tax return.

Feel and fit in the hand and robustness: D300 wins hands down.

LV (screen, not activation process), the D300. D300 screen is much better, but convoluted activation vs. 40D.

Menu system: 40D.

My suggestion would be (in the Nikon camp) the D3. While larger form factor, the fatter light buckets, larger sensor, MUCH better ISO performance and faster AF (supposed to be same, but many D3 + D300 users state otherwise - beefier processor(s)/juice delivery to ADF motors is/are rumored cause) will probably keep you happier longer than the crop factor and smaller body of the D300.
 

gogopix

Subscriber
DEar Robmac

Interesting perspective. I see Kurt slipped up (down??:D) to the D3, while Guy's D300 images (and the AF parts) looked good. I may need to try these out.

sometime..

after some of the euphoria subsides ( as David points out, those of us retired who do not make a living from these tools take a different perspective. )However, any more purchases and I will need to think inCOME rather than outGO!

Victor
 

dfarkas

Workshop Member
Hey I learned all this stuff over the last week. Thank you David Farkas

ED - extra low dispersion glass
VR - vibration reduction (there is VR and VRII)
IF - Internal focusing (very helpful when you are using filters as the lens front doesn't rotate)
AIS - manual focus lenses, AF-S is autofocus with a motor which is better (faster/quieter) than the older D
G lenses have no aperture ring

Hey if I got something wrong here, I'm a newbie.
No, Terry... you got them all right. You were paying attention. :thumbup:

Just to clarify tough... AF is an autofocus lens that is driven by the motor in the camera body through a small "jeweler's screwdriver" pin and socket arrangement. AF-S stands for Silent-Wave Motor AF, meaning there is a focus motor in the lens itself. AF lenses are characterized by that grinding, whiring noise and slow focusing. AF-S lenses focus much, much faster without the added soundtrack.

David
 

robmac

Well-known member
101 opinions are great, but only a personal hands will suffice.

Oh - the new "E" lenses like the T&S require power from body, so will only work on Nikon VR-capable bodies.
 
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