ntoes on manual lens

The reasons you might want to step backwards to manual focus lenses are:

1.) Lower cost

2.) Smaller size and lower weight.

3.) Faster f/stops ideal for use with slides hand-held in low light, also with lower size, weight and cost compared to zooms

4.) Standardized 52mm filters. You can have every lens from 20 mm to 200mm, including PC shift and macro lenses, take the same 52mm filters.

5.) Much better mechanics. The manual lenses are works of mechanical art with their very high quality metal construction and flawless precision. The focus rings can be operated with a single finger and work at all temperatures. The manual lenses feel much better than AF lenses when used manually.

6.) Easier focusing. The AF lenses are a little skittish when focused manually, since they are designed for speed on AF cameras. By comparison the manual lenses are a joy to focus by hand. Also fixed lenses are easier to focus manually, since zoom lenses focused manually usually focus too slowly at wide and too fast at tele.

source: http://www.kenrockwell.com/nikon/nikkor.htm#mfrex