Using old Nikon lenses on new 5200 DSLR

Ranierguy

I am looking to move from Canon DSLR to the new Nikon D5200. I worked as a photojournalist in the 70's (UPI) and have a large collection of Canon F series lenses that are unusable on their DSLR cameras. A fellow photog who recently passed away left me his old Nikon Fs cameras and their lenses. I haven't picked them up yet, but wonder if they will work on the D5200 and other Nikon DSLRs?

Thanks in advance for any assistance that is provided

Golf007sd

I would recommend you going with the D7000 or the new D7100. All of the older generation Nikon lenses will work with these two bodies...but not with the D5200 because it does not have the internal autofocus motor, so it will not autofocus with original-style screw-drive AF lenses.

Best wishes....

macsavageg4

You can use them with varying degrees of functionality on the D5200. For AF to work the lenses need to be either AF-S or AF-I lenses. The manual focus lenses will work on it but you will need to shoot in full manual and you won't have any metering so it will be gold old fashioned full manual. Af confirm appears to function at apertures lower than f/5.6 if I am reading the specs properly. As Golf stated above a D7000 or D7100 will allow for better functionality with the older AF lenses and the older MF lenses.

Ranierguy

So this means you cannot meter in manual? No apeture or shutter speed would be visible on the viewfinder? One reason I've been looking at the 5200 is the ability to use the LCD for low or overhead shots. Another question, would it really be worth going up to the 7000 series? Pixel count is the same (or better) with the 5200. If the old Nikors were not in the formula, what do you think of the 5200?

With the 7000 series, is focus internal or do they just manual focus but give metering (ie, similar to the old Nikon F and Canon F-1)?

Thanks

macsavageg4

Correct. The D5200 does not support the aperture coupling that gives that information back to the camera so it can calculate the proper shutter speed in aperture priority mode. With the D5200 you would need to either use a light meter or just know how to properly calculate stop/shutter speed to get the results you would want.

*Manual Focus lenses - As far as lens support and focusing the D5200 should still provide that feedback since it uses a range finding system with the AF system. You would still have to manually focus the manual focus lenses but focus feedback should be given in the finder. The D5200 also does not give the option to add the EXIF data for up to 9 manual focus lenses like the D7000/D7100 do.

Auto-Focus Lenses - All AF lenses should be supported with varying degrees of actual functionality.

AF, AF-D (screw driven AF system in lens) - The should all be recognized by the camera and provide EXIF data as well as allow the camera to calculate exposure data like the AF-I and AF-S lenses. However the camera does not support the AF screw drive that is needed to focus these lenses. So you will have to manually focus these lenses on the camera but you should still have EXIF data and they should provide aperture data to the camera properly.

AF-I, AF-S (internal focusing motors) - These lenses are fully supported by the camera in all modes and focusing abilities.

The D7000/D7100 removes all the issues above with lens compatibility. You will still need to focus MF lenses manually and the MF lenses can only be used in Aperture priority (A) and Manual mode (M) but the MF lenses can communicate aperture data back to the camera provided that the lens profile is added to the non-CPU lens data section.

There are a few nuances here and there with what works properly on what as far as using older Nikon lenses on newer Nikon cameras that are very hit and miss. Personally I went for the D7000 a year or so back because of the larger lens support. I have shot with lenses from the early/mid 60's on the D7000 after some minor modifications. I know a few of the other member Msmoto for example that can chime in and probably make this a little clearer but that is the long and short of lens compatibility.

* AI and AI-s lenses are the only officially supported lenses for this. non-AI or pre-AI lenses can be used but will need to be modified to add the aperture coupling ridge that ties into the Aperture coupler that is on the camera. If the non-AI and pre-AI lenses are used with the camera without being modified you run the risk of damaging the aperture coupler.

Ironheart

@Ranierguy, when you get the lenses, post your inventory here and we'll help you sort it all out.

Msmoto

As I understand it, the electronic only bodies, D40, D40x, D60, D5000, D5100, D3000, D3100, and newer versions, will work with the old lenses with no conversion, but there is no metering.

My suggestion if one has had professional experience is to go all the way for a D800 or D4. Or a D700 or D300s used possibly. IMO the ability to manually use the pro bodies makes them so much more friendly for getting things done.

Crockett

Actually for the specs. I am looking for the D5200 at half the price or less does more than the D7000 but I am curious, with no electronic coupling does the depth of field release or aperture release just drop the aperture ring to the preset stop? If so any values would be from a wide open aperture and that is Okay, it would be second nature to me but I guess exposure would be all manual, else the shutter speed would be faster. Surely the electronics would not be fast enough to read the stopped down aperture after the shutter fires? I would love to use the old Q series with that camera for some low light landscape shots. Maybe there is a firm ware hack that will let one preset f: ratio compensation and adjust or trim the settings with exposure compensation.

NSXTypeR

I am not sure if depth of field preview even exists on a D5200. I think design wise it's closer to a D3200 so I would assume no, although I'm not sure.

You will not have metering but your lens will work, so your camera won't read anything from the lens. Aperture will be set manually.

Aperture priority and P mode will not work. Only Manual and Shutter Priority will work.

Have fun!

TriShooter

I use the D5000 Series with a lot of my old lenses going back to 1965, and they all work fine in manual mode. The price of the body makes it practical to dedicate a body for each of the manual telephoto lenses.

