Digital help

[spazoid1965]

Here's my situation. I'm an old fart who still hasn't gone digital. Infact I don't own a single camera manufactured in the last 20 years. I've never been impressed by the functions of cameras during the '90s and '00s. I can't stand autofocus. to me it's annoying. I never use automatic functions. And I can't stand built in flashes especially those pop up ones. I would like to purchase a DSLR. Used prefferably, since I'm a tightwad, that will work with my current manual lenses. What I am currently using is An OM system with OM1, OM10 with manual adapter, and OMG bodies with 12 different lenses ranging from 19mm to 1000mm. I also have a Nikon system with Nikkormat FT2 and Nikkormat EL bodies with 9 differt lenses ranging from 21mm to 500mm. Most of these lenses are AI or AI converted. But my 50mm, 105mm, and 300mm are non-AI.

Now for the questions. I know no digital camera will use the OM lenses without an adapter. From what I've heard I will lose infinity focus with an adapter. Which is unacceptable in my opinion. I've heard that Nikon, Fujifilm, and some Kodak DCS DSLR cameras will still use manual focus F mount lenses. But will they meter with these lenses. Is there a focusing screen, like a split field, that is in these camears. Will they work with both AI and Non-AI lenses? Which of these cameras have the simplest manual fuctions? I'm used to simply turning a dial not thumbing thru a electronic menu. I don't need alot of megapixels or in camera editting features. I'm not looking to sell any photos or brag that I have the newest techno stuff. I'm just looking for a digital camera that will fit my needs. I've tried talking to the salesmen at a camera store but turned out to be useless. He kept trying to sell me on the features that he liked. Does anyone have recommendations for a dinosaur like me?

[Taallyn]

Hmmm. Interesting question. Nikon's F mount hasn't changed. The older lenses should work manually on any of the current cameras from what I hear. You should be able to find good deals on used D50's, D70's, D70s's, and D80's. A used D100 or D200 might work for you as well as those bodies are weathered sealed. I think that your AI-converted lenses should meter and focus on the D100 and D200.

Nikon's entry level DSLR line (D40, D40x, D60) is also quite good, but it only has one command dial. The other cameras have two, one for aperture and one for shutterspeed.

[mattdm]

I don't know the details on Nikon-branded focusing screens, but there's a good third-party option:

http://www.katzeyeoptics.com/

People I know using Pentax K10D dSLRs are very happy with them.

[Doug Pardee]

I know no digital camera will use the OM lenses without an adapter. From what I've heard I will lose infinity focus with an adapter.

Not necessarily. I suspect that you are reading about the OM mount adapter for the Olympus DSLRs. This appears to be a design glitch with that particular adapter, not a theoretical limitation.

Canon's EOS lens mount has a register of 44mm, which allows it to use OM mount lenses (46mm register) with a simple 2mm-thick adapter. You would have to use stop-down metering (aperture priority AE or manual exposure modes), and of course manual focus. Here is one discussion (http://www.fredmiranda.com/forum/topic/613756/) about OM-to-EOS adapters. (I've never used one myself, so all I can do is point you elsewhere.)

I've heard that Nikon, Fujifilm, and some Kodak DCS DSLR cameras will still use manual focus F mount lenses. But will they meter with these lenses.

The Kodak DSLRs are dinosaurs. Except for the fact that they're "full frame"—their sensors are the same size as a 35mm film frame—there's not much to recommend them.

The Fuji DSLRs are niche cameras, catering mainly to the wedding photographer. Here's a recent article (http://theonlinephotographer.typepad.com/the_online_photographer/2008/03/the-fujifilm-fi.html) by someone who tried one for non-wedding use. Interestingly, he mainly doesn't like the skintones that the camera produced, although accurate skintones are supposed to be one of Fuji's biggest strengths.

Is there a focusing screen, like a split field, that is in these camears.

Autofocus SLRs and DSLRs universally are shipped with focus screens designed for autofocus. Those screens are optimized for brightness, not for ability to manually focus.

A few DSLR models have some factory manual focus screens available as an option. Generally, though, you'll end up going to a third-party supplier such as Haoda, Katz Eye, BrightScreen, or FocusingScreen.com.

Something to bear in mind is that your lenses will have narrower angle of view on just about any DSLR than they do on your film cameras. This is because the sensor is smaller than the film frame, so captures less of the projected image. To avoid that you'll need a "full-frame" DSLR, which for Nikon lenses means either one of the old Kodak dinosaurs or the brand new Nikon D3 (approx. $5000 US).

I guess a big question is just how determined you are to keep your existing lenses, rather than move to an all-new system.