ANY Nikon DSLR bodies (10mp+) that take N/Ai Lenses w/o any modifications?

[ben_hutcherson]

BTW, just for fun, I just had out one of my two lenses mentioned that will fit on bodies with an AI tab(at your own risk).

 

This is the 5.8cm f/1.4, Nikon's first f/1.4 SLR lens. It was available with the F in 1959, but was replaced by the MUCH better 50mm in 1962.

 

I was using this lens on my unforgiving D800.

 

At f/1.4, the lens is loaded with spherical abberation-enough that it has a sort of soft focus effect combined with "swirly" bokeh. It's also quite low contrast.

 

 

It cleans up a fair bit by f/2.8

 

 

And looks great at f/8(but then what lens doesn't).

 

 

On the other hand, I have two fluted focus ring Nikkor-P 105 2.5s that have factory AI conversions(replacement aperture ring). This was considered a "reference" lens for a long time, and it's excellent even on unforgiving cameras like the D800. The amber single coating on the old Nikkors does hamper them somewhat in the sun(use a hood), but it's still excellent. I don't have any example photos to show.

[Andrew Garrard]

Sorry to be late to the party. Just so that Peter is clear: like most Nikon bodies since the F2AS, no Nikon body (including the Df) has an attachment for pre-AI "rabbit ears"; in addition, no Nikon DSLR has the ability to perform stop-down metering (which is how many film Nikons deal with pre-AI lenses). The Df, uniquely, can meter with pre-AI lenses (with its AI follower tab flipped up in the manner of the F2AS, F3, F4 etc.) - but you have to set the aperture concurrently on the camera and on the lens. This sounds annoying to me, but I don't have a Df - I'm just trying to make you feel better about not getting one.

 

With mechanical AI lenses, high-end DSLRs (currently D7000/7100/7200, D500, all the FX bodies - but check the links above) have the same mechanical ring which gets moved around by the lens aperture ring (or specifically the meter coupling ridge on the back of it, introduced on AI lenses) as the F3/4/5... This means the camera can meter.

 

Any recent DSLR without the coupler ring (currently the D7500 is by far the highest end - e.g. most of the rest only have one control dial and have a pentamirror instead of a pentaprism) will work with most pre-AI lenses (exceptions are mostly intrusive lenses due to lack of mirror lock up). You won't meter, though you may get exposure info from shooting in live view and using stop-down metering in that way - which is roughly what a digital mirrorless system will get you. You'll have to set the aperture on the lens (the camera can't control aperture, as with electronic lenses) and set shutter speed manually. If you use the finder, you can still check exposure in image review.

 

So: no perfect compatibility (annoyingly) for pre-AI. Hopefully something you can work with. Failing the D7500, I could believe something like a D5200 would be a good option.

 

Historically, Canon didn't provide focus compensation for purely mechanical lenses, but the metering worked. Nikon were the reverse - the digital rangefinder was fine, but metering wasn't.

 

I'd agree with concerns that many less-recent lens designs are clearly behind state of the art. Many are fine, residually in good conditions, but things have moved on. Unless you're excessively keen on your current glass, a relatively cheap modem zoom will behave as well.

 

Good luck, and I hope that helps.

[funkag]

I'll start by saying that I have really enjoyed using older lenses (John White modified 28mm f3.5, 5.8cm f1.4, 105mm f2.5, and 135mm f2.8 and a 200mm f4 with a Nikon aperture ring update) on my D610 - I've seen excellent results from all of them.

 

A couple of options, short of modifying the pre-ai lenses (something I admittedly have no problem with - unless they are really early - 9 blades, tick marks, Pat. Pending - does any collectability really trump usability?):

 

1. You could dig around the web and see if anyone has NOS Ai aperture rings from Nikon for your particular lenses - that would be a reversible fix that would allow them to be used on just about anything

2. You could buy a Canon 5d or Sony A7 for a few hundred dollars and adapt the lenses. Either would give you a full-frame sensor and accurate metering.

[BeBu Lamar]

Sorry to be late to the party. Just so that Peter is clear: like most Nikon bodies since the F2AS, no Nikon body (including the Df) has an attachment for pre-AI "rabbit ears"; in addition, no Nikon DSLR has the ability to perform stop-down metering (which is how many film Nikons deal with pre-AI lenses). The Df, uniquely, can meter with pre-AI lenses (with its AI follower tab flipped up in the manner of the F2AS, F3, F4 etc.) - but you have to set the aperture concurrently on the camera and on the lens. This sounds annoying to me, but I don't have a Df - I'm just trying to make you feel better about not getting one.

 

With mechanical AI lenses, high-end DSLRs (currently D7000/7100/7200, D500, all the FX bodies - but check the links above) have the same mechanical ring which gets moved around by the lens aperture ring (or specifically the meter coupling ridge on the back of it, introduced on AI lenses) as the F3/4/5... This means the camera can meter.

 

Any recent DSLR without the coupler ring (currently the D7500 is by far the highest end - e.g. most of the rest only have one control dial and have a pentamirror instead of a pentaprism) will work with most pre-AI lenses (exceptions are mostly intrusive lenses due to lack of mirror lock up). You won't meter, though you may get exposure info from shooting in live view and using stop-down metering in that way - which is roughly what a digital mirrorless system will get you. You'll have to set the aperture on the lens (the camera can't control aperture, as with electronic lenses) and set shutter speed manually. If you use the finder, you can still check exposure in image review.

 

So: no perfect compatibility (annoyingly) for pre-AI. Hopefully something you can work with. Failing the D7500, I could believe something like a D5200 would be a good option.

 

Historically, Canon didn't provide focus compensation for purely mechanical lenses, but the metering worked. Nikon were the reverse - the digital rangefinder was fine, but metering wasn't.

 

I'd agree with concerns that many less-recent lens designs are clearly behind state of the art. Many are fine, residually in good conditions, but things have moved on. Unless you're excessively keen on your current glass, a relatively cheap modem zoom will behave as well.

 

Good luck, and I hope that helps.

 

The way the Df deal with pre AI lenses is OK for A mode but for M mode is very troublesome. You have to turn the sub command dial to meter then set the aperture on the lens. With A mode you set both to the same aperture and then forget it. Well I would even intentionally set them at different aperture to create the exposure compensation.

[peter_arbib1]

Using a focus aid stopped down is not a big deal, did it with my Fuji X-E2,

I have a Minolta III meter, so, I don't expect to use a meter in a DSLR.. just like how I meter with my Nikon F and F2 with the DE-1 pentaprisms

 

If I could find the Ai kits, I would change out the mount... just don't want to cutaway the mount bob whites way... not as a collector, just not my style for a modifier.

[ben_hutcherson]

If I could find the Ai kits, I would change out the mount... just don't want to cutaway the mount bob whites way... not as a collector, just not my style for a modifier.

 

I DO NOT like milled aperture rings. I have two lenses with them, but both were bought already that way. One is a 55mm 1.2, and the other a 45mm 2.8 GN.

 

The Nikon rings are nice, although can be hard to find for the more popular lenses. There are some NOS ones out there. Another option is to find an otherwise junked lens with a factory ring.

 

I am an unapologetic collector, and at the end of the day I LOVE the look of an original fluted non-AI ring on a chrome nose, fluted focus lens sitting on an F or early F2. I have a pretty nice range of non-AIs-ranging from 20mm to 200mm-and have been known to go out with nothing but an F or F2 and those lenses. I am still keeping my eyes open for an F2sb so that I can have the best coupled meter for non-AI lenses.

[Andrew Garrard]

Peter: if you don't care about metering at all, then any recent DSLR without an aperture follower should do you (but since you're talking about the F2, I need to clarify that I don't consider the D70 to be "recent"). Pick whichever feels best within your budget. Though the histogram on image review is probably still going to be useful.

 

BeBu: Aperture priority on the Df is fine so long as that means you never change aperture? I still adjust aperture shot-by-shot in aperture priority to control depth of field. The system works, but it's one of my least favourite parts of the Df design - I really don't understand why they didn't just implement stop-down metering. Unless they just couldn't because they used the D610's shutter mechanism and it doesn't allow decoupled aperture lever movement?

