Biobob70

I'm confused (not unusual at my age) about the letters that are attached to a lens, such as IS, which I know. Apparently, some lenses are better quality it have more features Han others from the same company. That's what I don't understand. Also, I'm thinking that some companies use different mounts, so all canon mounts, for instance, won't fit all canon cameras. Is this true?

CaliforniaDreamer

Canon has EF and EF-S mount lenses. The EF can be used on all of the current cameras with exception of the mirror-less cameras. The EF-S can only be used on the APS-C cameras. The back of EF-S lenses protude to far back in the camera and the mirror would hit it. Canon also has it's "L" series lenses, which are all EF, what it considers "professional". The L series build quality is better, the IQ is better and the cost is higher.

This is a somewhat simple explanation as they often have more than one lens with simular specs.

BebuLamar

Manufacturers do make good and expensive lenses as well as not so good and inexpensive lenses. That's normal. They are for customers with different needs and budget.
The letter attached to the lens are kind of specific to each manufacturer, each would use different letters for different features of the lens.
Not all Canon lenses fit all Canon cameras. Currently there are EF, EF-S and R lenses.

IDguy Loc: Idaho

Yes, it is confusing. I don’t know Canon but Nikon ones are confusing.

The first thing you need to know is if the mount is compatible. The lens designation doesn’t say. Next is if it is for DX or FX. Recently Nikon has started putting DX on some lenses. Does that mean any without the DX are FX (I think not)?

Next is whether it has focusing motors or needs the camera to have one. For this you need to know the meaning of designations like AF-S. But now there are AF-P lenses that have motors...but only work on some cameras.

At least VR is clear on Nikon lenses.

Then there are other mysterious letters like G or D that mean something, but who knows what?

jerryc41 Loc: Catskill Mts of NY

Yes, it is definitely confusing. It would be nice if all the companies agreed on the same terminology. Do we really need VR, IS, OS, OSS, etc?

https://expertphotography.com/what-do-the-numbers-and-letters-on-lenses-mean/
https://digital-photography-school.com/what-the-numbers-on-your-lens-mean/
https://learn.zoner.com/what-do-those-numbers-and-letters-on-lenses-mean/

chase4 Loc: Punta Corona, California

Delete

ORpilot Loc: Prineville, Or

Sony lenses are a bit confusing too Minolta, Konica-Minolta, and Maxxum lenses that are autofocus are all full frame (FF) A-mount. Sony and Sony-Zeiss SEL are FF A-mount . Sony DT are A-mount aps-c . Sony E SEL are aps-c but e-mount. Sony FE are Full frame e-mount. Sigma DG are full frame. Sigma DC are aps-c. Sigma DN are for mirrorless cameras and may or may not be aps-c or FF. Yes, it’s confusing.

chase4 Loc: Punta Corona, California

Look at the Nikon website - nikonusa.com

Graham Smith Loc: Cambridgeshire UK

[quote=jerryc41]Yes, it is definitely confusing. It would be nice if all the companies agreed on the same terminology. Do we really need VR, IS, OS, OSS, etc?

Of course, we need them, it helps mystify the black art that is photography. It deters the great unwashed

ORpilot Loc: Prineville, Or

In the film days, it wasn’t much better. Each manufacturer had their own mount and some had more than one mount. Leica had two, 39mm then the M. Canon also had two 39mm and the canon bayonet. Minolta had MC and MD but they were interchangeable. Pentax had two, 42mm and K. Most aftermarket lens manufacturers made their lenses in T-mount and you bought an adapter for your brand of camera. T-mount is the closest it ever got to universal mounts, sort of.

Biobob70

Thanks. Helps a lot

Architect1776 Loc: In my mind

All EF lenses fit ALL EOS EF and EF-S cameras with no problem.
EF-S lenses were designed for APSC cameras only as they protrude further back and could damage the larger FF mirror.
ALL EF and EF-S lenses mount with a simple adapter to ALL EOS M cameras and work 100% fine with them with no loss of features at all.
ALL EF and EF-S lenses as well as R lenses work just fine on ALL the new R cameras.
The EF and EF-S lenses will need one of 3 simple adapters for the R cameras.
ALL EF and EF-S lenses work better on the R cameras than they do on the EF cameras. You get all the lenses features and with the control adapter get the new R features as well.
As far as I know this is unique to Canon in allowing ALL their old EF/EF-S lenses to work 100% on ALL the new R mirrorless wthout loss of AF and all other features.
In addition the old manual FD type mount lenses will now work in manual focus and aperture operation on ALL R and M Canon cameras as well. Metering with these old lenses is just fine.
Bottom line is as you move up to the new R system ALL the EF and EF-S lenses you have work just fine with NO worries.

camerapapi Loc: Miami, Fl.

Lenses usually reflect their quality in their prices. Nikon makes a very good 18-55 f3.5-5.6 VR (vibration reduction) which is a reasonably priced lens and they also have a 17-55 f2.8 which is considerably more expensive. Some of the reasons are better optics, better built and a larger aperture. Someone not needing the f2.8 aperture which is very useful in low light, will be well served with the 18-55.
Lens makers have consumer and professional lenses in their line up. Expect to pay more for the professional lenses. I only use Nikon made lenses and they use, like other manufacturers different acronyms to designate their lenses such as VR, AI-S, Nano coating, LD and AF-S. VR is the same as IS, AI-S is a designation for their older manual lenses, Nano is a special coating for reflections, LD is a type of glass that eliminates chromatic aberrations and AF-S are lenses that have a motor to AF.
Other manufacturers use similar designations for their lenses. With Nikon DX means lenses and cameras with a smaller sensor while FX means sensors of similar size to a 35mm negative.
Plenty of information in the Web.

GoofyNewfie Loc: Kansas City

Depends on how you define “recently”. The 12-24 was the first Nikon wide angle zoom made for DX bodies ( and marked “DX”) came out about 2002. 18-70 came out in 2004 with DX marked on the lens.
I know of no Nikon DX lens that’s not marked with DX.

The other designations are really confusing, you need a playbook!

Fotomacher Loc: Toronto

G means “gelded”since the lenses do NOT have an aperture ring and the aperture is selected electronically by the body. D means an AF lens that was updated to communicate focus distance information to a compatible speedlight. N means that the leas has a crystal Nano coating on some of the les elements.