Written by Manon
The Nikon system cameras have a different mount than the SLR cameras. For example, Nikon Z mirrorless cameras have a Z mount and the SLR cameras an F mount. With the Z mount, Nikon also distinguishes full-frame and APS-C. But which lenses fit on your Nikon mirrorless camera? You can read it here.
- Full frame sensor
- APS-C sensor
- FTZ adapter
Nikon Z full-frame mirrorless cameras
The mirrorless cameras by Nikon have a Z mount. You can only use Nikon Z lenses with these. Nikon distinguished the S series from the DX lenses. The S series was optimized for full-frame and offers a high image quality. You can use them on mirrorless cameras with an APS-C sensor as well. If you switch to a full-frame camera over time, you can continue to use these lenses. If you use a DX lens on a full-frame camera, you'll have black borders around your photo.
Nikon Z APS-C mirrorless cameras
If you want an affordable lens for your APS-C mirrorless camera, you can choose a DX lens. It's often more compact and has a lightweight design. Because and APS-C sensor is smaller than a full-frame, it has a crop factor of 1.5. You multiply this crop factor to the focal length of your lens. For example, a 50mm lens on APS-C is comparable to an 80mm lens on full-frame. Keep this in mind when buying a lens. For sports and wildlife photography, this is useful. It allows you to zoom in further with your lens.
