View source for Nikon DX format

{{Short description|APS-C image sensor format}}
[[File:Nikon D90 - DX-sized image sensor-1858.jpg|thumb|[[CMOS image sensor]] of the [[Nikon D90]]]]
[[File:Nikon D40 sensor.jpg|thumb|300px|The Nikon D40 is a DX-format camera. Here, the DX-sized image sensor is exposed.]]
[[File:Sensor sizes overlaid inside.svg|thumb|300px|Comparison of image sensor sizes, including Nikon DX.]]
The '''Nikon DX format''' is an alternative name used by [[Nikon]] corporation for [[APS-C]] [[image sensor format]] being approximately 24x16&nbsp;mm. Its dimensions are about {{frac|2|3}} (29&nbsp;mm vs 43&nbsp;mm diagonal, approx.) those of the [[35mm format]]. The format was created by [[Nikon]] for its [[Digital single-lens reflex camera|digital SLR camera]]s, many of which are equipped with DX-sized sensors. DX format is very similar in size to sensors from [[Pentax]], [[Sony]] and other camera manufacturers. All are referred to as [[APS-C]], including the [[Canon Inc.|Canon]] cameras with a slightly smaller sensor.

Nikon has produced 23 [[Nikon F-mount|lenses for the DX format]], from [[macro photography|macro]] to [[telephoto lens|telephoto]] lenses. [[35mm format]] lenses can also be used with DX format cameras, with additional advantages: less [[vignetting]], less [[Distortion (optics)|distortion]] and often better border [[Optical resolution|sharpness]]. Disadvantages of 35mm lenses include generally higher weight and incompatible features such as autofocus with some lower-end DX cameras. Nikon has also produced digital SLRs that feature the larger [[Nikon FX format]] sensor that is the size of the [[135 film]] format.

In 2013, Nikon introduced a high-end compact camera with a DX-sized sensor, the [[Nikon Coolpix A]], featuring an 18.5&nbsp;mm lens.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.nikonusa.com/en/Nikon-Products/Product/Compact-Digital-Cameras/26423/COOLPIX-A.html|title=Nikon COOLPIX A|work=nikonusa.com}}</ref>

== Implications ==

The {{frac|1|3}} smaller diagonal size of the DX format amounts to a {{frac|1|3}} narrower [[angle of view]] than would be achieved with the 135 film format (35&nbsp;mm film or [[Nikon FX format|FX format]]), using a lens of the same focal length. Strictly in angle-of-view terms, the effect is equivalent to increasing focal length by 50% on a 135 film camera, and so is often described as a 1.5x [[Crop factor|focal length multiplier]].

This effect can be advantageous for [[Telephoto lens|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&nbsp;mm x 1.5&nbsp;= 42&nbsp;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&nbsp;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.

[[File:DX Lens On 35mmFilm Vignetting.jpg| thumb | 300px | Vignetting produced by using a DX-format lens on a full-sized 35mm frame.]]

==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:

{| class="wikitable sortable"
|-
! 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 D1#D1H and D1X|Nikon D1H]]
| 23.7
| 15.5
| 2,012
| 1,324
| 2.7
|-
| [[Nikon D1#D1H and D1X|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 D2H#D2Hs improvements|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 D2X#Nikon D2Xs|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 D70#D70s|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
|}

<nowiki>*</nowiki> Coolpix A is a fixed-lens, [[compact camera]].

== Lenses ==

[[File:Nikon AF-S DX 18-70mm f3.5-4.5G ED-IF.jpg|thumb|200px|Nikkor DX lenses are marked with the DX logo.]]
{{Main|Nikon F-mount}}
{{Main| List of Nikon F-mount lenses with integrated autofocus motors}}

=== Lenses for Nikon DX format ===
* [[AF DX Fisheye-Nikkor 10.5mm f/2.8G ED|10.5mm {{f/}}2.8G ED AF DX Fisheye]]
* [[AF-S DX NIKKOR 35mm f/1.8G|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
* [[AF-S DX Zoom-Nikkor 12-24mm f/4G IF-ED|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
* [[Nikon 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6G AF-S Zoom-Nikkor|18-55mm {{f/}}3.5-5.6G ED AF-S DX]]
* [[Nikon 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6G AF-S Zoom-Nikkor|18-55mm {{f/}}3.5-5.6G ED AF-S II DX]]
* 18[[Nikon 18-70mm f/3.5-4.5G ED-IF AF-S DX Zoom-Nikkor|-]]55mm f/3.5-5.6G AF-P DX
*[[Nikon 18-70mm f/3.5-4.5G ED-IF AF-S DX Zoom-Nikkor|18-70mm {{f/}}3.5-4.5G ED-IF AF-S DX]]
* 18-135mm {{f/}}3.5-5.6G ED-IF AF-S DX
* [[Nikon 55-200mm f/4-5.6G AF-S Zoom-Nikkor|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
* [[Nikon 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6G AF-S Zoom-Nikkor|AF-S DX NIKKOR 18-55mm {{f/}}3.5-5.6G VR]]
* [[Nikon 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6G AF-S Zoom-Nikkor|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
* [[Nikon AF-S DX Nikkor 18-105mm f/3.5-5.6G ED VR|AF-S DX NIKKOR 18-105mm {{f/}}3.5-5.6G ED VR]]
* [[18-200 mm F 3.5-5.6G ED-IF AF-S VR DX|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
*[[Nikon 55-200 mm f/4-5.6G AF-S Zoom-Nikkor|AF-S DX NIKKOR 55-200mm f/4-5.6G ED-IF VR]]
*[[Nikon 55-200mm f/4-5.6G AF-S Zoom-Nikkor|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
* [[Nikon AF-S DX Nikkor 55-300mm f/4.5-5.6G 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 digital SLR|Full-frame]]
*[[Nikon F-mount]]
*[[List of Nikon F-mount lenses with integrated autofocus motors]]
*[[Nikon F-mount teleconverter]]

==References==
{{reflist}}


{{Nikon DSLR cameras}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Nikon Dx Format}}
[[Category:Nikon|D]]