Using a DX lens on a DX camera?

JDR

If you use a DX lens on a DX camera do you still have to add in the crop factor to the focal length?

I was thinking of getting the Nikon 35mm DX lens. Will it be true 35mm or will it actually be 52mm????

Answer
You are confusing several terms here.

The 35mm lens will be true genuine and real 35mm on any camera. This is a physical characteristic of a lens. It means that from entering the first element and until reaching the sensor the light travels exactly 35mm. That's what a focal length is. So all physical characteristics of the image, including the depth of field, size of bokeh and aperture of that lens will be exactly the same on any camera.

Now, as far as the field of view - or coverage area, it will of course cover the smaller area, than a full frame camera, because the sensor is smaller. So it will cover about the same area as a 52mm lens on FX body. But it is not correct to say, that it will actually be 52mm, it will still be 35mm, with a coverage equivalent of 52mm lens on a film camera.

The difference between DX and FX lens, is that DX lens projects smaller circle of light, so that when used with a smaller DX sensor, it just fits into that circle. This allows to make lenses smaller, lighter and cheaper. The FX lens would project larger circle, that is big enough for full size sensor, part of which will not be utilized in DX body. That's the only difference. But a 35mm lens is always 35mm.

Hope I didn't confuse you too much?

LEM.

can you use an FX lens on a DX camera body?

Jacob

I have a nikon D3000, which is dx, and i would like to know if i could use an fx lens on it

Answer
proshooter's answer might be confusing to you. You absolutely can use an FX lens on your camera. You will see EXACTLY what the image will look like in the viewfinder before you take the picture. His answer makes it sound like you will lose some of what you see in the viewfinder, but you won't.

Technically, he is correct. The FX lens throws a larger image circle, but the sensor only uses part of the potential image.

I use FX lenses on my DX camera almost every day. No problems.

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wide angle lens for DX cameras?

eleni

hi everyone.I just have some things confused in my mind.I was thinking of buying wide angle lens.The thing is i have a nikon d3100 which is a crop sensor camera.so the standart mm for wide angle is at 35mm?. this means that anything until 35 mm is considered wide angle right?so if i buy lets say a 12-24 mm lens shooting at 12 mm on my camera that would really be 18 mm(cause of 12 mm x 1.5 crop factor =18 mm).Unless i am using DX Lens?If i buy a DX lens then i dont have to multiplie the mm x the crop sensor?so which wide angle lens is best for crop sensor cameras?
hope that makes sense
thanks
What i am trying to say is that if its stated on the lens DX does this means that when shooting for example at 12 mm, it will actually be 12 mm and not 18 mm( 12 x 1,5 crop sensor=18 mm)?DX means the lens is especially for dx cameras?

Answer
First, the focal length of a lens never changes even on a crop sensor DSLR like your D3100. What does change, however, is the "equivalent angle of view". At 18mm your 18-55mm zoom will have the equivalent angle of view of a 27mm lens on a 35mm film camera or full-frame DSLR. The focal length is still 18mm. A 12mm lens on your D3100 will have the equivalent angle of view of an 18mm lens on a 35mm film camera or full-frame DSLR. The focal length is still 12mm.

Whether the lens is DX or FX the 1.5x crop factor applies.

On a 35mm film camera or full-frame DSLR a focal length of 50mm is considered a "normal" lens because its angle of view approximates that of your eyes. On your D3100 the 50mm has the equivalent angle of view of a 75mm lens so it is a good choice for portraits. A 35mm lens on your D3100 will have the equivalent angle of view of a 52.5mm lens so on your D3100 it would be considered a "normal" lens - just like a 50mm lens on a 35mm film camera or full-frame DSLR.

Using a DX lens on a DX camera?

JDR

If you use a DX lens on a DX camera do you still have to add in the crop factor to the focal length?

I was thinking of getting the Nikon 35mm DX lens. Will it be true 35mm or will it actually be 52mm????

Answer
You are confusing several terms here.

The 35mm lens will be true genuine and real 35mm on any camera. This is a physical characteristic of a lens. It means that from entering the first element and until reaching the sensor the light travels exactly 35mm. That's what a focal length is. So all physical characteristics of the image, including the depth of field, size of bokeh and aperture of that lens will be exactly the same on any camera.

Now, as far as the field of view - or coverage area, it will of course cover the smaller area, than a full frame camera, because the sensor is smaller. So it will cover about the same area as a 52mm lens on FX body. But it is not correct to say, that it will actually be 52mm, it will still be 35mm, with a coverage equivalent of 52mm lens on a film camera.

The difference between DX and FX lens, is that DX lens projects smaller circle of light, so that when used with a smaller DX sensor, it just fits into that circle. This allows to make lenses smaller, lighter and cheaper. The FX lens would project larger circle, that is big enough for full size sensor, part of which will not be utilized in DX body. That's the only difference. But a 35mm lens is always 35mm.

Hope I didn't confuse you too much?

LEM.

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can you use an FX lens on a DX camera body?

Jacob

I have a nikon D3000, which is dx, and i would like to know if i could use an fx lens on it

Answer
proshooter's answer might be confusing to you. You absolutely can use an FX lens on your camera. You will see EXACTLY what the image will look like in the viewfinder before you take the picture. His answer makes it sound like you will lose some of what you see in the viewfinder, but you won't.

