Are there any entry level DSLRs with a built in autofocus motor? Both the D3300 and the Rebel T5 don't. My idea is that if I got a camera with built in autofocus then I would end up saving money because I wouldn't have to buy AF-S lenses.
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There are three parts to the answer to this, which is appropriate, because with Sony, Olympus, Panasonic, Fujifilm, and Sigma focusing on mirrorless designs, there are really only three companies making DSLRs: Pentax, Canon, and Nikon. First, all Pentax DSLRs, even the entry-level models, have built-in autofocus motors. So, if that's really your main concern, there you go. Pentax has excellent compatibility with old lenses, and that's a route many Pentax enthusiasts take — although the bulk of the interesting old lenses are manual focus anyway. (But while I do love Pentax, I think you should read on to get the full picture.) Second, Canon went straight to in-lens focus motors when the EOS system EF mount was created in the late 1980s. As Philip Kendall points out, read more about that here: Do all Canon DSLRs have in-body AF motors? And, finally, for your primary concern, saving money because you won't have to buy AF-S lenses — well, maybe, but that's not the whole story. See Can I save money on lenses by buying a Nikon camera with an in-body autofocus motor? for more on this. Dan Wolfgang gives a great answer, and the key point is that while you can probably save money,
and, in general, the answers at How do camera body motors compare to in-lens motors for focusing? expand on this, with most of the advantages coming down in the "in-lens" camp. The Pentax Limited lenses provide an exception, because the lack of an AF motor allows them to be especially tiny. Compare the Pentax 40mm "pancake" lens with Canon's version — the Pentax is 70% of the weight and length. |
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While you are technically correct that the T5 doesn't have an autofocus motor, this is because it doesn't need one. Every EF or EF-S lens contains an autofocus motor, so there is no need for one in the body. |
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None of the Canon EOS cameras, right up to the top-of-the-line 1Dx, have autofocus motors in the body because every Canon EF lens has an autofocus motor of its own. So don't worry about the Rebel T5 not having a motor in the body -- if there were one, it wouldn't have anything to do. The lens that comes in the T5 kit will still autofocus very nicely. |
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An advantage of having the AF motor in the lens is that the motor can be optimised for that lens. There's a big difference between the amount of mass to move in a plastic kit lens and a big telephoto. A short prime may need an even smaller motor. And the big telephoto is likely to need to shift that larger mass faster, more precisely, and with greater acceleration. For a given lens, the manufacturer can pair cheap motors with cheap optics and better motors with extra features (Canon used to have ultrasonic motors on their stabilised 70/75-300, and conventional motors on the non-stabilised ones). This avoids the need to design the body motor to do everything. |
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