So I went out and Froze today with the camera

[brewmaster15]

Pat Those lens may be too long for what I am suggesting here, however, they may be fun to play around with. Most camera makers or after market provider (check ebay) make a reversing ring. You screw it onto the filter thread of lens, and it has a mount for a particular camera. It effectively lets you use any brand lens on the camera by reversing it. The effect on many lens, particular primes and smaller lens, is you create a close focusing macro lens..









You need to know what mm the lens thread is... I use a 52 " one and 58" one here for the lens I use this on.. You also need to know what mount...ex...Nikon.


The result is a lens that can make a cool macro pic, but is tricky to use..you need a steady hand as the depth of field is extremely narrow. I used to use this set up in the lab, with supplimental lighting on a stand in the film days, but it actually works really well with DSLRs, because you just have more control over exposure and compensation.. On a stand its killer. I keep looking for an old hobby enlarger stand I can modify.

Any how... heres what it can do...
original pic of tetra can (no I don't feed them..store my blackworms in it!) using my cell phone


and the image using a reversing ring , this time on a 35-105 mm zoom.




You can also improvise significantly... I have a 55 mm lens and have a 58 mm adapter...want to use them together.. I always keep a roll of black electrical tape in the bag. the way I took the word macro above is simply.. tape it on. and mount the lens.

[brewmaster15]

Hand held is possible but extremely hard.. I'm a little jittery in the am from the coffee... but
with phone..small plant...


with a reversed 50 mm lens... again hand held no external light.


would have been much better on an adjustable stand.

[Second Hand Pat]

Thanks Al, I need to do a little research here but could be back with more questions.

[brewmaster15]

The last option I have for you is to use a focusing rail/bellows. You can modify it as necessary to take your lens.. These mount nicely on a tripod and is a great way to take macro photos outside. Works awesome for plants and insects.





I need to get out more and use this..I have a 50 mm macr for the hiking bag, and this set up is bulky, but it definetly is a good system at a fraction of the cost of a macro lens.

al

[Second Hand Pat]

Thanks Al, I need to do a little research here but could be back with more questions.

This appears to be a decent guide for using old lens on the newer camera http://www.ebay.com/gds/How-to-Use-O...7629067/g.html

[Second Hand Pat]

That focusing rail/bellows looks awesome. Very cool and would need a heavy duty tripod with it I bet.

[brewmaster15]

Pat, Thats a start, but I'd recommend any of the old 35 mm film books gathering dust on the library and book sellers shelves. The techniques I mentioned here are not specific to digital photography...but are a a carry over from film days.

[Second Hand Pat]

Pat, Thats a start, but I'd recommend any of the old 35 mm film books gathering dust on the library and book sellers shelves. The techniques I mentioned here are not specific to digital photography...but are a a carry over from film days.

Al, I have a couple of reference books. Also my research does not yield positive results for marrying older lens to a Nikon DSLR body. http://www.chriscamera.com/lenses4digital.htm.

[brewmaster15]

Al, I have a couple of reference books. Also my research does not yield positive results for marrying older lens to a Nikon DSLR body. http://www.chriscamera.com/lenses4digital.htm.

Pat, that article is very misleading...

Older camera lenses that work but not easily:

Nikon manual focus lenses will work - with limited functions - on some Nikon digital SLR cameras. Not on the Nikon D40, D3000, D3100, D5200 etc..

Pentax thread mount lenses (from the Spotmatic and even older cameras) can be used, with an adapter, on Pentax digital SLRs but you must program a custom function.

Pentax bayonet mount, manual focus lenses will fit on the Pentax digital SLRs and work, but you must program a custom function.

take this...the programing part... its a 2 seconds fix one time deal....and then a matter of telling the camera what size lens it is.. example 400 mm.. Thats the "custom programming on Pentax... nots sure what it entails on cannon/nikon...but I do know people use the old m42s on atleast some.

Pentax is often considered the Poor mans SLR as compared to nikons and Canons, but one thing about them that pentax users love is all the old pentax lens work on all pentax cameras and pentax has gone out their way to keep that status... makes for a real easy transitions. You arent going to turn a manual lens to a autofocus, but an autofocus film age pentax lens works as an autofocus on a DSLR.

Also when you are reading these reviews...theres a world of difference between "working" in a conventional sense, and working in a modified sense.. like the reversing ring and bellows examples.

I have little experience with non-pentax cameras and their mated lens, but you may find out more info on various dedicated websites equivalent to pentaxforums.
hth,
al

[Second Hand Pat]

Thanks Al. I will continue to look around.

[brewmaster15]

Pat..

Heres a video of someone using a reversing ring on a Nikon digital SLR D5200


When you search just search for your camera's make and Reversing ring.
I searched.. "using a reversing ring on a nikon DSLR"

When you use a reversing ring..it doesn't matter what brand lens you use... though best are lens that have an aperature ring.
hth,
al

[rickztahone]

Pat, manual lenses can be adapted. I have that same minO camera (x-700) and it has a stock 50 1.7 if I remember correctly. Truth is, not all older lenses do well adapted. That 50 for instance is nothing special and to do a mount swap would be more trouble than its worth. Do some research on flange distances amongst lens mounts and you will see which are easier to adapt. The Sony next I spoke about and even many other mirrorless cameras in the market have taken advantage of the fact that their flange distance makes it so that you can adapt ANY lens. I love shooting manual focus. It's more methodical and overall more rewarding.