Buy New DSLR Camera Digital SLR Camera reviews and DSLR Buying Guide

2 Responses to “Can An Old Slr Take New Dslr Lenses?”

1. Anonymous says:

   October 17, 2009 at 10:04 am

   Nikon dSLRs use the same basic mount as their film SLRs. But not all modern lenses are fully backwards compatible. There are two or three things you should look out for:
   Lenses marked with a “G” following the aperture (eg. f/2.8G) are G-series. What that means is that they lack an aperture ring. Now digital Nikons as well as their more recent film models can set the aperture on the body, so this isn’t an issue there. But older models need the aperture ring for full functionality.
   Lenses marked as “DX” are only designed for digital bodies with the relatively smaller APS-C/DX sensor. Although many can in at least part of their range, these are not guaranteed to cover the full frame of a 35mm negative.
   Also Nikon has two distinct types of autofocus lenses. The older “AF”, which uses a motor inside the body. And “AF-I” or “AF-S”, which uses a motor inside the lens. Basically all Nikon autofocusing film bodies* support the former. But not all support the latter. Of course if the body is manual only then this is all irrelevant.
   * except for the F3AF (which needs its own set of AF lenses)
2. Mains says:

   October 17, 2009 at 12:59 pm

   generally the answer is yes but it appears that the explanation as to why that is has always been made.