The creation of a much smaller camera sensor also led to the creation of lenses that were suitable for that sensor, thus the DX lenses were created. Using the older lenses would result in a cropped image since the DX sensor would only cover a small area in the middle and any image outside that area would not be captured.
In 2007, Nikon released their new series of digital cameras that uses a 35mm sensor much like what was used in back in the days where film was the prominent media. They called this new line of cameras as FX cameras which also means ‘full frame’. These cameras can use the old lenses that were made for older cameras. And in order to maintain compatibility with the DX lenses, Nikon added a feature in FX cameras that allowed it to use DX lenses. This might mean that some of the advanced qualities of FX cameras are set aside but it also means that you can still use your DX lenses on an FX camera.
When we consider it, the development of camera lenses have come full circle. And the owners of the newer FX cameras can use the older and much finer lenses that are available. To differentiate between the DX and FX lenses let’s figure out on what cameras they can be used and to what extent.
DX lenses work great with DX cameras and so do FX cameras and lenses. DX lenses can be utilized in FX cameras but not in full frame mode. Some detail is also lost due to the much smaller area that a DX lenses focuses detail into. FX lenses cannot be used on DX cameras because the final image output would only be a cropped version of the image you wish to capture.
In short, if you have a DX camera, don’t buy FX lenses. And if you have an FX camera, you should probably stay away from DX lenses. But if you already have a DX lens, you can use it on your FX camera.