[Matthew Currie]

Where milling is concerned I'm at the other end of the spectrum from Ben Hutcherson. Almost everything I have is at or below "bargain" grade, and most of my pre-AI lenses were very cheap, largely because they're of no interest to collectors. If someone did not already hack the rings, I'll do it - I flatter myself that my milling is a little neater than most of what I've seen out there, and if the lens makes any decent images on my D7100, its value has gone up.

[JDMvW]

pre-AI lenses were very cheap, largely because they're of no interest to collectors.

 

Speak for yourself:)

But the pre-AI are cheaper, thank goodness, for those of us who still use F2 and earlier bodies. And they also work in stop-down mode on EOS cameras with an inexpensive adapter. If the Df had been available in 2004, I probably would never have gone to the Dark Side.

 

Stop-down on any camera-- non AI PC-Nikkor 35mm f/2.8 on Canon

[Andrew Garrard]

Stop-down on any camera-- non AI PC-Nikkor 35mm f/2.8 on Canon

 

Oh - no aperture lever? I suppose that makes sense.

 

I too have a couple of tilt-shifts which I have to stop-down meter on my D810: a 65mm f/3.5 Hartblei Super-Rotator that I acquired with an EF mount, and a 35mm f/2.8 Kiev tilt/shift. I used to have a Peleng 8mm fish-eye for Canon, which had a similar stop-down mechanism.

 

I also have a 58mm Petzval, which would be stop down if there was anything to stop down. It has drop-in Waterhouse stops.

 

So you could get a pre-AI lens to work better on a Nikon by filing off its aperture lever so that the aperture ring was the only thing controlling the aperture. Somehow I doubt this is what Peter wants to do, though!

[peter_arbib1]

Well, I might get them filed down... there are not collectors, but, the 1971 35mm f/2 Nikkor O, 1972 50mm f/1.4 Nikkor S chrome nose, and the 1971 105mm f/2.5 Nikkor P (scalloped medal focusing ring and f/32) are classics though.

 

Thinking I might go that road if I get a Nikon DSLR...but I would have to up my budget to the $450-600 range

[Matthew Currie]

JDMvW, I'm reminded of an old Beyond the Fringe skit about a miner (who could not become a judge because he did not have the Latin) remarking "I',not saying you get a load of fools down the mine, I'm not saying that. I'm just saying we've got a load of fools down MY mine." I'm not saying pre-AI lenses aren't collectible. I'm just saying mine are not!

 

By the way, the pre- AI 35/2.8 PC remains my favorite normal lens on DX. I keep thinking I ought to get one of those fancy newfangled AFS ones, but fear I might be disappointed.

[JDMvW]

By the way, the pre- AI 35/2.8 PC remains my favorite normal lens on DX.

 

This lens was why I went to Nikon ca. 1971, and also the reason for my getting a "full-frame" Canon EOS 5 camera in 2000-something.

[Ian Rance]

As my local photographic shop mainly stocks non-Ai lenses, I have grown to appreciate them as I see so many of them. However as you say, using them these days can be a challenge. I did cut down an aperture ring once then looked at the result – which even though I milled it true, looked nothing like a proper factory ring conversion with its proper aperture marks. So now I either use my Df or look out for a factory ring. Using the Df method sounds long winded, however once you get used to it then it’s no trouble really. I have had some wonderful results on that camera with the 135mm f/2.8 Nikkor-Q and I am completely satisfied.

 

I just looked at the Df online to see prices today – but am surprised to see used bodies selling for more than what I paid new a couple of years ago. May be the weak £. I know the Df is not liked by many, but I absolutely love what I get from it and how it works – could have been personally designed for me! For most old non-Ai Nikkors the sensor seems to enjoy the challenge and the results are clean and open looking.

 

I have 24mm f2.8, 35mm f2.8, 50mm f2, 135mm f2.8 and 200mm f4.

[robert_bouknight1]

Although some of them do not perform as well as modern glass, my favorite Nikkors are the "C" multi coated lenses from the early 70's, but still with metal focusing rings. With a little patience, I have been able to put together a good set of these all with the factory AI ring, mostly from Ebay, all reasonably priced.

