bpulv Loc: Buena Park, CA

Almost all Nikon lenses for SLR and DSLR camera bodies are compatible with modern cameras to various degrees. A lens built in the 1950's and 60's for the Nikon F bodies will work on the new cameras, but have no automatic features since cameras were all manual in those days. You will have to set your camera on manual, focus manually and set the f-stop on the lens. As time marched on, Nikon added more and more and more automatic features, but kept the same F-mount so their lenses are almost all backward compatible. The G and D on lenses reflect the types of automatic features the lenses had at the time they were current models. Newer lens have additional feature designators. For example, VR means the lens has vibration reduction, ED means that lens elements have ED glass, etc. New camera bodies can take advantage of the newer features, but old ones cannot. However, the older Nikon lenses will all work on your newer DSLR body. An exception to this is the E-series lenses that were made for the low end line of E-series cameras such as the EM body. I had an EM but the plastic body eventually broke. For the money, the 50mm E-series lens on the EM body produced very sharp images. But, of course the E-mount lens will not fit the standard Nikon F-mount bodies.

GoofyNewfie Loc: Kansas City

Architect1776 Loc: In my mind

Actually the Series E Nikon lenses had the exact same F mount as all the other contemporary Nikon F mount lenses.

bpulv Loc: Buena Park, CA

Thanks for the info. I will try the lens on my D800 if I can find it.

Architect1776 Loc: In my mind

Should work just fine.
The originals had plastic mounts and too many people freaked out so they changed to metal.

PHRubin Loc: Nashville TN USA

First - WELCOME TO UHH!

It is VERY confusing. Canon uses the EF and EF S labels to distinguish between the full frame lenses and crop camera only lenses. Other manufacturers use other letters and their EF S (or whatever they call them) lenses will fit full frame models but won't fill the corners of the image (vignetting).

Canon has R and M labels for their mirrorless camera lenses.

There are Canon labels like USM and STM for the different type lens motors. Then there are letters like IS, VC etc. that indicate image stabilization, but again, there is no standard. And so on. I have to refresh my memory each time I look into lenses.

bpulv Loc: Buena Park, CA

The real problem with my Nikon EM was not the lens mount. With time the plastic around the rewind knob weekend (not visibly) and eventually, when rewinding the film, the complete mechanism broke away from the camera body.

Bill_de Loc: US

How to Read Your NIKKOR Lens Barrel

https://www.nikonusa.com/en/learn-and-explore/a/tips-and-techniques/how-to-read-your-nikkor-lens-barrel.html

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larryepage Loc: North Texas area

The 17-55mm f2.8 DX is a Nikkor Gold Ring professional grade lens which is optically and functionally equivalent to the 24-70mm f2.8 (non-VR) full frame lens. I'm not sure whether any other truly professional grade DX lenses were produced and sold by Nikon. The 17-55 is the only one that I recall.

GoofyNewfie Loc: Kansas City

It was made back when Nikon didn’t have ANY full-frame bodies.
I was amazed at the first photos I took with it.

larryepage Loc: North Texas area

I haven't done a lot of updating of my DX equipment since moving to full frame. But I'm kind of thinking that I might need to get a D500 so that I can properly continue to use this lens...

GoofyNewfie Loc: Kansas City

That’s what I would put on it.
Loved using the D500 when I borrowed one from Nikon. Got it to see how well the flicker detection worked. Don’t see how they can top the 500 for DX.

amfoto1 Loc: San Jose, Calif. USA

CANON lenses have a number of designations. They've been making lenses since the post-WWII years, but I'll mostly only give you detail about the electronic controlled lenses they've produced the last 30 years or so.

First, however, there are A LOT of FD and FL Canon lenses around. Those are manual focus lenses in their OLD SLR MOUNT, for cameras from the 1980s and earlier (A-1, AE-1, T90 and many other). These lenses ARE NOT usable on modern EOS cameras. (Yes, there are adapters... they just don't work very well.)

Today Canon makes lenses with the following mounts:

EF lenses... usable directly on all their EOS film and DSLR cameras. Also can be adapted for use on M-series and R-series mirrorless cameras.

