Nikon F vs. Sony E-Mount
Comparing 2 standards across 9 specifications. 9 key differences identified.
The Nikon F-Mount (introduced in 1959 with the legendary Nikon F SLR) is one of the most storied lens mounts in photographic history, maintaining a continuous 46.5 mm Flange Focal Distance and 44.0 mm throat diameter for over 60 years. Spanning non-AI manual lenses to modern electronic-diaphragm AF-S/AF-E glass, over 100 million F-mount lenses were produced.
The Sony E-Mount (introduced in 2010 for NEX mirrorless and expanded in 2013 to 35mm full frame as FE) is a 3-tab bayonet lens mount featuring a 18.0 mm Flange Focal Distance (FFD), a 46.1 mm throat diameter, and a 10-pin high-speed electronic interface. It is the most widely adopted open third-party full-frame mirrorless mount in the photographic industry.
Specification Comparison Table
9 Parameters| Parameter / Spec | ||
|---|---|---|
|
Flange Focal Distance (FFD)
|
46.50 mm (1.831 in — longest FFD among major 35mm SLR mounts) | 18.00 mm (0.709 in — distance from lens mount mating surface to sensor plane) |
|
Inner Throat Diameter
|
44.00 mm (1.732 in) | 46.1 mm (1.815 in) |
|
Bayonet Tabs
|
3 locking tabs with counter-clockwise twist (opposite of Canon/Sony) | 3 asymmetrical locking tabs with clockwise twist lock |
|
Camera Systems
|
Nikon F, F3, FM2, F5 (film), Nikon D850, D780, D6, D7500, D500 (digital DSLRs) | Sony A7 / A9 / A1 series, FX3 / FX6 cinema lines, A6000-series APS-C bodies |
|
Historical Generations
|
Non-AI (1959) -> AI (1977) -> AI-S (1981) -> AF screw-drive (1986) -> AF-D (1992) -> AF-S Silent Wave (1998) -> AF-E Electronic diaphragm (2010s) | — |
|
Aperture Control History
|
Spring-loaded mechanical stop-down lever (moved to electromagnetic diaphragm in 'E' lenses) | — |
|
Electronic Interface
|
— | 10 gold-plated leaf contact pins (supports real-time eye-AF tracking, OSS, active lens breathing compensation) |
|
Full-Frame vs APS-C
|
— | FE lenses cover 36×24 mm full frame; E lenses cover APS-C (auto-crops on full-frame bodies) |
|
Third-Party Protocol License
|
— | Open disclosure to lens manufacturers (Sigma, Tamron, Zeiss, Samyang, Voigtländer) |