 

A few older lenses such as the 5.8CM/1.4 are not readily available with factory AI rings, so I found a user grade one and had it milled. I do like using that lens on occasion, people render nicely with the 5.8 on a D3s, set at around f2-2.8.

 

From a pure collector standpoint, I suppose my converted lenses are not original, but another viewpoint would be that they might be "rarer" than the originals. On the other hand, I see no reason for not milling more worn user grade lenses so that they can continue to be used. I would not mill really nice older lenses, though, especially the early ones. Most of the common older lenses are inexpensive enough to have one both original and milled, though there seems to have been something of an uptick on older lens pricing in the last couple of years.

[ben_hutcherson]

Most of the common older lenses are inexpensive enough to have one both original and milled, though there seems to have been something of an uptick on older lens pricing in the last couple of years.

 

Relatively speaking, there are a few lenses that still seem to bring strong prices. The 5.8cm is one of those.

 

I actually looked for mine for a while. I ended up paying ~$300 for a nice 6.4 million F with the 5.8cm included and a few other early odds and ends. Unfortunately, as nice as the F was, it had an FTN and was "cut" to fit it.

 

Cutting parts of cameras or lenses seems to be the bane of early Nikon collectors :) . I haven't looked in depth at how that part of the camera is attached but it seems to be pretty deep. Sitting a few feet from me is another 6.4 F that is jammed solid. It does, however, have a flag photomic and is uncut. If I could change the mask from this camera to the nicer one, I'd do it in a second. One thing for sure-if I can't get this one fixed, the flag photomic IS going on the other low SN camera.

[robert_bouknight1]

For the OP, do you have a Nikon F-Fuji adapter to use the lenses the X-E2 that I think you have? I don't know how well adapted manual lenses work on Fuji cameras.

 

I have had less than perfect success using my manual focus lenses on Nikon FX cameras. Especially with faster wide angle and normal lenses on high res bodies (D8XX) at open apertures, it seems difficult for me to get perfect focus with either the electronic rangefinder or the focusing screen. I do much better with Teles. Live view works for accuracy but is just too slow & awkward.

 

My manual focus hit rate with a D3s seems a little higher VS D8XX, but still perfect plane of focus results are probably less for me than with the equivalent AF lens. Maybe one of these days I will get one of the aftermarket focusing screens to try. The focus screen in the Df is supposed to be better, maybe it is good enough, I have not tried one.

 

I do have a Sony A7 that I would say is better for use with manual focus than Nikon bodies I have, but, after trying the A7, I don't think the Sony system has enough appeal for me to jump ship. I do like some of the mirrorless system features such as magnified viewfinder focus with manual focus lenses.. Hopefully, Nikon's rumored mirrorless will be better for me than the Sony system.

[peter_arbib1]

I did own an XE-2 with an FX to Nikon adapter when I owned a 24 and 50 with my FM2n

 

Then I sold it and got a X100T, then I I needed to sell that to pay for a car repair :(

 

I had an F2 and DP-1 that both needed a service... so after I recovered from the car repair financially, Off to Sover Wong both went.

 

I then decided to add a few more lenses for the F2, and bought a 28/3.5 Ai, 35/2 O, and 105/2.5 P plus a DE-1 for the F2 :D

 

I just bought a black paint 1967 Nikon F body, an using an F2 DW-1 w/o the name plate

 

I considered another XE-2, but, the X-Pro 2 I really like, (similar to the X100T with interchangeable lenses and a newer sensor), but the used price is still too high :(

 

So I have been considering a used Nikon DSLR, FX or DX... but, seems like focusing may be an issue with some lenses, and focusing screens are not made like the SLR screens AFAIK..

 

Then someone suggested a Canon 5D with a cheap adapter, apparently they have better manual focusing with non-AF lenses (lol)

 

NIkons rumored FX mirrorless sound like a $1.2K to $2k camera..... out of my few hundred dollar range......

 

Some suggested the D700.... but again, out of my budget, o_O

[Andrew Garrard]

Then someone suggested a Canon 5D with a cheap adapter, apparently they have better manual focusing with non-AF lenses (lol)

 

Just to be clear, you'll want a version with a integrated dandelion chip, because unlike Nikon bodies, Canon don't enable the electronic focus aids unless there's an electronic lens attached. I always found it weird that, with a fully manual lens on the wrong body, Canon won't focus and Nikon won't meter... The adaptors don't seem all that cheap (first hunt on B&H was about $80).

