d100 & manual lenses

i'm looking to purchase my 1st digital camera, a d100, in a couple of weeks. from the research i have done it sounds like a terrific camera. i decided to go w/ a digital slr because any lesser camera would not have the full features i'd like. i have a couple of questions. i have a few manual lenses that i use w/ my manual nikon fm1, which still takes incredible pictures. i've read some reviews that said i could use the manual lenses on the d100. has anyone tried this? also, the d100 has a 1.5x lens factor, i'm curious how much this affects the images. i use a 100mm nikor lens for portraits. will the 1.5x lens factor prevent the lens from taking good portraits or will the amplification create a little distortion. i appreciate the responses to my questions.

There is no optical change to the projected image that hits the CCD, as compared to the projected image that would hit the 35mm film plane. The 1.5x factor is the same as cropping the larger image, so you have an effective 150mm lens. On a wide angle lens with noticeable distortion on the edges (full frame), the 1.5x camera will essentially remove some/all of this, creating less distortion, since often lens barrel distortion and CA is most visible on the outer edges.

Chris

zak_digital said:

i'm looking to purchase my 1st digital camera, a d100, in a couple
of weeks. from the research i have done it sounds like a terrific
camera. i decided to go w/ a digital slr because any lesser camera
would not have the full features i'd like. i have a couple of
questions. i have a few manual lenses that i use w/ my manual nikon
fm1, which still takes incredible pictures. i've read some reviews
that said i could use the manual lenses on the d100. has anyone
tried this? also, the d100 has a 1.5x lens factor, i'm curious how
much this affects the images. i use a 100mm nikor lens for
portraits. will the 1.5x lens factor prevent the lens from taking
good portraits or will the amplification create a little
distortion. i appreciate the responses to my questions.

Click to expand...

Zak,

I would get the D100 manual (you can download it, see a previous post in this forum) and be sure your particular MF lenes will be compatible. I also agree with 1.5 factor = less ditortion.

zak_digital said:

i'm looking to purchase my 1st digital camera, a d100, in a couple
of weeks. from the research i have done it sounds like a terrific
camera. i decided to go w/ a digital slr because any lesser camera
would not have the full features i'd like. i have a couple of
questions. i have a few manual lenses that i use w/ my manual nikon
fm1, which still takes incredible pictures. i've read some reviews
that said i could use the manual lenses on the d100. has anyone
tried this? also, the d100 has a 1.5x lens factor, i'm curious how
much this affects the images. i use a 100mm nikor lens for
portraits. will the 1.5x lens factor prevent the lens from taking
good portraits or will the amplification create a little
distortion. i appreciate the responses to my questions.

Click to expand...

--
Tim Bessell

I use a number of older manual focus lenses on my D100, some of which are nearly ancient. The lenses on my desk right now include a 55mm 3.5 macro, 105 2.8 macro, 85 1.4, 180 2.8 ED, and a 28mm 2.8 lens that is barely readable and they all work great.

You can use these lenses in manual mode. The lcd display will not show a f-stop number, but you just set the lens' f-stop as you would on the film camera and of course the in-camera meter doesn't work. However if you use a DX flash such as the sb80dx, it will work in ttl mode and it works very well.

On some lenses the f-stop ring is tight and difficult to turn, but I think this is only on real old lenses.

The crop factor will not introduce any distortions, however your 100 will turn into a 150mm. I use a 35-70 2.8 AF-D lens as a portrait lens and it's so sharp that I actually knock it down a little, otherwise the prints come out a bit too harsh (printing on a Fujix Pictro 4500). I got that lens used for 250 bucks - great lens.

Kudo to Nikon for retaining compatibility!

zak_digital said:

i'm looking to purchase my 1st digital camera, a d100, in a couple
of weeks. from the research i have done it sounds like a terrific
camera. i decided to go w/ a digital slr because any lesser camera
would not have the full features i'd like. i have a couple of
questions. i have a few manual lenses that i use w/ my manual nikon
fm1, which still takes incredible pictures. i've read some reviews
that said i could use the manual lenses on the d100. has anyone
tried this? also, the d100 has a 1.5x lens factor, i'm curious how
much this affects the images. i use a 100mm nikor lens for
portraits. will the 1.5x lens factor prevent the lens from taking
good portraits or will the amplification create a little
distortion. i appreciate the responses to my questions.

