Nikon AF Nikkor 50mm f/1.4D Autofocus Lens for Nikon D3000?

Today I just got my Nikon D3000. I want a focus lens for it though but apparently some lenses aren't compatible. Would this lens work? It's a Nikon AF Nikkor 50mm f/1.4D Autofocus Lens…

And any reviews or suggestions on cheap ($100-400) focusing lenses if you have any would help a lot!

Only AF-S lenses will autofocus with the entry-level Nikon cameras like the D3000. I hope you got the 18-55 mm zoom or another budget zoom with your camera so you have a general-purpose lens. The 50mm lens is a very specialized optic on a DX camera.

The 50mm f/1.4 D is an older design that requires a camera with a focus motor in the camera for autofocus, so it will not autofocus on the D3000.It will focus manually, and other than the lack of autofocus will operate perfectly with your D3000. Depending on what you want to take pictures of, you may not need autofocus. If you are shooting posed portraits, for example, autofocus is convenient but not really necessary.

The other thing to remember is that when focusing fast lenses visually, today's Nikon cameras do not take advantage of the full lens aperture beyond about f/2.8 or f/2.5 unless you purchase a custom finder screen. You need to watch the focus indicator to know when you are in focus if you are shooting at a speed faster than f.2.8.

The AF-S 50mm f/1.4 G is the lens you need if you really need a 50mm lens that will autofocus with your D3000 - it's a little over $400. I have it, and like it a lot. It doesn't autofocus as fast as the f/2.8 zoom lenses, but it's quite adequate for what I typically use it for, and focuses just as fast or faster than less expensive zooms.