Easily impressed?

From DPreview, on the D7000
"This inconspicuous tab of black plastic is an Ai indexing tab, and is one of the small physical differences between the D7000 and D90 which distinguish the former as a definitively 'high-end' model. This tab allows aperture control with manual focus lenses of the Ai specification or later. Aperture data for up to 9 such lenses can be programmed into the D7000."

I must say, that if the mechanism is so simple, you'd think they'd complain about it not being in every camera. But instead, allowing old manual camera (up to 9!) to work seems to be a high end feature...

Low expectations...

Reminds us how lucky we are with backwards compatibility. The D7000 does look a fabulous camera though

It does have its drawbacks though, the K mount and its variations can be a bit of a minefield for newbies, not to mention the problems it causes with experienced users in the form of LBA

As for the D7000 I suppose I should agree to it being a nice looking camera, it does look a bit of a beast though.

Don't forget that Ai lenses have no electrical contacts & many older lenses can be inexpensively converted to Ai spec also.

This would be the equivalent of getting metering & body controlled aperture on the Pentax M series, rather than using the aperture ring & resorting to (often inaccurate) stop down metering.

I should imagine it isn't included on every body due to manufacturing cost & to avoid models stepping on each others toes, all the manufacturers "cripple" bodies to certain extents with regards to the target user base.

Is one modern implication of this (ie excluding "old lens BA") that the D7000 will meter with the Lensbaby while the D90 will not? I suspect there are more potential Lensbaby buyers in Nikon's flock than there are potential old lens buyers - how much of the 'advantage' of using old K-mount lenses on Pentax is really mitigation of the lack of budget lenses?

Lensbabies do not have a mechanical aperture, the aperture is physically removed/replaced by hand, so an aperture linkage of any sort will be of no consequence whatsoever.

I suspect its profit effective. No AF motor, buy new lenses. No aperture control, buy new, not old lenses.

Just like for Pentax having the ability is important because the used lens or old lens market is important.

I wonder what will happen to all these lenses with built in SR and focus motors when they change the lens mounts for the next generation on future cameras?

The Pentax 35mm lens mount has changed twice in fifty-five years, and adaptors were supplied each time, so your question is probably academic.

Fingers crossed.

G

I was thinking more of other marques when I wrote the original... mainly the the ones with built in lens SR. It then crossed my mind that if Pentax make a big change in the AF system the old power zoom contacts used by SDM may have to go? I certainly hope it doesn't happen, but they have to take costs into consideration as well?

The fact is that today's complex lenses are not going to have the longevity of yesteryear's made-to-last-a-lifetime Takumars.

And probably sensors will have improved so much that we'll take pictures by thought-control using the little ID chip that Ed Miliband's government will force us all to have embedded in our skulls.

No doubt the workings will be provided by Pentax - stung into creative action by Viewfinder's thoughtful criticism.

G