Can i use a 50mm 1.8d on my nikon d3100?

I want to get a 50mm and the 1.8d version is cheaper, but i've heard you can't autofocus with it. How do i deal with this problem? And is autofocus that big of a deal? I've even heard that the 1.8d isn't compatible with a d3100.

Nothing you can do about it, Unless you pay top dollar for a Nikon body with integral focus motor you have to pay top dollar for auto-focus lenses or revert to stoneage manual focusing.

Or you could buy Canon, Pentax or Sony and get 100% autofocus on new lenses.

The 50mm f1.8D has no built-in motor and has to be focussed manually on the D3100. How much you use AF is up to you.

I think the aperture ring has to be kept locked and the aperture selected on the D3100 body, but I can't be sure.

The G certainly gives you better options than the D, but I'd advise trying them out to be sure.

While the Nikkor AF 50 mm f/1.8 can't auto-focus with your entry level camera, it IS compatible with your camera. The metering system works just fine and all you have to do is learn how to use the electronic rangefinder in your cameras viewfinder and manually focus your lens, just like the photographers did for over a century.

Just think, for $80 more you can get the AF-S lens, which focuses much faster on ANY of the Nikon camera bodies and you don't have to worry.

The question is are you performance or budget driven by your choice of photographic gear?

In general, auto focus is a pretty important component. It really depends on what you're shooting, though. Someone who is shooting rapidly moving objects (e.g.soccer players, birds) is going to want auto focus, and a good auto focus at that.

The lens is fully compatible with your camera; however, IT DOES NOT CONTAIN AN INTERNAL AUTOFOCUS MOTOR, meaning that IT WILL NOT AUTOFOCUS with your camera, or any other lower-priced nikon camera. Higher-end cameras contain this motor, which allows them to autofocus with more lenses.

It will work, with the exception of autofocus. That, you will have to do manually.

You can use it in manual focus. If you're not used to focusing manually, it could be a big deal especially with Nikon's dark viewfinder.