Reply to thread

Message

<blockquote data-quote="WayneF" data-source="post: 465091" data-attributes="member: 12496">The way I read this serial number list, from the number shown on the Ebay page picture (assuming same lens),&nbsp; that 50mm Ai lens was made in 1976, 40 years ago.<a href="http://www.photosynthesis.co.nz/nikon/serialno.html" target="_blank">Nikon Lens Versions and Serial Nos</a>Which matches the Ai description too.&nbsp;&nbsp; Still compatible, in its way, but it will be non-CPU and non-AF.&nbsp; It seems pretty pricy for that, and if spending your money, you might want an upgrade?Unless you specifically want f/1.4, the f/1.8 50mm lens is less expensive, and is famously rated better on sharpness too.&nbsp;&nbsp; A brand new f/1.8D lens is only $120 US today, and the f/1.8 AF-S version about $200 US new (don't know how that translates).&nbsp; AF-S is &quot;silent wave&quot; and faster, not a regular rotary motor, but ultrasonic, sort of a pizzo crystal - electrically driven from the body.&nbsp; The D lens is screw drive driven from the body, those bodies with a motor. The Ai lens is not driven at all (no AF).There is also a f/1.8 G lens.&nbsp; G means it has no aperture dial on the lens, aperture is adjusted only by the camera dial.&nbsp; This is mainly only a problem if like on extension tubes...I have the older 50mm f/1.8 AF lens (1986), which is of course AF.&nbsp; It's a mighty fine lens, but I normally always use my Nikon 24-70 instead.</blockquote>

[QUOTE="WayneF, post: 465091, member: 12496"] The way I read this serial number list, from the number shown on the Ebay page picture (assuming same lens), that 50mm Ai lens was made in 1976, 40 years ago. [URL="http://www.photosynthesis.co.nz/nikon/serialno.html"]Nikon Lens Versions and Serial Nos[/URL] Which matches the Ai description too. Still compatible, in its way, but it will be non-CPU and non-AF. It seems pretty pricy for that, and if spending your money, you might want an upgrade? Unless you specifically want f/1.4, the f/1.8 50mm lens is less expensive, and is famously rated better on sharpness too. A brand new f/1.8D lens is only $120 US today, and the f/1.8 AF-S version about $200 US new (don't know how that translates). AF-S is "silent wave" and faster, not a regular rotary motor, but ultrasonic, sort of a pizzo crystal - electrically driven from the body. The D lens is screw drive driven from the body, those bodies with a motor. The Ai lens is not driven at all (no AF). There is also a f/1.8 G lens. G means it has no aperture dial on the lens, aperture is adjusted only by the camera dial. This is mainly only a problem if like on extension tubes... I have the older 50mm f/1.8 AF lens (1986), which is of course AF. It's a mighty fine lens, but I normally always use my Nikon 24-70 instead. [/QUOTE]

Verification