Nikon F-mount steps

- by Lars Holst Hansen

The Nikon F-mount is unchanged from its introduction in 1959 but the means of relaying information from the lens to the camera has undergone some evolution.

Year of introduction Lens type MCS MCR EESCP LSIP LTSN FLIR Electrical Contacts "Screw Driver AF Coupling"
 1959 Pre-AI (1) + (2) (2) (2)        
1977 AI + + + +        
1978 E   + + + + +    
1979 AI-S + + + + + +    
1983 F3AF + + + + + + 6  
1986 AF (3) + + + + + 5 +
1988 P (3) + + + + + 5  
1992 AF-I (3) + + + + + 10  
1993 AF-D (3) + + + + + 5 (4) +
1996 AF-S (3) + + + + + 10  
1996 IX (5, 6)             5 +
2000
G (5)
        
 
  
5
+
(1) Pre-AI includes various lens versions prior to the AI
(2) Can be added, check this report.
(3) A METER COULING SHOE can be retrofitted for backward compatibility
(4) An exception is the AF VR-NIKKOR 80-400mm 1:4.5-5.6D having 10 contacts.
(5) No aperture ring!
(6) Meant for Advanced Photo System (APS) SLRs and will hence not cover a full 24x36 mm frame - can DAMAGE most non-APS Nikons!

Some special lenses (like REFLEX-, PC-NIKKORs) does not fit into this classification scheme.

MCS = METER COUPLING SHOE
MCR = METER COUPLING RIDGE
EESCP = EE SERVO COUPLING POST
LSIP = LENS SPEED INDEXING POST
LTSN = LENS TYPE SIGNAL NOTCH
FLIR = FOCAL LENGTH INDEXING RIDGE

If a lens has a METER COUPLING RIDGE but no LENS SPEED INDEXING POST, it is most likely an AI-modified lens
Read more about AI-modification.

Go to F-mount index