Nikon F-Mount Lens & Camera Compatibility

Nikon F-mount lens compatibility can be confusing. The mount was used for over six decades, and Nikon made many changes along the way, adding features like autofocus and electronic contacts.

Nikon introduced the F-mount in 1959 with the Nikon F. The last camera to use it was the D6, released in 2020.

In general, higher-end cameras work with both old and new lenses. Entry-level DSLRs have the most limited compatibility.

Two things to watch out for:

• Non-Ai lenses have prongs on the aperture ring that can damage cameras they are not made for.
• AF-P lenses will not work with older DX DSLRs. Some cameras need a firmware update first.

Damage Caused by Nikon Non-AI Lenses

Non-AI lenses can break the mounts on cameras made after 1977.

On the FM, FE, EL2, F3, F4, and Nikkormat FT3, the aperture follower tab can be folded down to allow the use of non-AI lenses. The Nikon Df is the only DSLR with this feature.

Non-AI lenses are easy to identify. They have metering prongs and a solid lip that protrudes from the rear of the lens. This lip will press against the meter coupling ridge or EE servo coupling post, potentially bending or breaking either part.

A lens should rotate smoothly into place without resistance. If you have to force it, something is wrong.

Are All Nikon Mounts the Same?

No. There are four different Nikon lens mounts. This article covers the F-mount. Here is a quick overview of all four:

1. Nikon S Mount - The first mount Nikon ever made. Used on rangefinder cameras. No longer in production.
2. Nikon F Mount - Used on Nikon SLRs and DSLRs from 1959 to 2020.
3. Nikon CX Mount - Made for the Nikon 1 series mirrorless cameras. Known for its very small lenses. Produced from 2011 to 2018.
4. Nikon Z Mount - Nikon’s current mirrorless mount, released in 2018. Available in APS-C and full frame.

F-mount lenses can be used on Z-mount cameras with the Nikon FTZ adapter. Most features work, but some older lenses may have limited compatibility.

Nikon Lens Abbreviations

Here is what the letters on a Nikon F-mount lens mean.

• AF: Auto Focus. The lens can focus on a subject by itself. It needs a camera with a built-in autofocus motor or an AF-S/AF-P lens.
• AF-S: Auto Focus-Silent Wave Motor. The lens has its own autofocus motor. This makes focusing faster and quieter.
• AF-P: Auto Focus-Pulse Motor. Also called a stepping motor. These lenses focus faster, more smoothly, and more quietly than AF-S lenses. They work great for video.
• AF-D: Auto Focus-Distance Information. The lens tells the camera how far away the subject is. This helps with metering and flash.
• AI: Automatic Indexing. The lens tells the camera the aperture setting through a mechanical tab called the rabbit ears.
• AI-S: Automatic Indexing-Shutter. An updated version of AI lenses. It gives the camera more accurate aperture control.
• DX: Made for Nikon APS-C sensor cameras. Smaller and lighter, but will not fully cover a full frame sensor.
• FX: Made for full frame sensors. Works on both FX and DX cameras. On a DX camera, only the center of the image is used, giving a 1.5x crop factor.
• ED: Extra-Low Dispersion glass. Reduces color fringing and improves sharpness. Often used in telephoto and zoom lenses.
• G: No aperture ring. The aperture is controlled through the camera body. Most modern Nikon lenses are G lenses.
• D: The lens sends distance information to the camera. This helps the camera make better decisions for flash and exposure.
• VR: Vibration Reduction. Nikon’s image stabilization system. It moves elements inside the lens to reduce blur from camera shake.
• VR II: An improved version of VR. It offers more stops of shake reduction than the original.
• IF: Internal Focusing. The lens does not change size while focusing. The front element does not rotate, which is helpful when using filters.
• E: Electromagnetic diaphragm. Controls the aperture blades electronically instead of mechanically. More accurate during burst shooting.
• SWM: Silent Wave Motor. The same technology as AF-S. The lens uses ultrasonic sound waves to drive a quiet autofocus motor.
• N: Nano Crystal Coat. A special coating that reduces lens flare and ghosting. Common on Nikon’s best lenses.
• PC: Perspective Control. These lenses can tilt and shift to fix distortion or change focus depth. None have autofocus.
• PF: Phase Fresnel. A special lens element that makes telephoto lenses much smaller and lighter than normal.
• Micro: Nikon’s name for macro lenses. These lenses can focus very close and show fine details.
• Z: Made for Nikon Z mirrorless cameras. Uses a different mount than F-mount lenses.

Nikon F Mount Cameras and Compatibility

Nikon F-mount compatibility can be tricky. That is because Nikon used two different autofocus systems over 60 years.

• The first system used a mechanical link to drive autofocus.
• The second system uses electrical contacts instead.
• New features were added over time, affecting both film and digital cameras.

This is different from Canon. Canon started fresh with the EF mount, so their lenses and cameras work together more simply.

DX Cameras (APS-C Sensors)

DX lenses are made for Nikon cameras with APS-C sensors. They are smaller, lighter, and cheaper than full-frame FX lenses.

Here is why DX lenses are different:

• They only need to cover a 23.5mm x 15.6mm sensor
• Nikon made 24 DX lenses in total
• They work on full-frame cameras too, unlike Canon EF-S lenses

Some popular DX cameras to consider:

• D3200, D5200, D7500, and D500 are great all-around choices
• D200 and D80 are good picks if you want a CCD sensor

Official Nikon article: Which lenses can be used with a DSLR camera which has no built-in autofocus motor?

