The Nikon F mount has been in use since 1959, so a huge range of lenses fits Nikon cameras — but not every lens works the same way on every body. Here is a quick guide to the lens types you will see in our listings.
Manual focus: non-Ai, Ai and Ai-s
- Non-Ai (pre-1977) — older lenses; on many later bodies they can only be mounted after an Ai conversion. Check compatibility before buying.
- Ai (1977) and Ai-s (1981) — manual focus lenses that work with metering on most Nikon film SLRs and many higher-end digital SLRs. Very popular for adapting to mirrorless cameras.
Autofocus: AF / AF-D, AF-S, G and E
- AF and AF-D — focused by a motor in the camera body. They autofocus on Nikon film SLRs and DSLRs with a built-in focus motor, but only focus manually on entry-level DSLRs without one.
- AF-S (and AF-P) — have a motor in the lens and autofocus on modern Nikon DSLRs.
- G lenses — have no aperture ring, so the camera controls the aperture. When adapting to other mirrorless systems, choose an adapter with aperture control.
- E lenses — use an electronic aperture and need a compatible body or adapter.
Using F-mount lenses on Nikon Z
With Nikon's FTZ adapter, AF-S and AF-P lenses keep autofocus on Z cameras, while AF/AF-D and manual focus lenses can be used with manual focus.
Browse Nikon cameras and lenses or vintage manual lenses. Not sure if a lens fits your camera? Ask us before you buy.