D40 question.

Fate · Jan 5, 2008

hey all

Im trying to sell my Nikon 70-300 (the fairly old one... without VR) to my friend who owns a Nikon d40. Ive given her it to test drive, so to speak, and she cant get the autofocus to work. I know that the D40 and D40x dont work with a load of lenses... so is this one of them?

dbrandon · Jan 5, 2008

Not sure offhand, but you should be able to check quite easily.

I think that the D40 / D40x will only AF on a lens with a built in servo, so on your lens look at the mount, and see if there is a little round thing that looks like a screw-head (with a groove in). If so, the lens needs a body with a built in AF servo.

If the lens doesn't have it's own motor, the AF won't work with her camera unfortunately.

eddiesimages · Jan 5, 2008

DBrandon is correct, I think the lens has to be an AF-S lens.

dbrandon · Jan 5, 2008

Yep, AF-S or AF-I (i think).

Sideburns · Jan 5, 2008

the only lenses that will autofocus are the AF-S and AF-I lenses.

Mav · Jan 5, 2008

The only 70-300 that will autofocus on the D40/x is the new VR version which is also AF-S, and $500. The cheapest long lens with AF support on the D40 is the 55-200 VR or non VR. You can find the non-VR version for $100-125 used, or get the VR version for about $200 new.

Fate · Jan 5, 2008

Damn

looks like im gona have to find another buyer then.

Thanks a lot for the help!

jr8801 · Jan 6, 2008

In the case with the D40 is it hard focusing manually? im new to photography and thats the camera i have and i was just wondering if it is hard to use manual focusing?

jstuedle · Jan 6, 2008

Yes, both the G and ED versions of that lens must be MF as they are not AF-S lenses. And no, it is not hard to MF a lens, we did it for well over a hundred years and made some beautiful images.

dbrandon · Jan 6, 2008

jr8801 said:
In the case with the D40 is it hard focusing manually? im new to photography and thats the camera i have and i was just wondering if it is hard to use manual focusing?

It's not 'hard' to manually focus, just sometimes it's nice not to have to.

I'd imagine the D40 has a focus indicator on the viewfinder which will tell you when it's in focus (dispite the focusing process being manual).

Sideburns · Jan 6, 2008

Manual focusing is not hard, but I'd hate to not have the option on such a new camera. Good thing Canon figured it out and put motors in all of their lenses (well...almost all of them). I couldn't imagine not having USM ring motors...so much faster than manual focus.