please help :)

Kim Catton

Member
Joined
Feb 28, 2006
Messages
141
Location
Copenhagen,
Format
Medium Format
I shoot b/w film and most of times I use my Nikon F80. Now... Im going to purchase a digital slr and I am wondering.. does nikon lenses fit both analog and digital nikon slr's? I was thinking of buying the nikon d80.

regards, kim
 

Roger Hicks

Member
Joined
May 17, 2006
Messages
4,895
Location
Northern Aqu
Format
35mm RF
Kim Catton said:
I shoot b/w film and most of times I use my Nikon F80. Now... Im going to purchase a digital slr and I am wondering.. does nikon lenses fit both analog and digital nikon slr's? I was thinking of buying the nikon d80.

regards, kim
Click to expand...

Dear Kim,

Yes. I have a D70 as well as several Fs and Nikkormats. Be warned, though, that you lose ALL metering with older (manual) lenses on a D70. Probably with a D80 too, though I don't know.

Cheers,

roger
 

waynecrider

Subscriber
Joined
Feb 8, 2003
Messages
2,574
Location
Georgia
Format
35mm
Since the D80 and any lenses that need to be bought can run high over $1000, you might consider staying with your film camera and instead buying a dedicated film scanner. The Nikon models are highly rated. Remember that you will have a 1.5 focal length factor on lenses in digital.
 

Pavel+

Member
Joined
Sep 9, 2006
Messages
94
Format
Medium Format
The Nikon digital (of which I have several) will work fine with your lenses as long as they are auto-focus and chipped. You lose nothig at all. For lenses with no cpu on board you will lose all metering but can use manual mode and auto focus confirmation. Not worth the bother imho. If the lenses are AI (older manual focus lenses you will not be able to use at all - and they could damage the camera) If you go towards the more pro end of the spectrun then all the lenses will work righ on down to Ai lenses with only the loss of matrix metering. For that and other reasons the D200 at only three hundred dollars more is far more worth buying - over the D80.
Good luck. I've gone the other way. I've had most of the canon digitals and then switched over to the Nikon side two years ago on the strength of the ergonomics which led to a spur of the moment decision to buy an F100.

What the heck was I doing I wondered? Finding true photography as it turns out. This crazy going back, this insane fling - with film has somehow rekindled my love of photography. I think digital has it's strengths - but film sure has it's place and somehow to me anyhow, feels more real, more of a skill.

Nikon's system is great because of the high interchangebility of components and the large used market. Yes, digital is great ... but also to be considered - $1300 could buy you a great nikon coolscan, a good lens or two and a few months of amunition for your new coolscan.
 
OP
OP

Kim Catton

Member
Joined
Feb 28, 2006
Messages
141
Location
Copenhagen,
Format
Medium Format
..

Thanks a lot.. and don't worry... im not switching at all. Its what I do for a living that demands of me to buy a digital camera I only shoot film and I am constantly trying to perfect the art of B/W photography. I simply love the blend of art and chemistry. I would, at any time, prefer film over digital.

regards, kim.
 

snegron

Member
Joined
Jul 31, 2005
Messages
806
Location
Hot, Muggy,
Format
35mm


This is probably the reason I just went out an ordered another Nikon F body yesterday! I also ordered an non AI 50mm 1.4 SC lens to go with it. I'm hoping that I will force myself to use this cool combo without giving in to the temptation of using an older optic with one of my DSLR's. Yes, it can be done, but just love the look and feel of film shot with old Nikon optics. Besides, using older optics on newer cameras just makes me lazy in terms of evaluating exposure, focusing, etc.
 

copake_ham

Member
Joined
Jan 26, 2006
Messages
4,091
Location
NYC or Copak
Format
35mm

Kim,

This is a film site - but I appreciate your dilemma.

With various "compromises" any film Nikkor lens will work on a Nikon DSLR (although really older manuals can be "tough" to use - at least that's the case with my D-70).

Modern "film" AF Nikkors will work fine on a Nikon DSLR - but you need to adjust for the (roughly) 1.5x's lens factor on the focal length.
 

Pavel+

Member
Joined
Sep 9, 2006
Messages
94
Format
Medium Format
Snegron ... which F did you get? I'm currently evaluating different films but especially 400 B&W to see how different the look with regards to grain and tonality is between the F100 I have and the Mamiya 645 AF to see if I want to buy lenses for the Mamiya first or get another F100 (while I drool over the F6 when I sleep) I don't know what to expect yet .... so I'm on hold until I try out the results back to back with these two systems - to see which works better for me. I kind of hope its the 35mm as I like the portability and the use of all my lenses ... but at first impression there really does seem to be a difference worth the extra effort with medium format. So what did you get?
 

snegron

Member
Joined
Jul 31, 2005
Messages
806
Location
Hot, Muggy,
Format
35mm

I ordered an F body (circa 1972, without the Nippon Kogaku logo on the top plate), no prism (I have a standard, non metring prism in near mint condition waiting to be placed on it), a J series focusing screen, and a Nikon 50mm 1.4 S-C, non AI lens. At first I wanted to get the body with the Nippon Kogaku logo on it, but then I thought about it and came to the conclusion that I want to use this new-to-me F as much as possible without thinking about its collectible value. In other words, I plan to use it, not display it on a shelf as a conversation piece!

I have another F with an FTN Photomic meter head. The meter actually works ( I even got the special Wein Cell batteries for it) and the camera feels fantastic. Problem is that it is really heavy, and just carrying around the extra weight for metering purposes is not much fun. I could have just put the standard prism on that body, but I am too excited about this recent F I ordered!

