Old macro lens in D80

[tze_leung_ho]

I want to buy an old macro lens for my digital D80. Would the non-digital

macro lens still produce 1:1 ratio? Do I need to do any conversion?

 

I'm new to the phtography. What non-digital macro lens is best fit for D80?

 

Thanks

[discordianist1]

I dont quite understand what you mean by 1:1 ratio, but I use my old tamron macro zoom 28-55mm (3.5-32F) with D80 without any problems so far. Except the need of lightmeter :) As D80 aint capable of metering light with old manual lenses.

[bjørn rørslett]

If the "macro" lens goes to 1:1 (life-size), it will continue to do so on a DSLR. No conversion is required, of course. Magnification is a scale not an area.

[ShunCheung]

Right, 1:1 merely means the size of the image on the sensor is the same size as the subject. The size/format of the sensor doesn't affect whether it is 1:1 or not, but the smaller DX sensor means a smaller (portion of the) subject can be covered.

[tommyinca]

There are many good and in cases better older macro lens prior to DSLR that does 1:1 without any adapters. To name a few examples, with AF and meter for the D80 Tamron's 90/2.8, MF without meter for D90, Kiron/Vivitar 105/2.8 and Vivitar 90/2.8. At 50-60mm FL, there is Vivitar/Elicar 55/2.8. There is a 60mm f2.8 made by Tomioka that properly could be found in F mount as well.

[ronald_moravec1]

Look in your instruction book for non CPU lenses. You can meter in certain modes like aperture priority.

[ShunCheung]

The D80 cannot meter with non CPU lenses in any mode: you'll have none of matrix, center weighted, and spot.

[photo5]

Shun,

 

I don't need metering when shooting with non CPU lenses on my D80. I use the rear LCD as a guide, and shoot in RAW format. Anyone with basic photography skills can do this.

 

Dave

[klix]

First, you have to define what you mean by "old." If it is a manual focus only lens, it will NOT meter with your D80. As others have said, there are ways around this, but since you are new to photography, I would suggest getting a lens that allows in-camera metering with the D80. This means getting an autofocus lens.

 

Second, you have to identify what type of macro you want to shoot. That will determine the focal length -- in general, around 60mm or 90-105mm or 200mm, although there are others. A good general purpose macro lens would be something in the 90-105mm.

 

Third, since you specifically asked about "old," I assume there is some budget constraint. Don't know what your actual limit is, but you might want to take a look at the Tamron 90mm or the Tokina 100mm as a starting point.

 

Good luck.

 

KL

[ShunCheung]

Dave, whether you need metering or not is your individaul choice. My earlier post was in response to the incorrect information from Ronald Moravec:

"<I>

Look in your instruction book for non CPU lenses. You can meter in certain modes like aperture priority.</I>"

[photo5]

It's too bad that people on this board are discourging others from using non-CPU lenses on Nikon digital cameras. This is one of the wonderful things about the Nikon system in that the basic lens mount hasn't changed since 1959, and that any lens made after 1975 can be used on any Nikon dSLR body.

 

Saying things like "it will NOT meter with your D80" could make new Nikon shooters wary of using manual focus lenses on a D80.

 

The original poster CAN use manual focus lenses on their D80. It WILL work just fine, provided they use the camera in manual mode, and use the read LCD monitor as a guide for correct exposure. Shoot in RAW+JPG mode. Go out shoot some images and LEARN about your camera. Don't live in fear of using a non-CPU lens like some of the posters say.

 

Enjoy your D80. Use any lens you want.

 

Dave

[klix]

<i>Saying things like "it will NOT meter with your D80" could make new Nikon shooters wary of using manual focus lenses on a D80. -- Dave Lee</i>

<p><p>

1) It's a STATEMENT OF FACT. Whether or not it makes others wary is not the point.

 

2) The OP is new to photography. To talk about checking histograms to gauge whether or not his guessed-at metering was accurate to would do A LOT MORE to make a newbie wary to begin with.

 

3) For a newbie, it is better to trust the in-camera metering for now, and develop those instincts and techniques. Once they are honed to a sufficient level, then begin to explore other techniques such as checking the histogram.

 

But, to each his own.

[ShunCheung]

As we have learned from this thread:

http://www.photo.net/bboard/q-and-a-fetch-msg?msg_id=00KgwF, suggesting that the D80 "works" with virtually all AI/AI-S lenses is fairly misleading. Saying that you can get some sort of metering (other than the histogram) from that combo is simply wrong.

 

Clearly auto focusing and metering are merely optional features. Large-format view cameras have no built-in meter and there have been a lot of happy users, from Ansel Adams and on. We should state the facts and let people decide for themselves whether those missing features are important to them or not.

[photo5]

Yes Shun, it will work, you do not need to use the histogram. I never use that. By working I mean you can get an exposure and check it using the rear LCD. Even a beginner can do this. Have some faith in people.

 

The exposure setting for the Seattle area on any given day with ISO 200 film is 1/125 at f8. Try it sometime.

 

This isn't misleading information, it is fact. If people are unable to understand it, they should stay with auto everything point and shoot cameras. Fortunately, the majority of people here understand my point.

 

Dave

[work-page]

Don't know about the D80 specifically, but my D50 will not do iTTL flash with non-cpu lenses. I suspect the D80 is not much different.. So, you'd have to go full manual there as well.