[chuckles]

It's a whole world of abbreviations out there. Below is a copy from a Nikon web page.....

ED - The lens uses Extra-low Dispersion glass for superior image quality, especially at wide apertures.

IF - Internal Focus, focus is accomplished without the lens barrel rotating or changing length, an advantage when using a position-sensitive filter such as a polarizer.

AF-S - Focusing is driven by a "Silent Wave" motor in the lens instead of the focus drive motor in the camera. AF-S lenses focus faster than standard AF-Nikkors and are almost completely silent. AF-S lenses with a "II" designation weigh less and are generally smaller than their equivalent predecessors.

D - The lens provides Distance information to the camera electronically for more accurate light metering.

G - The lens has no aperture control ring and is designed to be used with cameras that allow setting the aperture from the camera body. G lenses also provide Distance information to the camera.

DC - Defocus Control, the optical characteristics of the lens can be altered to change the appearance of the out-of-focus elements in the background or foreground.

VR - Vibration Reduction, lenses with this feature can be hand-held at lower shutter speeds than non-VR lenses because they have a system that detects and counteracts vibration associated with hand-holding a camera and lens. (VR operation is available only with specific Nikon cameras.)

DX - The lens is specifically designed for use on Nikon digital SLR cameras. It produces a smaller image circle for more efficient coverage of the imaging sensor in these cameras, which is smaller than the 35mm film frame.

Hope this helps...

Baz.