One of the best things about using the legacy Nikon F mount system is that your camera body is compatible with a huge range of Nikon lenses that can date back many decades.
The results aren’t 100% the same if you used a film SLR back in the day and now you use a DX version DSLR but they are still pretty good. Here are a couple of examples.
The above photos were shot with a Nikon D5500 DSLR and a Nikon 35-80 autofocus zoom lens made in 1993. The lens is a lighter weight “kit” model that originally came with Nikon film bodies such as the F70.
Although this lens is considered lower quality and lacks the ruggedness of the pro quality Nikkor lenses, it’s still a Nikon design. The one I have is the first model which was made in Japan and has a metal mount and a decent focus ring.
The digital SLR I use it on now will not autofocus with this lens so you have to do it manually. Also what used to be a wide angle to slight telephoto zoom is now strictly a short telephoto lens.
You probably wouldn’t want to use it for any sort of travel holiday as it is inconvenient to zoom and focus, and tricky to get right. Nevertheless, it is still capable of good results in decent lighting.
There are some older and heavier digital Nikons that will autofocus with vintage 1980s and 1990s Nikkor lenses. I have a fair number of these Nikkors from my film days and I am tempted to get an older DSLR camera body and shoot away. Don’t want to haul them around on holiday anymore but it seems a waste to keep them stored away.
Maybe if my grandaughter Veronica keeps on with her interest in photography I’ll do something in that direction. I sure wish someone would have gifted me a Nikon system back in the day.
