Nikon Question (film&digital)

Zabimaru · Sep 12, 2008

I recently started a photography course at college. I bought a second hand Nikon F55 about a month ago(for quite a good price i might add).

However i'm looking to get more lenses for it. My question is simple, a classmate told me that all nikon lenses(for film and digital SLR's) fit on all nikon cameras. Where as other companies(canon, olympus etc) changed the fittings.

Is this true? If so does this mean if i buy a Nikon DSLR all the lenses i use on my Nikon F55 will fit the DSLR?

i hope this is true because photography is about fifty times more expensive than i imagined.

Thanks in advance for any help you can give me.

Leno · Sep 12, 2008

Haha, yes photography is very expensive. I was using a Nikon F-601 (SLR from the early 90s), and recently upgraded to a D60. My lenses fit perfectly fine, however some of the newer DSLR's require the lenses to have a built-in AF motor. For example, all of my old lenses are totally manual focus.

So, in short, yes they'll fit, but AF probably won't work.

Zabimaru · Sep 12, 2008

I tend not to use auto-focus anyway. (my college lecturer literally banned me from using it).

Thanks for your quick response i appreciate it.

Does anyone have any suggestions on what (Nikon) DSLR to buy? I don't need to have the latest one(D300?) but i want a good camera that is reliable and wont force me to sell my parents house just to pay for it lol

Big Mike · Sep 12, 2008

As mentioned, Nikon does have pretty good compatibility with it's older lenses...but be aware that the 'entry level' DSLR Nikon cameras don't have an AF motor.

Canon switched the mount on their SLR cameras & lenses in the late 80s, when they switched to auto focus. It pissed off a lot of people at the time...but Nikon kept their mount and made people happy. 20 years late, Nikon is finally taking the AF motor out of the camera body....which is pissing off a few people with older lenses etc.

As for which digital body to buy...there are several current models to choose from, and more new ones on the way. What's your budget.

Leno · Sep 12, 2008

I paid just under $600 CAD for my D60 body + a 1gb SD card.

Do you want a totally beginner DSLR?

Personally, I'd recommend anywhere from a D40, D60, D70s, or D80. Check out the specs on those and see which model best suits you. Take a look at the reviews on this site: http://search.dpreview.com/

Zabimaru · Sep 12, 2008

That depends what you mean by a beginner SLR.

Yes i need something that is easy to use and understand but i need something i can have full control of (at college we're not allowed to use any form of automatic modes).

I have just over $1000 to spend but this is a maximum. I would prefer to get something cheaper(obviously).

However if there is a camera for 600 and a camera for 900 and there is a vast difference in the overall quality and reliability of it then i would be willing to spend the extra cash but if there wasn't much of a difference i would stick with the cheaper one.

Thanks for that review site Leno and for your help Mike.

Leno · Sep 12, 2008

They all go totally manual. Switch it to "M", then fiddle with your w/b, focus, aperture, shutter speed, etc.

epp_b · Sep 12, 2008

You will find manually focusing on Nikon's cheap DX lenses very frustrating if you're used to 35mm format lenses, which are generally of much higher build quality.

Is this true? If so does this mean if i buy a Nikon DSLR all the lenses i use on my Nikon F55 will fit the DSLR?

Pretty much, yup. If you get a D40, D40x or D60, you can use all the Nikon lenses made since 1959. Otherwise, you're limited to auto-indexing lenses since 1970-something (or modified non-AI lenses before that time) but, that's still a lot of lenses to choose from.

Big Mike · Sep 12, 2008

You will find manually focusing on Nikon's cheap DX lenses very frustrating if you're used to 35mm format lenses, which are generally of much higher build quality.

The biggest difference will be the size of the viewfinder. Most cheaper DSLR cameras have a much smaller viewfinder than 35mm cameras, which makes it harder to manually focus. It's not too hard though, just not as good as with the film cameras.

ANDS! · Sep 12, 2008

Zabimaru said:
That depends what you mean by a beginner SLR.

Yes i need something that is easy to use and understand but i need something i can have full control of (at college we're not allowed to use any form of automatic modes).

I have just over $1000 to spend but this is a maximum. I would prefer to get something cheaper(obviously).

However if there is a camera for 600 and a camera for 900 and there is a vast difference in the overall quality and reliability of it then i would be willing to spend the extra cash but if there wasn't much of a difference i would stick with the cheaper one.

Thanks for that review site Leno and for your help Mike.

Go to Nikonians.com or Nikoncafe.com or Fredmiranda.com and buy a used D80 for 500 bucks or so. Spend the rest on lenses (Sigma 24-60 f/2.8, Nikon 50MM and maybe a "cheap" telephoto - 55-200MMVR). Do not let anyone hustle you into thinking you need to buy something "new" and that if its not from BH and Adorama you'll lose your money. For the lenses, I'd suggest CametaCameras eBay Store.