DSLR with SLR lenses

[Destin]

Canon EF digital single-lens reflexes can use 7 brands of legacy 35 mm lenses with a glassless adapter and give you full infinity focus.

A mirrorless camera like the Sony A7 or other model could also use almost any brand of 35 mm or medium format lenses with infinity focus with a glassless adapter.

Please explain to el-dummy here what a "glassless adapter" is. Just a metal adapter?

Yep. Some adapters require a glass element to adapt the lens for use with a different mount. This is because the distance from the sensor plane to the rear element changes with different mounts. In some cases they can be made without an additional element, but not in others.

You don’t want to use an adapter with a glass element because they are generally pretty poor quality and cause image quality degradation.

 

[Quassaw]

I picked up a Sony NEX for peanuts to use my non-Nikon legacy lenses on - adaptors are cheap and plentiful, and mostly work - for example a Sony e-mount to M42 adaptor is about £12, and seems to work, ditto Sony to Minolta MD. Of course I use my legacy Nikon lenses on my Nikon cameras. My NEX is crop-frame, but that means I get to use the best part of the old lenses!

 

[petrochemist]

Please explain to el-dummy here what a "glassless adapter" is. Just a metal adapter?

If a lens is designed to work further away than a camera & adapter can place it some corrective optics are needed to get infinity focus. The typically consist of a cheap, weak teleconverter configuration.

I believe an adapter for Nikon lenses to fit on Pentax bodies needs a roughly 1.1x TC to focus to infinity even though the flange length for Nikon is longer than that for PK. A stronger Tc is needed for M42 lenses on Nikon bodies...

 

[Rickbb]

I used a glassless adaptor for decades, it is a reversing ring. Mounts to the front of the lens with the filter threads and the other side has an F mount to the camera body. Turns your normal lens into a "poor mans" macro. Made my 50mm capture 1/2 life size images. The same setup works on my D90, but has I have an actual macro lens now it's in the curio cabinet with most of my film cameras.

 

[mjcmt]

Did the OP post and run. I'll like to hear back from him/her with follow-up responses.

 

[olekhabiter7]

Well, it kind of depends
VidMate Mobdro word counterwhat SLR you're shooting with now. Yes, there are always adapters. But the smoothest use will be a Nikon SLR lens to a Nikon DSLR body. Here's an article that goes in to depth based on the mount and maker of your DSLR and type of lens: Old lenses on new cameras

Also, while we're talking Nikons, unless you like to shoot without autofocus, avoid the D3000 and D5000 series. I know people who love those entry level cameras but for your purposes they're a terrible fit. You see, most DSLR's have an autofocus motor in the body. And most modern lens have an autofocus meter in the lens. The D3000/5000 series save size and weight by not having an AF motor in the body and relying on the lens to have one. But the age of your SLR lens may mean that many of them don't have an AF motor that will work with a DSLR. So you need to be sure you're buying a body with an AF motor in it.

I use few m42 mount lenses with Canon 450D whenever I can, buying adapter is good way to get cheap old prime lenses or use your old ones collecting dust. And if you only have canon's 18-55 using these is like magic! Reccomending everyone to try, adapter + some helios lens that russians manufactured like crazy can be found anywhere really cheap. Some samples from my own photos with 3 different lenses.

 

[Pixeldawg1]

Please explain to el-dummy here what a "glassless adapter" is. Just a metal adapter?

If a lens is designed to work further away than a camera & adapter can place it some corrective optics are needed to get infinity focus. The typically consist of a cheap, weak teleconverter configuration.

I believe an adapter for Nikon lenses to fit on Pentax bodies needs a roughly 1.1x TC to focus to infinity even though the flange length for Nikon is longer than that for PK. A stronger Tc is needed for M42 lenses on Nikon bodies...

Interesting but strange, too. I've never seen an adapter (outside of a teleconverter) that required glass. Slap me with a feather...

 

[petrochemist]

Please explain to el-dummy here what a "glassless adapter" is. Just a metal adapter?

If a lens is designed to work further away than a camera & adapter can place it some corrective optics are needed to get infinity focus. The typically consist of a cheap, weak teleconverter configuration.

I believe an adapter for Nikon lenses to fit on Pentax bodies needs a roughly 1.1x TC to focus to infinity even though the flange length for Nikon is longer than that for PK. A stronger Tc is needed for M42 lenses on Nikon bodies...

Interesting but strange, too. I've never seen an adapter (outside of a teleconverter) that required glass. Slap me with a feather...

