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D800 with older lens

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Sonny

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Hello everyone. Last time I made topic about D600 vs D700 but as the price of D600 is so close to D800 (and I don't really like how the D600 feels in my hands, and the button layout) I was thinking about the D800 until i found out that it is not recommended to use older lens on it.

This kinda surprised me since Ken Rockwell and others didn't mention anything about this.

I WASN'T planning on getting 14--24 mm f/2.8G ED, 24 mm f/1.4G ED or 35 mm f/1.4G

I do have my beloved 105mm VR micro that I just can't get enough of so D800 would be perfect for better macro but as winter is coming I was planning on getting a wide-angle lens for normal and some HDR work.

I didn't find much info on this topic but it seems that some guy's use older lens on it and some say
it will just screw up your.

Do you have any experience with this? Is it better for me to get used D700 where it wont matter so much? D700 will be great on landscapes and portrait but I'm not sure about macro (still can't find any 1:1 macro pictures with 105mm VR on a D700)

Thnaks

Posted 9 months ago #
Wataru

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Who said you can't put older lenses on the D800? Who said the D800 is a studio camera? I never heard either of these before.

I work with military and law enforcement and we are replacing our D700s with D800s. We are using 'older" lenses all the time. You can search FedBizOps to see that the U.S. Army has specified the D800 after testing with existing lenses (older-some going back to the 80's) and is buying a number of them.

I have not voided the warranty by putting my old 30 year old manual focus lenses and shooting pictures in the field.

Anybody who tells you older lenses screw up your D800 is feeding you rubbish.

Posted 9 months ago #
Sonny

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Wataru said:
Who said you can't put older lenses on the D800? Who said the D800 is a studio camera? I never heard either of these before.

I work with military and law enforcement and we are replacing our D700s with D800s. We are using 'older" lenses all the time. You can search FedBizOps to see that the U.S. Army has specified the D800 after testing with existing lenses (older-some going back to the 80's) and is buying a number of them.

I have not voided the warranty by putting my old 30 year old manual focus lenses and shooting pictures in the field.

Anybody who tells you older lenses screw up your D800 is feeding you rubbish.

What I meant to say is that they say you can "notice imperfection" in your pictures if you use older lenses as the 35/2

Posted 9 months ago #
birdman

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I've seen reviews that over state how "critical" it is to use TOP NOTCH (read: newer and more expensive) lenses on D800. Hogwash. The 50/1.8 is a 35+ year old optical design...and besides lens coatings there is very little difference between a 50/1.8 from 1977 and 2012. The newer 50/1.8g has aspherical in its formula so it's a little better design. Look at it this way: these lenses are at least 10 years old -- 200/4.0 micro, 85/1.8d, 300/2.8 (non-VR), 55/1.2, 135/2.0, 105/2.0, etc.

I think newer designs have coatings and aspherical elements that help with digital sensors. Therefore, you get less artifacts, so to speak, with newer lenses. The D600 (at 24MP) will also demand top glass. Frankly, it's going to be near as demanding as the D800. I know because i tested one out yesterday. Good luck.

Posted 9 months ago #
macsavageg4

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It is pure BS think about it this way. In general most decent film has a higher resolution than most sensors found on digital cameras. I have been shooting pictures fine with a 55mm f/1.2 that had a bad fungus problem that I cleaned and it makes fantastic pictures. I could see the resolution possibility of showing flaws in a particular sample of lens. On longer lenses it does get a bit more difficult to counteract the motion blur that happens when shooting at lower ISOs. For example the only older lens (1967 make Nikkor-Q 200mm f/4) I have had any difficulties with getting decent shots out of was a longer focal range. I haven't had issues like that with my 80-200mm F/2.8 or my longer AF lenses.

When I first read about things like this I had just picked up my D7000 and was shocked to read about this supposed problem since I had been taking pictures without any issues with a Nikkor 24mm f/2.8 built in 1973 or so. Bear this in mind as well, each of the cmos cells on the D7000 are smaller than what is found on the D800. So theoretically if there were major problems they should have shown up on the D7000 more than the D800. Anyway that is my take on the whole thing and what I have seen in practice.

Posted 9 months ago #
Wataru

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....What I meant to say is that they say you can "notice imperfection" in your pictures if you use older lenses as the 35/2....

Pure hogwash and BS is right. There is no way that a 36 megapixel imager is more demanding than film. I know I'm a cranky old man, but if you want to get the most out of a D800, learn to shoot film first.

"Notice imperfections?" Heck, I notice imperfections in every photo I take, but none of them are due to the lens or the camera. They are all due to the loose nut behind the viewfinder.

Whoever "they" are who might be giving you this information are not basing it on real-life shooting. My advice is go to a camera shop and try things out for yourself: you can try at the counter or you can rent. You'll be better off.

