Auto Vivitar Telephoto 400/6.3: Minolta to Nikon DSLR?

<p>I have just picked up this 70s era lens for a song: I'm talking Starbucks and a scone. Its in great shape a in all respects and is in Minolta mount.</p>

<p>Is this a T-4 lens?</p>

<p>Cann it be adapted for use on a Canon or Nikon DSLR?</p>

<p>a t4 or tx lens will have two features<br>

1) a double set of f stops<br>

2) a bump on the side with O C<br>

and a small silver colored tab<br>

it is only a little tricky to exchange lens mounts.<br>

a t4 was designed and sold before full auto cameras<br>

bnut will work with them. still usable.</p>

<p>A picture would be of great help. especially of the mount parts.</p>

<p>As a general rule, Minolta is among the least easy mounts to adapt to anything else ( see http://www.bobatkins.com/photography/eosfaq/manual_focus_EOS.html ). Adaptation is not practical for either Nikon nor Canon EOS since the flange-register (distance from mount to film-sensor plane) is less than either Nikon or EOS.</p>

<p> </p>

<p>Ok, now I have had a more thorough look at the whole lens:</p>

<p>Twisted a knutrled ring at the most rear portion of the lens barrel and the while Minolta mount fell out! Put it back and removed it several times . . .so its adaptable to other camera systems.</p>

<p>What is this Vivitar adapter system called, and can I get mounts for Nikon or Canon?</p>

<p>I have a Vivitar 400/5.6 that is a TX mount, and I'm guessing that the 6.3 will be an earlier T4 mount. I also have an old T4 mount lens with a Nikon mount, and both types of adapters for Minolta, so I can play with them a bit.</p>

<p>The Minolta TX adapter has five sets of F stop numbers in different colors on it, with various dots and notches that must be lined up to correspond with the correct lens. It's not terribly easy to get this one together without trial and error. The T4 adapter is unnumbered, and only goes together one way. </p>

<p>The Nikon T4 adapter is pre-AI, and because there are no moving parts at the very end of the barrel, it is not readily adaptable to AI modification. It can, however, be mounted on an AI camera and will not damage the AI tab. So if you can mount an uncoupled lens such as a T mount or mirror lens, and either stop down meter or do without the meter, it should work. I think the TX adapter was AI compatible, but I don't have one to look at.</p>

<p>You can mount a T4 adapter on a TX lens, but not vice versa, though I have not looked closely at why this is. </p>

<p>If I recall correctly, these were T-4 mount lenses so you should be able to remove the Minolta mount and replace it with a Nikon F one. The problem you may run into is the T4 mount may be a pronged mount and may not mount on your camera if it has the meter coupling prong that is concentric withe mount like the D700. For a consumer grade lens, it was really not a bad performer, but like any long lens of that type, it has some moderate problems with CA.</p>

<p>For those that are still wondering, and I do have this lens w/Nikon T-4 adapter, the D700 will read/meter light without any issues. It works like a charm when you set up your lens in non-CPU category. Agree with Scott, for the amount you pay, it's a decent lens....kind of light needy, though.</p>

<p>Les</p>