Any dslrs with an old school feel/aperture rings??

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Jamesemt

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After struggling with my 350d for 8 years (!!!) I've slowly sold off all my Canon lenses.

I kept moving away from photography as the handling of the 350d really drove me nuts. I cut my teeth on an Olympus OM30 and much prefer aperture on the lens ring.

Any dslr recommendations? Sadly really tight budget - £500 max including a 50mm lens. I'm thinking old Nikon lens but are they all compatible? I know nothing about Nikon gear.

If it matters at all, I've got small hands so the larger dslrs are out. I'll be mainly photographing the kids.

Although not a dslr, I'm very tempted to get an x100 - but don't know if it would be a bit too wide for portrait stuff...

Any help would be greatly appreciated :)
 
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One of the very few ways you can go down this route certainly is Nikon.

To be within your budget, you'd probably have to buy a used D90 and a Nikon 50mm f/1.8 AI/AI-S (manual focus) lens.

On my D7000, there is an option to use the aperture ring for AF/AF-D lenses (not the newer G lenses), which allows you to have both autofocus and the ability to use an old school aperture ring. Unfortunately I've had a look on the internet and the D90 doesn't appear to have this feature (Menu > Custom Setting > Controls > f6 Customise command dials > Aperture Setting). I'm not sure what DX bodies do have this feature, but I'd imagine it's very few - after a quick search, the D200 didn't have it either.

A 50mm is going to be a bit long for taking general photos of the kids, since it acts as more of a portrait lens on DX. A short lens like the 35mm f/2 AF-D would be ideal, but would break the budget with a D7000.

Hope that's of some help - it's a very unusual question!
 
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The low end Canon's suck for this - but why would having control of the Aperture on the front control wheel be a bad thing? It's been this way on Canon ever since they went AF.

Focussing with the back button, having a wheel for shutter speed and a wheel for aperture - works as well for me electronically as it ever did with Manual cameras. Not something that's available on the 350d though.

As above, even modern cameras that'll mount lenses with aperture rings stopped using them years ago, because using the control dials is as easy and works better for the electronics.
 
Some older Sigma lenses have an aperture ring - I know for a fact that some older versions of the 70-200 do - so you'll just need a compatible body to get going.
 
I can see the appeal, I use a conventional DSLR but also have a couple of old manual film cameras and an X100. There is something very satisfying about using a proper mechanical aperture ring and shutter speed dial for that matter. In my ideal world, there'd be a digital Olympus OM1 exactly the same as the original but with a hole for a battery and memory card. :)

Think Freecom has got this one spot on. Either a Nikon D7000 or D600 will tick the boxes of being small(ish) and allow not only aperture control on the lens but also retain auto focus should you want it (AFD and AF lens without G designation). If you're happy with manual focus, the world is your lobster with Nikon but you'll not be able to use the smallest DSLR's as they don't really like the older lenses, I think they all lose metering or maybe don't work at all but maybe someone will correct me.

On the X100, I don't think the wide angle will be your problem, it'll be the focussing. Tracking anything that moves is poor to terrible using autofocus and near impossible with manual focus. You're fine if your subject stays still or you can use some sort of pre focus technique but it definitely isn't it's forte.
 
Phil V said:
The low end Canon's suck for this - but why would having control of the Aperture on the front control wheel be a bad thing?
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Phil V said:
Focussing with the back button, having a wheel for shutter speed and a wheel for aperture - works as well for me electronically as it ever did with Manual cameras.
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You answered this yourself - because these things come down to personal preference, and some people prefer it that way. I find it very intuitive to set an appropriate aperture for the lighting (in aperture-priority mode), and then move the hand slightly forwards when the subject is framed to manual focus.

YMMV seems very appropriate :shrug:
 
freecom2 said:
You answered this yourself - because these things come down to personal preference, and some people prefer it that way. I find it very intuitive to set an appropriate aperture for the lighting (in aperture-priority mode), and then move the hand slightly forwards when the subject is framed to manual focus.

YMMV seems very appropriate :shrug:
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I hate to sound like a young thing, but cameras left this behind a long time ago, if you want to shoot that way, there are some great bargains in old film equipment:thumbs:.

Just so you know where I'm coming from, it was 2001 before I bought an AF camera (after 16 years of manual). And focussing with the shutter button is still something that gives me nightmares, but I've found a method of using a modern camera that psychologically works the same as shooting the old way. But a 350d wouldn't allow me anywhere near that control. With a better camera, the controls might not be what you're used to, but they're customisable to make them something you might like.:)
 
Thanks for all the comments. Are there any other camera bodies that would fit Nikon lenses?
 
Pentax anyone? K100d small camera, cheap as chips ie £1-120 ish and takes all Pentax lens!

All that legacy glass from the 70s still fits so get both a 50mm and 35/28mm for well in budget?

Lens would be MF but you get the aperture ring?? Some of the slightly new Pentax lens ( don't know of the top of my head) have AF and aperture rings too?
 
Jamesemt said:
Thanks for all the comments. Are there any other camera bodies that would fit Nikon lenses?
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Fuji DSLRS's (S3, s4 and S5) are worth a look but you'll have to check whether aperture control can be assigned to the lens or not. They are quite big though.
 
Cool, keep the ideas coming :) The Pentax looks interesting, there is just a bewildering array of mounts.

To keep things in context, I'm not a technophobe. I did a HND in Computing a few years ago, I love Android phones and can build PCs. It's just that when aperture is not controlled by my left hand I struggle to keep my awareness of that and shutter speed whilst framing the shot.
 
You could use any number of legacy lenses on any DSLR body if you want to manually control aperture but you'll be manually focussing as well. I've used several adaptors on my Canon/NEX/GF1 bodies and stick with Olympus OM lenses now. However, you'll be shooting either full manual or (as I prefer) aperture priority so the body will meter from the aperture you set on the lens and set the shutter speed/ISO accordingly.

Cheers
Steve
 
Yeah the plan was Aperture Priority :)

Can anyone confirm whether the Pentax K20d or the Fuji S's can definitely be controlled by the lens?
 
Been meaning to update this thread but never got around to it. I bought a D200 which has this feature and together with a 50mm 1.8 I'm happy :)

Thanks for the advice, got there in the end :)
 
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