EF-S lenses... are a modified version of EF mount, usable on APS-C DSLRs which include all Rebel series, 80D and other xxD series, 7D-series cameras (not usable on film, full frame or APS-H). They can be adapted for use on M-series and R-series mirrorless cameras (they will crop on the latter).

EF-M lenses.... are another variation of the EF mount, but are ONLY usable on Canon M-series mirrorless cameras.

RF lenses.... a new, larger diameter mount that is ONLY usable on Canon EOS R-series mirrorless cameras.

The next key designation indicates the type of autofocus drive used in the lens:

USM... stands for "ultrasonic motor", which is the fastest type of autofocus drive. There are actually two types.... standard USM on many lenses, and a new "Nano USM" on a few. Both types are only marked "USM" on the lens and ideal for photographing moving subjects, thanks to fast acquisition and good tracking ability. Standard USM is quiet, but not silent. New Nano USM is quieter and smoother, making it more useful for videography, too. (One lens using Nano USM, the EF-S 18-135mm IS USM, is designed to accommodate a PZ-E1 power zoom module, which might be useful for video work, too.)

STM... stands for "stepper motor", which is reasonably quick, though not as fast as USM (the EF-S 18-135mm USM is claimed to be 2X to 4X faster focusing than the less expensive EF-S 18-135mm STM, for example). While still usable for many purposes, STM lenses may not be quick enough focusing for some faster action shooting. But STM lenses are very quiet and smooth, making them ideal for video. STM lenses are less expensive, so are often found "in kit" with more entry-level camera models.

Canon lenses without USM or STM designation.... mostly use a slower, noisier "micro motor" focus drive. This type of lens lacks either the "USM" or "STM" label and Canon is are making fewer micro motor lenses now (more STM instead), but some are still in production and many can be found on the used market. They have largely been paired up in kit with the most entry-level models or are offered as inexpensive alternatives.

Manual focus lenses... are uncommon and only specialized types now, but also do not have STM or USM designations. Some examples of these are the MP-E 65mm ultra high magnification macro lens and the TS-E Tilt-Shift series of lenses. The latter are a type of lens with "movements" that can be used to correct perspective distortions and control the plane of focus, among other things. They are used for architecture, product photography and some other specializations. They also can be used to make a faux "miniature" look in images and may be handy for multi-image panoramas.

Some other common designations you'll see on Canon lenses:

IS... stands for "Image Stabilization", which Canon pioneered in a few lenses for their SLR film cameras back in the 1990s and has since expanded to be available in a wide range of lenses for their DSLRs and mirrorless cameras. This feature helps reduce camera shake blur, allowing the photographer to get sharp shots at shutter speeds lower than they normally are able to hand hold. It also helps insure sharp shots even when using a support like a monopod or tripod (a few lenses require it be turned off when fully locked down on a tripod... most just turn it off automatically). This was a real game changer that went a long way helping make Canon the #1 selling SLRs... forcing other manufacturers to respond with their own images stabilization systems. By 2005-2008, virtually all had followed Canon's lead with something along these lines. Some IS lenses have a switch with Mode 1 and Mode 2 designation. Mode 1 is standard stabilization that provides correction along on both the horizontal axis and the vertical axis. Mode 2 is intended for use when panning shots with a slow shutter speed, to deliberately blur the background behind a moving subject. It provides stabilization only on the vertical axis (yes, camera orientation is sensed, so it will work properly whether you are framing the subject in landscape or portrait orientation). Mode 3 is found on some recent IS lenses, and works like Mode 1, except it's "instant IS" that only works during exposure.... i.e., it doesn't run prior to or after the shot. The lenses with this must have extremely fast acting IS, to be able to provide correction during the fraction of a second of many exposures.

DO.... stands for "Diffractive Optics", which are used on only a few lenses... a special optical design that allows telephotos, in particular, to be smaller and lighter. DO lenses also have a green stripe on them, to indicate their type.

