Help a Technically Challenged Photographer?

[juan2shoot]

I have been around long enough to love printing B&W prints in the darkroom and discovering the amazing warmth that can be added to your shoots. I have also had a lot of stressful days and hours waiting for things that today take seconds to upload to your computer. I want technical (maybe psychological too) help in understanding which way to go with my equipment.

I have a bunch of old Nikon lenses for my 35mm cameras that I have had a long-term love affair with. I like a camera that is fast enough to stop action in natural lighting situations. I like to have warmth in my color shots. I can't justify spending a LOT of money. What cameras should I be considering?

 

[Steve Smith]

Don't spend any money. Just use what you have already.


Steve.

 

[Paddysnapper]

Don't spend any money. Just use what you have already.


Steve.

 

[John Marshall]

Hi
Do you want to go digital?
Is there a digital body that will take the lenes that you already have?
John

 

[Carl V]

I have been around long enough to love printing B&W prints in the darkroom and discovering the amazing warmth that can be added to your shoots.

I have a bunch of old Nikon lenses for my 35mm cameras that I have had a long-term love affair with.

Me too, I still have all my manual Nikon gear and I've no intention of parting with them - and like yourself, I enjoy black & white printing and always will. As Paddysnapper and Steve have already said, carry on as you are.

 

[Arkady]

And if you feel the need to digitise - buy a Nikon film scanner...

 

[LongLensPhotography]

Hi
Do you want to go digital?
Is there a digital body that will take the lenes that you already have?
John

+1. Digital makes a lot of difference to the speed, quantity and quality of the output.

AIS Nikon lenses may work best on Nikon bodies. FF camera may be nice for full field of view and great ISO performance. If you can afford it D700 (or D3) are the best choices available.

D300 is great apart from 1.5x crop sensor (so smaller field of view). D90 is similar as AF wont work anyway. D5000 may be the cheapest but it wont meter (not sure about d90).

There are ways to use it on Canon with adapter, but you will lose aperture control. Canon is the way to go with older no-AIS lenses or a mixture of brands.

 

[Sparkles33]

Why do you want to go digital?

For me personally it was a money thing as well as availablity to myself (if my hands are playing up I can put it on a preset and shoot auto for example).

It sounds like you really love shooting film and you say that you want to go digital, but you don't say why. (Saying why would help people recommend models etc)

 

[Mud]

D5000 may be the cheapest but it wont meter (not sure about d90).

The D90 won't meter with non-CPU lenses, needs at least a D200/D300. Also, D3000 is the cheapest (discluding old D40/60 stock). I personally use several non-CPU lenses with a D90 and no lightmeter...takes some chimping though, and a proper split-prism focusing screen really helps.

 

[fracster]

There are ways to use it on Canon with adapter, but you will lose aperture control. Canon is the way to go with older no-AIS lenses or a mixture of brands.

How so?.........:shrug: