Nikon F-mount lenses

F mount has the longest run of any mount still in use, from 1959 to the DSLRs Nikon still sells. Nikon’s development has moved to Z, which makes F the second great bargain used market after Canon EF.

Know your autofocus generation

This is the thing that catches people out. F-mount lenses come in generations:

• AF-S / AF-P — motor in the lens. Autofocus works on every current body and through the FTZ adapter to Z.
• AF-D / AF — screw-drive from the body. Works on higher-end DSLRs that have the drive motor, does not autofocus on entry-level DSLRs, and does not autofocus on Z bodies at all.
• AI / AI-S — manual focus only.

If you are adapting to a Z body, restrict yourself to AF-S and AF-P.

What is worth buying

The f/1.8G primes (35mm, 50mm, 85mm) are light, sharp and inexpensive used. The 70-200mm f/2.8 and 24-70mm f/2.8 zooms are professional lenses now selling for a fraction of their Z equivalents.

DX and FX

DX lenses are for APS-C. They mount on full-frame bodies but trigger an automatic crop.