Ai AiS lenses on Nikon D3

[zane_yau]

I have been researching on the net and particularly photo.net and found a few

posts in relation to using manual nikkors on cameras like D200, D2X, D3.

 

I am currently wanting to purchase the D3 and have in mind getting the 35 1.4

AIS to go with it.

 

This is my understanding so far and would love your assistance in clarifying

them:

 

 

1. I can mount the lens on D3 without dialling in information like max aperture

value and focal length, I can still use the manual lens with centre weight and

spot metering, but I won?t get any shooting info in the EXIF

 

2. I can enter max aperture value of the lens and its focal length every time I

mount the lens on the body and I will get matrix and EXIF

 

3. I do NOT need to enter the aperture value every time I change the aperture

when I am using the lens and shooting

 

4. No stop down metering, meaning that the viewfinder will not be darken when I

use a smaller aperture.

 

 

I look forward to the exciting release of the D3 and hope that Nikon will

shortly introduce a replacement for the 28 1.4!

 

 

Thanks a lot for your time!

[User_1172872]

I don't have the camera in front of me, (so this might not be 100 per cent accurate) but I have used a D200 a lot. On a D200, the body will "remember" the previously used AI or AIS lens. You don't have to enter new information every time. If you have just one AIS lens you're all set. You can select and set a maximum aperture for each focal length in the menu. You can program one of the "function" buttons on the front of the body, so that when you press that button, you can scroll through the focal lengths with one of the "command dials." The previously entered maximum aperture will appear on the top LCD display togther with the focal length. Once you have reached the right focal length, you can scroll through the possbile maximum apertures with the other dial. You just can't do this with a flash attached and powered on, because the button you need defaults to some flash function in that case. In my opinion, the D200 manual might lead you to think that programming for AI or AIS lenses is very tedious and cumbersome. I think it's a very useful and cleverly designed system. The only thing I'd change, is if one "function" button could be dedicated to setting focal length and aperture only, that would be perfect.

[tonybeach]

1.) Correct.

 

2.) Not quite. Every time you mount an AIS lens the camera will presume that it is the same one you used last time. If it is not and you change the focal length, then the camera will presume that its maximum aperture is the same one you used last time you used that focal length.

 

3.) Correct.

 

4.) Correct.

[juanjo_viagran]

am I wrong or AI and AIS lenses on the D3 are going to work just like they are on the D1 and D2 series (beside no more cropping "issue")..!

[ilkka_nissila]

No, on the D3 (as well as D2 series) you also get matrix metering with them. Very cool.

[bjørn rørslett]

On D200/D2x, it was possible to assign non-CPU lens selection to the Func button in front of the camera. This would work whether or not a flash was connected to the camera and using the command wheels setting up for a new lens would take a few secs at most. I'd be surprised if the newer camera, D3, hasn't kept a similar approach. Some of the first points to check out when I get the my D3 in a few days (even though I probably won't need the feature much since most of my manual lenses are CPU-modified by now).

[juanjo_viagran]

Bjorn, are this from your collection..! ;)

 

 

<img src="http://i215.photobucket.com/albums/cc112/Juanjo_Viagran/BS/AI-Plens.jpg">

 

<img src="http://i215.photobucket.com/albums/cc112/Juanjo_Viagran/BS/AI-Plenses.jpg">

 

PS:

I had a D1X and H and I remember using the camera and getting metering.. was I missing something..?

[david_harris17]

I've been collecting a few Ai, AiS lenses in anticipation of a D3. But, I also picked up a TC-16A, as it works on recent Nikon pro cameras, like the D2X, D2H, and some others. It did not work on my D200.

 

It would be nice to use a pretty decent 1.6 TC with my AiS 300 f/2.8 lens on a D3. Does anyone know if they are going to work together?

 

Dave Harris

[bjørn rørslett]

Juanjo: these lenses belong to Rolland Elliot (I own each of these myself and they are all CPU-modified).

 

With D1x/D1H, you only got centre-weighted and spot metering with non-CPU lenses.

[zane_yau]

thanks a lot for the info so far!

[Peter_in_PA]

Okay,

 

With the excellent low-light handling (as it is reported so far) of the D3, I'd just get the AF

35mm f2... in fact, I'd use the expensive and excellent 2.8 zooms most of the time myself.

Think about it, for the money you're spending on a D3... get the best modern glass...

Anybody have an idea of the image quality difference between the 35mm end of the 17-

35 versus the 35mm fixed lenses?

 

Just another opinion...

 

I'm really curious as to why you want to buy the most expensive Nikon camera and use a

manual focus lens that you have to fiddle with buttons on the camera every time you use

it. Perhaps it's not the best combination for you. Not trying to cause trouble, just want to

help you think about what the best possible purchase for you is... Why do you want/need

a D3, I guess is what I'm asking...

[waltflanagan]

Peter, read Bjorn's site. He updates his lens ratings on digital bodies. Some of those old lenses are just as good or better than the modern equivalents and for people shooting static subjects we don't mind spending 5s to select the lens type. If I set the FUNC button to lens selection it's more like 2s. Even D3 owners are not made of money.

[Peter_in_PA]

I know, Walt. I read Bjorn's site all the time. But the real reason many seem to shoot a lens

like the 35mm f1.4 is extreme low light, really. So, if the camera can do low light so much

better than cameras used to, it seems that the 35mm end of the 17-35 would be a GREAT

way to go... A lens which Bjorn gives even higher marks to than the 35mm f1.4.

 

Also, I wonder when someone says they want to buy the D3. Do they just want top of the

line? Or do they need something that big and powerful and heavy. I remember shooting

parties with the D1. After a few hours, I would have traded it for a D40 (if it existed at the

time) in a heartbeat. this is why so many pros who post here say they shoot with D200s.

 

I'm only trying to give another perspective before we all assume that the OP actually is best

served by what he's asking a question about. Maybe he's not... I guess I think we owe it to

him to at least consider that!

[bjørn rørslett]

Some lenses have a unique "signature" to them, so if you are interested in using such lenses, having the opportunity to deploy them on a D3 is a bonus.

 

Besided that obvious fact, the 17-35 will *not* give as good result as the 35/1.4 when the zoom lens is set to 35mm and f/2.8. At f/2.8, the 35/1.4 is already within its range of peak performance. Similar arguments would apply to other manual-focus lenses.

 

It is true that the new "super-zooms" 14-24 & 24-70, in conjunction with the low-light capability of the D3, give older favourite lenses a hard time. But when it comes to the specialised rendition of such lenses as 28/2, 35/1.4, 50/1.2, 58/1.2 Noct etc. at their widest settings, there is no modern substitute.

[keith_b1]

Peter, I doubt that many who have used it would consider the AF 35/2 in the group of "best

modern glass". Some use and like it, but the 35/1.4@f/2.8+, the 6-element 35/2.8 Ai, or

most likely the new Zeiss 35/2 would all be better performers in general. IMO, of course.

[ilkka_nissila]

Bjorn, no need to check from the camera. The manual is online at nikonusa.com and confirms.