Nikon D40 and Nikon / Nikkor Lenses

Note: This article is applicable to the Nikon D40 / D40X and D60)

For those who are still a little unsure about which lenses can autofocus on the D40, here's the short answer - any Nikkor lenses that has the AF-S designation, and any Sigma lenses that has the HSM designation (the only exception being the Sigma 80-400mm lens which doesn't have the HSM badge but can AF on the D40).

I've observed questions along the lines of "What lenses are compatible with the D40?" In my opinion, the use of the term "compatible" in this context is not wholly correct, as most lenses designed for the Nikon mount are, in fact, "compatible" with the D40, as in you can actually mount and fit the lens on the camera and use it. But any lens that does not come with the designation mentioned in the first paragraph cannot autofocus on the D40, you would have to focus that lens manually. An example of such a lens is the USD110 Nikkor 50mm f/1.8D AF (read a short Nikkor 50mm f/1.8D AF review) - a beauty of a lens that, unfortunately, will not autofocus on the D40. That doesn't mean you can't use it though, as Alison has demonstrated with some of the best portraits I've ever seen, all shot with the D40 and a manually-focused Nikon 50mm f/1.8D lens (view the photos in this forum thread)
Portraits, by Alison with a manually-focused Nikkor 50mm f/1.8D lens on a Nikon D40

Here's another example of a photo you can get from manually focusing the Nikon 50mm f/1.8 lens (click on the link below the image to view a larger size of the photo and read about the setup):
His Beautiful Life, by IvanoMak
His Beautiful Life, by IvanoMak

Following on from the list of Sigma lenses that can AF on the D40, it's now time to do one for Nikon lenses.

For the complete list of available Nikkor lenses, MTF charts and specifications, you can either navigate to NikonImaging.com (my preferred destination) or NikonUSA.com. There's also a Nikkor lens glossary to help you understand all the Nikon lens-specific terms you read about.

In the list below, clicking the price figure next to the lens brings you to a site which allows you to scan for deals and prices across multiple stores for that lens, and is targeted to the country you're visiting this site from. Please don't forget to perform the usual research on the reliability and trustworthiness of the listed merchants before making the purchase.

Nikkor AF-S DX Lenses

These are lenses which are designed specifically for Nikon digital SLR cameras with the 1.5x crop factor. You'll get vignetting if you try using them of Nikon film SLR bodies.

  1. Nikkor 12-24mm f/4G IF-ED AF-S DX (an ultra wideangle lens that's a firm favorite with landscape photographers and those who like shooting wide) - $910
  2. Nikkor 17-55mm f/2.8G IF-ED AF-S DX (one of the most desirable among Nikon's professional lenses, aided by a very handy, constant f/2.8 aperture which makes it suitable for events and photojournalism; it's been reported though, that the Nikkor 18-55mm is equally sharp, if not sharper, for landscapes when stopped down at the wide end) - $1200
  3. Nikkor 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6G ED AF-S DX (this is Version 1 of the kit lens that was bundled with the Nikon D50 camera)
  4. Nikkor 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6G ED II AF-S DX (this is Version 2 of the kit lens that comes bundled with your Nikon D40 camera)
  5. Nikkor 18-70mm f/3.5-4.5G IF-ED AF-S DX (this was the kit lens that came bundled with the Nikon D70 / D70s camera - some owners decide to sell of their D40 kit lens in favor of owning this piece of glass which is of much better construction (only slightly better than the 18-135mm below) and has a slightly wider zoom range at the long end) - $350
  6. Nikkor 18-135mm f/3.5-5.6G IF-ED AF-S DX (some owners sell of the kit lens on eBay or elsewhere, and then purchase this lens for its greater zoom range and better construction) - $330
    Here's a little story on the 18-135mm lens - a D40 owner sold off the bundled 18-55m kit lens for $150 on eBay, and got himself an 18-135mm, which he found to have better autofocusing performance than the kit lens.
  7. Nikkor 18-200mm f/3.5-5.6G IF-ED AF-S DX VR (currently the most highly sought-after zoom lens, this one has it all; it even comes with the latest VR II technology - you give up a bit of optical quality (compared to the 18-70mm and 18-135mm lenses) in exchange for VR plus a huge zoom range that's unrivaled by any other lens brand on the market) - $680. Read Nikon 18-200mm VR reviews, samples and references.
  8. Nikkor 55-200mm f/4-5.6G ED AF-S DX (this is Version 1 of the lens, and boasts superb sharpness and very decent bokeh; at 200mm, images captured with it are much sharper than what you'd get from the 18-200mm VR lens) - $170. The only disadvantage of this lens compared to the newer Nikon 55-200mm VR is the lack of a vibration reduction mechanism. If you don't need that feature, you save $50 USD.
  9. Nikkor 55-200mm f/4-5.6G IF-ED AF-S VR (simultaneously introduced with the D40x, this is Version 2 of the lens, and has definite improvements in the form of internal focusing and most importantly, VR - no other lens of any brand on the market offers image stabilization at this price point; it continues with the tradition of superb sharpness and very nice bokeh) - $220. Read Nikon 55-200mm VR reviews, samples and references.

