Old Nikkor Lens

[robotfood15]

I have an old [FONT=Trebucht MS, Arial]Nikkor-S (C) Auto 1:1.4 f= 50mm lens that was on an old Nikkormat camera. Can I use this lens with the new Nikon digital cameras? I am considering the D80. This lens was my fathers and I really love the idea of taking pictures with the same lens that my father used decades ago. There is a real sentimental attachment to it not to mention that I love the pictures that it produced. Thanks.
[/FONT]

 

[Sw1tchFX]

I think Nikkormat's are rangefinder cameras. and as far as I know, you can't use rangefinder lenses on SLR's.

 

[jwkwd]

Nikkormat's are SLR. The lens you have would mount onto the body of the D80, but it probably would not meter etc. That lens you have however, was probably made in the early '60s, and might be something to hang on to.

 

[Mike_E]

NO!! Do not attach that lens to your D80 unless it has been AI'd. This is an older lens which lacks the cutout for the metering probe and may bend it and thereby damage your camera.

This lens may be "AI'd" either by you or a camera tech for little money. I have an old Nikkor Q 135 that I love that has been AI'd so don't just put the lens away.

mike

Sorry after rereading your post I see that you have yet to purchase the D80. Do a little Googling on the AI and non-AI lenses and which fit what. As I said, it's just a matter of milling out the mount. The only tricky part is getting the starting and stopping points just right. The problem with the probe is that it gets bent out and is spring steel so that you would have to disassemble the camera to get to it enough to bend it back. If you do bend it out and leave it the camera won't be able to tell what the aperture is set at and that's a bad thing.

On the plus side, at least it is easy to use any Nikon lens made for the last 50 or so years.