"L"-series lenses.... are Canon's premium series. Some call them "pro-oriented". You'll see these referred to as "red stripe" too, because they all have a red stripe on them to indicate they are part of the series. These lenses are built to high standards both optically and mechanically, usually with additional weather resistance. Canon used to state that to qualify for "L" status a lens must 1.) using cutting edge design and materials for best possible performance, 2.) uses "exotic" optical elements (such as low dispersion ED or UD, apochromatic, aspherical, flourite, etc.) and 3.) is fully compatible with all EOS cameras past, present and future. Recently Canon has produced several RF-mount L-series lenses, though... so I guess they have stopped considering the third factor. L-series lenses generally are among the "very best" available from anyone, but there are some equally good non-L lenses, that didn't "qualify" for that status for simple reasons. For example, no EF-S lens has ever been designated an L because they are only compatible with the APS-C DSLRs, and thus fail to meet that third criteria. The Canon EF 100mm f/2.8 Macro lens is identical in design, materials and construction to the EF 180mm f/3.5"L" Macro lens, but the 100mm isn't an "L" merely because it achieves extremely high image quality without the need for any exotic glass (it even shares the same tripod mounting ring with the 180mm and out-performs that longer macro lens in some ways). Some people will only buy L-series lenses for their Canon cameras. IMO, that's silly. It limits their selection unnecessarily and, depending upon their camera and what they do with it, might not even be the best lens for the job. But, hey, it's their money!

Macro... are lenses that are capable of very close-up work and high magnification of tiny subjects. As far as I know, all Canon "Macro" lenses are capable of at least 1:2 magnification, which is 1/2 life size (also stated as 0.5X). Most are capable of full 1:1 (life size or 1.0X). The MP-E 65mm can go as high as 5:1 (five times life size). (Note: Macro lenses, on the whole, are often slower auto focusing than non-macro lenses, even when they use one of the faster forms of focus drive. This is for two reasons: First, a macro lens needs to move it's focusing optics a long, long way to go from infinity to 1:1 or 1:2. Second, because depth of field is very shallow at higher magnifications, the focusing mechanism of many of them is designed to emphasize precision, at some cost to speed.)

Fisheye... are ultra wide lenses that are "uncorrected". They strongly bend straight lines. (Note: Ultrawide lenses, very short focal lengths like 10mm through 15mm, also have some distortions, just not nearly as much as a fisheye.)

"II", "III", etc.... indicate progressive versions of a lens or lens accessory (or camera, for that matter). Usually you can assume a newer version will be improved in some way. Or it will have an added feature of some sort. For example, Canon has produced three versions of EF 16-35mm f/2.8L USM lenses... the latest "III" is the best of the bunch, sharpest from edge to edge and corner to corner. Canon also makes Macro Extension Tubes in two sizes: 12mm and 25mm. The "II" versions of these are needed if there are plans to use them with both EF and EF-S lenses. But if only planning to use with EF lenses, the earlier version will work fine.

Focus Limiter... switches are found on some macro and telephoto lenses. These are used to restrict the AF system to working only within a limited range, in order to speed up focus performance.

Extender... is the term Canon uses for what everyone else calls "teleconverters". They make 1.4X and 2X strength. These are usable with certain lenses, to increase their effective focal length (incompatible with many lenses, too... so be sure to check).

Other buttons and control rings... are found on some Canon lenses. Some have buttons that can be assigned different functions such as start or stop AF, change ISO or adjust other functions. Some lenses also have rings that control the tension on zoom mechanisms or lock the zoom, or that allow the lens to move into a macro range, or that provide instant recall of a pre-set focus point.

Other brand lenses made for Canon (and other systems) often mimic or parallel Canon's designations:

Sigma "DG", Tamron "Di" and Tokina "FX" lenses are "full frame capable" and usable on all sensor formats, like Canon EF.

Sigma "DC", Tamron "Di II" and Tokina "DX" lenses are "crop only", designed for use on the APS-C cameras, like Canon EF-S. Nikon calls these "DX" (as opposed to "FX").

"Macro" designation on third party lenses can often be very misleading. The term "macro" really isn't very well defined, so it's sometimes used on lenses that don't really have all that high magnification.... sometimes only 1:5 or 1:4. This is a common marketing ploy, especially among third party lens manufacturers, so if it's a concern be sure to check the actual amount of magnification of lenses claiming to be "macro".

Sigma "HSM" or "hypersonic motor" and Tamron "USD" or "ultrasonic drive" are very similar to Canon's USM autofocus drive (standard type, AFAIK, no one is making anything similar to Canon's "Nano USM" yet). Nikon has "AF-S" or "Silent Wave" motor lenses that are similar, as near as I can tell.

I don't know what some of the other focus drive designations mean. Tamron has "PZD" for "piezo drive" and "OSD" for "optimized silent drive", but I don't know if these are equivalent to micro motor and stepper micro motor. I do know that Nikon's AF-P is a stepper motor design.

Sigma "OS" or "optical stabilization" and Tamrons "VC" or "vibration control" are very similar to Canon's IS image stabilization. (AFAIK, Tokina is so far only making one stabilized lens with ultrasonic focus drive.... a 70-200mm available only for Nikon F-mount cameras.) Nikon calls it "VR" or "vibration reduction". Sony calls it "OSS" which means "optical stabilization something", I suppose.

Sigma gives their premium lenses an "Art" or "Sports" designation. Tamron uses "SP" and Tokina calls theirs "AT-X Pro". But they all use these phrases pretty liberally... Not as distinctively as Canon uses their L-series designation.

There can be a real alphabet soup of other designations on other brands and on third party lenses, in particular. EX, ED, AS, APO, Much of it is just there to impress and for marketing purposes and can pretty safely be ignored. Nikon uses "G" to indicated lenses without a built in, mechanical aperture control ring... which instead relies upon electronic control of the aperture (which is the case with ALL Canon EF, EF-S, EF-M and RF lenses). There is a fairly good description of all the Nikon designations on Ken Rockwell's website (as well as lens/camera compatibility info). Check lens or camera & lens manufacturer's website for more info, if wanted.

Speaking of which, Canon publishes a lovely hardbound book called "Lens Work: The Eyes of EOS". It's been revised and updated often over the years, and can be purchased from Canon websites or found used online, although an older printed edition won't include the latest lenses (I have no idea what's current... it's at least in the 11th revision, I think). It's also available for free in a series of PDF files originally posted on the Canon Europe website, but I could only find them here (edition unknown, but some recently introduced lenses aren't included): https://shashinki.com/blog/2007/05/03/canon-ef-lens-work-iii-free-download/

Architect1776 Loc: In my mind

The FD, FL and R (Original R) All fit with adapters on the R and M cameras and work very excellent. Focus and aperture are manual. Metering works very well with both series.
PS The M and R ARE EOS cameras.
You can also mount the original L39 screw Canon lenses as well on the R bodies (Leica screw included) and they work perfectly fine including infinity focus.

Chris T Loc: from England across the pond to New England

Bob … since you mentioned Canon and no other brand - that helps to keep this simple. From other posts from commenters, here - you already know about the difference between EF and EF-S lenses. Bear in mind this only applies to Canon EOS lenses. Third-party EOS lenses, from Tamron, Tokina and Sigma - do not require use of lenses for APS-C cameras (which is - most of them) to be used on either FF or APS-C designs, as they'll fit on both. Now, then - IS - for Canon - refers to Image Stabilization - which usually saves a couple of stops. Tamron calls this Vibration Correction (or Compensation) and Sigma calls it OS for Optical Stabilization. [Even though the focus is on Canon, here - the same thing for Nikon - is called VR - for Vibration Reduction.]

Now, you also have the drive which powers the AF mechanism - which has been super-powered in later designs, to make the action smoother and quieter. This is called USM - for Canon - which refers to Ultrasonic Motor. Sigma calls it HSM - for Hypersonic Motor. Tamron has TWO designations - one is USD - for Ultrasonic Drive, and the other one is PZD - which stands for Piezo Drive. And, oh, yes - there's a new one used on their 18-400 lens - called HLD. Not really sure about the HL, but, clearly, the last is Drive.

[Oh, and btw - the nomenclature for Nikon's superfast drive is AF-S - or Autofocus Silent (Drive.)]

Then, of course - you have that mysterious L for some of Canon's EF lenses. Not sure - perhaps - Luxury?