Old lenses, new camera

The electronic rangefinder/focus confirmation system in recent Nikon DSLRs does the trick with manual lenses--and takes focus screen acuity off the table.

Older Sony cameras(e.g., A6000 and earlier) are great with adapted lenses. Definitely not worth the bother trying to cozy old K-mount glass up to a Nikon DSLR.
But I always wanted a Niktax to go with my labor doodle.


A Leitax seems more useful...

Why not build a replacement bayonet for M42 optics?

The monetary value of a lens is not interesting as long as the lenses draw and are fun to use: I love lenses with character, but possibly they are only for people with character?
 
I hope this forum features an "ignore" list...
Yes, of course it does.

I have placed one member on my ignore list. It's easy!

Click on my username then click on "ignore".
 
I hope this forum features an "ignore" list...

It's not my fault you can't keep your story straight or stay on point.

You wrote this:

But you can always go for the real thing and get a used D500 for cheap.

She has a great focussing screen and her automatics are much more forgiving.

It is a good idea to buy the D500 anyway. She is a great UPGRADE from most FX bodies even.

in post #15


when I called you out on suggesting the D500 was "cheap", you changed you tune to suggest the D600 instead:

you suggested someone asking about some old lenses they acquired, purchase a d500. you also suggested they were dirt cheap on ebay, and that they are an upgrade to an FX body.

D600 is dirt cheap on eBay. D500 is still double the price of a D600.

D600 can be had for 650 to 750 Euros and these are a real bargain.

Used D500 are still 1400 plus Euros.

in post #29


in mean, come on...



you're not helping anyone by googling random things--trying to come across as an expert--when all you are doing is giving straight-up POOR and inaccurate advice.
 
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Getting back to the original post:

Am I pushing my luck believing I can use these lenses on the D7100?

Some of the issues are:

1. Finding and purchasing adapters.

2. Lenses designed for film cameras may not work as well as you had hoped when mounted on a digital camera.

If it were me, I would create a shadow box display for that old gear and include at least one photograph of your grandfather, and some photos he took with the gear. You'll get much more enjoyment from doing that then you will from using those old lenses.
 
Either enshrine the Chinon gear as holy relics or sell it.
 
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I hope this forum features an "ignore" list...

Writing comments I take my time to help and inspire with my experience, never intend to hurt or offend.

You left out "misinform."
 
Ok.

... Never intend to hurt or misinform
 
I hope this forum features an "ignore" list...

It does, and I'm sure many have added you to it following this thread!

I own a D500 and a D7100. The BOTH suck for trying to manual focus. The D500 is absolutely no better at it than the D7100.
 
I hope this forum features an "ignore" list...

It does, and I'm sure many have added you to it following this thread!

I own a D500 and a D7100. The BOTH suck for trying to manual focus. The D500 is absolutely no better at it than the D7100.


I really hope so. Moron density outside of the coffee house is such that I generally avoid the discussion.

If you really want to know about focussing manually on Nikon DSLR you might look here:

Alternative focusing screens for DSLRs - focusing on the matte area
 
Type B BriteView Clear Matte Mark II screen

Is the screen installed on the D500

Type B BriteView Clear Matte Mark II screen

Is the screen installed on the D7100

B-type BriteView Clear Matte Screen II

Is the screen installed on the F6

So naturally if you consider the F6 fit for manual focus the other two cameras should show no difference.

Type B BriteView Clear Matte Mark VIII screen

Is the screen installed on the D600, imo clearly inferior to the above.

I could not find which focussing screen is installed on the D3 yet but I found that it can be easily replaced with the F6 type and the MF snap seems to be much better.
 
I hope this forum features an "ignore" list...

It does, and I'm sure many have added you to it following this thread!

I own a D500 and a D7100. The BOTH suck for trying to manual focus. The D500 is absolutely no better at it than the D7100.


I really hope so. Moron density outside of the coffee house is such that I generally avoid the discussion.

If you really want to know about focussing manually on Nikon DSLR you might look here:

Alternative focusing screens for DSLRs - focusing on the matte area
I have not agreed with a lot of the advice you have dispensed in this thread, but I GOTTA give you credit for the phrase "moron density". I found that particularly funny! Well played.
 
OP: Don't let all the banter about needing special focus screens and whatnot deter you.

Manual focus lenses CAN and WILL work just fine on a stock DSLR. Nikons have electronic focus aids built into them. But even lacking that, simply getting out there and practicing and learning how to focus manually will make you a better photographer.

True, DSLR mirrors aren't the same as the mirrors in film cameras, as some of the light coming in from the lens is diverted down into the auto-focus module. But that doesn't mean you MUST get some different screen in order to focus manually.

Mount the lens, go out and shoot, rate your performance, decide what you need to change, and go out and shoot again. Keep at it and you'll eventually make manual focus second nature.
 
Mount the lens, go out and shoot, rate your performance, decide what you need to change, and go out and shoot again. Keep at it and you'll eventually make manual focus second nature.

Everything else besides the point: Unless he buys a cheap piece of plastic to allow those lenses to focus to infinity on a Nikon, he won't be even able to use them with a simple adapter.
 

Pretty good article as far as giving an overview of the three common types of m42 thread-mount lens aperture control systems.

IF on the chance the OP is still around...I would say that if he wishes to use grandpa's old lenses, a mirrorless camera, or a Canon digital SLR would be much better choices than a Nikon d-slr, due to the flange-to-focal-plane registration distance issues involved. Canon d-slr's, inexpensive used models, would enable glass-free adapter use. Still...28,55,135 lenses from that era are typically not all that handy to use for the beginner or intermediate shooter...the convenience of AF, the convenience of automatic aperture control, those things are very worthwhile for most people.

I've found that shooting older, adapted m42 lenses (Pentax Super Takumar models mostly) on my Canon 5D was an okay, and fun experience, but rather slow and also hit-and-miss as far as focusing was concerned; not nearly the same hit rate on focus with an older, adapted lens as with say, a modern, AF lens. The utility of adapted lenses depends on what one expects to achieve, photographically, with the lenses. DO you want to take the 135, mount it on an APS-C body, and have a 135mm x 1.6x effective angle of view? Well--you can GET THAT with a used Canon Rebel d-slr. But, do you want to get shots of kids playing soccer, IN-focus, on shot after shot after shot, all game long? You'll probably NOT be able to achieve anything better than say, a 50% focus hit rate. But, if you want to walk around, and shoot shots of zoo exhibits, or landscape shots, then the slowness of focusing by hand-and-eye will be acceptable, and the success rate ought to be 90% or so, with the standard focusing screen in the camera.
 
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