F-mount NIKKOR lenses on Z bodies — the FTZ adapter

Which F-mount lenses keep autofocus through Nikon's official FTZ adapter — and which don't. In-lens motor lenses (AF-S, AF-P, AF-I) keep full AF/AE; screw-drive and non-CPU AI/AI-S lenses do not autofocus. Cited, not estimated.

Scope of the data

The F → Z corridor covers 35 F-mount full-frame lenses and 5 F-mount DX lenses from the dataset — 25 in-lens electronic-drive AF (AF-S · AF-P · AF-I), 9 screw-drive AF (AF Type G and D), and 6 non-CPU manual (AI · AI-S) — on all 13 Z-mount bodies through Nikon's official Mount Adapter FTZ. The FTZ and FTZ II are electrically identical for compatibility.

What the adapter guarantees

“Approximately 360 F-mount NIKKOR lenses (AI type onwards) can be used [with auto-exposure], of which approximately 93 AF-P, AF-S and AF-I lenses retain full autofocus and auto-exposure.” — Nikon, F-mount NIKKOR lens compatibility with the Mount Adapter FTZ

officialF-mount Lens Compatibility with Z Series / Z CINEMA Cameras (Using FTZ II / FTZ Adapter) - Nikon Imaging Support article 000044900 officialMount Adapter FTZ - product page (Nikon Imaging Global)

Which of those ~360 lenses a given lens is, decides everything. The FTZ passes electronic signals only — it contains no screw-drive coupling and no aperture feeler for non-CPU glass.

Three classes, three outcomes

In-lens motor (AF-S · AF-P · AF-I) — the lens drives its own focus; the FTZ passes the electronic AF/AE signals. Verdict rows read Full electronic autofocus retained through the adapter.
Screw-drive AF (AF Type G and D) — these lenses have no in-lens motor; focus is driven by the camera body's screw-drive coupling, which the FTZ does not provide. Verdict rows read Autofocus not available through this adapter — manual focus, with the body's electronic rangefinder still available.
Non-CPU manual (AI · AI-S) — manual focus by design, aperture set on the lens ring, exposure modes A and M. The lens has no electronic contacts at all.

What a verdict looks like

Combination	Verdict	Coverage behavior	Notes
F 70-200mm f/2.8E FL ED VR Nikon Z8	Adapter required	Full-frame coverage.	AF-S (in-lens motor) — full autofocus and auto-exposure through the FTZ.
F DX 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6G VR (AF-P) Nikon Z50II	Adapter required	APS-C lens on APS-C body — native coverage, no crop penalty.	AF-P DX kit zoom on its home format — full native coverage, AF retained.
F 50mm f/1.8D Nikon Z8	Adapter required	Full-frame coverage.	Screw-drive AF (no in-lens motor) — no autofocus through the FTZ; manual focus with the body's electronic rangefinder.
F 28mm f/2.8 AI-S Nikon Zf	Adapter required	Full-frame coverage.	Non-CPU AI-S — manual focus by design; aperture set on the lens ring.
F DX 35mm f/1.8G Nikon Z8	Adapter required	Auto crop engaged — 1.5x crop area (effective resolution body-dependent).	DX lens on a full-frame body — the camera auto-crops to the 1.5x area.

Every row above resolves through the same engine the lookup tool uses, over the same dataset, at build time — the static pages are views of the data asset, not hand-written claims.

DX lenses on full-frame bodies

An F-mount DX lens attached through the FTZ is still a DX lens: on an FX (full-frame) Z body the camera records the centered DX crop area automatically, and the choice is locked.

“Image-area selection is fixed at [DX (24×16)] when a DX lens is attached.” — Nikon Z 9 Reference Guide, Image Recording Options

officialImage Recording Options (Image Area, Quality, and Size) — Nikon Z 9 Reference Guide, official online manual

On a DX Z body (Z 50 · Z 50 II · Z fc · Z 30) an F DX lens is at home — no crop, native coverage.

Z-mount lenses need no adapter

Native Z and Z DX NIKKOR lenses mount directly — see the Z-native guide. The FTZ corridor exists for the F-mount glass you already own.

Check your lens and body →