What full frame digital camera for my old Nikon lens.

kgruber

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I've lost count of my old Nikon lenses. My father was a pro and some were his.

What best new full-frame digital camera could use these old chunks of glass?
 
Are they all old manual focus lenses? What is your budget?

If they are all manual focus you can go with Sony A7 series or the newer Nikons. Both have the same imager but there are more versions of the Sony with in body image stabilization (IBIS) which turns those old Nikkors into fantastic lenses. I'm not a Nikon user but they have released at least one nicer higher end mirrorless camera much like sony.

I believe all Nikon full frame cameras can use the older lenses but you will want something with a great focus aid such as a live view.

If even a few of your lenses are autofocus you are going to want a Nikon body and I can't give a credible recommendation.

Unfortunately one last question...are all the lens full frame or are some cropped?
 
Unfortunately one last question...are all the lens full frame or are some cropped?
If they are old lenses they must be for 35mm film so inherently full frame sensor no? Were there ever sub-35mm film cameras? (honest question, I came to photography in the early digital era, have only played with film in photography classes)
 
I wasn't sure from @kgruber's initial post as to how old his lenses were and his father's lens were. If everything was film then they are all Full Frame and perhaps a mix of manual and autofocus. But if he or his father had any cameras that were new in the past 10yrs of so they might have cropped lenses.
 
Here are a few resources. Start with the third one.
Not get depressed, there really are only a few things you have to learn such as whether the lens is F-mount and if it is Pre Ai or Post Ai and whether the Nikon body you are considering will handle non-Ai lenses. Ai means whether the camera body will stop the lens down from wide open when you press the shutter, or it won't.
I suspect some may be even pre F-mount (most of those may be excellent glass but are not worth the expense of having them converted.

https://www.slrlounge.com/how-to-use-old-legacy-lenses-on-your-modern-nikon-dslr/
https://www.quora.com/Can-I-use-the-lenses-from-my-old-Nikon-SLR-with-a-newer-digital-camera-body
http://www.throughthefmount.com/articles_back_olderlenses_dslr.html

There will be lots of articles, just search on using older nikon lens on new body

edit: You can PM me if you want to have a bit more discussion.
 
For the most part, Nikon DX(small chip) or FX(full frame chip) digital cameras will take any old Nikon mount lens. Some features will work and some won't. I have D610(FX) and it can use any manual, older AF, or modern lens Nikon or anyone made for that mount. For example, I use an old fully manual Russian wide angle lens pretty often(can even still use auto exposure). Previously I had D100(DX) and used many old lenses of different origin and complexity

EDIT: Worth mentioning. You can use FX(or 35mm) lens on DX camera. It's a bit more expensive than necessary, but has no ill effects. On many new FX cameras you can also use DX lenses, but you will have to shoot in DX mode negating the point of having FX camera. That does work as a digital zoom in a way at the expense of resolution.
 
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They are all for 35mm cameras at least 25 years old. I need to dig them out of storage to see exactly WHAT there is.
 
I would not bother with those old lenses. They were not meant for modern cameras. If I were you, I'd buy a modern camera/lens combo. I think Sony is the best, but that is my opinion only.
 
I would not bother with those old lenses. They were not meant for modern cameras. If I were you, I'd buy a modern camera/lens combo. I think Sony is the best, but that is my opinion only.

That depends on the actual lenses and the type of use. Modern equivalent may cost a lot of money.
 
I am also looking to buy a camera/lens dedicated to aerial photography, and would either choose Nikon D750 with 24-105 F4 lens, or Sony A7Riii with 24-105 F4 lens.
 
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