Click to expand...

Taking a test shot and then looking at the histogram. It's marked off in f-stops so make adjustments that way. It's only a hassle when you are shooting fast under changing lighting conditions, then an external meter may be optimal.

zak_digital said:

i'm looking to purchase my 1st digital camera, a d100, in a couple
of weeks. from the research i have done it sounds like a terrific
camera. i decided to go w/ a digital slr because any lesser camera
would not have the full features i'd like. i have a couple of
questions. i have a few manual lenses that i use w/ my manual nikon
fm1, which still takes incredible pictures. i've read some reviews
that said i could use the manual lenses on the d100. has anyone
tried this? also, the d100 has a 1.5x lens factor, i'm curious how
much this affects the images. i use a 100mm nikor lens for
portraits. will the 1.5x lens factor prevent the lens from taking
good portraits or will the amplification create a little
distortion. i appreciate the responses to my questions.

Click to expand...

--
http://radio.weblogs.com/0101365/

If you have many antique and collector's lenses, some are not compatible. Please read Page 176 of "the Nikon Guide to digital photography with the D100" [instructional manual booklet] on incompatible lenses. The lenses such as non-AI lenses, 21mm f/4 [old type], lenses for F3AF body are not compatible.
Andy Riew

Chris101 said:

zak_digital said:

i'm looking to purchase my 1st digital camera, a d100, in a couple
of weeks. from the research i have done it sounds like a terrific
camera. i decided to go w/ a digital slr because any lesser camera
would not have the full features i'd like. i have a couple of
questions. i have a few manual lenses that i use w/ my manual nikon
fm1, which still takes incredible pictures. i've read some reviews
that said i could use the manual lenses on the d100. has anyone
tried this? also, the d100 has a 1.5x lens factor, i'm curious how
much this affects the images. i use a 100mm nikor lens for
portraits. will the 1.5x lens factor prevent the lens from taking
good portraits or will the amplification create a little
distortion. i appreciate the responses to my questions.

Click to expand...

--
http://radio.weblogs.com/0101365/

Click to expand...

You mention a 100mm Nikkor lens with a manual FM, this makes me assume that you have the Nikkor 100 F:2.8 E lens. That lens will work with the D100 without any problem. I have the same lens and I love how its tight crop makes it a very nice portrait lens for the D100.

zak_digital said:

i'm looking to purchase my 1st digital camera, a d100, in a couple
of weeks. from the research i have done it sounds like a terrific
camera. i decided to go w/ a digital slr because any lesser camera
would not have the full features i'd like. i have a couple of
questions. i have a few manual lenses that i use w/ my manual nikon
fm1, which still takes incredible pictures. i've read some reviews
that said i could use the manual lenses on the d100. has anyone
tried this? also, the d100 has a 1.5x lens factor, i'm curious how
much this affects the images. i use a 100mm nikor lens for
portraits. will the 1.5x lens factor prevent the lens from taking
good portraits or will the amplification create a little
distortion. i appreciate the responses to my questions.

Click to expand...

--
Escaping (from CT)

I bought my D100 right before Thanksgiving. Much to my dismay, the Nikon instruction manual specifically listed one of my favorite old lens as CANNOT BE USED WITH D100 (page 176). The lens is a 400mm f4.5 and uses the AU focusing mount. Needless to say, the book is incorrect! The lens works beautifully with the D100...making it effectively a 600mm f4.5. Of course the lens is manual focus and does not a CPU chip...therefore it will not meter. That's the only limitation I've found yet.

Incidently, my 135 f2.8 and 55mm f1.2 MF Nikon lenses also work great (except no metering).

Could be useful for you. In the D100 viewfinder there is a led focus indicator at the bottom left of the information bar. It's just a dot that lights up when the image is in focus. This indicator still works with a MF lens attached. Since the D100 does not have a split image screen in it, this led is pretty useful, especially with wide angle lenses.

HJ Seeley said:

I use a number of older manual focus lenses on my D100, some of
which are nearly ancient.

