Nikon DX format


The Nikon DX format is an alternative name used by
Nikon has produced 23
In 2013, Nikon introduced a high-end compact camera with a DX-sized sensor, the Nikon Coolpix A, featuring an 18.5 mm lens.[1]
Implications
The 1⁄3 smaller diagonal size of the DX format amounts to a 1⁄3 narrower
This effect can be advantageous for telephoto and macro photography as it produces a tighter crop without the need to increase actual focal length. However it becomes disadvantageous for wide-angle photography as a wide-angle lens for 135 film effectively becomes a normal lens for the DX format (e.g. 28 mm x 1.5 = 42 mm 135 film equiv.). This has led to the increased development of the DX format-specific lenses for the Nikon F-mount. Since these lenses do not need to cover the 135 film area, they are smaller and lighter than their 135 format counterparts of equal angle-of-view. The production of DX-specific lenses has also enabled the production of affordable wide-angle lenses for the format (e.g., 12 mm), whereas costly ultra-wide-angle lenses from the 135 format were formerly required.
When DX format lenses are used on 135 format cameras, vignetting often occurs, as the image circle does not cover the entire area of the 135 format.

Active sensor size
Nikon uses DX format sensors with slightly different active areas, which is the area where the image is captured, although all of them are classified as APS-C. Image sensors always have additional pixels around the active pixels, called dummy pixels (unmasked, working pixels) and optical black pixels (pixels which are covered by a mask used as a black-level reference). The size differences are minuscule and not noticeable in practice:
Camera | Active width
(mm) |
Active height
(mm) |
Horizontal
pixels |
Vertical
pixels |
Megapixels |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Nikon D1 | 23.7 | 15.5 | 2,012 | 1,324 | 2.7 |
Nikon D1H | 23.7 | 15.5 | 2,012 | 1,324 | 2.7 |
Nikon D1X | 23.7 | 15.5 | 3,008 | 1,960 | 5.9 |
Nikon D2H | 23.7 | 15.5 | 2,464 | 1,632 | 4.2 |
Nikon D2Hs | 23.7 | 15.5 | 2,464 | 1,632 | 4.2 |
Nikon D2X | 23.7 | 15.7 | 4,288 | 2,848 | 12.3 |
Nikon D2Xs | 23.7 | 15.7 | 4,288 | 2,848 | 12.3 |
Nikon D40 | 23.7 | 15.5 | 3,008 | 2,000 | 6.0 |
Nikon D40x
|
23.7 | 15.6 | 3,872 | 2,592 | 10.1 |
Nikon D50 | 23.7 | 15.5 | 3,008 | 2,000 | 6.0 |
Nikon D60 | 23.6 | 15.8 | 3,872 | 2,592 | 10.1 |
Nikon D70 | 23.7 | 15.5 | 3,008 | 2,000 | 6.0 |
Nikon D70s | 23.7 | 15.5 | 3,008 | 2,000 | 6.0 |
Nikon D80 | 23.6 | 15.8 | 3,872 | 2,592 | 10.1 |
Nikon D90 | 23.6 | 15.8 | 4,288 | 2,848 | 12.3 |
Nikon D100 | 23.7 | 15.5 | 3,008 | 2,000 | 6.1 |
Nikon D200 | 23.6 | 15.8 | 3,872 | 2,592 | 10.1 |
Nikon D300 | 23.6 | 15.8 | 4,288 | 2,848 | 12.3 |
Nikon D300S | 23.6 | 15.8 | 4,288 | 2,848 | 12.3 |
Nikon D500 | 23.5 | 15.7 | 5,568 | 3,712 | 20.9 |
Nikon D3000 | 23.6 | 15.8 | 3,872 | 2,592 | 10.1 |
Nikon D3100 | 23.1 | 15.4 | 4,608 | 3,072 | 14.2 |
Nikon D3200 | 23.2 | 15.4 | 6,016 | 4,000 | 24 |
Nikon D3300 | 23.5 | 15.6 | 6,000 | 4,000 | 24 |
Nikon D3400 | 23.5 | 15.6 | 6,000 | 4,000 | 24 |
Nikon D3500 | 23.5 | 15.6 | 6,000 | 4,000 | 24 |
Nikon D5000 | 23.6 | 15.8 | 4,288 | 2,848 | 12.3 |
Nikon D5100 | 23.6 | 15.6 | 4,928 | 3,264 | 16.2 |
Nikon D5200 | 23.5 | 15.6 | 6,000 | 4,000 | 24 |
Nikon D5300 | 23.5 | 15.6 | 6,000 | 4,000 | 24 |
Nikon D5500 | 23.5 | 15.6 | 6,000 | 4,000 | 24 |
Nikon D5600 | 23.5 | 15.6 | 6,000 | 4,000 | 24 |
Nikon D7000 | 23.6 | 15.6 | 4,928 | 3,264 | 16.2 |
Nikon D7100 | 23.5 | 15.6 | 6,000 | 4,000 | 24.1 |
Nikon D7200 | 23.5 | 15.6 | 6,000 | 4,000 | 24.2 |
Nikon D7500 | 23.5 | 15.7 | 5,568 | 3,712 | 20.9 |
Nikon Coolpix A * | 23.6 | 15.7 | 4,928 | 3,264 | 16.2 |
* Coolpix A is a fixed-lens,
Lenses