FX Cameras (Full Frame)

There are 18 full frame F-mount camera models, produced between 2007 and 2020. The sensors measure 35.9mm x 23.9mm, which is the same size as a full 35mm film frame (36mm x 24mm).

Unlike DX cameras, FX cameras have no crop factor. A 50mm lens behaves like a 50mm lens.

FX cameras can use DX lenses, but the camera will automatically switch to crop mode. Only the center part of the sensor will be used. For example, the D850 drops from 45MP to around 19MP in crop mode.

FX is a good choice if you shoot weddings, portraits, or low light photography. The larger sensor captures more light and more detail than a DX camera.

Here are some popular FX cameras to consider:

• D850 - Widely seen as the best DSLR ever made. It has excellent autofocus and image quality. It is a great fit for wildlife, sports, and studio photography.
• D810 - A great value pick for image quality and dynamic range.
• D750 - A great value pick for low light photography. It is lighter than the D810 and easier to carry.
• D600 - Has a known defect where the shutter flings oil onto the sensor. Nikon offered free repairs. [See the service advisory.] If you are buying used, make sure it has been serviced. Most people recommend buying a D610 instead, which fixed the issue.

Manual Focus 35mm Film SLRs

North American model names appear in (parenthesis).

Autofocus 35mm Film SLRs

These cameras were made to be used with AF and D series lenses.

North American model names appear in parenthesis.

Note: Many of these cameras were announced or released at Photokina.

What are the Differences Between F-Mount Lenses?

Non-Ai

Non-Ai lenses were made between 1959 and 1977. They have metering prongs that stick out from the barrel and a solid lip on the lens mount. This lip can break the camera’s meter coupling ridge, so be careful when mounting them.

These lenses are easy to spot if you can see the mount. Online sellers usually label them “Non-Ai,” though some eBay sellers may not know what they have.

Non-Ai lenses can be modified to work on newer cameras through a process called “Ai’ing.” This involves cutting slots into the aperture ring using a Dremel. I made two YouTube videos about this process that you can watch here. No changes are needed to use them on a mirrorless camera with an adapter like the Novoflex.

Ai and Ai-S

Ai and Ai-S lenses have notches that connect to the camera’s meter coupling ridge to pass along metering information. Newer DX cameras don’t have this ridge, so the camera won’t receive metering data. You’ll need to use manual mode with a light meter or trial and error, which can slow you down if you’re new to manual shooting.

These lenses work great on Nikon film SLRs like the Nikon FM2.

Early Nikon AF and D-Series

Early AF and D-series lenses use a mechanical link for autofocus, visible on the back of the lens. Autofocus only works on cameras with a built-in screw drive motor. Many DX bodies and the F-to-Z adapter do not have one.

Manual focusing these lenses is not ideal. Unlike most manual focus lenses that have 180 degrees or more of rotation, D-series lenses have a short focus throw that makes precise focusing difficult. The focus linkage also moves while turning the ring, which feels awkward.

These lenses have CPU contacts and a meter coupling ridge, keeping them compatible with older cameras. To control the aperture through the camera, set the ring to the smallest opening (printed in orange).

Nikon AF-S Lenses

AF-S (Auto Focus-Silent Wave Motor) lenses have the autofocus motor built inside. They are quieter, smoother, and faster than lenses that rely on the camera’s motor. Most F-mount DSLR lenses use this system, similar to Canon EF lenses with USM motors.

Nikon AF-P Lenses

AF-P lenses use a stepping motor, making them faster, smoother, and quieter than AF-S lenses, which makes them great for video.

A few things to know about AF-P lenses:

• They have no aperture ring and require electronic control from the camera
• They are not compatible with all older Nikon DSLRs
• Nikon recommends using camera bodies from 2013 or later
• Keeping your camera firmware updated helps ensure compatibility

See the full Nikon AF-P Lens Compatibility list for details.

G-Series and E-Series Lenses

G-Series and E-Series lenses have no aperture ring. The aperture is controlled through the camera using CPU contacts, which all F-mount DSLRs have. Keep these limits in mind:

• They will not work with older film cameras that lack CPU contacts
• They have limited compatibility with non-Nikon Z-mount cameras
• They do not work well when reversing lenses for macro photography

Nikkor Lenses

The Nikkor name marks lenses built to Nikon’s highest standard, but lenses without it are not necessarily bad. Some of the most popular F-mount lenses are the Series E lenses, like the Nikon 50mm f/1.8 Series E.

IX Nikkor Lenses (Pronea Only)

IX Nikkor lenses were made for the Pronea S and Pronea 6i APS film cameras. They use the F-mount, but do not use them on SLRs or DSLRs. The rear elements stick out far enough to hit the mirror and cause damage.

DX vs. FX: What’s the Difference?

The main difference is sensor size:

• DX (APS-C): 24mm x 16mm
• FX (Full Frame): 36mm x 24mm, the same size as a 35mm film frame

Mixing DX and FX Lenses

DX and FX lenses can be used on either camera type, but there are tradeoffs:

• DX lens on an FX body: The camera crops the image to fit the smaller DX image circle, which cuts megapixels significantly. On the D750, this drops from 24.3MP to about 10.5MP. You can turn off crop mode, but you’ll get dark corners or a circular image.
• FX lens on a DX body: The 1.5x crop removes the soft edges and dark corners common on older lenses. The tradeoff is a narrower field of view. A 100mm lens acts like a 150mm lens, which works like a free teleconverter and is great for wildlife, sports, and macro photography.