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Focus motor in lens or body... which is better?

Tourmeister

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Howdy,

:tab I know this is probably like opening an oil thread... but...

:tab At one time I was told by someone that having the focus motor in the body was better than having it in the lens. I have a Nikon D40 and the motorized 18-55/55-200 lenses that came in the kit I bought. I have had nothing but trouble with the 18-55 in auto focus mode, but the 55-200 has been fine. My old N70 (35mm) used the non motorized lenses, which will work on my D40, just not in auto focus mode. I was told that something like the D90 can use both types of lenses, motorized and non-motorized, and either would still auto focus. That would be nice because my old Nikon 70-300 would work on the D90. Is this true?

:tab Anyway, pros/cons of either? When looking at various bodies, how can you tell if the body has a focus motor or not?
 
About all I can offer is the in-lens motor stuff is quite loud compared to a non-motorized lens. I just popped a 75-240 Nikor on a D90 and it's loud.
 
If I had a choice I would go with a focus motor in the body. The one and only reason for this is that you aren't stuck with only one type of lens. You can plug either type of lens onto a Nikon camera body with a focus motor onboard.

That being said, I felt the same way when I bought my Nikon D5100 which does not have a focus motor. I wanted something as small as I could get it, but still be a true DSLR and anytime you step up to something with a focus motor, you also step up with the overall size of the camera.

With regards to loud lenses, I think it really does depend on the lens. Both of my lenses are primes and focus fast and quiet even compared to their non-motorized brothers on my buddy's D600.
 
Does the focus motor really increase the size that much? I mean if they can put motors on the lenses, how big do the ones in the body have to be? I guess it might help if saw two different bodies side by side to get an idea of the size difference.

Anyway, thanks for the clarification. Trying to sort out all the DX/FX/VR/AF/AFS blah blah blah... is like trying to sort out Harley model designations :-P
 
TM.... you will not see a dramatic size difference from your D40 to the D90.

If you get a body that has the motor in it you will not be limiting yourself on lens type or age for that matter.

If your around my place drop me a note and you can hold a D90 and a D800 and compare to your D40. (Note: I am in Alaska this week and North Dakota next week) I may be home Sunday.... maybe... time will tell.
 
Duke, now that you have the D800, do you still use the D90?
 
Does the focus motor really increase the size that much? I mean if they can put motors on the lenses, how big do the ones in the body have to be? I guess it might help if saw two different bodies side by side to get an idea of the size difference.

Anyway, thanks for the clarification. Trying to sort out all the DX/FX/VR/AF/AFS blah blah blah... is like trying to sort out Harley model designations :-P

The motor itself does not. However it is on models that offer quite a few different features and a combination of all those features do add up to a larger package. Also those features can come in handy, like dual scroll wheels, but for me it wasn't worth the size since this is my motorbike camera. If it wasn't going to be my bike camera, I would have gone focus motor on the body without a moment of hesitation.

With lenses just remember that FX lenses will work just fine on a crop sensor body as well as their full framed brothers like the D600, D700, D800. DX lenses were designed for the crop bodies. They will work on full framed bodies, but the camera will either enter a special mode to shoot with that lens or you will have tunnel vision. I have one of each of the lenses and wouldn't trade either one of them for the world.
 
TM,
I still have my D90 in addition to the D700. The D700 is my 'go-to' body as it just fits my hands better (along with the affixed battery pack) and has considerably more capability/control. Since I have a bunch of glass, I still use my D90 body along with the D700 when I take two lenses. But rarely do I just take the D90 out stand alone.

For example, at the Beer Mile this past Saturday I had the D700 with the 70-200 and the D90 with the 24-70. That gives me 24-200 coverage with both. Yet when I shot Thanksgiving, I just took the D700 with the 24-70.
 
I have it as my back up body right now. I don't shoot it much anymore, but I like knowing its at the ready.

:tab That has been the response of everyone I know that has a D90 ;-) I think that says a lot about the camera. Even when folks get a newer and "better" camera, they still keep the D90.
 
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