choen said:Actually floating elements is a design trick to allow for sharper close distance focusing distances in a lens.
Nikon markets this as 'CRC'.
'Floating elements' isn't even a marketing sales term, in my opinion. It refers to (usually) a group of individual glass within the lens barrel which moves individually as you turn the focusing ring.
Bah, I may have explianed it all wrong. Go google for it.
That's it?! Woah, ok. Fancy name for what appears to be taken for granted in a typical lens design huh.