manual focus lenses on digital body

steveclem

steveclem

Messages
321
Edit My Images
Yes
Hi all, can anyone advise on using various (Canon,Nikon,Minolta) lenses on a digital body? I guess an aps-c sensor would be the best size, how about a sony Nex3 or what other alternatives, does anybody use this arrangement? Funds limited to about £500, new or secondhand doesn't matter, I don't want 4/3s due to sensor size but I'd imagine FF is out of the price range. I'd prefer to use adapters rather than change the mounts.
Cheers!

PS: I got some of the more longer lenses too, 90,135,180,200 up to 560.
 
The Samsung NX looks like a good choice for this as there seem to be adaptors for just about everything.


Steve.
 
steveclem said:
Hi all, can anyone advise on using various (Canon,Nikon,Minolta) lenses on a digital body? I guess an aps-c sensor would be the best size, how about a sony Nex3 or what other alternatives, does anybody use this arrangement? Funds limited to about £500, new or secondhand doesn't matter, I don't want 4/3s due to sensor size but I'd imagine FF is out of the price range. I'd prefer to use adapters rather than change the mounts.
Cheers!

PS: I got some of the more longer lenses too, 90,135,180,200 up to 560.
Click to expand...

By "manual focus lenses" on digital body, I assume you are referring to lenses made before Auto-Focus?

Nikon and one other company (not Canon nor Minolta) I forgotten which other company, I'm sure other members will jump in and help out, I think Pentax or similar, kept their original lens mount when they changed from manual focus to Auto-Focus. All other cameras changed their lens mount.

That means Nikon lenses made before AF can still fit on Nikon's digital range, but be warned, with some expectations, for example, some models would still fit but is not wise to use, so therefore you can use old Nikon manual focus lens on digital bodies. The 1.5x factor still applies unless you use full-frame.

You can't use manual focus Canon or Minolta lenses on their digital bodies. (You can only use Minolta AF lenses on Sony Alpha cameras.)
 
steveclem said:
Hi all, can anyone advise on using various (Canon,Nikon,Minolta) lenses on a digital body? I guess an aps-c sensor would be the best size, how about a sony Nex3 or what other alternatives, does anybody use this arrangement? Funds limited to about £500, new or secondhand doesn't matter, I don't want 4/3s due to sensor size but I'd imagine FF is out of the price range. I'd prefer to use adapters rather than change the mounts.
Cheers!

PS: I got some of the more longer lenses too, 90,135,180,200 up to 560.
Click to expand...

I use manual lenses on my Panasonic G1 and it's easy :D

You can fit Minolta, Olympus, Canon FD, Nikon, Pentax or anything else to a Panasonic or Olympus Micro Four Thirds camera or a Sony Nex. The MFT and Nex Compact System Camera systems seem to be the most popular but there are others from Fuji, Samsung and even Canon and Nikon.

Cheap adapters are available for around £10 from ebay and as long as the manual lens you want to mount has an aperture ring you should be able to use the camera in aperture priority or manual mode.

I have Minolta Rokkor and Olympus Zuiko lenses and they work very well on my G1 and would be equally at home on a Sony Nex or Fuji. Compact System Cameras usually have some sort of manual focus aid such as focus peaking or a magnified view so as long as you can take the time to ensure that you achieve focus it isn't a problem.

I'm not a big fan of using manual lenses on DSLR's for anything other than macro use. AF is the way forward with a DSLR IMVHO unless there's some sort of focus aid available.

BTW, a MFT sensor isn't significantly smaller than APS-C IMVHO. It's only x2 v x1.5.
 
Thanks for replies, I have lenses from Minolta,Nikon,Canon and Leica and APS-C is as small as I want to go, m4/3 or standard 4/3 is too much. I will use an adaptor, one of the various ones and need focus confirmation either by 10x zoom or what have you or focus peaking, preferably both. I don't want to lose some very nice lenses or be restricted to film only all the time. You don't get to hear much regarding the NX system, does anyone recommend a model to consider?
 
Major Eazy said:
By "manual focus lenses" on digital body, I assume you are referring to lenses made before Auto-Focus?

Nikon and one other company (not Canon nor Minolta) I forgotten which other company, I'm sure other members will jump in and help out, I think Pentax or similar, kept their original lens mount when they changed from manual focus to Auto-Focus. All other cameras changed their lens mount.

