On Mon, 25 Jan 1999 19:17:42 -0600, "Greg Bunch" wrote:

>I searched the archives for an answer to this one, but couldn't, so here it
>is.

Gosh, how DO people miss my Nikkor evaluation list,
anyway...!? ;-) In it (with careful reading...;-),
you would find that the AF and MF 24mm f2.8 Nikkor
optics are the same...

>Is there any difference in the optics of the Nikon 24mm 2.8 manual vs
>autofocus? The manual sells for considerably more at B&H, so I was wondering
>if the difference is better optics. Or, as some have said, is it just due to
>market demands, and they are simply producing many more AF lenses, hence the
>lower cost?

If you look at both, the MF is made from machined
metal parts, nicely finished; the AF looks and
feels, well, "crappy" - the aperture and focus
rings do not operate as smoothly, the lens feels
"loose", and the finish is raw molded plastic.
The AF does include the AF feature, and electronic
communication ability with the camera (and it
is lighter) - and it is cheaper. For pleasurable
manual use, you may prefer the MF; for quick
auto snapshooting, you may prefer the AF.
The choice is yours...;-)