FX v DX Lenses...question

[Rascasse]

I just bought a D5. It arrives next week. I have a question with regards to using some of my Nikkor lenses.

I have a number of DX lenses. Can they be used with the FX format? I had my eye on a Nikkor 18-300, but I noticed it is a DX and I want to know if this can work as intended. I know that the FX bodies have a DX crop, but you lose resolution, correct? Thanks in advance.

 

[Catherder]

Depends on the lens, some will have a black circle around the outside of the picture because the lens isn't utilizing the full frame.
If the camera has dx mode you can use them but your cutting down on the megapixels.
I read some dx lenses work ok but I don't know which ones.
Fx cameras work best with fx lenses.

 

[Bikerbrent_RIP]

Frankly, you are wasting your money on the D5 if you don't also get some good FX lenses!

Here are the lenses you apparently have currently:
AF-S DX Zoom-NIKKOR 12-24mm f/4G IF-ED, AF-S Zoom-Nikkor 80-200mm f/2.8D IF-ED (2.5x), AF-S VR Zoom-NIKKOR 24-120mm f/3.5-5.6G IF-ED, 1 NIKKOR 10mm f/2.8

Your favorite 12-24mm is a DX lens and will be very limited on the D5 and will basically be a 18-30mm lens. The 80-200mm and 24-120mm are FX so should work great on the D5. The 1 Nikkor 10mm lens is designed for the Nikon 1 system and will maybe work on either the DX or FX camera, but will only be a 15mm lens on the D5.

 

[hark]

You can use DX lenses with it, but either they will vignette if not set to DX mode or will wind up auto cropping away the vignette. The camera has a 20.8mp sensor, but when you crop away the vignette, you are losing some of the images' size (overall resolution).

Here is the list of Nikon lenses: https://www.nikonusa.com/en/nikon-products/camera-lenses/dslr-lenses/index.page#viewAllClick

The wide angle FX zooms are the 14-24mm, 16-35mm, 17-35mm, and 18-35mm (not counting the fish eye zoom). The rest of the FX zooms tend to start at 24mm or higher.

 

[Fred Kingston_RIP]

I just tested my D810... Full frame mode with a Full Frame lens 85mm 1.8 = 32M image... and in DX mode = 15M... I did the same with a DX lens, and the sizes were the same...

The D5 has a 20M sensor, so you can expect your DX lenses to produce 10M images...

I concur with Brent... You just paid for a D5... and you're wasting that camera by using DX lenses...

 

[Rascasse]

After I posted the question I did some research. I was hoping not to do too much duplication of glass, but it looks like I may have to. I'm keeping the D2X as a backup (since it's not worth selling), so the DX lenses will have a home. I still have my 16mm fisheye that I used on my old F5. Since the D5 is basically a full frame camera, that may work. It didn't work with the D2X, which is why I got the 10.5DX.

Anyway, I'm looking forward to coming out of the dark ages from the D2X. I did some great stuff with that camera, but the D5 should be on a new level.

 

[mikeee]

Not sure why you would put a super convenience zoom on that camera either. That lens would make more sense on a D5600. That camera was meant for some exotic glass!

 

[Rascasse]

Not sure why you would put a super convenience zoom on that camera either. That lens would make more sense on a D5600. That camera was meant for some exotic glass!

Nikkor lenses have always been good to me, in whatever iteration for 35 years! Having 18-300 convenience is very attractive to me. As much as I enjoy lugging a bunch of lenses around (not)!

 

[Bob Blaylock]

I just bought a D5. It arrives next week. I have a question with regards to using some of my Nikkor lenses.

I have a number of DX lenses. Can they be used with the FX format? I had my eye on a Nikkor 18-300, but I noticed it is a DX and I want to know if this can work as intended. I know that the FX bodies have a DX crop, but you lose resolution, correct? Thanks in advance.

The results will probably vary considerably from one lens to another, but the defining characteristic of a DX lens would be that it is not designed to cover the entire frame a on FX camera.

Some years ago, I ran a roll of TRI-X through my F2, and one shot, I took, using the 18-55mm DX lens that came with my D3200.

This picture was taken with the lens zoomed out to 18mm. As you can see, it does not completely cover the entire 35mm frame



I didn't take any shots at other zoom levels, but I did observe through the viewfinder that as I zoomed in, that the coverage increased, and that at some point in that direction, and beyond, it did cover the whole frame.

 

[BF Hammer]

Yeah, I had a situation similar a couple of years ago as I bought my D750. It was my first full-frame camera. I was OK on the telephoto end as I had bought FX lenses. It was my normal and wide ranges where I was invested in DX lenses. I bought a D750 with the kit 24-120 f/4 lens which gave me the wide-normal coverage out of the box. I still held on to some DX lenses but traded in others. I still have 1 D7000 body (DX format) which uses them and it does get used some.

I did experiment with the DX lenses installed to the D750. It has the DX mode, but all that does is do an automatic crop to the middle of the frame. The end result was a lower-resolution image that was not as good as simply using my older D7000. I quickly gave up trying that and realized I needed to invest in the FX glass going forward. I got a 20mm and a 50mm primes to compliment the kit lens. It was not an unexpected thing for me. I realized all-along I had this issue and it caused me to put off buying a FX body for some time, even though I really wanted to move that direction.

 

[Rascasse]

The results will probably vary considerably from one lens to another, but the defining characteristic of a DX lens would be that it is not designed to cover the entire frame a on FX camera.

Some years ago, I ran a roll of TRI-X through my F2, and one shot, I took, using the 18-55mm DX lens that came with my D3200.

This picture was taken with the lens zoomed out to 18mm. As you can see, it does not completely cover the entire 35mm frame

View attachment 363926

I didn't take any shots at other zoom levels, but I did observe through the viewfinder that as I zoomed in, that the coverage increased, and that at some point in that direction, and beyond, it did cover the whole frame.

'TRI-X'......There's a word I haven't used in forever. It made me want to break out my F5 and go get some film!

 

[Rascasse]

Speaking of the F5. I pulled it out and aside from needing some batteries, I noticed that there is still a roll of film in it! I have to finish the roll and see if it can actually get processed. That film has been in the camera since I bought a D2X (new).

Who actually processes film anymore?

 

[BF Hammer]

Speaking of the F5. I pulled it out and aside from needing some batteries, I noticed that there is still a roll of film in it! I have to finish the roll and see if it can actually get processed. That film has been in the camera since I bought a D2X (new).

Who actually processes film anymore?

My neighborhood Walgreens still has a photo lab in-store. This was the place where I last took film when I discovered 2 rolls of expired film stock packed with my Minolta XD-11 about 11 years ago.

The local camera shop where I normally buy gear also processes film. I expect they take mailed-in work too.
The Camera Company, Madison, WI

I also have had this place bookmarked for years. No personal experience though. Richard Photo Lab, Santa Clarita, CA