Click to expand...

HJ Seeley said:

On some lenses the f-stop ring is tight and difficult to turn, but
I think this is only on real old lenses.

Click to expand...

Watch out. If the aperture is hard to turn, it is probably a at least 25 years old, and a type of lens that we now call "pre-AI". Those lenses can rub against a switch on the camera (called the "EE Servo switch") which is why they are hard to turn. Repeated use will eventually damage the switch.

These lenses need an "AI modification". A simple operation that costs about $30.

Here's a bit about what the EE Servo does.

http://www.zi.ku.dk/personal/lhhansen/photo/EE.htm

And here's a good place to have a lens modified.

http://www.aiconversions.com/

--
Ciao!

Joe

http://www.swissarmyfork.com

osprey1 said:

I bought my D100 right before Thanksgiving. Much to my dismay, the
Nikon instruction manual specifically listed one of my favorite old
lens as CANNOT BE USED WITH D100 (page 176). The lens is a 400mm
f4.5 and uses the AU focusing mount. Needless to say, the book is
incorrect! The lens works beautifully with the D100...making it
effectively a 600mm f4.5.

Click to expand...

One thing to watch out for. Some lenses (especially pre-AI lenses from before 1977) rub lightly against the AF contacts in the camera when you mount or dosmount the lens. They work fine the first time you use them, or the 10'th, or maybe the 100'th. But eventually, the rubbing damages the AF contacts, so you start having problems when you use your more morern lenses.

I don't know if your 400 falls into this category, but it is something to check out.

--
Ciao!

Joe

http://www.swissarmyfork.com

Thanks for the heads up Joe.

Do you know if this is true from simply mounting the lens or just by turning the aperture ring?

Joseph S. Wisniewski said:

HJ Seeley said:

I use a number of older manual focus lenses on my D100, some of
which are nearly ancient.

Click to expand...

Joseph S Wisniewski said:

On some lenses the f-stop ring is tight and difficult to turn, but
I think this is only on real old lenses.

Click to expand...

Watch out. If the aperture is hard to turn, it is probably a at
least 25 years old, and a type of lens that we now call "pre-AI".
Those lenses can rub against a switch on the camera (called the "EE
Servo switch") which is why they are hard to turn. Repeated use
will eventually damage the switch.

These lenses need an "AI modification". A simple operation that
costs about $30.

Here's a bit about what the EE Servo does.

http://www.zi.ku.dk/personal/lhhansen/photo/EE.htm

And here's a good place to have a lens modified.

http://www.aiconversions.com/

--
Ciao!

Joe

http://www.swissarmyfork.com

Click to expand...

HJ Seeley said:

Thanks for the heads up Joe.

Do you know if this is true from simply mounting the lens or just
by turning the aperture ring?

Click to expand...

Mounting is enough. And some pre-AI lenses can also rub and grind down the AF contacts in the camera body with repeated mounting cycles.

--
Ciao!

Joe

http://www.swissarmyfork.com

CU-1 type lenses started in 1964, and AU-1 replaced CU-1 later, and AU-1 type lenses were discontinued in 1977. AI lenses started in 1977. Thus, 400mm AU-1 type lens may be non-AI lens.
Andy Riew

Joseph S. Wisniewski said:

osprey1 said:

I bought my D100 right before Thanksgiving. Much to my dismay, the
Nikon instruction manual specifically listed one of my favorite old
lens as CANNOT BE USED WITH D100 (page 176). The lens is a 400mm
f4.5 and uses the AU focusing mount. Needless to say, the book is
incorrect! The lens works beautifully with the D100...making it
effectively a 600mm f4.5.

Click to expand...

One thing to watch out for. Some lenses (especially pre-AI lenses
from before 1977) rub lightly against the AF contacts in the camera
when you mount or dosmount the lens. They work fine the first time
you use them, or the 10'th, or maybe the 100'th. But eventually,
the rubbing damages the AF contacts, so you start having problems
when you use your more morern lenses.

I don't know if your 400 falls into this category, but it is
something to check out.

--
Ciao!

Joe

http://www.swissarmyfork.com

Click to expand...