Nikkor AF-S Zoom Lenses

From this point forward, the listed lenses will work nicely on film bodies as well as the digital ones.

  1. Nikkor 14-24mm f/2.8G IF-ED AF-S: This lens currently takes the crown as the best ultra-wide angle there is, beating even 14mm prime lenses in terms of sharpness, contrast and resolution. Nikon is justifiably proud of this lens, and here is a sample photo taken at 24mm f/8. $1,550
  2. Nikkor 24-120mm f/3.5-5.6G IF-ED AF-S VR (not known for its sharpness, but has a pretty decent zoom range, and has VR) - $515
  3. Nikkor 28-70mm f/2.8D IF-ED AF-S (used by those wanting professional results, and has the advantage of a constant f/2.8 aperture; it's a huge lens, though, and has been nicknamed 'The Beast') - $1435
  4. Nikkor 70-200mm f/2.8G IF-ED AF-S VR (highly popular professional-grade telephoto zoom lens with constant f/2.8 aperture for those who demand it) - $1590
  5. Nikkor 70-300mm f/4.5-5.6G IF-ED AF-S VR (Nikon's new consumer zoom lens boasting excellent picture quality and endowed with the new VR II image stabilization technology) - $480. Read Nikon 70-300mm VR reviews and samples.
  6. Nikkor 200-400mm f/4G IF-ED AF-S VR (great lens for wildlife photography - I don't foresee many Nikon D40 owners purchasing this extremely expensive lens, but no one can stop you if you want one) - $5100. Read Nikon 200-400mm reviews and samples.

AF-S Micro / Macro Nikkor Lens

There's only one worth mentioning here, since it's the only one that will AF on the D40, and that's the new Nikkor 105mm f/2.8G IF-ED AF-S VR, the only micro lens on the market that has image stabilization, which makes it suitable for other applications such as portraiture or studio photography - $800. See pictures of the Nikon 105mm VR lens mounted on the D40 here and here.

Nikkor Fixed Telephoto AF-S Lenses

Lenses listed here are guaranteed to rip your wallet apart. Buy these if you're into birding or wildlife photography. They are also commonly used in conjunction with teleconverters, close-up filters or extension tubes to give dramatic results with closeup photography or to extend their reach and can also be used alone for stunning portraiture with the background nicely blurred and thrown totally out of focus.

  1. Nikkor 200mm f/2G IF-ED AF-S VR (it's been dubbed the (hyper-expensive) King of Bokeh, and is loved by its owners) - $4000
    Has there been anyone "crazy" enough to mount this massive lens on the D40 and grab great pictures with it? Why ... YES!
  2. Nikkor 300mm f/2.8G IF-ED AF-S VR (some of the best bird photos have been shot with this lens) - $4500
  3. Nikkor 300mm f/4D IF-ED AF-S (nice optic for those who couldn't spring for the f/2.8 version, no vibration reduction available) - $1125
  4. Nikkor 400mm f/2.8D IF-ED II AF-S (great for birding and wildlife photography, but without the benefit of image stabilization) - $7300
  5. Nikkor 500mm f/4D IF-ED II (even longer reach for birding and wildlife photos, no VR and, owing to its smaller f/4 aperture, cannot AF with some teleconverters compared with the 400mm f/2.8 lens - be sure to check the specifications) - $7200
  6. Nikkor 600mm f/4D IF-ED II (longest reach of all Nikon lenses, has no VR and, like the 500mm lens, cannot AF with some teleconverters) - $9080

AF Teleconverters

All the three AF-S TC lenses below allow AF as long as they're used in tandem with AF-S lenses that are specified as capable of autofocusing with them. Take extra care to read the lens compatibility notes in the spec section of each TC - for instance, none of them are compatible with Nikkor DX lenses.

