What’s the difference between Nikon DX and FX lenses, and when should you choose each?
Asked 12/23/2011
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I’m trying to understand the difference between Nikon DX-format and FX-format lenses. How do they differ in terms of image coverage, size, weight, cost, and image quality? Can a DX lens be used on an FX body, and can an FX lens be used on a DX body? What are the main pros and cons of each, and in what situations would one make more sense than the other?
Originally by Photography Stack Exchange contributor. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
Photography Stack Exchange contributor
14y ago
2 Answers
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DX format lenses project a smaller image circle, thus can be made using smaller diameter glass elements, reducing size, weight, and cost.
That's the only general difference between them FX sized lenses.
When to use them? If you don't have or plant to use the lens on a camera with an FX size sensor or a 35mm film camera and/or can't afford the added weight, size, and/or cost of an FX size lens, or such a lens simply isn't available for what you want to achieve (which would be rare).
There is effectively no optical reason to ever prefer a DX size lens over an FX size lens of otherwise identical specifications and construction.
Originally by user4000. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
user4000
14y ago
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Generated from our catalog & community — verify before relying on it.
DX and FX lenses mainly differ in the size of the image circle they project. DX lenses are designed for smaller APS-C/DX sensors, so they can use smaller glass elements and are often lighter, smaller, and less expensive. FX lenses are designed to cover a full-frame/35mm-sized sensor.
Compatibility:
- FX lens on DX body: works fine. The camera uses only the center portion of the lens’s image, which is often the strongest part optically.
- DX lens on FX body: usually won’t fully cover the larger sensor, so you may get strong vignetting or poor edge performance unless the camera crops automatically.
Pros of DX lenses:
- Smaller and lighter
- Usually cheaper
- Good choice if you only use DX bodies
Pros of FX lenses:
- Covers full-frame sensors
- More flexible if you may upgrade to FX later
- On DX bodies, often uses the lens’s best central area
Main tradeoff: there’s generally no optical reason to prefer a DX lens over an equivalent FX lens except size, weight, and cost. Choose DX if you want compact, affordable gear for a DX camera. Choose FX if you need full-frame coverage or want future compatibility.
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