That means Nikon lenses made before AF can still fit on Nikon's digital range, but be warned, with some expectations, for example, some models would still fit but is not wise to use, so therefore you can use old Nikon manual focus lens on digital bodies. The 1.5x factor still applies unless you use full-frame.

You can't use manual focus Canon or Minolta lenses on their digital bodies. (You can only use Minolta AF lenses on Sony Alpha cameras.)
Click to expand...

It was Pentax which kept their existing K mount and upgraded it to AF, as so you can use any K mount lens on a Pentax DLSR with metering etc (although you do need to keep the lens stopped down for any original K mount lenses without the electronically controlled iris as the DSLR's lack the original mechanical method of the mount to stop the lens down and communicate the aperture).
 
The Sony nex is the best choice if you are looking for an aps-c mirrorless body, you can fit more lenses to it than a Samsung nx. As far as DSLRs go, Canon are best. Canon can take Pentax, M42, Nikon, Leica R, Olympus OM, Exakta, Contax/Yashica. A mirrorless camera is needed to mount Canon Fd, Minolta MD, Konica, Leica M, c-mount, Fuji x etc. Remember though that a small mirrorless body with full frame lenses can feel unbalanced!
 
manualfocus-g said:
The Sony nex is the best choice if you are looking for an aps-c mirrorless body, you can fit more lenses to it than a Samsung nx. As far as DSLRs go, Canon are best. Canon can take Pentax, M42, Nikon, Leica R, Olympus OM, Exakta, Contax/Yashica. A mirrorless camera is needed to mount Canon Fd, Minolta MD, Konica, Leica M, c-mount, Fuji x etc. Remember though that a small mirrorless body with full frame lenses can feel unbalanced!
Click to expand...

I've read that you should treat the kit as a lens with a small body attached.
Looks like a Nex is on the cards, I did want a GXR but they are thin on the ground and quite expensive. Then again, so will an EVF which I would like to use also.
Thank you.
 
manualfocus-g said:
Remember though that a small mirrorless body with full frame lenses can feel unbalanced!
Click to expand...

What feels unbalanced is a personal thing but one thing to remember is that many of the lenses that are popular with CSC users are significantly smaller and lighter than your average DSLR lump of a lens. Even once an adapter is added the resultant lens + adapter package is probably still going to be pretty compact and light.
 
Ok, more digging has unearthed the Sony range, in one instance the Alpha 55 dslr, this seems like a reasonable cost alternative, what do you guys think? I had found a good priced Ricoh GXR + M module combo for around the same cost but I really would prefer to have a viewfinder and Sony does get the accolades for its later models which may or may not apply to the A55 camera.
One day I would like to get a full frame sensor and use the lenses as they were intended, I much prefer to keep camera controls and image making simple and leave the computer wizardry to my ,er,computer rather than the camera.
 
Last edited:
steveclem said:
Ok, more digging has unearthed the Sony range, in one instance the Alpha 55 dslr, this seems like a reasonable cost alternative, what do you guys think? I had found a good priced Ricoh GXR + M module combo for around the same cost but I really would prefer to have a viewfinder and Sony does get the accolades for its later models which may or may not apply to the A55 camera.
One day I would like to get a full frame sensor and use the lenses as they were intended, I much prefer to keep camera controls and image making simple and leave the computer wizardry to my ,er,computer rather than the camera.
Being hard to please I know, if only Nikn would produce a digital F4, no masses of buttons and menus, just a digital F4, soen of are luddite technophobes and after a 15 year hiatus I get very confused by the nomenclature of modern systems-I just want to take pictures and get instant results, otherwise my Canon,Minolta,Nikon and Konica mechanical cameras do a grand job.
Poor me,boohoo. :)
Click to expand...

An a55 wouldn't be my first choice if I was going to buy something for older lenses. Infact, I use an a57 for m42 lenses and still want a Sony NEX/Samsung NX to use with those lenses instead.

I'd try and find a used Sony NEX-3 - they can sell second hand for under £100, sometimes as low as £80. If you update the firmware to v4.0 you will get focus peaking, which is a great aid to manual focusing. If you can't live without an EVF, the next best option for under £100 is the Samsung NX10/NX11, although you will lose the ability to use some lens mounts (M-mount and C-mount come to mind). Infact, if you're looking for a lot of controls on the body - the Samsung may infact be the better option as the Sony NEXs are very menu driven.
 