As far as medium format goes, you will see a world of difference with your 645 shots vs your 35mm images. Let me know how it turns out for you. My guess is that you will be astonished by the overall image quality of your 645 negatives.
 

snegron

Member
Joined
Jul 31, 2005
Messages
806
Location
Hot, Muggy,
Format
35mm
Roger Hicks said:
There is only one F...

Cheers,

R.
Click to expand...

Actually there were several variations of the F. I believe that there were many differences on the bodies throughout the production life of the F. The F body was about the same, but small changes on certain parts made some of the F's more desireable than others. There were the first ones without the red dot which could not be used with the metering heads, then there were the ones with the red dot that were produced for a short period of time that could accept the metering heads.

There were many subtle differences that a true F collector (I am not worthy of being called one) can point out in a heartbeat. Look closely at F bodies produced in different years and you will see the variations as well. There was even the Apollo series where the F adopted a small cover on the self timer and film advance crank. These little differences appeal to collectors and have driven the prices of several F bodies through the roof. Don't even get me started on lens and body caps with the Nippon Kogaku logo!

A wealth of information can be found at Richard DeStouts web page, http://homepage.hispeed.ch/destoutz/nikon_f_collection.html

I think he is the true definition of a collector!

I decided to get a late model F. It is a very basic example of the F without too much collector appeal (other than the standard prism which today sells more than the camera itself).
 

Pavel+

Member
Joined
Sep 9, 2006
Messages
94
Format
Medium Format
Now I have to confess that the term "collector" has been in my mind a bit of a derogatory phrase. Is this for the shelf ... or are ya going to do with it ... what it was designed for?
There are so many old bodies at my local camera stores ... the ones I had a hard time affording when I was young: affordable finnaly - so much so, that it is tempting to start to give them a new home ... one by one.

But unfortunately I heard .... that film was dead.
 

snegron

Member
Joined
Jul 31, 2005
Messages
806
Location
Hot, Muggy,
Format
35mm

You are lucky to have local camera stores that have old bodies for sale! Be careful though because there is a very thin line between buying a few old bodies, lenses, and accessories and obsessive collecting!

I set out to buy an old rangefinder (Leica screwmount) for street shooting, but even at the lower prices of today, the F seemed to be a better bargain. Yes, it is louder, built to withstand a nuclear attack, weighs about as much as a Volkswagon, and stands out a bit more, but the lens compatibility and 100% bright viewfinder is worth it!

My idea behind this recent purchase is to go out and shoot available light street shots. Yes, I could have done this with any of my other bodies, but I want to take away the simlicity of relying on meters and autoexposure. I wouldn't be able to do this with my F3HP because it meters in manual mode. It is too tempting to use the outstanding metering of the F3HP to get perfectly exposed shots. Much too easy to switch that dial on the F3HP to "A" for aperture priority mode.

I think of using the meterless F as a photographic workout!

p.s. My apologies to the OP for hijacking the thread!
 

Roger Hicks

Member
Joined
May 17, 2006
Messages
4,895
Location
Northern Aqu
Format
35mm RF
snegron said:
Actually there were several variations of the F.
Click to expand...

OK, there are variations -- but as someone who's been using Fs for 30+ years (and owns five), it's still the F. I may be maligning the other poster but it looked to me very much as if he meant F2, F3 etc. At least one other took it the same way. But if I was wrong, I apologize.

Cheers,

Roger
 

snegron

Member
Joined
Jul 31, 2005
Messages
806
Location
Hot, Muggy,
Format
35mm

I guess it's just a matter of perspective (pun intended). I took it to mean which of the variations of the F I purchased. Remember also that Nikon marketed their F's as a new model everytime they changed a metering head. Their advertisements often showed the "new Nikon Photomic FTn" or whatever other new metering head they chose to add on that particular year. They had the same strategy with the F2 Photomic. It is reasonable to believe that some people might think that you might be purchasing a Nikon F Photomic, a Nikon F Photomic T, a Nikon F Photomic TN, a Nikon F2 Photomic S, etc., when in fact you are purchasing an F or F2 body with whatever prism.
 

Pavel+

Member
Joined
Sep 9, 2006
Messages
94
Format
Medium Format
Roger ... to set the record straigh .. while I know there is an F .... I did take it as you thought and wanted to know if my buddy snegron bought an F or if he meant it in a more generic way and simply meant any nikon with the F something appelation. So you were right - but thats simply the way I read the original post.
 

snegron

Member
Joined
Jul 31, 2005
Messages
806
Location
Hot, Muggy,
Format
35mm
Here is a link to a picture of the F I purchased recently. It's the one in front with the standard prism.

http://www.fredmiranda.com/forum/topic/541472


p.s. Forgot to mention an interesting fact. When I placed the order for the F my intention was to take it out and use it constantly, not just for collecting. Turns out that the serial number on that F begins with 729, the same series as the FTn I own pictured behind it! Apparently both cameras were produced within the same 4 month period at the Nikon plant in Yokohama probaby at the end of 1971, beginning of 1972. To top it off, the 50mm S-C non AI is from about the same period. Too cool! I'll bet if I had been trying to collect F's I would not have been so lucky!
 
Last edited by a moderator:
You must log in or register to reply here.
Menu
Log in
Register
Cookies are required to use this site. You must accept them to continue using the site. Learn more…