OUR GUIDE TO THE SUFFIXES USED BY LENS MANUFACTURERS
AF Nikon AF lenses driven from camera
AF-S Nikon lenses with Silent Wave Motor
AF-P Nikon lenses with stepper motors
AL Pentax lenses with aspheric elements
APD Fuji lm lenses with apodisation elements
APO Sigma Apochromatic lenses
ASPH Aspherical elements
AW Pentax all-weather lenses
CS Samyang lenses for APS-C cropped sensors
D Nikon lenses that communicate distance info
DA Pentax lenses optimised for APS-C-sized sensors
DC Nikon defocus-control portrait lenses
DC Sigma’s lenses for APS-C digital
DG Sigma’s designation for full-frame lenses
Di Tamron lenses for full-frame sensors
Di-II Tamron lenses designed for APS-C DSLRs
Di-III Tamron lenses for mirrorless cameras
DN Sigma’s lenses for mirrorless cameras
DO Canon diffractive optical element lenses
DT Sony lenses for APS-C-sized sensors
DX Nikon’s lenses for DX-format digital
DS Canon’s Defocus Smoothing technology
E Nikon lenses with electronic apertures
E Sony lenses for APS-C mirrorless
ED Extra-low Dispersion elements
EF Canon’s lenses for full-frame DSLRs
EF-S Canon’s lenses for APS-C DSLRs
EF-M Canon’s lenses for APS-C mirrorless
EX Sigma’s ‘Excellent’ range
FA Pentax full-frame lenses
FE Sony lenses for full-frame mirrorless
G Nikon lenses without an aperture ring
HSM Sigma’s Hypersonic Motor IS Canon’s Image-Stabilised lenses
L Canon’s ‘Luxury’ range of high-end lenses
LD Low-Dispersion glass
LM Fuji lm Linear Motor
MP-E Canon’s high-magni cation macro lens
OIS Optical Image Stabilisation
OS Sigma’s Optically Stabilised lenses
PC-E Nikon tilt-and-shift lenses
PF Nikon Phase Fresnel optics
PZD Tamron Piezo Drive focus motor
RF Canon full-frame mirrorless lenses
S Nikon’s premium lenses for mirrorless
SAM Sony Smooth Autofocus Motor
SDM Pentax’s Sonic Direct Drive Motor
SMC Pentax Super Multi Coating
SP Tamron’s Super Performance range
SSM Sony Supersonic Motor lenses
STF Sony and Laowa Smooth Trans Focus
STM Canon lenses with stepper motor
TS-E Canon Tilt-and-Shift lens
UMC Ultra Multi Coated
USM Canon lenses with an Ultrasonic Motor
USD Tamron Ultrasonic Drive motor
VC Tamron’s Vibration Compensation
VR Nikon’s Vibration Reduction feature
WR Weather Resistant
Z Nikon’s lenses for mirrorless cameras