The Nikon path: 4. Lenses

When using dSLR cameras, the image quality is determined not so much by the camera and its features, but mainly by the lens that is used on a camera. That's why the cameras are released often, new models come out every year, while lenses don't change for 10-15 years -- the lens just works, no need for the manufacturer to change it every year. A well designed lens with a good optical quality costs a lot, often more than the camera body itself, but it also stays relevant for much longer. While camera prices go down, because of new models, lens prices rarely go down: they often either stay the same or even go up, so a good lens' purchase can sometimes be viewed as an investment.

Most camera makers release their own lenses. Nikon has been releasing 35mm film (full frame) cameras and lenses for them for about 40 years. When in 1999 they introduced their first digital SLR camera, the Nikon D1, with a reduced size sensor (Nikon calls that format DX), the company also started releasing lenses that were designed specifically for the DX sensor format. But why design different lenses for that smaller sensor cameras?

Let's look at an example. Imagine you and your 3 other friends all stand together a certain distance from a building. You have a 35mm (full frame) camera, your friend has a smaller sensor dSLR, another friend has a compact point-and-shoot, and another one has a cell phone with a camera. Obviously, the sensor in your camera is the largest, and the sensor in the cell phone is the most tiny one. If all of you had exactly the same lens mounted on all 4 of your devices, then here's how much of the building each of you could shoot, standing at exactly the same distance from that building:


35mm camera -- entire picture, small sensor dSLR -- green outline, compact point-and-shoot -- red outline, mobile phone -- yellow outline.

However, in reality, each one of you can take a picture of the entire building. Why? That's because each device has a lens specifically adjusted for the sensor size of the camera, so that even with a tiny sensor inside the cell phone, the camera on your phone could "see" approximately the same area that any other camera would. That is the reason for Nikon to release lenses specifically aimed at their small sensor size cameras (all DX cameras). By the way, from 1999 to 2007 all Nikon dSLR cameras, including the professional series models were using the smaller (DX) sensor. Only starting from 2007, when Nikon released their first full frame (FX) digital SLR, it became possible to use regular (full frame) lenses that Nikon has been releasing for 40 years (for film cameras) on those FX dSLRs. That is, Nikon didn't design any lenses specifically for digital full frame cameras, as a huge selection of such lenses was already available for film cameras previously.

Because of the universal F-mount (the connecting ring between the lens and the camera), it is possible to use (almost) any Nikon lens with (almost) any Nikon camera. Yes, you can use a full frame lens on a DX camera, and a DX lens on a full frame camera, however because of the sensor size differences, there will be differences in focusing distance and the visible area (to be discussed later).

Because of those differences when using a DX lens on a full frame camera (with full frame being the standard in photography), on their web site, on the Lenses page, there is a special category for DX lenses.


All other lens categories are for 35mm film or digital cameras (but again, because of universal F-mount, they also can be used on DX cameras). Absolutely all DX lenses are autofocus lenses with a built-in autofocus motor (AF-S), so you don't have to worry about autofocus on entry-level dSLRs that don't have the focusing motor inside. You only have to manually focus (or use the confirmation dot) when using a non-DX lens without a motor (AF) on an entry-level dSLR.

An example of a DX lens (above) and a standard lens (below).