The study characterized the multimodal imaging features of nonproliferative diabetic retinopathy (NPDR) and proliferative diabetic retinopathy (PDR) using SD-OCT and fundus autofluorescence (FAF) in 73 healthy controls (129 eyes). Participants underwent examinations including fundus photography, fluorescein angiography, FAF, and SD-OCT. OCT biomarkers such as hyperreflective foci (HRF), intraretinal cystic cavities (IRC), diabetic macular edema (DME), disorganization of inner retinal layers (DRIL), epiretinal membrane (ERM), posterior vitreous detachment (PVD), subretinal fluid (SRF) and disruption of the external limiting membrane (ELM) were compared. Hyperreflective foci, IRC, DME, PVD, and ERM were significantly more frequent in eyes with PDR than in NPDR (all P < 0.05). ERM occurred in 80% of eyes with NPDR and in 84.8% of eyes with PDR. FAF well visualized intraretinal and preretinal hemorrhages, DME, and fibroproliferative membranes, while SD-OCT showed retinal microstructural changes in detail. Subfoveal choroidal thickness was significantly higher in both NPDR and PDR versus healthy controls (P < 0.05), but did not differ between NPDR and PDR.