"Nelson Kao" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
[about the AF-S lenses]
>we (users of old
>but much more reliable cameras such as F-601/F801/F4) still have to buy a
>new body to use these lenses.
I am pretty sure that the F4 can use AF-S lenses with autofocus, as can the N90(s),
F5, F100, and (I think) the N70.
>> *sigh* Slowly but surely they're chipping away at the backward
>> compatibility. What happened to no planned obsolesence?
>Yes, Nikon is now having to renew its line to incorporate the new
>technologies that the competition and the market demands, but this has the
>drawback of the end of backward compatibility. That's why Canon simply
>changed its lens mount when launching EOS system.
I started using Nikon only three years ago when I bought my N90s. For me,
the ability to use past lenses is not an issue. However, I am glad that
I am able to use my AFD lenses on older camera bodies. Last year, I
wanted to buy a Nikon SLR body for under $90 (otherwise I would get
a serious scolding from my wife) to use for b&w work. I found a working
Nikkormat FTn for $59 which did what I needed. Had Nikon changed its
mount, I wouldn't have been able to do that.
To Nikon's credit, they did have the vision to build future compatibility
into some of their camera bodies. The AF-S compatible cameras: F4, N90(s), N70,
and (maybe, I am
not sure) the F5 were all produced before AF-S lenses were released. All
but the F5 were produced several years before the first AF-S lens was released.
David Johnson
