New Lens for Old Camera?

[WhaleDaughter]

I know there are many people who put old lenses on their new digital cameras, but I was wondering if it's possible to go in the other direction and put a new lens on a film camera.

Specifically, if I were to invest in a Lensbaby with a Nikon F mount, would I be able to attach it to my Nikkormat FT3? I know I'd probably lose metering and I can work around that, but there aren't any electronic controls on a Lensbaby that I would lose on a Nikkormat, they're manual lenses.

If I can't directly attach the lens to the camera, is there an adaptor?

 

[Gary A.]

It should work. I have an original LensBaby with magnetic aperture rings and that certainly would work. IIRC, meter with the stop down lever/button.

 

[Designer]

Fortunately for Nikon users, F mount is F mount. You will probably not have auto focusing, but if your camera body has the CPU electronic connections for metering, you might still have TTL metering.

Here; I pay for Wikipedia anyway, so I use it a lot:

Nikon F-mount - Wikipedia

There is something else to consider:

The older lens technology may or may not be ideal for digital sensors, so you'll have to take each lens option on a case-by-case basis.

 

[Derrel]

F-mount Lensbaby on Nikkormat FT3? Sure! Why not! The FT3 does offer a flip-up Ai coupler mode, via that tiny little round button release, so as Gary A mentioned, you can meter stopped down for match-needle metering with the FT3, or let it pick the speed in A mode. The FT3 is one of the first "modern Nikon metering" type cameras.

I have three Lensbaby lenses: all of them work fine with no adapters needed, just pop them on the mount and twist.

 

[petrochemist]

Fortunately for Nikon users, F mount is F mount. You will probably not have auto focusing, but if your camera body has the CPU electronic connections for metering, you might still have TTL metering.

Here; I pay for Wikipedia anyway, so I use it a lot:

Nikon F-mount - Wikipedia

There is something else to consider:

The older lens technology may or may not be ideal for digital sensors, so you'll have to take each lens option on a case-by-case basis.

With a lensbaby you'll CERTAINLY not have AF or any electronic connections at all.

Due to it's long registration Nikon's F mount is about the worst for adapting other SLR lenses to, but unlike Canon it at least maintains pretty good backwards compatibility (IIRC some Nikon lenses can need modifying, something to do with the AI linkage??).

The Nikkormat FT3 the OP refers to is from 1977 so I don't think it's 'digital sensors' will give any issues.

 

[WhaleDaughter]

I already own a Canon EOS mount composer pro and circular fisheye and I thought, why not just get an adaptor instead of saving up hundreds of dollars for new lenses.

Because an EOS to F mount adaptor apparently doesn't and can't exist.

Maybe I can call Lensbaby and see if they'll just sell me the mounting plates so I can switch them out at will.


"We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act but a habit." ~Aristotle