Silent Wave Motor Compatibility

[joe_margetts2]

Nikon's website (.co.uk) says:

 

"The SWM technology used in Nikons AF-S lenses, work by convert

travelling waves into rotational energy to focus the optics. The

ultrasonic traveling waves move in a spiral pattern inside the lens

barrel. The motor is positioned on top of the waves, and they drive

it from below. In prinple it is similar to surfing, the waves drive

or push the surfer provided he's balanced atop them. This enables

high speed auto focusing that?s extremely accurate and super quiet.

The lens receives the power for it's internal focusing motor and the

focusing instructions from the camera body and therefore can only be

used with suitable cameras."

 

Which cameras? The website doesn't say. I guess this is like Canon's

USM products?

 

Joe

[joe_margetts2]

BTW, the syntax and spelling errors in the quotation marks are all Nikon's own work!! I just did C&P.

 

Joe

[ShunCheung]

Nikon's AF-I lenses with internal AF motors was introduced back in 1992, and the AF-S lenses are the successors to AF-I. Therefore, any Nikon AF body from late 1992 on can drive AF-S lenses. I.e. all current AF SLRs and all DSLRs can. In fact, only a few early AF bodies such as the N8008/F801 and their subsequent improved S models, N4004/F401, N6006/F601, etc. cannot. Somehow Nikon had enticipated the arrival of AF-I lenses back in 1988 put that capability into the high-end F4.

[jim_gifford]

AF-S lenses are fully compatible with F70, F80, F90, F90s, F100, F4, F5, F6 camera bodies and the digital SLRs from Nikon.

 

On other Nikon bodies you can mount and use AF-S lenses, but you will not be able to autofocus (they don't have the necessary electronics to drive an internal-motor lens) so you'll need to focus by hand. That mostly defeats the purpose of spending $$$ on an AF-S lens, but it's still a nice option if you have multiple camera bodies and some of them can use the AF-S feature.

 

Be well,

[joe_margetts2]

So, I've got an F4. Would these lenses improve the autofocus speed?

[jim_gifford]

Si.

[Ed_Ingold]

Quoting the Nikon USA site, "AF-S lenses autofocus only with the following Nikon cameras: D1, D1X, D1H, D2H, D100, D70, F5, F4S, N90(S), F100, N80, N75, N70, N65, Pronea S, and Pronea 6i."

 

New "G" lenses, AF-S or otherwise, work only on cameras which operate the aperture with dials.

[ShunCheung]

Actually it is easier to specify which Nikon AF bodies are not AF-S compatible, as that set is limited to some early AF bodies from around 1990.

 

If instead you want to specify the list of Nikon AF bodies that are AF-S compatible, you'll need to keep updating the list as new bodies are added. For example, new bodies such as the F6 and the up-coming D2X are missing from Edward's list above, as Nikon USA itself is slow to update their own information.

 

G-lens compatibility is actually more complicated. Some older AF bodies can use them even though they don't have the sub-command dial to control the aperture, but they cannot be used in the A and M modes. That is yet another can of warms that has been discussed many times.

[Ed_Ingold]

The list is a direct quote from Nikon USA, and not my invention. Who would have guessed that the (yet to be released) D2x and F6 would be compatible?

[ShunCheung]

Edward, didn't mean to pick on you, but we have learned over the years that Nikon USA's web site has plenty of incorrect or out-of-date information. Moreover, while the D2X is supposed to be availabe in January 2005, the F6 is already for sale, if you have $2300 (or $2400 at my local store) handy ....

[everitt]

The N55/F55 is not compatible with AF-S lenses either (w.r.t AF)