  1. AF-S Teleconverter TC-14E II - $410
  2. AF-S Teleconverter TC-17E II - $420
  3. AF-S Teleconverter TC-20E II - $430

Archive of comments from the old Nikon D40 blog

  1. lennart Says:

    April 1st, 2007 at 8:10 pm

    hi does anyone know if a nikkor PC-35mm fits on a D40?

  2. David Chin Says:

    April 2nd, 2007 at 7:53 am

    Lennart - according to the D40 owner’s manual, PC 35mm f/2.8 (serial numbers 851001 - 906200) and old-model PC 35mm f/2.5 lenses are incompatible with the D40 since they are non-CPU lenses. You might want to download the Nikon D40 User Manual and read page 98 to confirm this for yourself.

    Hope this helps!

  3. The Summit Trail Says:

    May 30th, 2007 at 2:54 pm

    [...] Here is a great site for the different Lenses and their short reviews for D40 cameras. For Sigma, here you can find links to the maker’s website for each of the lens above. [...]

  4. Joe Says:

    June 10th, 2008 at 4:48 am

    I bought the D40x last June. Since then, I have purchased three additional lenses for the camera (came with the 18-55mm lens) and they include: 70-300mm, 18-200mm and a 50mm. The 70-300mm and 18-200mm lenses are the AF-S (built in motor). The 50mm -1.8 is manual focus for portrait work mainly.

    My question is: At some point, I want to step up in Nikon camera bodies. Suggestion as to which body(s) I should look into that will accept the lens I currently have.

    Thanks for any tips and suggestions.

  5. David Chin Says:

    June 10th, 2008 at 7:28 am

    Joe - nice set of lenses you have there.

    Currently, any Nikon digital SLR camera can take in all your lenses.

    The Nikon D60 would be just like your D40X, in that you can only focus the Nikon 50mm f/1.8D AF manually.

    But the higher end models such as the Nikon D80, Nikon D300 and Nikon D3 can autofocus with all your lenses.

  6. Joe Says:

    June 11th, 2008 at 10:35 pm

    Thank you David. I was planning on bypassing the D60 because of its similarity to the D40x. I am hoping to step up a bit higher and possibly go to the D80 or above. Good to know that I can use the lenses and get the auto focus feature to work. Really love the 18-200mm lens! Appreciate your reply. Joe

  7. Mike Says:

    June 17th, 2008 at 9:27 pm

    I’ve read that Nikkor AF-l lenses are also compatible with the D40. Problem is, I cant’t figure out what those are.

    Is it AF-1, AF-I, or AF-L? In any case, I haven’t seen any of these around.

  8. Joe Says:

    June 18th, 2008 at 6:05 am

    Here is a new question.

    I own these two lenses:

    Nikkor 70-300mm f/4.5-5.6G IF-ED AF-S VR

    and

    Nikkor 18-200mm f/3.5-5.6G IF-ED AF-S DX VR.

    I am considering buying a Lens Doubler and would like opinions. I know that Nikon makes one as does Tamron and Sigma. With the D40x, I am aware that the AUTO focus feature will not work with any of these doublers. Also, there will be some loss of about 2 f/stops or so I was told at a Nikon camera store earlier today. Also, the sales girl (fairly new) hinted at the Tamron as being the better buy for my money.

    My plan is try and use one or both of these lenses on my D40x at one or more air shows in the fall. Auto focus should not be a problem if the lens is set on Manual and set on infinity when trying to catch images of the aircraft performing. (Hopefully the weather will bright and clear for the air shows.)

    Has anyone tried this set up? and if so, can you provide some tips, suggestions, pros and cons to the idea. I have NOT purchased the lens doubler as of yet and am only considering that option at this time.

    Would love to get a longer lens, but the steep prices keeps me from making that investment.

    Thanks ahead of time for any input. Joe

  9. Mona Says:

    June 23rd, 2008 at 7:10 pm

    I presently have a Nikon D50 and am hesitating about giving it up and moving on to the D40.

    I have the following “old” lenses which work on the D50- do you know whether they will work on the D40?
    - Sigma 70-300 DL macro
    - Nikkor AF 28-105
    thanks!