Old non-digital lense with Digital Camera?

[fernando_yi1]

Hi guys, I have a 18-55mm lens for my Nikon D50, my dad not knowing I had a

digital bought me a 80-200mm which is just great, now I can have two lenses, but

htere's a problem.

 

He bought me an older model Nikon camera(not sure which one) and the lens goes

with that camera. I put it on my Nikon D50(it fits perfectly) but the camera of

course reads as if there's no lense. Is there a way I could possible by-pass

just by editing in the menus or something so it doesn't check? :x Thanks in advance.

[walterh]

No. You are supposed to buy new AF lenses or a pro-level body :-P

 

Use a hand held light meter or guess exposure and go by trial and error. All 80-200 Nikkor lenses are nice. Post an image of the lens and give the serial number and you get more infos. Have fun.

 

Walter

[adw]

Try setting the lens at 22 (or the highest number, maybe in orange) on the dial nearest the

lens mount. Then try taking a photo.

[jeffrey_kempster]

For this to work on a D50.

 

- Put camera in Manual Mode.

- Choose a f-stop.

- Set this f-stop on the camera and the lens.

- Guess at the shutter speed :)

- Take a picture.

- Make sure you use the histogram on the D50

- Adjust the shutter speed until you get a correct exposure.

 

It is a total PITA, but it does work. The D200 and above can actually use older lens because it has the correct couplings.

[klix]

If it is a manual focus 80-200mm, then, as you have found out, it will mount but not meter with the D50.

 

You have 3 options:

 

1) external meter

 

2) **guess** the exposure, then check the histogram after each shot.

 

3) Get the lens chipped by Rolland Elliott (**IF** this is on the **approved** list).

 

If you want in-camera metering with the D50, you need a lens with electronic contacts, such as AF lenses.

[cameradude]

You should be able to use this lens.

I have the old 80-200mm f/2.8 ED AF Push-Pull that works just fine, set the f/stop to 22 and I can adjust the f/stop with the control dial. Works on both my D50 and D80. Good luck, and let us know if it works!

[sebastianus narendra]

Install an AF chip to that lens, meter and programmed exposure will work. Still need to focus manually tough.

[ShunCheung]

Exactly which 80-200mm lens we are talking about here? Is that the lens you D50 cannot detect?

 

If that 80-200mm zoom is any one of the f2.8 AF version, it should work fine. There is one 80-200mm/f2.8 non-AF, but that is very rare and is a huge lens. Perhaps you have a 80-200mm/f4.5 AI or a 80-200mm/f4 AI-S. Please clarify that first.

[frank uhlig]

What precisely is a "non-digital lense"? To you?

 

A lens in my book is a lens. How do they make "digital lenses" now? Digital tripods? Digital gearbags? I am amused and still wondering, Fernando.

[cameradude]

Frank,

 

A digital lens is a lens, but has been manufactured to be used on a digital SLR camera.

 

I am going to assume Fernando is referring to a lens that was not originally made to be used on a digital camera when he used the term "old non-digital."

 

Digital gear is made to fit just that, digital gear. I would not put a roll of 35mm film in my memory card holder.

 

It seems as though Fernando is on a bit of a learning curve and didn't have the oppurtinity of shooting "old non-digital lenses" since he was 10 years old...

 

I am amused with the digital revolution and its predecessors who have not yet comprehended its real.

[frank uhlig]

Robert,

 

do you mean a "digital lens" is one with a smaller circle of illumination? Labelled DX?

 

Does Canon have digital lenses now for its full frame sensor cameras?

 

That is my confusion. An old film camera lens with a bigger than digitally useful circle of illumination should do all right on a small sensor Nikon, should it not?

 

Except for the "light hitting sensor vertically" requirement of digital sensors in apparent contrast to film which can be "hit" a bit askance and still do alright.

 

So what really is a "non-digital lens"? What is a digital tripod?

 

I am sonewhat afraid that this new lens quality is just a marketing hype. Am I wrong?

 

Especially since the M8 apparently uses the old film Leica lenses and shifts the sensor's microlenses a bit towards the inside of the sensor to make up for the non vertical arriving light rays ... of the "old non-digital lenses".

[klix]

<i>An old film camera lens with a bigger than digitally useful circle of illumination should do all right on a small sensor Nikon, should it not? </i>

<p><p>

From the perspective of a "useful circle of illumination," then the answer is yes. However, as we all know, modern Nikon DSLR's have their idiosyncracies when it comes to compatibilities. To wit:

<p><p>

1) If it is a Nikon 80-200mm NON-AI, do NOT mount it on your D50. Doing so risks DAMAGE to your camera. It may be possible to get this lens AI'd. Once you get it AI'd, see #2 below.

<p><p>

2) If it is a Nikon 80-200mm AI/AI'd/AIS, it will mount on your D50, but not meter. You can check histogram or possibly get the lens chipped. If you get it chipped, see #3 below.

<p><p>

3) If the lens is chipped or is an AF (3 or 4 versions) or AFS (2 versions, counting the 70-200) lens, then your lens should be perfectly fine to mount and meter with the D50.

<p><p>

KL

[walterh]

A digital lens is a lens that is designed to attract digital photons to the sensor. On their way to the sensor these digital photons are guided on dedicated curves (computed by digital computers) so that each digital photon will hit the sensor on exctly the right spot to be detected. You can see that this is completely different from old style lenses that just use old fashioned optics (search for "lenses" in Wikipedia) and have no clue whatsoever about the difference between digital or analog photons :-)

 

Seriously Fernando I guess you got the message the "old" lenses are just fine :-)