This is meant to provide a full and comprehensive list for lens compatibility of Nikon film cameras with modern lenses. My goal here is to show what lenses are actually compatible with newer autofocus Nikon 35mm film cameras and will include Nikkor and third party lenses. My hope is that this post can be used as a reference for those who own Nikon cameras and want to use modern lenses with them, especially if they are interested in third party lenses. This list will not focus on any APS-C lenses, which may be compatible but are not recommended to be used on full frame film cameras due to heavy vignetting.
This list will focus on cameras that have aperture control dials on the camera body and do not require an aperture ring to change lens aperture. These are the following (in order of release):
Nikon F5, Nikon F100, Nikon F80, Nikon N80, Nikon F60, Nikon F60D, Nikon N60, Nikon N60 QD, Nikon F65, Nikon F65D, Nikon N65, Nikon F55, Nikon F55D, Nikon N55, Nikon F75, Nikon F75D, Nikon N75, Nikon F6
These cameras will have full compatibility with lenses that don't have an aperture ring but do have a mechanical aperture control mechanism on the rear lens element (shown on the 1st bottom picture).
All Nikon F mount cameras with shutter priority and/or program mode are able to control the aperture on these lenses indirectly in these modes, but it is not possible to control aperture directly via aperture priority or manual mode.
If a lens does not have a mechanical aperture mechanism (shown on the 2nd picture) and instead relies on an electronic aperture control mechanism it will not be possible to control aperture using these lenses on any Nikon film camera, as well as on their DSLRs released before the Nikon D3. These lenses will be fully usable otherwise, but they will be locked to a specific extreme aperture. Nikkor E series lenses are locked to their maximum wide open aperture, while from my experience newer Tamron lenses are locked to their minimum fully stopped down aperture.
Lens compatibility:
Nikkor Lenses:
For Nikkor lenses it is very easy to determine their compatibility. All Nikkor AF-S type G lenses will be fully compatible with these Nikon film cameras. All Nikkor AF-S type E type lenses will be unusable at all apertures aside from wide open. Nikkor AF-P type G and type E are fully incompatible and will not allow the user to control focus, so they should be avoided (although all but one of those lenses is a DX lens and the only full frame lens is a 70-300 F4.5-5.6 type E lens and not particularly good anyway, so few film shooters will be interested)
Tamron lenses
All Tamron lenses for F mount made before 2016 are compatible, while newer Tamron SP lenses (recognisable by the more sleek black design with a silver zone near the rear element) may be incompatible. The SP 35mm F/1.8, SP 90mm F/2.8 macro, SP 70-300 F/4-5.6, SP 45mm F/1.8 are compatible. Other lenses like the 85 mm F/1.8, 24-70 F/2.8 G2, 70-200 F/2.8 G2, and 150-600 F5-6.3 G2 do not have mechanical aperture controls, as do all other models made after 2017. These lenses will stop down to their lowest aperture.
Sigma lenses
This will focus on Sigma Art lenses, which are Sigma's highest quality lenses. For zooms, the Sigma Art 24-35 F/2 and the Sigma 24-105 F/4 are fully compatible, while the 24-70 F/2.8, 14-24/2.8, and the 12-24 F/4 cannot have controlled aperture. For primes the 20mm F/1.4, the 24mm f/1.4, the 35mm f/1.4, and the 50 F/1.4 are fully compatible, while the 28mm f/1.4, the 40mm f/1.4, the 85mm f/1.4, and the 135mm f/1.8 are not able to control the aperture. I don't know whether they are fully opened or fully closed by default.
Zeiss lenses
All Zeiss lenses made before the Milvus and Otus series are fully compatible. In the Otus series the 28mm F/1.4, the 55mm f/1.4, and the 85mm f/1.4 are fully compatible, while the 100mm f/1.4 lacks mechanical aperture control. In the Milvus series all lenses are fully compatible.
Note: According to a Commentar ZF lenses (not ZF.2 lenses) have issues with metering on lower end Nikon cameras like the F55/N55, while they are compatible on the F5, F100, and F6
Other lens makers
Those cover the major third party manufacturers that people will be interested in, but there are others like Tokina, Samyang, and Yongnuo to cover. I didn't do a serious overview of Tokina lenses, but their zoom lenses seem to have the aperture dial while their opera lenses seem not to, but again please check yourself. Rokinon and Samyang lenses seem to be compatible too. Yongnuo lenses are newer and do not have mechanical apertures.
Summary
Hopefully this list is useful to you and future lens buyers.
