Hey, how’s it going? I’m Andy Jones, and this is episode 183 of the Photography Side Hustle podcast.
Before I start, I want to mention a Twitter or X alternative. I have been using Twitter to keep in touch with my love of motorcycle racing and networking with photographers.
But, it’s become almost impossible to avoid the crazy people on there. So, a while ago, I joined Threads, but it lacks something, and there is still a lot of political saber-rattling.
So, this week, I discovered BlueSky. It was developed by the same guy that owned Twitter. It’s a breath of fresh air, and there are lots of photographers on there.
If you fancy giving it a try, you can find me at AndyJonesPSH. Follow me, and I’ll follow you back.
Okay, this week, well, for the last few weeks, I have been helping people decide which body or lens they should buy. The part I played in the decision was explaining all the abbreviations on the bodies and lenses.
I can see how hard it is if you don’t understand what they mean.
So, this episode is hopefully going to help you if you don’t understand what the abbreviations mean and you’re struggling to make a decision.
I’m going to cover Canon, Nikon, Sony, and Fujifilm in this episode.
Let’s start with …
Lens Mounts
Knowing what the mounting system your camera uses is very important when buying a lens.
Canon EF, EF-S, and EF-M
EF stands for Electro-focus, which really doesn’t matter. All you need to know is the EF mount is used on Canon DSLR cameras.
All EF lenses can be used on full-frame and APS-C (crop) bodies.
Canon RF and RF-S
RF stands for Revolutionary Focus. Again, that name is of no use to you.
The RF mount is used on Canon's Mirrorless bodies. The mirrorless cameras come with full-frame and APS-C sensors. Canon makes RF-S lenses that are specifically for the APS-C bodies.
EF-M was a mount used on the first mirrorless models and was dropped in favor of the new RF mount.
Nikon F and Z
Nikon F mount is used on DSLRs, and the Z mount is for the new mirrorless systems.
Sony A and E
Sony bought Minolta when they started and used the A mount for three or four camera models. Then, they started using the E mount and are still doing so today.
Fujifilm X
Fujifilm only makes APS-C bodies and uses the X mount, which keeps it nice and simple. They also sell medium format bodies that use the G mount, but I won’t get into them.
Okay, so those are the mounts. You need to know what mout your camera uses before you start looking to buy lenses.
So, let’s look at some of the abbreviations you will see related to camera bodies.
Body & Lens Abbreviations
This is going to get very scattered, so I’m going to address each brand separately.
Let’s start with …
Sony
FE - stands for Full-frame E-mount. You’ll see this on lenses designed for Sony’s Full-frame mirrorless cameras. They are compatible with their APS-C bodies, but the image will be cropped. So, a 50mm lens will have an angle of view like a 75mm lens.
E - E-Mount. Lenses designed for APS-C crop bodies.
G - Gold. Sony’s high-performance premium lenses have great optics and build quality.
GM - G Master. Sony’s top-tier professional lenses offer exceptional image quality, build, and advanced features.
OSS - Optical Steady Shot. Lenses with built-in optical image stabilization to reduce camera shake.
ZA - Zeiss Alpha. These are lenses co-developed with Zeiss, which have premium optics and coatings.
SAM - Smooth Autofocus Motor and SSM - Super Sonic Wave Motor are autofocus motors on Sony’s older A-Mount lenses.
APO - Apochromatic. You will see this on lenses made by third-party companies. They are designed to minimize chromatic aberration.
XD (Extreme Dynamic) - Linear Motors used for autofocusing.
II or III - Indicates the version of the lens (e.g., Mark II, Mark III). You will see this on all makes of lenses and bodies.
Next is …
Nikon
AF - Autofocus. You’ll find this on lenses with autofocus capability but without a built-in focus motor. The autofocus relies on a motor in the camera body.
AF-S - Autofocus-Silent Wave Motor. Lenses with a built-in motor for faster and quieter autofocus.
AF-P - Autofocus Pulse Motor. Lenses using a stepping motor for smooth and quiet autofocus, ideal for video.
DX - Lenses designed for Nikon APS-C (crop sensor) cameras. These can be used on full-frame cameras but using the camera in DX mode.
FX - Lenses designed for Nikon full-frame cameras. Fully compatible with both full-frame and APS-C sensors.
Z - Lenses designed for Nikon's mirrorless Z-mount cameras.
VR - Vibration Reduction. Built-in image stabilization to reduce camera shake.
ED - Extra-Low Dispersion. Special glass to minimize chromatic aberrations for sharper images.
N - Nano Crystal Coat. It is a lens coating that reduces flare and ghosting for better contrast.
IF - Internal Focusing. The lens focuses without changing its physical length. My 70-200 has internal focusing. My 28-70 doesn’t and changes its length as I zoom in and out.
Micro - This is Nikon's term for macro lenses, designed for close-up photography.
G - Lenses without an aperture ring. The aperture is controlled electronically through the camera.
E -: Electromagnetic Diaphragm. Lenses with electronically controlled aperture blades for more precise exposure, especially during fast shooting.
S-Line - These are premium-quality lenses in the latest Z-series, offering professional quality.
TC - Teleconverter. This indicates that the lens is compatible with Nikon teleconverters that are used to increase the focal length.
Okay, let’s take a look at …
Fujifilm
XF - These are premium lenses for X-mount cameras with superior optical quality and metal construction. These are aimed at the professional market.
XC - These are Entry-level, lightweight lenses with plastic construction. I would only consider XF lenses if you shoot Fujifilm.
WR - Weather Resistant. Lenses with weather sealing to protect against dust and moisture getting in.
R- Lenses with a physical aperture ring for manual control. Unless you want to do absolutely everything manually, I wouldn’t worry about this one.
LM - Linear Motor. A fast, quiet autofocus motor, ideal for video and stills.
OIS - Optical Image Stabilization. Built-in stabilization that reduces blur caused by camera shake.
APD - Apodization. These are lenses with an apodization filter for smoother, more aesthetic bokeh (background blur). That’s a new one for me.
PZ: Power Zoom Lenses with a motorized zoom, ideal for video.
MK - Manual Cine Lenses optimized for professional video use with manual focus and aperture controls.
ED - Extra-Low Dispersion. Glass elements that minimize chromatic aberrations for sharper images.
ASPH - Aspherical Lens Aspherical elements that reduce distortions.
Last but not least is …
Canon
USM - Ultra Sonic Motor. All autofocus lenses have motors to bring the subject into focus.
STM - Step Motor. They are quieter and are favored by videographers.
L - Canon’s luxury series of professional-grade lenses, marked with a red ring. These lenses offer superior build quality, weather sealing, and excellent optics.
IS - Image Stabilization. Indicates lenses with built-in stabilization to reduce camera shake.
IBIS - In Body Image Stabilization. This is the same as IS - Image Stabilization, but it is in the body.
DO - Diffractive Optics. Compact lenses using special optical elements to reduce size and weight.
TS-E: Tilt-Shift. Lenses that allow tilt and shift adjustments for perspective control.
MP-E - Macro Photo lenses capable of extreme magnification.
Right, I think that’s everything. Hopefully, it’ll help you understand what bodies and lenses have to offer.
I’ll put the transcript in the show notes and over at photographysidehustle.com/183.
If you need help with anything, you can find me in the Facebook group, Messenger, Instagram, and now Bluesky. I’d love to chat with you.
Right, I’ll be back next week with a softbox full of waffle. Talk to you soon, bye.
