Why do nearly all modern camera systems use AF motors integrated into the lens? One would think it makes more sense to have one good autofocus motor in the body that each of your lenses can use. Moreover, whenever you upgrade your body, every lens you own gets an autofocus upgrade.
Was it a result of Canon dominating the DSLR era, since EF had lens motor AF only, or are there technical problems that couldn't be solved?

Because having it in the lens is more power efficient and comes with fewer accuracy issues from tolerance stacking at the coupling

>>4436891 (OP)
>One would think it makes more sense to have one good autofocus motor in the body that each of your lenses can use
Until you realize that the focus groups of some lenses weigh less than an ounce and others weigh more than a pound.

>whenever you upgrade your body, every lens you own gets an autofocus upgrade
They do, via firmware.

>>4436891 (OP)
if you're unhappy your expensive lens came with a slow autofocus motor, consider switching from nikon/fujifilm to canon/sony

>>4436936
>Until you realize that the focus groups of some lenses weigh less than an ounce and others weigh more than a pound.
Good point, I know for the old NIkkor lenses the super telephoto lenses would use internal focusing motors, but their shorter focal lengths would not. That is an edge case where people are spending $10k+ on lenses anyways, but it's a different story for a 24-70 f/2.8.

>>They do, via firmware.
Sure, autofocus algorithms can be improved. Firmware can't change the physical properties of the motor.

>>4436938
>if you're unhappy your expensive lens came with a slow autofocus motor, consider switching from nikon/fujifilm to canon/sony
I'm a Sony shooter, but I'm a zoomer and wasn't old enough to take photography seriously when these were around. Just curious about they died.

>>4436944
>Firmware can't change the physical properties of the motor
Motor technology changes on a multi-decade timescale.
By the time a new (and better) motor is developed, the lens design will be far better too.

>Just curious about they died
Video is what put the nail in the coffin of screw-driven lenses.

>>4436951
It wasn't video. It was physics. Screw drives have slop (you can feel it) so they can't focus as accurately.

A silent and smooth screw drive can work, and in fact, since videofags are autistic purists and use manual lenses with external autofocus, a lot of video people are basically using screw drive lenses with extra steps.

>>4436956
>Screw drives have slop
Which makes for noise, something that especially bothers videofags.

>>4436957
Just turn it slower

>>4436951
>Motor technology changes on a multi-decade timescale.
Compare a 3D printer from 5-10 years ago and one from today. Night and day difference in the speed, accuracy and noise levels of the stepper motors. This is patently false.

>>4436891 (OP)
>canon dominating the dslr era
gr8 b8, made me reply

>>4436938
my nikon focuses very fast

>>4436967
>Compare a 3D printer from 5-10 years ago and one from today. Night and day difference in the speed, accuracy and noise levels of the stepper motors.
Nothing changed last 10 years in motor tech. I upgraded my first printer to silent stepper drivers back in 2016. Ultimaker 2 had silent steppers and it came out in 2013. It's just now even cheapo manufacturers realized that silence is worth few extra bucks.

>>4436957
af in video is for degenerates

>>4436969
Cope nikker

>>4436891 (OP)
>Slow as fuck AF
>Do AF adapters even exist for these kinds of lenses?
>You have to switch both lens and camera to AF/MF, otherwise bad shit will happen.
It could be fun, if they packed actually powerful motor. But in reality it's just better to have it built in into lens, motors don't cost much
>>4436936
.>Until you realize that the focus groups of some lenses weigh less than an ounce and others weigh more than a pound.
With powerful motor you could drive both, lens could tell tell the limits for older lenses that didn't tell the limits, it could drive legacy mode. But this is not our reality, only good thing about it is the fact that these screwdriver AF lenses are noticeably cheaper now than as good portion of cameras can't use them with AF.

>>4436896
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