--- Ken Lin <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
> While the AF algorithm is in the camera, there is still firmware on
> the lens
> side that also makes a difference, else it would be more difficult
> for the
> camera to take full advantage of the faster performance of a better
> lens.

Well, cameras with a better AF algorithm can autofocus faster then
other bodies. Of course it is possible that autofocus speed depends on
both the firmware in the lens as well as the camera. But is that really
the case for Canon? In other words can Canon lenses with the same AF
motor and mechanical configuration be faster/slower depending only on
the firmware? You seem to say so. Can you elaborate more on that?

> This is the problem earlier (maybe still true today) Nikon AF cameras
> had,
> since the AF motor is in the body and not the lens, Nikon had to deal
> with
> using the same motor to drive everything from a fisheye to telephoto
> lenses,
> there's got to be some compromises in the interest of "compatibility"
> with
> all lenses...

Well, regarding compatibility Nikon's original approach should have
been a good solution. Basically the lens is dumb and autofocus is
controled only by a mechanical interconnection. An upgrade not only of
the AF algorithm but also the motor in the camera can improve AF
performance for a particular lens. But this approach has other
limitations which made Nikon depart from that way. That departure
created the incompatibility problems because suddenly lenses needed
more information from the cameras(so newer lenses don't work with oder
bodies that don't send this information and newer bodies don't work
with older lenses because the mechanical interconnection was finally
replaced with a pure electronic interface). At least that is my
understanding. I might be wrong here as I don't know too much about
Nikon.

Robert 

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