Newer Nikon D lenses better than old(er) ones?

[Odot]

Ive read somewhere that the newer D lenses are better built and have a slightly better image quality - can anyone confirm this? The internet is a wild place so i wanted to consult the oracle

 

[Theo Sulphate]

I have older AF-D lenses, pre-2000, and newer ones - build construction seems about the same, but my sample size is about half a dozen only.

The one lens I have that seems excellent in construction is the 135/2 AF-D DC (defocus control) - it has the black crinkle-finish metal.

As for image quality, from Nikon's own MTF charts I can see that the G lenses perform better than their D counterparts - Nikon must've improved the optical design. For new D vs old D or even vs manual AIS, I can't tell because I can find no MTF curves for the earlier lenses.

 

[benveniste]

Newer "D" lenses (and even a few AI-S lenses) may have Nikon SIC (Super Integrated Coating) rather than NIC (Nikon Integrated Coating). The changeover apparently took place around 1999 or 2000. As far as I can tell, this was an evolutionary improvement at most. Looking at patents, I would expect very slightly better overall transmission and a slight improvement in flare control.