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OUR GUIDE TO THE SUFFIXES USED BY LENS MANUFACTURERS
AF Nikon AF lenses driven from camera
AF-S Nikon lenses with Silent Wave Motor
AF-P Nikon lenses with stepper motors
AL Pentax lenses with aspheric elements
APD Fujifilm lenses with apodisation elements
APO Sigma Apochromatic lenses
ASPH Aspherical elements
AW Pentax all-weather lenses
CS Samyang lenses for APS-C cropped sensors
D Nikon lenses that communicate distance info
DA Pentax lenses optimised for APS-C-sized sensors
DC Nikon defocus-control portrait lenses
DC Sigma’s lenses for APS-C digital
DG Sigma’s designation for full-frame lenses
Di Tamron lenses for full-frame sensors
Di-II Tamron lenses designed for APS-C DSLRs
Di-III Tamron lenses for mirrorless cameras
DN Sigma’s lenses for mirrorless cameras
DO Canon diffractive optical element lenses
DT Sony lenses for APS-C-sized sensors
DX Nikon’s lenses for DX-format digital
DS Canon’s Defocus Smoothing technology
E Nikon lenses with electronic apertures
E Sony lenses for APS-C mirrorlessED Extra-low Dispersion elements
EF Canon’s lenses for full-frame DSLRs
EF-S Canon’s lenses for APS-C DSLRs
EF-M Canon’s lenses for APS-C mirrorless
EX Sigma’s ‘Excellent’range
FA Pentax full-frame lenses
FE Sony lenses for full-frame mirrorless
G Nikon lenses without an aperture ring
HSM Sigma’s Hypersonic Motor
IS Canon’s Image-Stabilised lenses
L Canon’s ‘Luxury’ range of high-end lenses
LD Low-Dispersion glassLM Fujifilm Linear Motor
MP-E Canon’s high-magnification macro lens
OIS Optical Image Stabilisation
OS Sigma’s Optically Stabilised lenses
PC-E Nikon tilt-and-shift lenses
PF Nikon Phase Fresnel optics
PZD Tamron Piezo Drive focus motor
RF Canon full-frame mirrorless lenses
S Nikon’s premium lenses for mirrorless
SAM Sony Smooth Autofocus Motor
SDM Pentax’s Sonic Direct Drive Motor
SMC Pentax Super Multi CoatingSP Tamron’s Super Performance range
SSM Sony Supersonic Motor lenses
STF Sony and Laowa Smooth Trans Focus
STM Canon lenses with stepper motor
TS-E Canon Tilt-and-Shift lens
UMC Ultra Multi Coated
USM Canon lenses with an Ultrasonic Motor
USD Tamron Ultrasonic Drive motor
VC Tamron’s Vibration Compensation
VR Nikon’s Vibration Reduction feature
WR Weather Resistant
Z Nikon’s lenses for mirrorless camerasDSLR LensesInterchangeable lenses come in
a huge array of types for shooting
different kinds of subjects
Maximum
aperture
Wider apertures mean
you can use faster,
motion-stopping
shutter speeds.Lens mounts
Each manufacturer has its own
lens mount and most aren’t
compatible with one another. For
example, a Canon DSLR can’t use
Nikon lenses, although you can
use independent brands if you get
them with therightmount.Filter thread
A thread at the front of
the camera will have
a diameter, in mm, which
will allow you to attach
a variety of filters or
adapters to the lens.Built-in focus motor
Most lenses now incorporate an internal
motor to drive the autofocus, although
some are still driven from the camera
body. DSLR lenses often use ultrasonic-
type motors for fast focusing, but some
now have video-friendly stepper motors
as widely used in mirrorless systems.IN GENERAL, the easiest way to
expand the kinds of pictures
you can take is by buying
different types of lenses. For
example, telephoto lenses
let you zoom in on distant
subjects, while macro
lenses enable close-ups
of small objects.
Large-aperture lenses
allow you to isolate
subjects against blurred
backgrounds, or shoot in
low light without having to
raise the ISO too high.
Meanwhile, all-in-one
superzooms cover a wide range
of subjects, but usually with
rather lower optical quality.
Our comprehensive listing of key specifications for DSLR lensesBuying
Guide
242
lenses
listed&
rated