Friday, May 1, 2015

Lens Nomenclature Guide


Lens manufacturers use different suffixes to identify certain lens characteristics.
Here they are, along with simple explanation (wherever required) of how they help.

CANON
DO : Diffractive Optics: Special lens elements that reduce color aberrations to the minimum, thus improving image quality.
EF : Denotes that the lens is designed for full-frame cameras
EF-S : Denotes that the lens is designed for APS-C cameras
IS : Image Stabilizer: Helps to eliminate/reduce blur caused by camera movement during exposure.
L : ‘Luxury’-series lens: Canon’s high-end, professional lenses.

NIKON
AF-S : Denotes that the lens is using a Silent Wave Motor: For fast and quiet autofocus
CRC : Close Range Correction: Allows lenses to focus closer, while still maintaining good sharpness. This is done using a ‘floating lens element’ design. Generally used in macro and wide-angle lenses.
D : Distance information passed on to the camera body: Helps to provide more accurate exposures
DX : APS-C camera lens
FX : Full-frame camera lens
ED : Extra Low Dispersion glass element: Corrects for chromatic aberrations
G : Lens without aperture ring; aperture is controlled from the camera body
N : Nano Crystal Coat: Greatly reduces flare due to internal reflections of light.
IF : Internal focusing: Instead of moving all the elements further away or closer to the fi lm/sensor to focus, IF lenses move only certain internal elements. This allows for much faster focusing.
RF : Rear Focusing: Similar to IF but only the rear group of elements move to focus the lens.

OLYMPUS
ED : Low Dispersion glass element: Corrects for chromatic aberrations

PANASONIC
OIS : Optical Image Stabilizer: Helps to eliminate/reduce blur caused by camera movement during exposure.
Mega OIS : Mega Optical Image Stabilizer
Power OIS : Power Optical Image Stabilizer: A superior design of Mega OIS.
ED : Low Dispersion glass element

SIGMA
APO : Apochromatic lens element: Corrects for chromatic as well as spherical aberrations
ASP : Aspherical lens element: Corrects chromatic aberrations
DC : APS-C camera lens
DG : Full-frame camera lens
HSM : Hyper Sonic Motor: Internal motor, for fast and quiet autofocus
OS : Optical Stabiliser: Helps to eliminate/reduce blur caused by camera movement during exposure
RF : Rear Focussing: Only the rear group of elements move to focus the lens
EX : ‘Excellent’ series lens

TAMRON
AD : Anomalous Dispersion element: Eliminates lateral chromatic aberration
USD : UltraSonic Silent Drive
ASL : Aspherical lens element: Corrects chromatic aberrations
Di : Digitally integrated: Full-frame camera lens designed for digital cameras
Di-II : Digitally integrated: APS-C camera lens
HID : High Index Dispersion glass element: Special glass for improving optical performance
LD : Low Dispersion glass: Corrects for chromatic aberrations
IRF : Internal Rear Focusing: Only the rear group of elements move to focus the lens
VC : Vibration Correction: Helps to eliminate/reduce blur caused by camera movement during exposure
PZD : Piezo Drive: Internal motor, for fast and quiet autofocus

TOKINA
AT-X : ‘Advanced Technology Extra’- range of lenses
PRO : Professional lens
SD : Super-low Dispersion element: Corrects chromatic aberrations

PENTAX
SDM : Sonic Direct-drive Motor: Internal motor, for fast and quiet autofocus
DA : APS-C camera lens

SONY

DT : APS-C camera lens

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