A lens mount is an interface — mechanical and often also electrical — between a photographic camera body and a lens. It is confined to cameras where the body allows interchangeable lenses, most usually the single lens reflex type or any movie camera of 16 mm or higher gauge. Lens mounts are also used to connect optical components in instrumentation that may not involve a camera, such as the modular components used in optical laboratory prototyping which join via C-mount or T-mount elements.
A lens mount may be a screw-threaded type, a bayonet-type, or a friction lock type. Modern still camera lens mounts are of the bayonet type, because the bayonet mechanism precisely aligns mechanical and electrical features between lens and body. Screw-threaded mounts are fragile and do not align the lens in a reliable rotational position, yet types such as the C-mount interface are still widely in use for other applications like video cameras and optical instrumentation.
Bayonet mounts generally have a number of tabs (often three) around the base of the lens, which fit into appropriately sized recesses in the lens mounting plate on the front of the camera. The tabs are often "keyed" in some way to ensure that the lens is only inserted in one orientation, often by making one tab a different size. Once inserted the lens is fastened by turning it a small amount. It is then locked in place by a spring-loaded pin, which can be operated to remove the lens.
Lens mounts of competing manufacturers (Nikon, Canon, Contax/Yashica, Pentax, etc.) are almost always incompatible. Many allege that this is due to the desire of manufacturers to "lock in" consumers to their brand. However, since there are other differences between manufacturers — specifically the flange focal distance from the lens mount to the film or sensor — one would not want to mount a lens which wasn't specifically designed for their type of camera, at least not without an adapter to correct the spacing.
In movie cameras, the two most popular mounts in current usage on professional 35 mm cameras are Arri's PL-mount and Panavision's PV-mount. The Panavision mounts are exclusively used with Panavision lenses, and thus are only available on Panaflex cameras or third-party cameras "Panavised" by a Panavision rental house, whereas the PL-mount style is favored with most other cameras and cine lens manufacturers. Both of these mounts are held in place with locating pins and friction locking rings. Other mounts which are now largely historical or a minority in relation to current practices are listed below.
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These types are organized by category; find details in the section that follows.
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This list of lens mounts is ordered by flange focal distance, from shortest to longest. It includes both digital, still photography and movie lens mounts.
| OEM model line(s) | Interchangeable type name | Frame size | Camera type | Throat or thread diameter | Mount thread pitch | Mount type | Flange focal distance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| "board camera" mount | 1/6 inch to 1/3 inch | CCTV, webcams | 12.5 mm (1 inch) | 0.5 mm pitch | Screw | no flange -- mount threads serve for focus adjustment | |
| Pentax Q | Pentax Q | 1/2.3 inch | digital still | Bayonet | 9.2 mm | ||
| D-mount | 8 mm | movie and CCTV | 15.88 mm (0.625 inch) | 32 TPI | Screw | 12.29 mm | |
| CS-mount | 1/3 inch, 1/2 inch | movie, CCTV, industrial, scientific | 25.40 mm (1 inch) | 32 TPI | Screw | 12.52 mm | |
| C-mount | 1/2 inch, 16 mm, 2/3 inch, 1 inch | movie, CCTV, industrial, scientific | 25.40 mm (1 inch) | 32 TPI | Screw | 17.526 mm (0.69 inches) | |
| Nikon 1 | Nikon 1 | 13.2 x 8.8mm | digital still | Bayonet | 17 mm | ||
| Sony Alpha NEX | Sony E-mount | 23.4 mm × 15.6 mm APS-C | digital still and camcorder | 46.1 mm (1.815 inch) | Bayonet | 18 mm | |