Lenses for Nikon DX format
- 10.5mm f/2.8G ED AF DX Fisheye
- 35mm f/1.8G AF-S DX
- 40mm f/2.8G DX Micro-Nikkor
- 10-24mm f/3.5-4.5G ED AF-S DX
- 12-24mm f/4G ED-IF AF-S DX
- 16-85mm f/3.5-5.6G ED-IF AF-S DX
- 17-55mm f/2.8G ED-IF AF-S DX
- 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6G ED AF-S DX
- 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6G ED AF-S II DX
- 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6G AF-P DX
- 18-70mm f/3.5-4.5G ED-IF AF-S DX
- 18-135mm f/3.5-5.6G ED-IF AF-S DX
- 55-200mm f/4-5.6G ED AF-S DX
- 55-300mm f/4.5-5.6G ED AF-S DX
- 70-300mm f/4.5-6.3G ED AF-P DX
Current Vibration Reduction (VR) lenses in DX format
- AF-P DX NIKKOR 10-20mm f/4.5-5.6G VR
- AF-S DX NIKKOR 16-80mm f/2.8-4E ED VR
- AF-S DX NIKKOR 16-85mm f/3.5-5.6G ED VR
- AF-S DX NIKKOR 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6G VR
- AF-S DX NIKKOR 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6G VR II
- AF-P DX NIKKOR 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6G VR
- AF-S DX NIKKOR 18-140mm f/3.5-5.6G ED VR
- AF-S DX NIKKOR 18-105mm f/3.5-5.6G ED VR
- AF-S DX NIKKOR 18-200mm f/3.5-5.6G ED VR II
- AF-S DX NIKKOR 18-300mm f/3.5-5.6G ED VR
- AF-S DX NIKKOR 18-300mm f/3.5-6.3G ED VR
- AF-S DX NIKKOR 55-200mm f/4-5.6G ED-IF VR
- AF-S DX NIKKOR 55-200mm f/4-5.6G ED VR II
- AF-S DX NIKKOR 55-300mm f/4-5.6G ED VR
- AF-S DX NIKKOR 55-300mm f/4.5-5.6G ED VR
- AF-P DX NIKKOR 70-300mm f/4.5-6.3G ED VR
- AF-S DX Micro NIKKOR 85mm f/3.5G ED VR
See also
- Image sensor format
- APS-C
- Full-frame
- Nikon F-mount
- List of Nikon F-mount lenses with integrated autofocus motors
- Nikon F-mount teleconverter
References
- ^ "Nikon COOLPIX A". nikonusa.com.