Nikon F lenses on Nikon Z
Does a Nikon F lens fit a Nikon Z body?
Yes, with a simple adapter and no loss of image quality. Nikon F has a flange focal distance of 46.5 mm and Nikon Z has 16.0 mm, leaving 30.5 mm for the adapter to occupy. Because the adapter contains no glass, the lens performs exactly as it does on its native mount.
Nikon makes this adapter and supports it, which puts this combination in the same small category as Canon EF on Canon RF: adapting forward within one manufacturer’s own system, as designed. With 30.5 mm of clearance there is no geometric difficulty at all.
The one thing to establish before buying is which kind of autofocus your F lenses use, because Nikon’s mount carried two incompatible systems for decades and the adapter only brings one of them forward.
Autofocus: Autofocus, with caveats
Nikon’s own adapter, and for AF-S, AF-P and AF-I lenses — anything with a focus motor built into the lens — autofocus, VR and metering all pass through properly. These are the lenses the FTZ was designed around and they behave as expected.
What to watch for
The catch that catches everyone: older screw-drive autofocus lenses (AF and AF-D) do not autofocus at all. Those lenses have no motor of their own — they are turned by a motor in the camera body through a mechanical coupling — and no Z body has that motor, nor does either FTZ supply one. They mount, they meter, and you focus by hand.
Check the name on the lens barrel before you buy anything. “AF-S”, “AF-P” and “AF-I” autofocus on a Z body. A lens badged only “AF” or “AF-D” does not.
Which FTZ to buy
There are two, and the difference is trivial: the FTZ II drops the tripod foot that the original FTZ carried. Optically and electronically they are the same adapter.
The foot is worth a thought rather than a decision. On the original it gets in the way when the camera is on a small tripod plate, which is why Nikon removed it. If you mostly hand-hold, or you use long lenses that have their own collars, the II is the tidier object. Neither is an upgrade over the other in function.
If you need screw-drive autofocus
One third-party option addresses the gap Nikon left. MonsterAdapter’s LA-FZ1 puts a focus motor inside the adapter itself, driving the same mechanical coupling the old bodies did, so AF and AF-D lenses can autofocus on a Z body.
It is a niche product from a small maker and its lens support is narrower than Nikon’s adapters — check its published compatibility list against your specific lenses rather than assuming the whole AF-D range is covered. For a large collection of screw-drive glass it may still be the difference between using those lenses and shelving them.
Adapters
- Nikon FTZ II — Nikon (mechanical, no glass). Check price on Amazon UK. The current version, and the default choice. Identical to the original except that it has no tripod foot.
- Nikon FTZ — Nikon (mechanical, no glass). Check price on Amazon UK. The original. Same function, plus a tripod foot that some find useful and others find in the way. Often cheaper secondhand.
- MonsterAdapter LA-FZ1 — MonsterAdapter (mechanical, no glass). Search Amazon UK. The only route to autofocus with screw-drive AF and AF-D lenses, using a motor built into the adapter. Narrower lens support than Nikon’s own adapters; check the compatibility list first.
What does not work
- Autofocus with screw-drive AF and AF-D lenses through either Nikon FTZ. The motor those lenses need is not in the adapter and not in any Z body.
- Nikon Z lenses on an F-mount DSLR. Z sits 30.5 mm closer to the sensor, so infinity focus is impossible, and Z lenses have no aperture ring to control.
Related guides
- Nikon F mount reference
- Nikon Z mount reference
- Canon EF glass on the same body
- Why adapted autofocus disappoints
Sources
Flange focal distances: Nikon F 46.5 mm, Nikon Z 16.0 mm.