| Canon EX | camcorder | Bayonet | 20 mm | ||||
| Olympus E-P, E-PL and E-PM series, Panasonic G, GH, and GF series | Micro Four Thirds | 17.3 mm × 12.98 mm | digital still and camcorder | ~38 mmA[›] | Bayonet | 19.25 mm | |
| Bolex | 16 mm | movie | Breech lock | 23.22 mm | |||
| Samsung NX | NX-mount | 23.4 mm × 15.6 mm APS-C | digital still | 42 mm | Bayonet | 25.5 mm | |
| Pentax Auto 110 | 110 film | still | Bayonet | 27 mm | |||
| Minolta/Leica M bayonet | M-mount (aka EM, VM, ZM) | 35 mm | still and digital still | 44 mm | Bayonet | 27.80 mm | |
| Leitz/Minolta CL, Minolta CLE | compact M-mount | 35 mm | still | 44 mm | Bayonet | 27.80 mm | |
| Konica Hexar RF | KM-mount | 35 mm | still | 44 mm | Bayonet | 28 mm (27.80 mm?) | |
| Canon screw mount | 35 mm | still | M39 | 1 mm | Screw | ||
| Leica M39 screw mount | M39 | 35 mm | still, enlargers | M39 | 26 TPI | Screw | 28.80 mm |
| Narciss | 16 mm | still | M24 | 1 mm | Screw | 28.8 mm | |
| Olympus Pen F | 35 mm half-frame | still | Bayonet | 28.95 mm | |||
| Contax/ (Kiev rf) I, II, III, IIa, IIIa | 35 mm | still | Double bayonet | 34.85 mm | |||
| Zeiss Panflex 5522/23 for Contax rf | 35 mm | still | Double bayonet | 64.50 mm | |||
| Contax G | 35 mm | still | Breech lock | 29.00 mm | |||
| Hasselblad Xpan | 35 mm panoramic | still | Bayonet | 34.27 mm | |||
| Nikon Rangefinder | Nikon S-mount | 35 mm | still | Bayonet | 34.85 mm | ||
| Alpa | 35 mm | still | Bayonet | 37.80 mm | |||
| Minolta Vectis | V-mount | 30.2 mm × 16.7 mm APS | still and digital still | Bayonet | 36.00 mm (38 mm?) | ||
| Olympus E, Panasonic Lumix DMC-L, Leica Digilux | Four Thirds | 17.3 mm × 12.98 mm | digital still | ~44 mmA[›] | Bayonet | 38.67 mm | |
| Aaton universal | 16 mm | movie | Breech lock | 40 mm | |||
| euroSLR mount | pious | 35 mm and APS-C | still and digital still | 62 mm | Bayonet | 40.50 mm | |
| Konica F | Konica F-mount | 35 mm | still | 40 mm | Bayonet | 40.50 mm | |
| Konica A/R | AR-mount | 35 mm | still | 47 mm | Bayonet | 40.50 mm (40.7 mm) | |
| Miranda Camera Company | Miranda bayonet/M44 | 35 mm and APS-C | still, industrial | Bayonet | 41.5 mm | ||
| Canon R | 35 mm | still | Breech lock | 42 mm | |||
| Canon FL | 35 mm | still | Breech lock | 42 mm | |||
| Canon FD | FD-mount | 35 mm | still | Breech lock | 42.00 mm | ||
| Fujica-X | 35 mm | still | 49 mm | Bayonet | 43.5 mm | ||
| Minolta SR/MC/MD | SR-mount | 35 mm | still, medical | Bayonet (54°) | 43.50 mm | ||
| Petriflex | 35 mm | still | Breech lock | 43.5 mm | |||
| Canon EOS EF | EF-mount (aka ZE) | 35 mm | still | 54 mm[1] | Bayonet | 44.00 mm | |
| Canon EOS EF-S | EF-mount | APS-C | digital still | 54 mm | Bayonet | 44.00 mm | |
| Sigma SA | 35 mm | still | Bayonet | 44.00 mm | |||
| Paxette | 35 mm | still | M39 | 1 mm | Screw | 44 mm | |
| Praktica B | 35 mm | still | Bayonet | 44.40 mm | |||
| (Konica) Minolta AF/Alpha/Dynax/Maxxum, Sony Alpha DSLR/SLT | A-mount (aka ZA) | 35 mm and APS-C | still and digital still, industrial | 49.7 mm (1.939 inch) | Bayonet (54°) | 44.50 mm | |
| Rolleiflex SL35 | 35 mm | still | Bayonet | 44.46 mm | |||
| Exakta, Topcon | 35 mm | still | Bayonet | 44.7 mm | |||
| Pentax K | K-mount (aka ZK) | 35 mm | still | Bayonet | 45.46 mm | ||
| Asahiflex | 35 mm | still | 37 mm | 1 mm | Screw | 45.46 mm | |
| Praktica | M42 lens mount | 35 mm | still | 42 mm | 1 mm | Screw | 45.46 mm |
| Yashica/Contax | Y/C-mount | 35 mm | still | Bayonet | 45.5 mm | ||
| Mamiya ZE | 35 mm | still | Bayonet | 45.5 mm | |||
| Kyocera Yashica 230 AF etc. | MA-mount | 35 mm | still | Bayonet | ~45.8 mm | ||
| Olympus OM | OM-mount | 35 mm | still | 46 mm | Bayonet | 46 mm | |
| Nikon F-mount | Nikon F-mount | 35 mm | still, industrial | 44 mm | Bayonet | 46.5 mm | |
| Leica R | R-mount | 35 mm | still | Bayonet | 47.00 mm | ||
| Contax-N | 35 mm | still | Bayonet | 48 mm | |||
