Nikon dSLR and (much) older Nikkor AI lenses? Compatibility?

[cneal]

Some of the best photos hanging on my walls were taken with a Nikon F3 and 1980's vintage manual focus lenses. This is the equipment I used until 2009.

Shooting manual focus macro is not hard. I used an Ikelite underwater meter at get my exposure, then I would set the focus using something at the same distance. Then I would get the subject in the viewfinder and move closer until it was in focus and take the shot. Getting the ficus right while close to the subject would take to much movement for many subjects.

Wide angle with a dome was simple. The focus is set to the false image projected by the dome. Unles you are trying close focus wide angle you shouldn't need to touch the focus after setting it early in the dive. After that it is all about lighting just like recently manufactured equipment.

 

[AZTinman]

My oldest Nikkor lens was manufactured in 1968. Its aperture ring has been updated to work with all of my Nikon cameras (F2, F3, N8008s, D300, D7100, D7200, and D850). My 'vintage' manual lenses work well on all of my camera bodies for above the water stuff.

The challenge for shooting 'vintage' cameras and lenses underwater is finding serviceable housings. A bigger challenge is finding serviceable o-rings to keep vintage housings operable.

My Ikelite housing for my N8008s still works and I've got a good supply of o-rings for it. I visited with Ikelite a while back about servicing the housing and they told me they'd rather not. Due to the age of the acrylic, they were afraid they might break it when servicing the control levers.

Using my Nikonos equipment is less of a challenge. There are a few folks who still have the o-rings to service Nikonos cameras.

It is fun to shoot film underwater. You get 36 shots and you're done. Doing a 'point & spray' isn't an option! (LOL)

-AZTinman

 

[Fruitographer]

My father has been doing photography for over 45 years and I he taught me never to spray and prey. Even with digital take the same approach as I do with film. If I don't have a shot at least with a primary subject I don't take the shot. When my dad was shooting large format 8x10 and developing platinum prints, every photo was $50 whether it turned out or not. That'll make you think twice about whether that shot is really worth it or not.

I'm looking at shooting with a D810 and a Nauticam housing with the old single coat lenses which have all been AI'd. I can set the aperture before getting in the water then just figure out a way to adjust focus through housing or set it before I get in the water as well.

 

[scrane]

Nikon lens/body compatability is a jungle. Some of Nikon's cheaper cameras are not suitable for AI lenses. At best you will only be able to use M and A modes, and (obviously) manual focus. The information is available on compatability, but will take some digging. Forget about adapters entirely. Forget about pre AI lenses also.
The only camera I know of that can take any Nikon lens you can throw at it is the Df. Not cheap.

 

[Fruitographer]

I'm not personally worried about Pre AI or not as I'll just index them myself and have already done it. I only use manual mode for 95% of the stuff I shoot anyway so I'm not worried about that either. What I want to use is the old Nippon Kogaku lenses with the single blue coating. These lenses have great character within the images they produce and allow you to dig into the shadows more than the newer multicoated ones.