That's a bit diabolical isn't it? I mean lenses with no motor hasn't been officially supported on their SLR cameras either since I started using them cca 15 years ago. Sure you could attach them, but you could only use MF.
That is factually incorrect.
Camera bodies that use them are still sold today (at least for a little bit longer, given this announcement). The consumer SLR's dropped this feature starting with the D40 in in 2006, I believe, but professional and pro-sumer models still have the screw motor.
I just checked out the Nikon website, and of the 10 DSLR models they still have listed as current (D7200, D7500, D500, D610, D750, D780, Df, D850, D810A, D5 and D6) ALL of them fully support autofocus with screw motor. 100%. They must have already discontinued all the models that didn't, in favor of their mirrorless cameras.
In fact, according to this
Nikon Lens Compatibility Chart there were only ever a handful that didn't. D40, D40x, D60, D5xxx series and the D3xxx series and that's it. Essentially, the cheap entry level consumer models. The rest supported the screw motor up until the very end.
Ninja edit: The consumer SLR's were on a second page, I didn't see. My bad. They still list 5 bodies (two 3xxx and three 5xxx series) as being current, and these don't have a screw motor, but that is still 2/3rds that do)
And you can still actually buy a handful of D lenses brand new. Granted, there are not many of them left.
A quick look at their site list the following as still being current products:
- 50mm F/1.8D
- 24-85mm F/2.8-4.0D
As well as both the 55mm and 105mm F/2.8 macro lenses, and that oddball stupid expensive tilt-shift PC-E Micro 45mm f/2.8D
So, 5 of them.
I personally bought a 50mm F/1.4D brand new in 2009 and it is probably the best lens in my kit, better than my 70-200 f/2.8G. Even today that a 50mm F/1.4G has been released, using the internal focus motor, many professionals still prefer the older D version as the new one moved production to China, and (they say) optical performance suffered.
The standard zoom lenses (~20-70mm and 70-200mm) went G in the early 2000's, as did just about all consumer lenses, but they have still been selling the D's and even some pre-D's until very recently, with some still remaining.
So how many people still wanted to use those ancient lenses on Z series cameras? Because it is definitely not the entire customer base. If this affects you personally I can understand you're frustrated, but you are not gonna get sympathy this way.
Again, consumers, probably none. The lenses they bought for their old cameras were probably cheaper models and easily replaceable.
Professionals and pro-sumers is a different story all together. Many swear by them, talk about how much clearer images they get out of their AF-D primes than any of the newer G models made in china, and usually invested large sums (up to a few grand per lens) for their older lenses, and as long as there is nothing wrong with them want to continue using them as long as they can.
Now if we really want to talk about middle fingers, I think this move affects those less wealthy hobbyists like me who can't afford to upgrade to Z series and get an adaptor too, to be able to use their existing lenses. So in a way this makes me glad I got out of Nikon SLR in 2019. With this announcement my existing kit would've worth nothing on the used market.
Surprisingly there is still a vibrant used market for these products even though they are getting older.
Even my ancient D90 body could still fetch $200 or just above used. That's a lot less than the ~$950 I paid for it new ($899 MSRP + minor launchtime gouging), but it IS a 13 year old body, and bodies usually drop in price the most. Quality lenses with fixed f-stops below 4 seem to be retaining their value, but more consumery lenses with higher f-stops or f-stops that vary with zoom seem to be dropping in value significantly, as those were always targeted at the cheap segment of the market, which has already moved on to mirrorless or even just use their phone these days.
If I were to move on to mirrorless, and had to sacrifice my old lenses, I'd really miss two of them, my 35-70mm F/2.8D and my 50mm F/1.4D. The rest are either already internal motor lenses, or are cheaply replaceable with something equivalent.
