FAQ

lens-db.com is a database of autofocus and popular manual focus interchangeable lenses designed for SLR, rangefinder and mirrorless systems: from APS-C to medium format 6x7cm, from fisheye to super telephoto lenses. It's an independent non-commercial project: we are not affiliated with any photographic equipment manufacturers or commercial organizations.

Our mission is simple: to help you to quickly and conveniently choose the optimal lens for your camera. We provide you with an unprecedented range of services and features you will not find on any other websites dedicated to photographic lenses.

The website was created for a wide range of visitors, whether they are beginner photographers or honored masters, amateur photographers or professionals.

1. At our website, you can find a complete list of lenses ever produced for your camera. At the same time, websites of lens manufacturers usually list only those models that are currently available for purchase, and information on discontinued models may be scarce or even absent.

2. The website allows you to choose a lens not only by focal length, but also based on the brand, model of your camera and your desired genre of photography. This feature will be especially useful for beginner photographers.

3. In addition to model history, specification, manufacturer description and other useful information for a specific lens, the website also displays alternative models (that are lenses with similar focal length and speed) with the ability to compare specifications.

4. The website automatically decodes and displays abbreviations used by manufacturers in the lens names, so you don’t need to consult various "lens abbreviation tables" available online or remember specific abbreviations by yourself.

5. Thanks to the website’s built-in help system, when viewing the lens specification you don’t need to google what is the advantage of Tokina One-touch Focus Clutch Mechanism over Tokina Focus Clutch Mechanism, what does MO stand for in Sigma AF - MO - MF focus mode selector name, and how Mode 1 of the optical image stabilizer differs from Mode 3. And of course, the possibilities of the website’s help system are not limited to the mentioned above examples.

1. The content of our website is created by the website owners who have thorough knowledge of photographic equipment. Users of our website CANNOT create or modify its content and WILL NEVER be allowed to do that.

2. We do not use unverified private information. Lens specifications are unified and filled out only on the basis of data contained in brochures or instruction manuals published by lens manufacturers.

3. We do not aim to create the largest lens database in the world. In our opinion, the quality and accuracy of information is more important than its quantity.

4. Since the website is a lens database and not a test lab, we DON'T have lens tests and reviews here.

At this stage of website’s existence, you, as a visitor, may leave your feedback on lenses you used in the past or use now, inform us about errors in specifications, lens descriptions or website engine, donate money for maintaining the website and advertise your products, works and services directly related to photography. And, of course, share links to our website on social media, if you believe that our website is really useful and deserves that as many people as possible should use it. Besides, the website is absolutely free, and registration is not required.

As we said above, we do not use unverified private information. At our website, lens specifications are unified and filled out only on the basis of data contained in brochures or operating instructions published by lens manufacturers. That's why we don't have to sync with any websites, except for lens manufacturers websites, of course. Anyway, the choice of source of information about camera lenses is yours.

We don't add:

• lenses designed for formats other than medium format, 35mm full frame or APS-C,
• lenses of little-known brands, including but not limited to: Kino Precision, Kobori, Komine, Panagor, Petri, Phoenix, Porst, Promaster, Quantaray, Revuenon, Sears, Soligor, Spiratone, Vivitar,
• pre-WWII lenses, except for Leica screw mount lenses,
• lenses made in the German Democratic Republic, including but not limited to: Carl Zeiss Jena, Meyer-Optik Gorlitz, Pentacon,
• Soviet lenses, including but not limited to: Granit, Helios, Industar, Jupiter, Kaleinar, Mir, Peleng, Rubinar, Russar, Tair, Telear, Telemar, Vega, Volna, Yantar, Zenitar, Zodiak,
• Chinese lenses,
• Sigma and Tokina manual focus lenses, except for a number of select prime lenses,
• CCTV, projection, cine, enlargement, microscope lenses,
• rangefinder lenses designed for use with reflex housing (for example, Canon Mirror Box, Leica Visoflex etc.),

• autofocus lenses designed for manual focus cameras,
• interchangeable mount lenses, except for Tamron Adapt-A-Matic, Adaptall and Adaptall-2 systems,
• lenses with Agfa, Altix, Braun Paxette Reflex DKL, Bronica Classic, Canon J (+ Nippon-Kogaku focusing mount), Contax RF, Exakta, Kodak Retina DKL, Miranda, Nikon S (internal bayonet), Olympus OM AF, Petri, Practica B, Yashica AF, Yashica Pentamatic mounts,
• mirror/reflex lenses,
• body cap lenses,
• teleconverters, telecompressors, attachment lenses,
• prototype lenses.

Because of the small sensor size, Micro 4/3 cameras compete with compact cameras with non-interchangeable lenses rather than with APS-C or 35mm interchangeable-lens cameras. Given the fact that our database records lenses designed for APS-C or larger sensors, Micro 4/3 system cannot belong to our database. The same is true for the 4/3 SLR system.

No, we don't sell anything. Nevertheless, there can be links to online stores or private sellers of photographic equipment on the pages of our website, which we consider reliable and whose services we often use when we want to purchase photographic equipment.