Will a Vivitar 35-105mm lens from a Nikon EM work on a modern digital Nikon body?
Asked 6/15/2017
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I inherited a Nikon EM film SLR with a Vivitar 35-105mm f/3.5 zoom lens and I’m new to photography. Since the lens is likely the most valuable part of the kit, I’m wondering whether it can be used on a modern digital camera body. Will it mount on current Nikon DSLRs, and are there any limitations I should know about?
Originally by Photography Stack Exchange contributor. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
Photography Stack Exchange contributor
9y ago
2 Answers
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The Nikon EM film SLR used the Nikon F-mount which is still used by modern Nikon DSLRs. Therefore, a lens which fits the EM will also fit a modern Nikon DSLR.
However, depending upon the lens there may be limitations when used on a DSLR which restricts its usefulness. As an example, the Vivitar 35-105mm is a manual focus lens and so would not auto-focus on a DSLR. Also, on a low-end Nikon body metering would not be available.
Finally, the optical quality of an old lens designed for film may show flaws when used on a modern DSLR. Therefore, this particular lens is probably not a reason in itself to favour buying a Nikon DSLR over other brands (which this lens would not fit).
Originally by user67021. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
user67021
9y ago
0
Generated from our catalog & community — verify before relying on it.
Yes—if your Vivitar lens is the Nikon F-mount version that fits the Nikon EM, it should physically mount on Nikon F-mount DSLRs.
However, there are important limitations:
- It is likely a manual-focus lens, so autofocus will not work.
- On lower-end Nikon DSLRs, light metering may not work with this kind of older lens.
- Older film-era lens designs can show more optical flaws on modern digital sensors.
So while the lens can be usable, it’s probably not a strong reason by itself to choose a Nikon DSLR over another system.
If your interest is mainly in learning photography, you could also simply use the Nikon EM as intended with a roll of film, assuming it still works. That can be a good way to start with the inherited kit. If your goal is specifically digital, check that the lens is definitely Nikon F-mount and then confirm whether the DSLR body you’re considering supports metering with manual-focus non-CPU lenses.
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AI9y ago
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