cheap old style lenses on a d3300 slr

Jam_09

New member
Hey everyone,

Please be gentle as I know this subject has been breeched on numerous occasions, but after selling my Nikon d3100 which wasn't used very much at all I have really got into taking photos. I bought a Nikon d3300 with an 18-55mm nikkor dx vr and a 55-200mm nikkor dx lens. These have been really good but I really want some new lenses i.e a 50mm and 300mm, ive been looking into this and although my budget is very tight I have seen that the old film style lenses fit this camera although can only be focused manually. ideally the max I want to spend per lens of this sort is £25 could someone advise me on what I should avoid and of any other brands than nikkor would fit and be effective on my camera?

any help is much appreciated as it seems a little bit of a minefield to me.

thanks :)
 

Sandpatch

Senior Member
Keep in mind that your DX Format D3300 has a smaller sensor than the old film-era lenses were designed for. This does not prevent their use, but you'll be looking through a smaller field of view than you expect. As an example, when I couple my old film-era 50mm Nikkor to my D5100, I have to step much further back to gather the image I want.

You'll likely need to manually make your settings, but this isn't a problem either, especially with the instant feedback allowed by a DSLR. You'll have some fun working with these lenses.
 

Samo

Senior Member
There are many old Nikkors available for the budget you have outlined. Some are bad, some good, and a few are exceptional. Please do your research. Learn about the things to watch for like fungus, severe haze, scratched and scarred rear elements, stubborn crunchy focus rings, and several other things. You might even look into some of the afd's. They wont af on your camera but maybe someday you will upgrade. Many of the afd's are outstanding and cheap too. A good set of old primes will still cost you a grand or more believe it or not.

This is the closest thing online to a Nikkor/Nikon bible that I know of. Bjorn rates the glass too which will help you seperate the wheat from the chaff.

Nikon Lens Versions and Serial Nos
 
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Fortkentdad

Senior Member
What Samo said.....

There can be a lot of mileage left in some good vintage glass.

I had an AFD 50mm 1.8 and used it in manual mode on a D5100, it is very sharp. Yes you'll need to manually focus, but someday you may upgrade to a camera with a build in motor (D7XXX or better) and then your AFD glass will autofocus. Serious bonus to consider when looking at these old, err, vintage bits of glass. But doe learn how to buy vintage glass. If possible try before you buy - and buy from a trusted vendor with a good return policy. Yes some deals down by dBay are ever so tempting but that is very much a Buyer Beware world with a capital B. I've picked up a few from friends I've meet in camera clubs, again, trust is a factor, and trying it out.

Good to see that having to focus manually has not deterred you - it can be a serious challenge with moving subjects like pets or children but still life, people sitting still or landscapes are easy enough once you get the hang of it. And with macro photography it is the only way to go.
 

Bob Blaylock

Senior Member
You should be able to use nearly any F-mount lens on your D3100, @Jam_09, even the non-AI lenses that your manual claims you cannot. As far as I know, the only thing of which you need to beware is certain very old fisheye lenses, and some lenses that were made for a short-lived APS line of cameras, which have elements that extend far enough into the mirror box to collide with the mirror.

Of course, any non-CPU lenses will only work in “M” mode.

One thing I would advise is to look into installing an aftermarket focus screen. They can be found on eBay for around $21 or so. The stock focus screen that came with your camera is useless for manual focusing.
 

Fortkentdad

Senior Member
You should. . . . .

One thing I would advise is to look into installing an aftermarket focus screen. They can be found on eBay for around $21 or so. The stock focus screen that came with your camera is useless for manual focusing.

I have not done this but thinking about it. I believe this gives you the same benefits old film SLR's had when looking through the view finder. I have an old F90 and if this aftermarket brings back the view that would be very helpful when manually focusing. Looked down by dBay and it looks like minor surgery on the DSLR but getting that nice focus screen back in the viewfinder would be nice. Hmmmm
 

aroy

Senior Member
Be vary of very old lenses. Most of the time they have been heavily used so that the mechanical parts are loose, or the other extreme where they have been stored or years, resulting in jammed iris and or some fungus. The best bet is to buy from a shop where you can inspect and try the lense out.

The problem with non-CPU lenses on D3xxx and D5xxx series is that the exposure meter will not work, so everything is manual - focus, aperture and speed. That is normally not a problem if you have a lot of time to experiment or are good on setting the exposure (as in the good old days). I prefer to use the body's meter, so till I get a body that meters with AIS lenses, they are off my horizon.

If you want metering, then you can get a second hand D7100 which will solve most of your metering problems at a reasonable cost.
 

Bob Blaylock

Senior Member
Be vary of very old lenses. Most of the time they have been heavily used so that the mechanical parts are loose, or the other extreme where they have been stored or years, resulting in jammed iris and or some fungus. The best bet is to buy from a shop where you can inspect and try the lense out.

The problem with non-CPU lenses on D3xxx and D5xxx series is that the exposure meter will not work, so everything is manual - focus, aperture and speed. That is normally not a problem if you have a lot of time to experiment or are good on setting the exposure (as in the good old days). I prefer to use the body's meter, so till I get a body that meters with AIS lenses, they are off my horizon.

If you want metering, then you can get a second hand D7100 which will solve most of your metering problems at a reasonable cost.

Let the OP, @Jam_09, be warned, however, that if my understanding is correct, non-AI lenses cannot safely be used on the D7x00 series, nor on any higher model; that you risk damaging the camera if you do. Among current and recent models, only the D3x00 and D6x00 series, and the DF, can safely use non-AI lenses.
 

aroy

Senior Member
Let the OP, @Jam_09, be warned, however, that if my understanding is correct, non-AI lenses cannot safely be used on the D7x00 series, nor on any higher model; that you risk damaging the camera if you do. Among current and recent models, only the D3x00 and D6x00 series, and the DF, can safely use non-AI lenses.

All lenses AI onwards use aperture indexing (AI) ring to convey maximum aperture to the body. The pre AI lenses did not have this feature. Bodies which can use the aperture indexing (AI) ring will be damaged if pre AI lenses are used.

As D3xxx and D5xxx bodies have no mechanism to use the aperture indexing (AI) ring they can be safely used with non AI lenses. I do not think that D600 which can detect aperture indexing (AI) ring can be used with pre AI lenses.

Here is a compatibility chart between lenses and bodies
https://www.nikonians.org/reviews/nikon-slr-camera-and-lens-compatibility
Nikon Lens Compatibility
 
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