Before some people start to go crazy about what I wrote, be advised that I have used Nikon for years. From Nikkormats to D800. So just relax and read before raging against someone who dared to say something against your god. =)
Nikon and a huge legion of its users and fans always keep saying that Nikon has the most backward-compatible lenses and mount system on earth. Wrong. Very Wrong.
The Nikon mount system is a total mess:
- Pre Ai lenses (prior to 1976)
- Ai and Ai-S manual focus lenses with aperture ring
- AF lenses with and without built-in motor
- AF lenses with and without an aperture ring
- Full frame and APS size sensor sizes
- Cameras with and without an aperture ring
- Cameras with and without built-in AF motor
- Coupling "horns" of two types
The reality is that the Nikon mount has no total backward/forward compatibility and even worse, lenses and camera bodies from the same year may not be compatible.
Some lenses can even damage some bodies if you try to fit them together. What was supposed to be good can turn into a real nightmare and waste of time and money.
Lenses from 1959 to 1976 are the original A- mount type. They can't be mounted in ANY Nikon body except pre-Ai bodies and the ones that have a foldable aperture index tab on aperture coupling ring, like the flagship Nikon DS.
If you try, for example, to fit an old Nippon Kogakku 50mm F1.4 from 1970 (excellent lens by the way), and if it was not modified to Ai, on ANY camera without the folding tab you may break the body's aperture coupling ring and stuck the lens on the camera mount. I saw this happening more than once, so be advised!
There are two types of autofocus lenses, with the AF motor built-in the lens itself and without it. Lenses without motor won't AF on camera bodies without AF motors.
For example:
The D5XXX has no AF motor on the body neither the aperture coupling ring. You can use AF lenses with motor and Ai/Ais manual focus lenses that have electronic contacts. No contacts = no light metering.
The D7XXX has AF motor and the aperture coupling ring. You can use all lenses on it, but *NOT* old "Pre Ai" lenses, because it will jam the aperture coupling ring.
There are even lenses with and without the aperture ring. Lenses with it have mechanical aperture control and lenses without it have electronic aperture control.
For example, the FM2 will accept just Ai/Ai-S lenses or AF full-frame lenses with the aperture ring. Even if you are able to fit a lens without an aperture ring you won't be able to control it because the camera has no electronics for this.
So:
- If you have an OLD Nikon like a Nikkormat you need a pre Ai lens with the famous "horns" to couple the lens aperture ring with the camera aperture ring.
- Be advised that there are TWO "horn" types and they're not compatible and mounted in opposite ways. Pre Ai lenses have the aperture coupling "horns" facing to the lens front. Ai and later lenses have it facing backward, to the lens rear. If you plan to use an Ai lens on a pre-Ai body you need to reverse the horn orientation to have the proper coupling.
- If you have a camera like the FM, FE, FM2, N2000 you need an Ai / Ai-S or pre-Ai converted to Ai lens, with an aperture ring for proper metering and aperture control.
- For autofocus cameras like the D40 to D70 and D5xxx you can use AF lenses with or without aperture ring but you need the AF motor on the lens to have autofocus. You need lenses with CPU for proper light metering.
- If we're talking about high-end autofocus cameras like the D600 and D7xxx you are allowed to use all Nikon lenses but NOT pre-Ai ones, unless they were converted to Ai. Those cameras should work with all AF lenses, with or without autofocus motor and aperture ring.
- Finally, if your camera has a foldable tab on the aperture ring, like the Nikon DS, you'll be able to use any kind of Nikon mount lenses on your camera. This tab purpose is to allow the use of pre-Ai lenses. Too bad Nikon forgot to put a decent focusing screen on the DS, a real shame.
If you want a really universal SLR system, go for Pentax. All K lenses work on all K bodies and you have an extra bonus, can also use all M42 screw mount lenses on a Pentax K body with a small and cheap adapter.
Funny fact: Any Canon EOS and any Mirrorless system with the proper adapter can properly exposure meter with any Nikon lens with aperture control ring. Just set the camera to aperture priority. Sorry but the Nikon F mount sucks.
If you try, for example, to fit an old Nippon Kogakku 50mm F1.4 from 1970 (excellent lens by the way), and if it was not modified to Ai, on ANY camera without the folding tab you may break the body's aperture coupling ring and stuck the lens on the camera mount. I saw this happening more than once, so be advised!
There are two types of autofocus lenses, with the AF motor built-in the lens itself and without it. Lenses without motor won't AF on camera bodies without AF motors.
For example:
The D5XXX has no AF motor on the body neither the aperture coupling ring. You can use AF lenses with motor and Ai/Ais manual focus lenses that have electronic contacts. No contacts = no light metering.
The D7XXX has AF motor and the aperture coupling ring. You can use all lenses on it, but *NOT* old "Pre Ai" lenses, because it will jam the aperture coupling ring.
There are even lenses with and without the aperture ring. Lenses with it have mechanical aperture control and lenses without it have electronic aperture control.
For example, the FM2 will accept just Ai/Ai-S lenses or AF full-frame lenses with the aperture ring. Even if you are able to fit a lens without an aperture ring you won't be able to control it because the camera has no electronics for this.
So:
- If you have an OLD Nikon like a Nikkormat you need a pre Ai lens with the famous "horns" to couple the lens aperture ring with the camera aperture ring.
- Be advised that there are TWO "horn" types and they're not compatible and mounted in opposite ways. Pre Ai lenses have the aperture coupling "horns" facing to the lens front. Ai and later lenses have it facing backward, to the lens rear. If you plan to use an Ai lens on a pre-Ai body you need to reverse the horn orientation to have the proper coupling.
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| Nikon Pre-Ai coupling "horn" |
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| Nikon Ai coupling "horn" |
- If you have a camera like the FM, FE, FM2, N2000 you need an Ai / Ai-S or pre-Ai converted to Ai lens, with an aperture ring for proper metering and aperture control.
- For autofocus cameras like the D40 to D70 and D5xxx you can use AF lenses with or without aperture ring but you need the AF motor on the lens to have autofocus. You need lenses with CPU for proper light metering.
- If we're talking about high-end autofocus cameras like the D600 and D7xxx you are allowed to use all Nikon lenses but NOT pre-Ai ones, unless they were converted to Ai. Those cameras should work with all AF lenses, with or without autofocus motor and aperture ring.
- Finally, if your camera has a foldable tab on the aperture ring, like the Nikon DS, you'll be able to use any kind of Nikon mount lenses on your camera. This tab purpose is to allow the use of pre-Ai lenses. Too bad Nikon forgot to put a decent focusing screen on the DS, a real shame.
If you want a really universal SLR system, go for Pentax. All K lenses work on all K bodies and you have an extra bonus, can also use all M42 screw mount lenses on a Pentax K body with a small and cheap adapter.
Funny fact: Any Canon EOS and any Mirrorless system with the proper adapter can properly exposure meter with any Nikon lens with aperture control ring. Just set the camera to aperture priority. Sorry but the Nikon F mount sucks.
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