In article <32D1E7E2.257E8F9B@wavenet.com>, chrisa@wavenet.com says...

>Also new lenses realy are better. I did a "shoot
>out" between some older mono-coated, chrome
>barrel lenses and my new AFD lenses. Newer
>coatings do control flair and contrast better and
>not just in direct sunlight. If you want any
>kind of _zoom_ lens, something made this decade
>is the only way to go. The old primes were
>good however. Also if he ever replaces the
>F2 with an AF body he will be glad to have
>bought newer lenses.

Hmmm, if one is comparing the very oldest Nikkors
with the very newest, I would generally agree
(and the older lenses may have acquired a bit
of haze or fine "cleaning marks", which would
slightly further separate new vs. old performance).
BUT, many of the mid to lower priced MF zooms
seem to outperform the similar AF lenses I have
tried, and some of the older primes are
superior to the new (and the other way around).
The old 25-50, 35-70, 50-135, 75-150, 70-210,
80-200 f4/4.5 are excellent - just avoid the
first generation zooms (the 43-86, especially).
AND, some of us still hate the feel/look/operation
of AF lenses....
Hope This Helps