Image: Nikon While Nikon lens names may not be the most complicated out there (that award probably goes to Tamron), they still aren't short of letters and abbreviations. And while its mirrorless lenses feature more streamlined lens names than its DSLRs, the company still uses plenty of acronyms and proprietary terms in its lens descriptions.
Trying to decipher what those mean and what matters can feel like quite the challenge. In this article, we'll be breaking down the most commonly used terminology on Nikon lenses (both in the name and the description) to help you cut through the mess.
Lens type and compatibility
Some of the most important terms to pay attention to relate to lens type and compatibility. After all, you don't want to accidentally buy a lens that doesn't work with your particular camera.
F mount, Z mount
First and foremost are Nikon's lens mounts. Nikon's F mount is its longest-running mount, used on the company's film SLR cameras, followed by its DSLRs. F mount is used on both full-frame and APS-C digital cameras. No one letter or acronym signifies F mount lenses, so you'll need to know some of the other terminology below, be familiar with the look of Nikon's F mount lineup or look carefully for the lens mount information on a product listing.
Nikon Z mount is the company's mirrorless mount, introduced in 2018. If you see a Z in a lens name, such as Nikon Nikkor Z DX 16-50mm f/2. 8 VR, it is part of the mirrorless lens lineup and only compatible with the company's Z mount cameras.
DX
The Nikkor Z DX MC 35mm F1. 7 is a macro (MC) lens for mirrorless (Z) APS-C cameras (DX).
Image: Nikon
If "DX" is in a Nikon lens name, it is meant for its APS-C (crop sensor) cameras. Nikon uses DX on both its DSLR and mirrorless lenses to signify lenses meant for smaller sensors.
FX
The counterpart to DX, "FX' lenses are designed for Nikon's full-frame cameras, both DSLR and mirrorless. As with most systems, these lenses will work on crop sensor cameras, though the focal lengths may not make as much sense when effectively multiplied by 1. 5x.
MC
Some Nikon lenses, such as the Nikkor Z MC 105mm f/2. 8 VR S, feature "MC" in the lens name. MC is Nikon's indicator that the lens is a macro offering, meaning it provides a 1:1 reproduction ratio. Nikon's older DSLR lenses may say "Micro" instead of MC, which also signifies it is a macro lens meant for capturing details.
S
Image: Nikon
Some Nikon mirrorless lenses feature an "S" in the name, which refers to the S-Line of Nikon lenses. The company says the lenses in this series are its top-tier ones for mirrorless in terms of build and optical quality. As such, they demand steeper prices than lenses without the badge.
Lens design and coatings
Perhaps Nikon's biggest category of special terminology is its lens design and coatings. Nikon has an extensive list of terms for special lens elements and coatings used to improve image quality, which often cause the most confusion when trying to assess its lenses. These elements and coatings can be used together, so you may see multiple terms mentioned below on a single lens.
ED
Nikon included ED in its DSLR lens names, though it dropped the abbreviation in its mirrorless lineup. However, you'll still see ED mentioned in the lens's description (and on other brands' lenses, too), as it's still something commonly used in optical design. ED stands for Extra-low Dispersion glass, a type of lens element. ED glass helps minimize chromatic aberration, resulting in clearer images with more accurate colors.
PF lens
The AF-S Nikkor 300mm f/4E PF ED VR lens features a Phase Fresnel (PF) lens element and ED element.
Image: Nikon
A small number of Nikon lenses utilize a Phase Fresnel (PF) lens. This lens element allows Nikon to dramatically reduce the size and weight of a long telephoto lens by using fewer lens elements, while still managing chromatic aberration to maintain image quality. As with ED, Nikon used to include PF in DSLR lens names, but does not do so in its mirrorless lineup. Instead, you'll need to look into the lens description or specs to see if that element is present.
Meso Amorphous Coat
Nikon says the Meso Amorphous Coat is its newest and most advanced anti-reflective coating, meant to deliver high levels of ghosting and flare suppression. The company says it's an improvement on its previous Nano Crystal Coat and ARNEO Coat technologies, seen below. The coating suppresses incident light from any direction, including diagonally and vertically. At the time of writing, the coating is only used on Nikon's highest-end mirrorless lenses.
ARNEO Coat
The ARNEO Coat is also an anti-reflective coating. It's designed to suppress reflections from light entering a lens vertically and is ideal for producing clear, high-contrast images even in backlit environments.
Nano Crystal Coat
The gold "N" on the right side of the AF-S Nikkor 24-70mm F2. 8E ED VR means it uses Nikon's Nano Crystal Coat. Nikon no longer puts such badges on its mirrorless lenses, though.
Image: Nikon
The Nano Crystal Coat is yet another anti-reflective coating developed by Nikon to reduce ghosting and flare. It minimizes reflections even from light entering the lens diagonally. The Nano Crystal Coat is older than the ARNEO and Meso Amorphous Coats, but still works to produce clearer, higher-contrast images in the company's professional-grade lenses.
Nikon Super Integrated Coating
Finally, we have Nikon's Super Integrated Coating (SIC), the oldest of the ones mentioned here. It was designed during the transition to digital photography and is meant to minimize ghosting and flare, especially in backlit conditions. SIC is used on nearly all Nikkor lenses.
Stabilization, focusing system and aperture
Last but not least, Nikon uses various acronyms to refer to stabilization, focusing systems and aperture features. As with lens design, you may see overlaps with multiple terms mentioned for the same lens.
E
The AF-S NIKKOR 28mm F1. 4E ED has E in the name, which means it uses an electronic aperture diaphragm.
Image: Nikon
Lenses with an E in the name, or with "E-type" mentioned in the specs, use an electronic aperture diaphragm. That means the lens aperture is controlled by electronic signals from the camera, rather than a mechanical lever as in older F mount lenses. The E-type aperture allows for precise and silent aperture changes, which is ideal for high-speed photography or video recording. All of Nikon's mirrorless lenses use the E-type mechanism, as do a selection of DSLR lenses.
VR
VR in Nikon lens names refers to the company's optical stabilization, which it calls Vibration Reduction. As with other optical stabilization systems, it aims to reduce blur from camera vibrations when using longer shutter speeds.
G
The AF-S DX NIKKOR 35mm F1. 8G lens has G at the end of the name, which means it lacks an aperture ring.
Image: Nikon
Some Nikon F mount lenses feature a "G" in the name, which means that they lack aperture rings. In such cases, the aperture must be selected from the camera body, so the lens needs to be used on a camera that offers such control.
AF-S, AF-P
Lenses in Nikon's DSLR lineup may feature AF-S or AF-P in the lens name. AF-S stands for Autofocus with Silent Wave Motor (SWM), which means that the lens uses Nikon's ultrasonic motor. AF-S lenses will work on all Nikon DSLRs, though there are no mirrorless Nikon lenses that use a SWM.
Lenses with AF-P in the name, on the other hand, use a stepping motor to power the autofocus. They are faster, quieter and smoother than SWM autofocus systems. As a result, they are better for video use or situations that demand responsive autofocus. AF-P lenses may not be compatible with older DSLRs, but they can be used on Z mount cameras with the FTZ adapter.
SSVCM
While Nikon did away with autofocus mentions in the lens name, it hasn't stopped developing new systems. Some higher-end Nikon lenses use its Silky Swift VCM (Voice Coil Motor), Nikon's most advanced autofocus drive technology at the time of writing. Nikon says it offers higher-speed, higher-accuracy and quieter AF operation with less vibration during operation.
. dpreview.com2025-10-20 16:00
