this is a silly question.

[tactile]

I'm a neophyte to the rules of the photography world, and next year I will take my first photography class in school. The class requires a manual film camera. I'm opting for a nikon, just because I love everything about my current d40. My question is- am I able to use lenses I have purchased for my d40 for a film camera? also- for film lovers- what sort of film camera do you recommend, anything goes as long as it's all manual.

 

[Yasa]

What kind of film camera?

 

[djrichie28]

I am sure there will be other replies that entail further recommendations. The first thing that I thought of besides lens mount was the use of a DX lens on a film camera will cause vignetting.

DX lenses are designed for digital and smaller sensors. Loading these onto a film camera may work but will show darkened corners in your images.

 

[Annamas]

DX lenses are designed for digital and smaller sensors. Loading these onto a film camera may work but will show darkened corners in your images.

What he said.

I own a Canon Ti (Film Camera) and a Canon 30d (DSLR). All of my lens' except one is interchangable. If you are a neophyte, I would guess that almost all of your lens' except the kit lens are probably interchangable. But i would make sure before hand.

Also, if the class is a first year class, I doubt they will require a large selection of lens', but who knows.

 

[Dwig]

There are several distinctions in Nikon lenses that affect their use on the D40 and any film body:

1. DX - The D40, along with most DSLRs, shoot a samller format than the standard 35mm film format. Nikon refers to this smaller format as DX. The DX format (the size of the D40's sensor) is about 1/2 the area of a standard 35mm film image (and what Nikon calls FX in a few of their high-end DSLRs). Any film lens will easily cover the smaller DX format, but DX lenses will not fill the larger film format with a usable image. You would have to crop to only the center portion of a film image if you used a DX lens on a film body.

2. G - G-series lenses do not have an f/stop ring. The f/stop is controlled from the body. A manual film body requires lenses that have f/stop rings.

3. AF-S and AF-I - The D40 (and D40x, D60, D3000, & D5000) do not have autofocus motors in the body. They rely on the lens having its own motor. Nikons AF-S and AF-I lenses have their own motors. The AF and AF-D lenses lack motors and won't autofocus on a D40. You have to focus manually. Manual focus film bodies, of course, ignore the AF differences.

4. Electronic Meter Coupling - The D40 requires this to meter. All AF lenses (any variant) and the few AI-P lenses have electronic meter coupling. Manual focus AI and AI-s lenses, only have mechanical meter coupling. The D40's exposure meter, whether used in an automatic setting or in manual, will not function with these MF lenses.

What camera models you should be considering is hard to say. The only new model is the FM10 which comes bundled with a 35-70 AI-s lens (no metering or AF on the D40). Its a decent student camera.

There are a number of good used models to consider, but buying used is something of a crap-shoot unless you can handle the camera before purchase and have some experience with cameras so that you can evaluate its condition. If you go this route, any Nikon FM variant (FM, FM2, FM2n, ...) would be a good consideration. The FE models are also good, though they have one autoexposure mode (aperture priority) in addition to manual. Most of the older Nikkormat/Nikomat models can be decent, but most pose some additional meter coupling issues, when mixing with more modern models, that a beginner shouldn't have to deal with.

 

[KmH]

Nikon has used the same mount since the late 1950's, the F-mount.

A film camera will have a full size image sensor, film of course and nor digital, but the effect of your DX lenses will be the same. How much vignetting will depend on the lens.

Some Nikon film cameas are the FM, FE, FM2, FE2, and FA. Those are not pro film cameras. The Pro line of Nikon film cameras is the F2, F3, F4, F5.

Check out www.keh.com . They are the largest online seller of used gear and have a good reputation.

 

[Justin1982ca]

I have not use a digital lens on a film camera and shot a picture...
But if you do not want the vignetting maybe you can make the print bigger in the dark room. If you will be using one, if not just fix it using software!