With the rise in popularity of mirrorless cameras, many people are looking to make the move from Nikon DSLRs to Nikon mirrorless cameras.
By making this change you might be wondering ‘Can I still use my old Nikon lenses on a newer Nikon mirrorless camera?’.
💡 The short answer is:
Yes, you can use Nikon F mount lenses on mirrorless Nikon Z mount cameras, but you will need to use a Nikon FTZ adapter.
- FTZ Adapter – Original version
- FTZ II Adapter – Newer version (this one is better)
In some cases there are limitations, so read on to find out more.
This post will tell you how to use your Nikon F mount lenses on a newer Nikon Z mirrorless camera.
Table of Contents
What Lens Adapter Do I Need?
Using your F mount lenses on a Z mount camera is easy by using an FTZ adapter.
Normally Nikon DSLR lenses would not fit on a Nikon mirrorless camera because they have a different lens mount, but the FTZ adapter changed this.
The FTZ adapter was made by Nikon specifically so you could use your Nikon DSLR lenses on your newer Nikon Z series mirrorless cameras.
‘FTZ’ basically stands for ‘F mount to Z Mount’.
The FTZ adapter actually has two versions:
- FTZ Adapter – Original version
- FTZ II Adapter – Newer version
The updated version is different in design – in a good way…
The original FTZ adapter was not uniform all the way around and this led to some issues in certain scenarios with accessories.
For example, some people will find difficulty using it with different tripod mounts, battery grips etc.
The newer FTZ II adapter is the same shape all the way around without a ‘foot’ sticking out like the original.
This makes it much more seamless to use in various scenarios.
In terms of compatibility with different lenses there isn’t any difference between the original FTZ adapter and the FTZ II adapter.
Nikon plans to discontinue the FTZ adapter when the stock sells out and the FTZ II adapter will replace it.
Out of the two FTZ adapters I recommend the FTZ II adapter because it’s less likely you’ll run into any issues with accessories.
I’ve linked both versions below.
Does FTZ Adapter Affect Image Quality?
No, using the FTZ adapter (either one) does not affect image quality.
All it is doing is changing the flange distance so that the F mount lens can fit the mount of your Nikon mirrorless camera.
Which Nikon Mirrorless Cameras Can Use Nikon F Mount Lenses?
You can use a Nikon F mount lens on any Nikon Z series mirrorless camera with the use of an FTZ adapter (with some limitations).
Examples of Nikon Z cameras include:
You can use both DX and FX lenses on a Nikon Z mount camera if you have the right adapter.
*For some cameras like the Z 6II and the Z 7II you may need to update the FTZ adapter firmware if you are having issues.
Which F Mount Lenses Work On Nikon Z Mount Cameras
The adapter is very versatile and is compatible with a large amount of Nikon lenses.
By using the FTZ adapter you can:
- Use around 360 lenses total (not all with full functionality)
- Use over 90 F mount Nikkor lenses with full functionality with Z series cameras
The following types of F mount lenses work with full functionality (including autofocus ) on Z mount cameras with the use an FTZ adapter:
- AF-S Type G, E and D
- AF-P Type G and E
- AF-I Type D
The following lenses can also be used with the adapter but have more limited functionality:
- AF
- AI
- AI-S
- PC-E NIKKOR
- PC NIKKOR 19mm f/4E ED
- PC MICRO 85mm f2.8 D
- AI-P Lenses
Please see the link below to the official compatibility chart for more details on this.
The general rule is that if you have more recent Nikon lenses from the last few years then you are likely to have full functionality.
What Is The Crop Factor When Using A DX F-Mount Lens On A Full Frame Z Mount Camera?
Similar to using a standard Nikon crop sensor DSLR, the crop factor when using a DX F mount lens on a full frame Z mount camera is 1.5x.
The crop is automatically applied and you cannot change this crop factor setting on the full frame Nikon Z cameras.
How Thick Is The Nikon FTZ Adapter?
According to the product dimensions the FTZ adapter and the FTZ II adapter are both approximately 70mm thick.
Thanks for reading this post on using F mount Nikon NIKKOR lenses on Nikon Z mount cameras.
Now you should know how to use your Nikon DSLR lenses on Nikon mirrorless cameras.
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