 Gerald Coppola |
Nikon Lenses: D vs G Nikon makes some lenses that are designated by the letter "G" and others that are designated by the letter "D". For example: 50mm f/1.8D, or 300mm f/2.8G. Can anyone tell me what the letters mean?
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robert G. Fately |
In the Nikon vernacular, Gerald, the "G" designation means that there is no aperture ring on the lens. This makes the lens a little easier to manufacture, and means that it can only be used effectively with the newer model Nikon cameras (film or digital) which control the aperture via the so-called command dial on the camera body. When the first G lenses appeared, they were the inexpensive models usually meant to be "kit" lenses with the then-new DSLRs of the day, and thus for a while the "G" was taken to mean that the lens was cheap or amateur in quality. however, as you can tell from the price of the 300MM f2.8 - that really isn't the case - the G simply means there is no aperture ring. There is also their "DX" notation, which means that the lens is specifically designed for use with the DSLRs and will have severe vignetting if used on the film cameras.
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Jon Close |
The "D" lens specification indicates that the lens communicates the focus distance to the camera for use in metering, specifically with flash. All G lenses also report the focus distance to the camera. More Nikon lens abbreviations and compatibilities between various generations of lenses and cameras are given at http://www.nikonians.org/html/resources/nikon_articles/other/compatibility.html.
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