| Praktina | 35 mm | still | Breech lock | 50 mm | |||
| Tamron | T-Thread (Very earliest type) | 35 mm | still | M37 | 0.75mm | Screw | 50 mm |
| Tamron | Adapt-A-Matic | 35 mm | still | Bayonet | 50.7 mm | ||
| Tamron | Adaptall 1 & 2 | 35 mm | still | Bayonet | 50.7 mm | ||
| Arri standard | 35 mm and 16 mm | movie | Tab lock | 52 mm | |||
| Arri bayonet | 35 mm and 16 mm | movie | Bayonet | 52 mm | |||
| Arri PL | 35 mm and 16 mm | movie | Breech lock | 52 mm | |||
| Tamron | T2, T-mount or T-thread | 35 mm | still, industrial | 42 mm | 0.75 mm | Screw | 55 mm |
| Sigma Corporation | YS Auto T-Thread | 35 mm | still, industrial | 42 mm | 0.75 mm | Screw | 55 mm |
| Tokina | T-thread type | 35 mm | still | 47 mm | 0.75 mm | Screw | 55 mm |
| Sony Mavica | Mavica | digital still | Bayonet | 57mm | |||
| Panavision PV mount | 35 mm | movie | Breech lock | 57.15 mm | |||
| Mamiya 7/7II | 6×7 | still | Bayonet | 60 mm (approx.) | |||
| Mitchell BNCR mount | 35 mm | movie | Breech lock | 61.468 mm | |||
| Mamiya 645 | 6×4.5 | still | Bayonet | 63.3 mm | |||
| Leitz Visoflex II/III | 35 mm | still | Bayonet (Leica M) | 68.8 mm | |||
| Pentax 645 | 6×4.5 | still | Bayonet | 70.87 mm | |||
| Arri Maxi PL | 70 mm | movie | 64 mm | 73.5 mm | |||
| Pentacon Six | 6×6 | still | Breech lock | 74.1 mm | |||
| Hasselblad | 6×6 | still | Bayonet | 74.9 mm | |||
| Kowa Six/Super 66 | 6×6 | still | breech lock | 79 mm | |||
| Pentax 6x7 | 6×7 | still | Bayonet | 84.95 mm | |||
| Leitz Visoflex I | 35 mm | still | M39 | 26 TPI | Screw | 91.3 mm | |
| Bronica S2A | 6×6 | still | 57 mm | 1 | Bayonet | 101.7 mm | |
| Rolleiflex SL66 | 6×6 | still | Bayonet | 102.8 mm | |||
| Mamiya RZ67 | 6×7 | still | Bayonet | 105 mm | |||
| Mamiya RB67 | 6×7 | still | Bayonet | 112 mm | |||
| Canon RC-701 | Canon SV | digital still | Bayonet |
| Column | Description |
|---|---|
| OEM model line(s) | primary manufacturer(s) or model line(s) with this mount |
| Interchangeable type name | interchangeable mounts used by multiple camera body and lens manufacturers |
| Frame size | maximum or typical film or image sensor format or size used for this mount |
| Camera type | digital, still, movie, CCTV, ... |
| Throat or thread diameter | Nominal inside-female or outside-male major diameter (D) with units: inch, mm, or M (ISO 68-1 metric thread pitch mm) |
| Mount thread pitch | (P) either: (Unified-thread) pitch count/inch, or (metric) mm/thread pitch |
| Mount type | Bayonet, Breech, Screw, ... |
| Flange focal distance | Nominal (mm) distance from film or image sensor to lens mount |
Secondary lens refers to a multi-element lens mounted either in front of a camera's primary lens, or in between the camera body and the primary lens.
(D)SLR camera & interchangeable-lens manufacturers offer lens accessories like extension tubes and secondary lenses like teleconverters, which mount in between the camera body and the primary lens, both using and providing a primary lens mount.
Canon PowerShot A and Canon PowerShot G cameras have a built-in or non-interchangeable primary (zoom) lens, and Canon has "conversion tube" accessories available for some Canon PowerShot camera models which provide either a 52mm or 58mm "accessory/filter" screw thread. Canon's close-up, wide- (WC-DC), and tele-conversion (TC-DC) lenses have 2, 3, and 4-element lenses respectively, so they are multi-element lenses and not diopter "filters".
^ A: The authoritative normative source for 4/3 standards information is Four-Thirds.Org and not 3rd-party reviews.
4/3's published facts:
So:
NOTE: Some published reviews of 4/3 instead cite the (female) "outside diameter" of the lens or mount as ~50mm (and micro-4/3 as ~44mm),[5] and not the appropriate major diameter (D) ~44mm which is the camera body's female mount inside-diameter and the lens's male mount outside-diameter (micro-4/3 ~38mm).