 

You can, I believe, get replacement focus screens for a 5D. But it's a truly ancient camera these days, and much more frustrating to use than something more recent.

 

If you're on a budget I'd honestly just get something like a D3200, if you can live with the crop. If the finder frustrates you, switch to live view for precise focus. If you need full frame then I think you're stuck with the D700 or D6x0 as an entry point, but then we're back to needing to modify the lenses.

[peter_arbib1]

Just to be clear, you'll want a version with a integrated dandelion chip, because unlike Nikon bodies, Canon don't enable the electronic focus aids unless there's an electronic lens attached. I always found it weird that, with a fully manual lens on the wrong body, Canon won't focus and Nikon won't meter... The adaptors don't seem all that cheap (first hunt on B&H was about $80).

 

You can, I believe, get replacement focus screens for a 5D. But it's a truly ancient camera these days, and much more frustrating to use than something more recent.

 

If you're on a budget I'd honestly just get something like a D3200, if you can live with the crop. If the finder frustrates you, switch to live view for precise focus. If you need full frame then I think you're stuck with the D700 or D6x0 as an entry point, but then we're back to needing to modify the lenses.

 

most likely.......

[orsetto]

Nice set of manual focus Nikkors you've accumulated!. The 35mm f/2.0 Nikkor-O is one of my personal favorites: it almost never leaves my F2AS or D700. That lens, plus the 105mm f/2.5 and 28mm f/3.5, perform quite nicely on full-frame (FX) digital. Your 50mm f/1.4S and 24mm f/2.8 are also good, but tend to require more careful technique to get the most out of. Having been on this "how do I use my precious MF Nikkors with digital" treadmill myself for 11 years, I've learned a few things that might be of interest.

 

First off: try to commit to just one digital platform, whether its Fuji, Canon, Nikon, or Sony. This decision is separate from whether you also use your Nikkors on Nikon film bodies: there is no consistent advantage to using manual Nikkors on Nikon digital bodies (unless you're willing to splurge for a Nikon full-frame body that actually acknowledges a manual Nikkor is attached to it). Using more than one digital brand successfully is a hat trick not many of us can pull off: the differences in menu systems, sensor response, and raw/jpeg file output can drive you nuts.

 

The rest is just narrowing things down until you find the best combination of gear at a price you can afford. Honestly the best deal going right now for those who really want to shoot the hell out of manual Nikkors is the D700. Prices dropped thru the floor after the D850 ticked most of the boxes original D700 owners were seeking in a replacement body. While "old tech", the D700 still has some notable tricks up its sleeve. For one thing, it was perhaps the first and last DSLR that Nikon poured every possible resource into, with no BS compromises. The company was blindsided by Canon's success with the FX format 5D. So the D700 was and remains a beautifully overbuilt "halo" camera, meant to combat the dinky 5D with every conceivable professional feature (and AF speed thats STILL competitive with the big boys ten years later). The D700 is the only digital body I've ever picked up that instantly transmitted the assurance and "pro" vibe of the F and F2 film bodies: very appealing if you still shoot a lot of film with those. Paradoxically, the downside to the D700 is that same robustness. The camera is so ridiculously huge and heavy it isn't even funny: sit it next to an F2AS, and it makes the F2 look like an Olympus OM1. The D700 is a big, fat, heavy, noisy camera that can be awkward for those with small hands.

 

BUT: it is absolutely killer with manual focus Nikkors. The 12MP FX sensor just plays really nice with most of them, masking their flaws and enhancing their good qualities. Baseline color output is more compatible with the old Nikkors than any subsequent Nikon until the brand new D850 (the D600 was ghastly, the D750 barely better, the D800/D810 unpredictable). The D700 is extremely friendly to manual Nikkors, with full AI meter coupling for aperture-priority / manual modes and electronic < o > focus range indicators. The viewfinder is high eyepoint with good diopter range and a big bright focusing screen. There is no better camera for manual Nikkors in the current $600 price range of a used D700.