Just about any adapters for Nikon SLRs need correction, but i think I'd been adapting lenses for over twenty years before I had one. They're not too common for the non Nikon shooters.
The first one I got went the other way to give a wider field of view & a brighter image at the expense of reduced registration - very much a teleconverter in reverse and only possible where the lens has a bigger image circle than the sensor. Using FF lenses on a MFT camera seemed the ideal place to try the device out.

 

[Pixeldawg1]

Please explain to el-dummy here what a "glassless adapter" is. Just a metal adapter?

If a lens is designed to work further away than a camera & adapter can place it some corrective optics are needed to get infinity focus. The typically consist of a cheap, weak teleconverter configuration.

I believe an adapter for Nikon lenses to fit on Pentax bodies needs a roughly 1.1x TC to focus to infinity even though the flange length for Nikon is longer than that for PK. A stronger Tc is needed for M42 lenses on Nikon bodies...

Ah, did not know this. Learn something new each day, right? I have a Nikon adapter for my Z7 and it has no glass. My adapter for my N1AW1 to Nikkor SLR lenses doesn't have one either. I suppose I am just leading a very sheltered life. Hahaha! Thanks for the excellent information.

 

[Soocom1]

Please explain to el-dummy here what a "glassless adapter" is. Just a metal adapter?

If a lens is designed to work further away than a camera & adapter can place it some corrective optics are needed to get infinity focus. The typically consist of a cheap, weak teleconverter configuration.

I believe an adapter for Nikon lenses to fit on Pentax bodies needs a roughly 1.1x TC to focus to infinity even though the flange length for Nikon is longer than that for PK. A stronger Tc is needed for M42 lenses on Nikon bodies...

Interesting but strange, too. I've never seen an adapter (outside of a teleconverter) that required glass. Slap me with a feather...

Yeppers. I have Canon EOS and a ton of Minolta Glass. There are non glass adapters but dont work with infinity because the registration distance is the same on both systems. So the lens has to be in the same spot to work with infinity. I have an adapter but the image quality is garbage.

 

[Derrel]

I have a couple M42-to- Nikon F adapters, which use a weak glass element to give infinity focus; quality of results is visually impaired. When used on a Canon EF Mount digital the same Pentax Super Takumar lenses give very good results. The Canon EF Mount does not require any glass in the adapter in order to allow the adapted lens to achieve infinity focus.

 

[StevenW]

I'm a Nikon user and I have a couple of vintage lenses originally for film cameras and I'm fond of them both on my digital camera. The first is a 28-70 2.8 which was originally one leg of the Holy Trinity. It's an incredibly sharp lens, focuses fast and built like a tank. Weight is never a concern for me and I like how it balances either a full pro camera or a camera with a battery pack. The other is a Lester Dine 105 mm macro lens originally developed for dental photography I received as a gift from a fellow photography friend. It is completely manual and heavy with a brass barrel. It may not be the finest macro lens ever built but it does open an opportunity I otherwise did not have. I enjoy making an occasional macro photo and going after everything from exposure setting to focus manually adds to my enjoyment. If I'm not completely mistaken my more contemporary 70-200 2.8 VR was engineered for the 35 mm film camera though I bought it in 2010 well after the digital age.

 

[Solarflare]

I'd get a D700 with low shutter count from the used market.

The D700 is extremely cheap now, but its still built like a tank, with professional controls and great output.

And old Nikon lenses are really cheap, too. But optically still good.

Hello and welcome to the dark side (digital)

Its the green side. The dark side is film. Film is dark.

 

[Viraj Singh]

I have always been into film photography rather than digital, but its time for me to take the leap as film is costing me a fortune. I am wanting an affordable (couple of hundred) DSLR that can be used with vintage SLR lenses. A few people have recommended the Sony Alphas. Has anyone had any experience in this? Which camera/ lenses have you used?

Thank you in advance

Recently I read a blog bagittoday.com which contains many articles on different type of cameras along with their prices. You should go through it, I'm sure it'll help you.

 

[la place]

Ill take the hit on this.

Also consider mirrorless.
If you have older lenses and possibly multi-platform lenses (Canon EF and Minolta SR for me) a mirrorless allows you to use those lenses.

If however the SLR direction is what you want to stick with, many AF lenses will work just fine on any modern body with the distinct exception of older Sigma lenses with Canon EF.

Depending on the brand your with, the options are endless.

cool here is the hit. mirrorless is the key, enables using old leica screw mounts, m mount and every slr lens. think of the body as film question is besides my d200 and old nikkors, am i doomed to buy a digital m.. lord np please options anyone