6 ms·

All of these things are true, but to get good quality glass for a new digital camera would cost much more than I have to spend. I can also get very high quality

by RUG3Y 10y ago

All of these things are true, but to get good quality glass for a new digital camera would cost much more than I have to spend. I can also get very high quality glass for obsolete cameras for next to nothing. I'm not a film apologist - digital is awesome, and for most use cases, superior. If I were a working photographer, I'd definitely be shooting digital. For artistic photography though, on a hobbyist level, I'm fine with film. When I need a digital camera, I have a pretty decent sensor built into my phone that I can use.

angry_octet 10y ago
I don't understand why you can't use old glass on a new digital body? The only 'problem' is that the smaller sensor means that the old glass is effectively longer. In practice it means that some of the old glass gives beautiful results because you are only using the centre part of the lens, resulting in less distortion.
- dragonwriter 10y ago
  > I don't understand why you can't use old glass on a new digital body? While certain of the new digital bodies are compatible with certain older film bodies and can use the same lenses and accessories, that's not universally the case, AFAIK.
  - ptaipale 10y ago
    As a rule, new DSLRs by major manufacturers (Canon, Nikon) can use the old lenses of the brand. Not always all of them, but an impressive amount of them. Even the newest Nikon cameras can use F-mount lenses from 1959. Some of the metering modes are not available in some or all cameras. Some cheaper digital cameras cannot autofocus with lenses that don't have built-in autofocus motor. http://www.kenrockwell.com/nikon/nikortek.htm http://www.kenrockwell.com/nikon/nikortek.htm Canon DSLRs can use old EF lenses (since 1987). Olympus OM lenses (since 1972) can be mounted to Olympus (and other) Four Thirds cameras using an adapter. Also, ancient M42 lenses (since 1949) can be connected to most modern DSLRs using adapters.
    - cguess 10y ago
      > Some cheaper digital cameras cannot autofocus with lenses that don't have built-in autofocus motor. Unless the camera system had autofocus in the body (which, as far as I've been experienced with, really only is medium format bodies) the lens always has had autofocus. Canon, Nikon etc. The problem is that a lot of adapters for old lenses only feed mechanical (if even) instructions to the lens, for aperture and the like, and don't send over autofocus instructions. Luckily manual focus will work just fine.
      - rangibaby 10y ago
        Nikon lenses have only had autofocus motors since about ~2000 (which is not a long time ago in terms of lenses). Nikon's compatibility with old lenses is quite stunning. They did one major change to their mount in the 70s but every mid-range or highrr camera since then has had 100% compatibility with any lens. Metering, aperture control, everything. The AF system still works too. You just have to use your hand as the AF motor and the camera will give you an indication when it thinks focus is correct.
      - ptaipale 10y ago
        Nikon AF lenses (which came to market in 1986) don't have built-in autofocus motor; the motor is in the camera body. Those days they were the film cameras, but also modern DSLR cameras have the motor (with the exception of cheapest consumer DLRs, i.e. the D3000 and D5000 series).
- RUG3Y 10y ago
  You can sometimes use old glass, but there are a lot of downsides. A lot of modern cameras put image stabilization in the lens. Old lenses can't autofocus, and that is crippling on some cameras. Also some meters and sensors don't necessarily work with the old lenses.

by RUG3Y 10y ago

angry_octet 10y ago

I don't understand why you can't use old glass on a new digital body? The only 'problem' is that the smaller sensor means that the old glass is effectively longer. In practice it means that some of the old glass gives beautiful results because you are only using the centre part of the lens, resulting in less distortion.

dragonwriter 10y ago
> I don't understand why you can't use old glass on a new digital body? While certain of the new digital bodies are compatible with certain older film bodies and can use the same lenses and accessories, that's not universally the case, AFAIK.
- ptaipale 10y ago
  As a rule, new DSLRs by major manufacturers (Canon, Nikon) can use the old lenses of the brand. Not always all of them, but an impressive amount of them. Even the newest Nikon cameras can use F-mount lenses from 1959. Some of the metering modes are not available in some or all cameras. Some cheaper digital cameras cannot autofocus with lenses that don't have built-in autofocus motor. http://www.kenrockwell.com/nikon/nikortek.htm http://www.kenrockwell.com/nikon/nikortek.htm Canon DSLRs can use old EF lenses (since 1987). Olympus OM lenses (since 1972) can be mounted to Olympus (and other) Four Thirds cameras using an adapter. Also, ancient M42 lenses (since 1949) can be connected to most modern DSLRs using adapters.
  - cguess 10y ago
    > Some cheaper digital cameras cannot autofocus with lenses that don't have built-in autofocus motor. Unless the camera system had autofocus in the body (which, as far as I've been experienced with, really only is medium format bodies) the lens always has had autofocus. Canon, Nikon etc. The problem is that a lot of adapters for old lenses only feed mechanical (if even) instructions to the lens, for aperture and the like, and don't send over autofocus instructions. Luckily manual focus will work just fine.
    - rangibaby 10y ago
      Nikon lenses have only had autofocus motors since about ~2000 (which is not a long time ago in terms of lenses). Nikon's compatibility with old lenses is quite stunning. They did one major change to their mount in the 70s but every mid-range or highrr camera since then has had 100% compatibility with any lens. Metering, aperture control, everything. The AF system still works too. You just have to use your hand as the AF motor and the camera will give you an indication when it thinks focus is correct.
    - ptaipale 10y ago
      Nikon AF lenses (which came to market in 1986) don't have built-in autofocus motor; the motor is in the camera body. Those days they were the film cameras, but also modern DSLR cameras have the motor (with the exception of cheapest consumer DLRs, i.e. the D3000 and D5000 series).
RUG3Y 10y ago
You can sometimes use old glass, but there are a lot of downsides. A lot of modern cameras put image stabilization in the lens. Old lenses can't autofocus, and that is crippling on some cameras. Also some meters and sensors don't necessarily work with the old lenses.