 

The only "gotcha" is the same as with all the better Nikon DSLRs: you cannot use non-AI lenses until you get them modified to AI (via genuine Nikon replacement rings or filing cuts into the original). Original update rings are almost impossible to find now, and expensive when you do. Modifying the non-AI ring is usually the only option, and works just as well (actually better if you want to preserve the original pre-AI appearance: many of the Nikon AI replacement rings don't match nicely). Avoid using the tacky white add-on label strips for the second-row aperture numbers: it looks terrible and the stupid "aperture direct readout" feature isn't used by any digital body (it never worked worth a damn anyway even on the film bodies).

 

As many other replies told you, most of the lower-end Nikon DX (APS-C, ie. Fuji-sized-sensor) bodies can mount non-AI lenses without having to modify them. But I would argue that today, don't bother: the DX bodies are so inhospitable in every other way there's no point. Ten years ago, the cheapest Nikon body with full manual Nikkor compatibility cost double or triple the price of "amateur" DX bodies, so we made do and tolerated all the compromises of those DX bodies. Today it isn't necessary: a used "cheap" D700 is staggeringly better. Sure, you could pick up a D40 or D3100 for peanuts and directly mount your non-AI lenses: but you'll hate it. The tiny murky viewfinders are impossible for manual focus, the single focus-confirmation light is too imprecise, and the complete lack of meter coupling is a nightmare. Guessing the manual exposure and chimping gets tedious, and the manual Nikkors can render weird colors on non-coupled bodies for reasons I've yet to fathom. Finally, some of the DX sensors don't "play well" with older Nikkors: many of those lenses have a performance spread optimized for the full frame (when cropped, their supposed "sweet spot" isn't so sweet).

 

If you have a deep affinity for the Fuji APS-C system, and expect it to become your primary digital system, you should probably not waste any money on a Nikon DSLR at all. Just save your money until you can afford your preferred Fuji, then use your MF Nikkors on that instead.The Fuji has no mechanism that can be fouled by your non-AI lenses, so no need or expense to modify them. The live-view viewfinder makes focus and exposure more convenient and precise than any Nikon DX body (and even beats the D700 in some cases). If you think you may not go Fuji after all, but don't like the D700 either, there are "budget" alternatives edging closer to the D700 price range. Wait another couple months, and prices for used Canon 6D and Sony A7II bodies will drop below $900.

 

Forget the old 5D or 5DII: they have usability and sensor issues. The newer, compact Canon 6D strangely has a better-performing 20MP full-frame sensor than any other Canon, which works quite nicely with manual Nikkors and gives the D700 sensor serious competition. The focus screen can be user-changed to an optional special coarser Canon screen designed specifically for manual focusing (better than the fixed D700 screen). If that isn't enough help, choose a Nikon>Canon adapter with a chip that activates the Canon focus confirmation light. The 6D will meter with MF Nikkors, but the aperture mechanics aren't connected so the viewfinder will darken as you stop the lens down. If you can handle that, I've seen many incredible 6D photos made with non-AI Nikkors.

 

The Sony A7II is a compact, full-frame variation on the Fuji mirrorless concept. It has all the focus and exposure advantages of live-view viewfinder, combined with 24MP full-frame format. The Sony A7 series is a breeze to use with manual-focus lenses: not just Nikkors but ANY lens you like (Pentax, Canon, Minolta, Konica- the choice is limitless). The A7II was rather pricey until the recent A7III announcement, now its begun a steep decline. There are compromises, however: the body handling isn't great, the menu interface would give Einstein a headache, battery life is terrible, and some people find the output colors difficult to work with (similar to Nikon D600 and D750). The Sony is geek paradise if you can groove with it, but definitely an acquired taste.

[peter_arbib1]

@orsetto

Thanks for such a thoughtful reply, You have touched on all the different issues w/o a doubt.

 

I have used Fuji as my digital before, I had the XE-2 for a few years, then went to the X100T.

So, If I decide to go with a digital again, I'd get a used X-Pro 2 for my Nikkors.

A used Nikon DSLR is too crippled. The X-Pro 2 has great "focus peaking with a magnified image" and the live view is great also.

