What vintage lenses do you recommend for Df?

[Bjørn Rørslett]

Metering accuracy suffers when you need to stop down the lens to the actual taking aperture. (in a mirrorless camera, you get much more noise in the EVF and finding the focus becomes far less easy, so on a system level not a panacea at all).

The Df will allow you metering at full aperture if the attached lens has aperture control via the camera. Thus even old Nikkors work. However, for pre-AI lenses, you need to set the aperture to the intended value both on lens and camera as there is no direct linkage. Thus the metering procedure becomes more complex, but you can still enjoy an automatic aperture even with these old Nikkors from the '60s.

If the camera's full potential is to be unleashed, you need CPU-enabled lenses as this will allow all metering and exposure modes.

[pluton]

An EVF does not magically make focusing at f/8 easy.  It is torture to have to manually open for focusing, a then stop down for taking.
Many enthusiasts say: "I can put any lens on my ______mirrorless camera!"
"It's more like traditional, old-time photography...besides, I'm using a tripod and working slowly!"
I say:  Be careful what you wish for...

[Olivier]

The reason why I use adapted lens on mirrorless (X-T1) is that I know they are fairly fast and already good wide open, and easier to MF (Nikkor 28mm f/2 and 105 f/2.5 mostly) than native lenses. I really enjoy MF. On top of that, I have them and don't need to invest further!
I mostly use them wide open or nearly. If I want to shoot at f/8 or 10 where metering and EVF will suffer, virtually any lens will be good enough for my use, so no need to look for adapted ones.

[Airy]

With crop sensor cameras, the need for stopping down partly vanishes, essentially because most FF lenses are pretty good in the center at f/2.8, and the lesser quality of the corners does no longer matter because they are cropped away. In practice, using the OM-Ds, I rarely stop down beyond f/4. EVF is seldom noisy at such apertures. For sure, down in the cellar, MF remains a problem, no matter the technology.

In addition, the focussing aids (loupe, focus peaking) help to get rid of uncertainties. There is no such thing happening as a to-and-fro between wide open and stopped down. Bottom line, using Canon FDs and Nikkor AIs is pure bliss, despite the absence of coupling.

[Bjørn Rørslett]

I wish I could say the same with the Sony A7. The lack of automated features with non-native lenses is maddening. Even more so as the focus peaking isn't very accurate and the focus magnifier system is created entirely without any intelligence and user relevance. Even the Panasonics have solved this much better.

[arthurking83]

...... Does anyone have experience with the 35-70 and what would be a good adaptall2nikon adapter?

I have Tamron's 300/2.8 and have used(briefly) their 180/2.5 lens.
The 300/2.8 is difficult to focus on the D70s(focus screen is crap), but easy on the D300 and D800.
I only tried the 180/2.5 on the D70s and decided against getting it(stupid me .. didn't think I'd update camera to a better one at any point tho! .. major regret)

.. anyhow, you should be able to find a genuine Tamron Adaptall2 to Nikon adapter somewhere on ebay. They're fairly common.
I can't give any info on how other brands will operate tho. I don't have a spare(any longer) but can assure you that full aperture control will be available with your Adaptall lens(es).

I have no (obvious)issue with metering, and the aperture control is auto with the 300/2.8. I also have two of Tamron's T/C's, the higher quality 1.4x and the lower quality 2x from long ago.
Again, no issues with aperture, nor metering on the cameras that can be programmed with lens info.
(the D70s can't, so Manual mode must be used for the camera to operate .. but aperture is automatically controlled).

I have no experience with a Df, other than a brief test drive in a store(didn't like the grip) so can't offer any insight as to how well your combo would feel.

As for chipping any adaptall lens .. the issue is the intermediate nature of the adapter. You can't simply chip the lens as it won't physically connect to the camera(the adapter does this), and the adapter dimensions appear a bit marginal to take a chip itself(especially if you want a relay system of connections to the lens itself).

If you're looking for a genuine Tamron Adaptall2 mount, it should be called a N/Ai adapter(so you'd be searching for the term 'Tamron adaptall2 N/Ai')
The N/Ai doesn't describe non Ai as it does in some instances of Nikon lenses .. I think it simply means Nikon/Ai.

I've never seen an Ais version of the adapter tho .. may try a search to see if one exists.

hope that helps.

[PeterN]

It certainly does! Thank you

[Bjørn Rørslett]

Instead of bothering with a Tamron 35-70, why not do yourself a service and get a nice 35-70 Nikkor? The f/3.5 version (72mm threads) is excellent. Price tends to be good too. And it is easy to CPU-modify.

[Airy]

I wish I could say the same with the Sony A7.

The A7 is full frame, a less favourable case. I have yet to test one of these.

[Bjørn Rørslett]

NEX models behave similarly.

[bobfriedman]

Fisheye-Nikkor 8mm f/2.8
Fisheye-Nikkor 16mm f/3.5

Nikkor 18mm f/4
Nikkor-UD 20mm f/3.5
Nikkor 24mm f/2
Nikkor 28mm f/2
Nikkor 28mm f/2.8
Nikkor 50mm f/1.2

[Thomas G]

A slightly different but related question:
I do have 2 Tamron adaptall-2 lenses. One is a 35-70 3.5 and a 300mm 5.6 lens. Esp. the 35-70 seems to be a nice lens. Does anyone have experience with the 35-70 and what would be a good adaptall2nikon adapter?

Adaptall lenses are fully functional when the lens stub is used with one of the adaptall system camera adaptors.
I own one of those lenes, a 28-70 type 44A, which close focuses to 30cm at 70mm focal length, and a matching N/Ai Adaptall.
It worked on the D-700 and does so on the Df.

[PeterN]

Instead of bothering with a Tamron 35-70, why not do yourself a service and get a nice 35-70 Nikkor? The f/3.5 version (72mm threads) is excellent. Price tends to be good too. And it is easy to CPU-modify.

The only reason is that I have one dusting on the shelf. iI tried to sell it earlier this year with a Pentax to Fuji mount but I got no response. Therefore I thought I might as well try it withe the Nikon. so if there is anyone out there interested, let me know and I am happy to stick to Nikon (and Zeiss and VL).

[bjornthun]

There are two Zeiss wide angles you can look into. The ZF/ZF.2 versions of the 25/2.8 and the 35/2. The 25/2.8 focuses down to 17cm, which is 6cm from the front lens. The 35/2 is the sharpest of the two. The 25/2.8 has some curvature of field, but is still very nice.

[David H. Hartman]

The 105/2.5 is a top choice from antiquity. A 105/2.5 Nikkor-P was my second lens back in 1970 or 1971. The AIS version is best used with an HS-8 or HS-14 hood or even the HN-7 but not the built in.
 
The 20/3.5 and 28/2.0 in AI or AIS can be turned into the sun without fear of flare and ghost. I almost sold my 20/3.5 AI after buying a 20/2.8 AIS until I read Bjørn's review on his old site. I still own both the 3.5 and 2.8.

I guess for character it's fun to own both the AI or AIS and the pre-AI version.

Best,

Dave Hartman