Manual lens on a digital body?


Mystech

New Member
Sep 17, 2009
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The last time I touched a camera was my nikon 801. Previously was using a nikon FM. So i currently have a few nikon manual lens and what not lying around. Now hands itchy again, feel like taking back photography. Now I'm thinking of getting a canon body and getting some adaptars for my old lens. Is there anything I should know? Slower response time, how to take shutter and apeture readings, etc etc? Cause I sort of remember that digital lens is not TTL right?
Sorry about the weird questions. google doesn't seem to help much. most likely cause I dunno the questions to ask.
Thank you
 

Haven't had a chance to read the article yet, but I would like to say thank you for helping a dinosaur catch up with the times. :D
 

My experience with manual lens was that there was no such thing as AUTO. The camera most probably don't recognise your manual lens and the aperture it is using. So I normally use manual mode, whereby I set the aperture on my lens itself, then control the shutter speed... I kind of ignored the exposure meter (or whatever that is call) that told me about whether my shot would or would not be overexpose, underexpose and stuff like that.

So far so good... but I seldom use manual setting though...
 

No problem using manual lenses on DSLR except that there will be no auto-focus, program and speed priority function. Aperture priority is still workable. I have been using my AIs lenses on my D300 and D700 and they work fine. Do note that I am speaking from my D300 and D700 perspective and cannot vouch for other model/brand. In my case, you can custom set up the manual lens data (focal length and max aperture) so that the info can be captured in the XMP/IPTC file.
 

Further read-up

Different types of Lens Mounts | Lens Talk and Articals about Photography | Lens reviews

Note that Nikon-F lenses can be mounted on bodies that come above the Nikon row on the list with the apppropriate adapters.
Conversely those lenses above it cannot be mounted on a Nikon body without optics in the adapter; it will just act as macro lenses.
With manual lenses no AF though; can shoot only in Aperture or manual priority.

 

Do research into dandelion chips as well TS, I believe u'll be able to use full metering and all modes as well as control aperture from body.
 

Do research into dandelion chips as well TS, I believe u'll be able to use full metering and all modes as well as control aperture from body.
How do you think the chip will be able to turn the aperture ring of a M42 lens or push the aperture lever of a Nikon lens on Canon body?
 

Sorry bout the late reply. Work and life collided recently. Finally got a chance to read up the articles. So basically, I can just focus using my eye, a nikon lens can usually fit on a cannon cam, it's on fully manual/AP. The thing I'm not sure about is the lighting part. Use to be, I would use to DOF preview to guage if my lighting is correct. Now what happens if the camera has no DOF preview? Sorry if it was explained in the article cause I was lost by the jagons.
 

I used some pentax manual lenses on nikon dslr body before, and what I can share with you is that the whole time you are actually kinda in DOF preview mode.. Since you have to stop down the aperture blades themselves.. I don't think there's any problem using nikon manual lenses on EOS body if you got the right adapter, just that you can only use it in non-metered mode.. That's what I could say.. I might be wrong.. Please feel free to correct me anyone.. :)
 

To use your old Nikkor lenses, choose either a Canon or Nikon DSLR but make sure that they are one of these models:

Canon: 40D, 50D, 60D, 5D, 5DII
Nikon: D200, D300, D300s, D7000 or D700

Best solution is buy a Sony NEX 5N and it will handle your old lenses better than any of the cameras I mentioned above.
 

Do research into dandelion chips as well TS, I believe u'll be able to use full metering and all modes as well as control aperture from body.


Dandelion chips which are programmable that is will capture the exif info with lens focal length and aperture used. One cannot
have aperture control from camera ableit focus confirmation. Am using with Carl Zeiss lenses on 5D.
 

anthony, ah, thank you. I didn't find anything about the sony cameras. And your list will prove very helpful.

Zeisser, the whole thing dun seem very exp right? I saw one that is about 80, which i assume is USD?
 

anthony, ah, thank you. I didn't find anything about the sony cameras.

NEX is causing a boom for Leica and Voigtlander, and old manual lenses are getting scarce already... :p
 

The thing I'm not sure about is the lighting part. Use to be, I would use to DOF preview to guage if my lighting is correct. Now what happens if the camera has no DOF preview? Sorry if it was explained in the article cause I was lost by the jagons.
The DOF button will only work for lenses where the camera can adjust the aperture. Canon cameras can obviously not manage any mechanical apertures or apertures electronically controlled by other bodies (e.g. Nikon G lenses). With manual lenses you turn the aperture ring to the desired position / value, then check. This will also cause the viewfinder to darken, makes it a bit tricky to gauge DOF. That's one reason why people will get a different viewfinder screen, especially for manual lenses. Alternatively, use Life View to see the result. Depending on camera capabilities and settings the viewfinder will also get darker or will be readjusted.
 

anthony, ah, thank you. I didn't find anything about the sony cameras. And your list will prove very helpful.

Take a look at these 2 links. The first one has 142 pages about Sony's NEX cameras using adapted lenses of practically every known brand. The second one is from our Sony thread about local Sony NEX 5N users adapting many types of manual lenses. Personally, I have gone thru what you are thinking of doing now, and I have finally found a camera to use all my old Nikkor lenses. PM me if you need more help.

NEX Images Thread - FM Forums

http://www.clubsnap.com/forums/sony-konica-minolta/971755-pictures-nex-5n.html