Built in motor in camera body worth the money?

[Coolkheng]

I'm deciding between the d7xxx and d5xxx series. And one of the differences is that the d7xxx series has a built in AF motor which means I can buy the relatively cheaper AFD lenses rather than the AFS ones.

My concern is that the AFD lenses being backdated, will perform less desirably than the AFS ones.

Is it worthwhile to pay a little more for the d7xxx body to save on the lenses?

Any other suggestions (not limited to the built in focus motor) relevant to choosing between the two bodies are welcome too.

Thanks!

 

[nanof4]

Afs len are usually optically better than afd. Save ur money for afs len.

 

[Nikonzen]

Many Nikkor AFD lenses are still held in high regard to this day and most are not chumps in any measure really. The same can be said about some even older F mount lenses as well. Yes you always have your lemons too. As far as the bodies the 7K series is naturally going to be an upgrade to the 5K series. If your on a budget IMO the D7000 is the best buy for the money in the market right now. Mate it with some of the legacy AFD's and you have good kit albeit long in the tooth. It will still make magic in the right hands.

Here is an interesting link for you to look at...

http://www.nikkor.com/story/

 

[kandinsky]

Any other suggestions (not limited to the built in focus motor) relevant to choosing between the two bodies are welcome too.

Thought this was a pretty good comparison:

Which to Buy?

The Nikon D5300 is a great camera, and I’d recommend it for the vast majority of amateur photographers with the exception of those who need superior flash capabilities.

To summarize, you should buy the D5300 if you:

want a great, all-around camera
shoot primarily with natural light or studio strobes
have smaller hands, or need the lightest body while maintaining high performance
need an articulated LCD screen for video or photos
want to shoot video at 1080/60p

Buy the D7100 if you:

are hard on your equipment and need a more durable body
use flash for action or fill and need high-speed sync
use Nikon’s CLS and want to use the built-in command module
shoot macro (or other focus critical work) and need to make micro adjustments to your lenses
shoot a lot of video and want a simple headphone jack on your camera
For the sake of simplicity I’ve tried to focus on only the differences that, in my experience, will actually be important. There are, of course, numerous differences between the two cameras, though, and some features may be more important to particular photographers.

http://www.lightandmatter.org/2013/...5300-vs-d7100-which-should-you-buy/#fn-7986-4

 

[catchlights]

how many lenses you intent to buy? and how many lenses you really need?
and so how much can you really "save" on buying lenses?

cameras and lenses will come and go.
to future-proof your photography hobby is to build a strong foundation on your photography skills, not the gears, if you don't, whatever you "invest" today will just become white elephant one day.

Don't over thinking on this, just buy what you can afford now and need now.
Your needs and wants will change from time to time anyway.

 

[daredevil123]

and by the way, the difference between D5xxx and D7xxx is not just the motor. D7xxx series comes with AF fine tune, much better AF module, as well as CLS wireless flash commander functionality among many other differences.

 

[Bart Tan]

Depend what u want.

This Nikon purposely design their camera in such a way that u have this don't have that. Give ppl headaches

Actually d5200 n d5300 have better sensor than d7000 or d7100.

 

[Coolkheng]

Depend what u want.

This Nikon purposely design their camera in such a way that u have this don't have that. Give ppl headaches

Actually d5200 n d5300 have better sensor than d7000 or d7100.

That's fresh! How do you justify the sensor's difference?

 

[Nikonzen]

How good a sensor does one need? The 18% gain in resolution you get with the extra mp between the D7K and D7.1K is not a whole lot and some folks think the D7K is actually cleaner at some ISO values. Anything greater than 16 MP on crop sensor seems to be maybe going overboard IMO. Only real reason to upgrade from D7K to D7.1K is if AF system is not good enough for you. Can one say D7100 has better sensor than D800e just because it is packing more pixel density? Maybe a birder (then he runs into buffer)? Are you willing to give up features to get incremental increase in sensor? I believe D5300 and D7100 have same sensor??? Many things to consider and this is just the tip of the iceberg.

Do not build your foundation on sand! Please refer to bro Catchlight #5 in this thread.

 

[rain5533]

Last time I was thinking for built in AF motor pay for worth.

Now even the entry level 50mm f1.8G do the best with built in motor.

TS don't think so much, what ever you get then just enjoy it.

New G lens coating still the best in result.

 

[Coolkheng]

Thank you, everyone, for your input. I have come to the conclusion that the built in motor is a much needed added bonus, at least for me. One such example is the very positively reviewed manual focus, Nikon 35-70mm f/1.8D lens.

On a side note, does anyone have a recommendation on a place to get such legacy lenses, such as the Nikon 35-70 f2.8D?

 

[Kit]

They made a 35-70mm f/1.8??

 

[Coolkheng]

They made a 35-70mm f/1.8??

Yes, it's a lens from the 90s and production has since been discontinued (2006 or 2007). From what I hear, it's a great lens.

EDIT: Sorry, I realised I had made a mistake and it is a f/2.8 lens instead.

 

[catchlights]

Thank you, everyone, for your input. I have come to the conclusion that the built in motor is a much needed added bonus, at least for me. One such example is the very positively reviewed manual focus, Nikon 35-70mm f/1.8D lens.

On a side note, does anyone have a recommendation on a place to get such legacy lenses, such as the Nikon 35-70 f2.8D?

Yes, it's a lens from the 90s and production has since been discontinued (2006 or 2007). From what I hear, it's a great lens.

EDIT: Sorry, I realised I had made a mistake and it is a f/2.8 lens instead.

I thought so......



anyway, saw this lens on sale in personal classified section from time to time.

 

[Coolkheng]

I thought so......



anyway, saw this lens on sale in personal classified section from time to time.

Anyway to get it first-hand or refurbished from a proper shop?

 

[daredevil123]

Anyway to get it first-hand or refurbished from a proper shop?

This lens has been out of production for many many years. Only 2nd hand available.

Even its replacement, the 28-70/2.8, you can no longer find it new.

 

[winstonoyy]

Last time I was thinking for built in AF motor pay for worth. Now even the entry level 50mm f1.8G do the best with built in motor. TS don't think so much, what ever you get then just enjoy it. New G lens coating still the best in result.

Agree with the G coat. But I disagree that going for AFD or AFS purely because they are expensive or cheap. I'm loving my AFS 28mm f1.8G and AF 50mm f1.4D when paired with my D90. This now-dated body was picked in 2009 purely for the feel of the body grip and the placement of the buttons. Never looked back since. My 1.4 AFD produces sharp images, just that AF can be a little slower than AFS models.

 

[rain5533]

Agree with the G coat. But I disagree that going for AFD or AFS purely because they are expensive or cheap. I'm loving my AFS 28mm f1.8G and AF 50mm f1.4D when paired with my D90. This now-dated body was picked in 2009 purely for the feel of the body grip and the placement of the buttons. Never looked back since. My 1.4 AFD produces sharp images, just that AF can be a little slower than AFS models.

Ya I agree the 28mm G do much better.
But I also prefer the 50mm 1.8G much shaper than the older 50mm 1.4 AFD.

Anyway just depend what you like.