Will Nikon DX lenses cover a 20.48×20.48 mm F-mount sensor without visible vignetting?

Question

I’m using a Photron AX100 with a non-standard 20.48×20.48 mm sensor and a Nikon F mount. Since Nikon DX lenses are designed for APS-C, I’m trying to estimate whether they will cover this square sensor without obvious corner vignetting.

A Nikon DX sensor is about 24×16 mm, with a diagonal of roughly 28.84 mm. My sensor’s diagonal is about 28.96 mm, so it’s only around 0.12 mm larger. Does that small difference mean most DX lenses should be usable, or is DX image-circle coverage often too tight to rely on?

I’m fine with mild corner shading, but I’d like to avoid seeing the actual edge of the image circle. Also, are there any practical issues using Nikon DX F-mount lenses on a non-Nikon camera body?

user6508 · Accepted Answer

The only guarantee is that a DX lens will throw an image circle approximately large enough to cover a DX sensor. Some throw them a bit larger, but the only way you'll know if a given lens does that or not will be to try it.

Carrying your math a bit further, the DX diagonal is 0.12mm smaller than that of the AX100. The pixels on that sensor have a diagonal of 0.0283mm, which means a worst-case, very sharp cutoff in the image circle would leave you a 3x3 block of pixels in each corner that show full or partial vignetting.

At 1024x1024, the AX100 isn't going to be challenging the resolving power of anything you screw onto the front. A lot of older, full-frame lenses that would get the job done would be available to you for not much money.

Will Nikon DX lenses cover a 20.48×20.48 mm F-mount sensor without visible vignetting?

2 Answers

Your Answer

Related Questions