cary_chin1 Posted November 10, 2012 Share Posted November 10, 2012 <p>Can the Nikon F3 be used with non AI lenses?</p> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JDMvW Posted November 10, 2012 Share Posted November 10, 2012 <p>In general, this is the easiest source for Nikon lens compatibility:<br /> http://www.nikonians.org/nikon/slr-lens.html</p> <p>Pay attention to the footnotes, it's important to "flip the lever" for the F3</p> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michael R Freeman Posted November 10, 2012 Share Posted November 10, 2012 <p>Yes, but you need to flip up the AI tab. Metering is via the stop-down method, and works in either <strong>A</strong> or <strong>M</strong>anual modes. See photo below...</p><div></div> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bob_sunley Posted November 10, 2012 Share Posted November 10, 2012 <p>If you don't have a manual for one, go here.</p> <p>http://www.mir.com.my/rb/photography/hardwares/classics/nikonf3ver2/f3manual/index.htm</p> <p> </p> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
walter_degroot Posted November 11, 2012 Share Posted November 11, 2012 <p>bob I guess MIR is down. it is really good site<br> try here<br> http://www.butkus.org/chinon/#AGFA</p> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jean_yves_mead Posted November 11, 2012 Share Posted November 11, 2012 <p>That flip-up coupling lever does make it easy to adapt non-AI lenses:<br> <a href=" title="R0032907 by ruby.monkey, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8065/8174521297_505aef563b_o.jpg" width="700" height="525" alt="R0032907"></a><br> (Experimenting with an F-mount Vivitar Series 1, 200mm f/3)</p> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tom_cheshire Posted November 11, 2012 Share Posted November 11, 2012 <p>The F3 is the last Nikon to accept non-Ai lenses. Manual focus Nikon camera anyway.</p> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matthew Currie Posted November 11, 2012 Share Posted November 11, 2012 <p>Just a little note in response to Jean-Yves's Vivitar modification. This is definitely a working solution for pre AI Vivitar lenses (I did much the same with a piece of copper on my 20/3.5), and others whose aperture rings are flush with the mount, but will not work on Nikkors and many others, because the aperture ring extends further back. For those one must mill or file off part of the aperture ring. It's more work, but when done correctly it works well and the remaining un-removed part of the aperture ring works as the AI follower.</p> <p>There are instructions in various places on the web that tell you exactly where the milling must end for different lenses (the step seen in upper left portion of picture) in order to duplicate the AI tab position. Shown is an old 85/1,8 lens milled to AI. Note that part of the rabbit ear base must also be removed. Most AI lenses have the ear base reversed for clearance. </p><div></div> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
c_watson1 Posted November 12, 2012 Share Posted November 12, 2012 <p>"<em>The F3 is the last Nikon to accept non-Ai lenses. Manual focus Nikon camera anyway.</em>"</p> <p>The F5 could be fitted with a flip-up Ai tab by Nikon.</p> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jean_yves_mead Posted November 12, 2012 Share Posted November 12, 2012 Matthew: Looking at a 50mm f/1.4 Nikkor-S on my F3HP, I think it would work just as well as with the Vivitar - the hook is positioned to catch the body's AI indexing tab in its flipped-up position, so no modification to the lens's aperture ring would be necessary. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
andrew_hall1 Posted November 13, 2012 Share Posted November 13, 2012 <blockquote> <p>The F5 could be fitted with a flip-up Ai tab by Nikon.</p> </blockquote> <p>The tab is native to the F4, making it the last film model which doesn't need modification to take pre-Ai lenses .</p> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
c_watson1 Posted November 13, 2012 Share Posted November 13, 2012 <blockquote> </blockquote> <p>"<em>The tab is native to the F4, making it the last film model which doesn't need modification to take pre-Ai lenses</em> ."<br> Whatever. It was a fairly cheap mod but said more about Nikon's devotion to the F-mount than any real need for NAI lenses among F5 shooters in the late 90s. Still, I wonder if it's a possible mod on FX DSLRs?</p> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bebu_lamar Posted December 6, 2012 Share Posted December 6, 2012 <p>I don't think Nikon offer the mod to any DSLR that has the AI coupling. Of course low end DSLR which doesn't have AI coupling can use non AI lenses. </p> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scott_murphy5 Posted February 9, 2013 Share Posted February 9, 2013 <p>Absolutely, all you have to do is flip the meter coupling prong out of the way. The F4 was the last F-series camera which had this feature. You will of course lose full auto metering. I have converted two non-AI lenses to AI using a Dremel and cut off wheel. Not a good idea if you don't have a steady hand. The trick is to make the cutout at the precise position you need. I found it on both by looking at photos of the AI versions of the same lens and then made my cut opposite the f/ number on the AI. Of course you want to take the aperture ring (you have to take off the mount first) because you don't want a bunch of aluminum particles to get inside the lens.</p> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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