How to Use Old Nikkor Lenses

Nikon has been making its line of Nikkor lenses since the 1930s. Nikon designed its digital SLRs to be able to accommodate all lenses made since 1977. Older lenses can also be used, as long as they have been AI modified. Older AI lenses will not auto focus on the D40 or D60, but will work on the rest of the Nikon line. Also, non-auto focus lenses will not meter properly on a digital SLR. This tutorial concentrates on AF lenses with an aperture ring.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Nikon D90 or D300

1. Mount the lens to the camera by aligning the white dot on the lens with white dot on the camera, inserting the lens, and twisting counterclockwise.

2. Rotate the aperture ring on the lens to its minimum aperture setting, usually either f16 or f22, and lock it in place.

3. Select AF on the lens, if you want to use camera auto focus, or MF on the lens if you want to manually focus.

4. Turn on the camera and go to Program mode. Select your ISO setting for whatever light you are in. If you want to manually choose your aperture, go to Aperture mode and rotate the dial on the top right side of the camera to select your aperture.

5. Point the camera at what you want to shoot. Rotate the lens barrel (if it is a zoom lens) to select your zoom and depress the shutter lightly to engage the autofocus. When you hear the beep, the focus is set; depress the shutter to take a picture.

Tips & Warnings

• Aperture controls depth of field in an image by allowing varying amounts of light to hit the sensor. The lower the f number, the shallower the depth-of-field; this creates dramatic shots by blurring the background in the shot. Landscape photographers typically want greater depth of field, with everything in focus, so they choose higher f numbers, usually f11 or f22.

References

• Photosynthesis: Nikon AI Modifications
• Nikon: Lens Compatibility Chart
• Nikonians: Nikon SLR Camera and Lens Compatibility

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