Technically, he is correct. The FX lens throws a larger image circle, but the sensor only uses part of the potential image.

I use FX lenses on my DX camera almost every day. No problems.

Which are the lenses MUST have for Nikon DX camera?

Rodolfo

Which are the lenses MUST have for Nikon DX camera? I want to see what your favorite lenses for the DX camera. Price doesn't matter at all but if you asked, then no more than 1,500 dollars.

Prime lenses?

Zoom lenses?

Fisheye lenses?

Wide-angle lenses?

Probably Micro lenses?

Addition, I'm getting Nikkor 50mm 1.8G and Sigma 70-200mm APO EX DG OS since I can't afford nikkor 70-200mm F2.8. Thanks!!

Answer
The lens selection depends on the DX camera you have. If you have an entry level camera (D3xxx, D5xxx, D40, D60) then you will want an AF-S lens. If you have an up-scale camera (D90, D7xxx, D300s, etc), one that has an internal focusing motor, then either AF-S or AF lenses will autofocus.

While the AF lenses are older, a few of them can still be purchased new, and they often present a great value. One example is the AF 80-200mm f/2.8. Nikon has kept this lens around as it has about the same quality as the AF-S 70-200, but at half the price. With the 80-200, you lose the AF-S focusing speed and VR, but for most situations this is not a problem. It remains to be seen whether Nikon will discontinue this lens in favor of the AF-S 70-200mm f/4.

I'll tell you which lenses I own, and for what reason. You can judge for yourself if your needs are similar.

Fast Sports Telephoto:

I own the afore-mentioned Nikon AF 80-200 f/2.8. I use it for a sports lens. The lens is around $1,200, and again, will not autofocus on Nikon entry level cameras.

Super wide angle/landscape:

I own a Tokina 11-16 f/2.8. The original lens did not have an autofocus motor, but recently Tokina introduced the 11-16mm f/2.8 DX2, which does have an internal focus motor, and will focus with an entry level camera. This lens is very good at photos of rooms in available light (f/2.8) as well as wide landscape vistas. The Dx (old version) of this lens is around $600, the Dx2 (autofocus motor version) is around $750.

Fisheye:

I have the Nikon AF 10.5mm f/2.8. For some reason, this is the only DX lens that Nikon has that does not have an internal focusing motor, meaning it will not autofocus on an entry-level camera. But you get what you pay for, and while this is a $700 lens, it is the best you can get for a Nikon DX camera.

Macro:

I actually own two Macros. The Nikon AF-S 40mm ($300) and Tokina AF 100mm ($500).

The Tokina is also a non-internal focus motor lens, so again, it will not autofocus on an entry level Nikon. But the Nikon AF-S 40mm will. The reason I own both lenses is DoF. At macro ranges, the DoF is wafer thin, and I use the 40mm when taking photos of flowers or inanimate objects, as you have to get pretty close. But the DoF is more favorable.

For bugs, I use the 100mm as it allows me to step back a bit. But due to the reduced DoF, I have to stop down the aperture to f/22 or less (the lens goes to f/64). This also requires the use of a macro flash even on a bright sunny day. A macro flash ($600 and up) is essential for 100mm, but you can get by without one with the 40mm focal lengths.

So, for general macro use, I go with the 40mm. For bugs, I bring out the 100mm and macro flash system.

Prime:

In addition to the 40 and 100mm macros, which are primes, I have a 50mm f/1.8. The cost of these lenses are so low that everyone should have one. The AF 50mm f/1.8 is around $120, and the AF-S 50mm f/1.8 is $200. Some like the 35mm for DX, but I still prefer the 50mm.

Telephoto:

Other than the 80-200mm f/2.8 I use for sports. I have a Tokina 80-400mm f/4.5~5.6 ($600) and Nikon 70-300mm f/4.5~5.6 ($570). I use the Nikon under most telephoto conditions, and I am considering selling the Tokina.

I also own a Nikon V1 with FT-1 adapter. This allows me to mount the Nikon AF-S 70-300mm on the V1. And with the 2.7 crop factor of the V1, I have an equivalent 190~810mm lens. The lens is fully functional on the V1, so it is my "long-reach" solution. Especially for travel, I can take my DSLR and V1 and use this lens with both cameras.

The V1, having a smaller sensor, does not have the performance of a DSLR, but it is far superior than the typical bridge compact camera.

Travel lens:

Finally, I have a Nikon AF-S 18-200mm f/3.5~5.6 ($800) that I use for travel. However this is a 12x lens, and like all super-zoom lenses, it does have some issues. It tends to be a bit soft in certain areas when used wide open. However, like most lenses, this improves as you stop down, and I have found that stopping down to f/8 clears up these issues.

The limitation of using this lens in the daylight (f/8) is an acceptable compromise for me when using this lens for travel, as I don't have to lug around a bunch of lenses.

Final thoughts:

This is my current lens farm. My camera is a Nikon D90, which is still a good performer. I will probably replace it in a year or two, but for now, it still meets my needs.

If you have noticed, about 80% of my investment is in lenses, not the camera. As an amateur, I have not done this all at once, but over a period of 8~10 years.

This I think is the best approach. Buy the minimum DSLR that will meet your needs, then focus on buying the best lenses you can. Finally, upgrade the DSLR after you have your lenses.

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