 

I have picked my Nikkors carefully, for performous and sharpness, not speed in most cases.

It is good to have a couple of fast lenses in usable focal lengths though. (35mm f/2 "O", 50mm f/1.4 "S")

[Matthew Currie]

I would go along with most of the above, but must say that I found the lowly D3200 worked very nicely with some of the old manual lenses, if you don't mind the diminished field of view. There are a few one does not wish to convert, and a few that are very difficult because the flanges are not easily removed. A DK-21M eyepiece magnifier helps the cheesy viewfinder a good deal, and the image quality is really very good. It's relatively crippled by DSLR standards, but it depends on what you compare it with. Think of it as a meterless Nikon F, maybe. In exchange for the full size sensor and the grand viewfinder, you get 1/3 stop shutter, switchable ISO and color balance, and instant feedback. It's a pretty cheap way to go compared to some.

[orsetto]

The smaller older "low-end" Nikon DSLR bodies like D40, D40x, D3100 and D3200 are a bargain currently, selling on average for well under $200. If you are the type of photographer who can thrive within their limitations, as Matthew Currie described, they can be an interesting digital platform for manual non-AI lenses. Many of us manual-Nikkor fans certainly cut our teeth on them when there was no affordable alternative (in 2009 the D300 was $1799, D700 was $3199). But they really do suck the joy out of using manual lenses for most people: they were optimized to be whiz-bang auto-everything wonders using AFS lenses. The difference in their image files when using AFS Nikkors vs manual Nikkors is brutally stark: unless you have time to make multiple shots at multiple white balance, exposure and focus brackets you're gonna be disappointed more often than not. They are a lot more effort, without a predictable payoff: some people have great luck and symbiosis with this combo, many don't.

 

OTOH, these bodies are cheap enough now that one really has nothing to lose by auditioning one with their manual Nikkors. Prices have completely bottomed out, so the most you could lose is $50 after you play with it for a month or two. I should add that these bodies are still AMAZING to use with AFS lenses: my ancient 6MP D40 with the kit zoom or 35mm f/1.8 DX Nikkor is still my go-to family, event and casual travel camera. Auto exposure, AF and white balance are spot-on in nearly every shot. I lent it to my in-laws when they took a trip to Italy recently, and the pics are stunning viewed on a 60" LCD television. Plus, the tiny lightweight bodies have excellent ergonomics: if Nikon could stuff a full-frame sensor into one of these, it would be a dream.

 

Speaking again of full-frame, I just checked prices on the D700 and it looks like that may have bottomed out as well. I patiently waited ages for them to drop under $1000, and grabbed mine for $800 a couple years ago. Today, the "sold" database on the big auction site showed at least a dozen nice ones changed hands this month for under $450. At that price, the D700 pretty much annihilates any other "budget" platform for manual Nikkor lenses: heck, just file down the plastic AI metering tab on the D700 lens mount and your "custom non-AI optimized" D700 would be cheaper than AI-modifying a handful of non-AI lenses individually (while still working with AI lenses too). Things we would never consider with a $1000 camera become more feasible on a $400 camera.

Edited March 15, 2018 by orsetto

[Matthew Currie]

An interesting take but I would note two things:

 

First, watch out with a pre-AI lens, or one only partially converted to work on AI bodies, on a low end body whose minimum aperture tab is moved sideways rather than down. D40 60, and anything newer than a D3000 is OK, but not others, including the low end AF film bodies. Many non-factory AI conversions do not include the necessary cutting for this, as I think the only AI cameras that use it are a few manual focus film bodies that offered program and S modes. Since that minimum aperture switch is only used now for chipped lenses that have an aperture ring, and ignored by both AIS and manual lenses, I suppose you could just file it down. Some old lenses clear it anyway, or come very close, but others don't at all and threaten to break it. It might be possible to lower it and still retain function for older AF lenses, but if not you'll be unable to use an AF lens with an aperture ring.

 

Second, while grinding down the AI tab on the camera sounds like an ingenious way to get it to run pre-AI lenses, I'm guessing it would also bypass milled ring conversions, a small inconvenience if you have any lenses that are converted that way.