The lack of metering is not a big deal for shooting in any environment where the lighting is reasonably consistent without having to deal with large shadow areas. Manually setting the aperture, and speed gives much more reliable exposures from shot to shot in my opinion. I shoot in manual most of the time anyway. Manual focusing depends on the lens; some are easier to focus than others, but the good news is that most focus well because they did not have auto-focus so are geared right for manual focusing.

rbrylawski

I am not sure if depth of field preview even exists on a D5200. I think design wise it's closer to a D3200 so I would assume no, although I'm not sure.

You will not have metering but your lens will work, so your camera won't read anything from the lens. Aperture will be set manually.

Aperture priority and P mode will not work. Only Manual and Shutter Priority will work.

Have fun!

You are correct, the D5xxx series does not offer DOF preview, something that I truly missed when I had a D5100 and one (among many) of the reasons I upgraded to a D7100.

If I were the OP, I'd go D7000 for about the same money, which will take better advantage of the legacy lenses, provide DOF, and as we all know, give him much better manual control over the D5xxx cameras, where many important controls are buried in menus.

Pistnbroke

The old 28mm lens on a DX is not very wide so the lenses are a bit restrictive but if you must the D7000 or 7100 would be a much better deal because you can adjust everyting and you may find the 5200 very very frustrating ..Good old glass is not a problem ..I use the 28-85 15 element Nikkor on my D800 and that lens must be 25 years old.

Crockett

Everything came together today and my first shot I just has a chance to answer my own question. I did a handheld telephoto shot at 1600 ISO with a Q series lens. My first shot was over exposed on the screen. My mind clicked and I set the aperture to f:16 and the exposure was perfect at 1/4000. Far far better photo than with 1600 ASA film. The manual leaves so much undocumented and obviously not written by a cameraman. Still have no idea what the tiny black tab is on the outside of the lens mount ring of the body about where the aperture closing tab would be on the lens. The latter does function though so the composing is done full aperture and then releases to the preset f:ratio. I probably would not even had a question except NIKON specifically states this lens can not be used with the D5200. As often, I just proved NIKON wrong again. I look forward to learning this camera but for the first time I think I am going to have to keep notes and play with it a lot more.... Oh I suppose the tab could be removed so the lens would be WYSIWYG. Then twist open the aperture ring for fine focus and composition.

Pistnbroke

I find the way you are having to work with these old lenses very sad. Try and buy or loan a modern lens to see what you are missing. The 18-140 Nikon can be obtained very cheap as a grey import. Did you up the sharpness in the menu to +7 .The cameas always come out the factory soft

NikonMick

There's a forum at the Fred Miranda cameras site that is dedicated to using manual focus Nikon glass on current and recent digital bodies. Very comprehensive, lots of pix and discussions of technique.

Starts at:

http://www.fredmiranda.com/forum/topic/929565

Thousands of pages later it currently finishes at:

http://www.fredmiranda.com/forum/topic/929565/3645

Cheers, Mick

NSXTypeR

I find the way you are having to work with these old lenses very sad. Try and buy or loan a modern lens to see what you are missing. The 18-140 Nikon can be obtained very cheap as a grey import. Did you up the sharpness in the menu to +7 .The cameas always come out the factory soft

There's nothing wrong with using old lenses, and they may even be preferable if he's doing video because he'll have full control over aperture.

Crockett

Thank You NSXTypeR: You nailed it!!!.

And frankly I am having continuing issues with the Nikon Lenses. Like the VR series that induces vibrations and IS NOT SUPPOSED to be used on a tripod! I actually have Nikon on the phone about this as I type one handed. I sent one "new" lens in because the focus was inconsistent and now the VR clunks enough to shake the camera AND displaces the image. I also do not like the hunting of the auto focus. The cameras are not "soft" it is the lenses. Mount an older fixed lense and even an untrained eye will see the difference. That adjustment tweeks the edge contrast to make an image "LOOK" sharper but in fact it is not, it is just more contrasty which really shows up with the new ultra-mega-pixel imagers. Multi-coatings accomplish some goals at the sacrifice of other qualities. Then there is fit and finish. Odds are if you take that 18-140mm F 5.6 (twices a slow as the old old old old Q 200mm F:4), it is made so crappy that when you try to focus it manually as in low light, the front element wiggles and the focus ring slops past OO (Infinity). However I would like one of those at a bargain. My Mom likes to take snap shots of her flowers and pets.

MikeGunter

Hi all,

@Ranierguy - sorry for your loss of the friend...

The D5200, while a bargain, isn't a good choice. As Ironheart said, list the lenses you have so the forum can make informed advice. Stopping down is a real plus, but so is having a motor in the camera for so many of the lenses, something the D5200 doesn't have either.

Some of my lenses are from the 80's and would be older, but I've had my older equipment stolen. The mount will work, but it might not have auto-focus or a CPU for metering, and without a crisscross range-finder in the viewfinder, it's pain to focus.

Also, you'll have FX lenses in a DX body, not necessarily a bad thing, if you prefer longish shots - but many of us go wide, so you'd have to get DX lenses anyway.

So really, it gets back to what Ironheart was getting to - what are the lenses in the kit?

I did a little shooting for a wire service, too, (AP), and military publications. The lenses will still hold up, they may not be suited to fast shooting.

My best,

Mike