Minolta AF/Sony Alpha mount isn't a very good one for using converted lenses as it often involves using an optical element in the adapter to get infinity focus.
NEX on the other hand can have practically anything mounted with appropriate adapter.
 
heidfirst said:
Minolta AF/Sony Alpha mount isn't a very good one for using converted lenses as it often involves using an optical element in the adapter to get infinity focus.
Click to expand...

Having an optical element isn't always a bad thing. In most adaptors it is as it increases the crop factor further in order to fit a lens into a smaller register than it really needs and this magnifies any errors inherent in the lens.

However, if you use the Metabones adaptor with a mirrorless camera, it can use the full original field of view of the lens and effectively eliminate the crop factor.

http://www.metabones.com/buy-speed-booster


Steve.
 
Thanks gents, I've just had a peep at the NX10 and it looks a little better ergonomically speaking, I have a couple of fast lenses in FD mount (85mm 1.2 and 135mm 2) that would probably handle better on this style of body.
This camera is mostly for the longer lenses I own, I have a digital body for the wides in the Epson rangefinder but all the best will in the world,and I love using that camera, will not permit easy use of a telephoto.
Any other suggestions? I definitely want a viewfinder and some sort of focus assistance whether it's peak or magnification or whatever combos are out there.
I've had a 15 year hiatus from manual mechanical cameras and my head hurts when I look at the menus and options available today-no bad thing to be sure but a bit of a chore to get my head around.
The Epson has a shutter speed dial,exposure comp. dial, ASA dial and Aperture priority in a digital body, I can use it instinctively but something tells me I'm going to be on the learning curve for a while.
Still, if I can get to keep and use my old lenses I'm happy.
 
Last edited:
The speed buster is hardly relevant to MAF mount bodies though as it doesn't exist in that format ... & if it did it would virtually eat up the OP's budget on it own. ;)
On MAF adapters with optics not only typically magnify ~1.1x but the glass is often also not of the best quality. Better mounts for adapting to.
 
If you need a viewfinder and focus assist, then something like a Nex-6 is your best option. There are two methods for checking critical focus - either by zooming in on your subject (which can cause problems when framing) or by using focus peaking (which looks at contrast levels so isn't always accurate).
 
heidfirst said:
The speed buster is hardly relevant to MAF mount bodies though
Click to expand...

What is an MAF mount body and who is referring to it?

EDIT: Minolta AF? If so, I assume the lens mount on the NEX series is not the same as that on their DSLRs.

But yes, the Metabones adapter is expensive but looks good if used with an APS-C sensor camera with enough space for it to work.


Steve.
 
Last edited:
Steve, that is current. Sony A mount is also referred to as Minolta AF mount (which it was originally until Sony took them over). The Nex uses the Sony E mount with shorter register distance, enabling the use of more lenses without optical adapters of any sort. The Speedbooster is a different beast altogether.
 
manualfocus-g said:
There are two methods for checking critical focus - either by zooming in on your subject (which can cause problems when framing)...
Click to expand...

You can move the focus point / view and avoid framing issues.

Simples.

So simples in fact that even I do it all the time.
 
Last edited:
I have an adapter to use M42 lenses on my D50. What settings will I have to twiddle with on the D50 to get a half decent pic ?

Thanks
 
manualfocus-g said:
Didn't work for me, sorry :lol: But you know about my OVF fetish :D
Click to expand...

Of course it works and avoids the framing issues you complained of except if the focus point can't be moved to the very edge of the frame but if you're going that far you've got no chance with the focus points of most if not all DSLR's which are usually custered around the centre of the frame.

If you want an OVF, and there's nothing wrong with that, then you are going to have to be limited by the placement of the focus points and focus and recompose... or focus manually.
 
s162216 said:
It was Pentax which kept their existing K mount and upgraded it to AF, as so you can use any K mount lens on a Pentax DLSR with metering etc (although you do need to keep the lens stopped down for any original K mount lenses without the electronically controlled iris as the DSLR's lack the original mechanical method of the mount to stop the lens down and communicate the aperture).
Click to expand...

[snap fingers] Ah yes, I thought as much, Pentax is the other one, thanks.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top