BTW, I don't know if the D600 has the option to program in non-CPU lenses the way the D800 does. I have my most used non-CPU lenses programmed into the D800 so when I put one on the lens data goes to the metadata. It is a neat feature.

Posted 9 months ago #
donaldejose

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I think the newest "pro" lenses are slightly better than the older lenses due in part to new things such as nano-coating. Thus, for the very best resolution under all conditions the very newest lenses will perform slightly better than the older lenses (both on film and on a high resolution FX sensor). Think grade A vs. A+. Yes an A+ is better than an A but the error is to look at that difference backwards and say since the A is less than the A+ therefore the A is "junk" and shouldn't be used. That is the logical error being committed by some people. No, an A is still an A and a great A picture is still a great picture. Time will tell as people us older lenses on the D800 and the D600. I suspect most lenses which resolved well enough to produce great images in film will also resolve well enough to produce great images in a D600 or D800.

Posted 9 months ago #
TaoTeJared

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Wataru said:
....What I meant to say is that they say you can "notice imperfection" in your pictures if you use older lenses as the 35/2....

Pure hogwash and BS is right. There is no way that a 36 megapixel imager is more demanding than film. I know I'm a cranky old man, but if you want to get the most out of a D800, learn to shoot film first.

"Notice imperfections?" Heck, I notice imperfections in every photo I take, but none of them are due to the lens or the camera. They are all due to the loose nut behind the viewfinder.

Whoever "they" are who might be giving you this information are not basing it on real-life shooting. My advice is go to a camera shop and try things out for yourself: you can try at the counter or you can rent. You'll be better off.

BTW, I don't know if the D600 has the option to program in non-CPU lenses the way the D800 does. I have my most used non-CPU lenses programmed into the D800 so when I put one on the lens data goes to the metadata. It is a neat feature.

+1 all the way.

I have one caveat, some of the first G zooms (24-120mm 3.5-5.6, 24-85mm 3.5-4.5 and probably older D zooms-I just don't own any) noticeably show their limitations but still perform very well. My 50yr old 50mm 1.4 is sharper than those - that is how I could tell. My 50mm 1.4G is sharper than the 50yr old lens but that is why there have been what, 10-15 updates. Those lenses perform the same on every camera and always have.

Anyone who says old glass can't perform on the D800, is not a photographer in my mind. Photographers realize the unique characteristics of lenses and are not obsessively focused on pixel peeping test charts.

Posted 9 months ago #
Wataru

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TaoTeJared said:
...Photographers realize the unique characteristics of lenses and are not obsessively focused on pixel peeping test charts.

TTJ, as usual, you have made another very important observation, which has cut me to the quick. I am guilty of owning too many lenses and not mastering any of them. Henri Cartier-Bresson used a 50 mm normal lens almost exclusively, and really KNEW what that lens was capable of. I really don't know my lenses as I should.

Posted 9 months ago #
kanuck

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Sonny I wouldn't say that all older lenses yield poor results on the D800/D800e, just a few limit the potential of the new bodies. I loved the D700 because no matter what you used the results were always excellent. The pro glass like the 14-24, 24-70 etc were outstanding. Both look good on the D800, but I have found that Nikon's newer releases like any of the new 1.8 G lenses for example, outperform certain D lenses like a 50 or 85. Not by much, but enough especially considering the price and reasons for using a 36mp body.

Having said this I loved the look the old 24mm 2.8 D has with the D800 as well as a few cheap 20 year old zooms like the 24-85mm and 12 year old 28-85 G. Basically, a person shouldn't cheap out on lenses for 36mp body if its at all possible. However, if you have older glass try it out and see for yourself. I am currently a student so my funds are limited and I have not been able to use the whole potential of my D800e yet even though I've had the body since April and have reached 18,000 actuations now. The best is yet to come in April when finish my post grad work! Lens time :)To date, my favourite camera of all time still remains the D700.

Posted 9 months ago #
NikonMick

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There is a very great thread at the Fred Miranda site for those using manual focus Nikon glass with (mostly) digi bodies.

The thread started two years ago, Aug 2010, and now extends to 1930 pages - yikes !!

Many D700 users exhibiting samples, and now D800 pix are showing up, plus D7000, etc. Lots of chat about various MF lenses plus availibility, sources for purchase, etc.

Starts at:

http://www.fredmiranda.com/forum/topic/929565/0

Currently ends at:

http://www.fredmiranda.com/forum/topic/929565/1936

Cheers,

Mick
http://www.flickr.com/photos/68039985@N08/

Posted 9 months ago #
Sonny

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Thank you guy's for all those great responses. Something did smell fishy on this subject so I thought I will ask you.

Wataru is right about the demands in pixels vs film and I am a little angry I didn't think of that myself. :D

And I fully agree with donaldejose with his outstanding well put point. :)

Thanks again Nikon guy's you never fail.

May your images be well framed and never need a crop.

Posted 8 months ago #
Wataru

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Wataru said:

....BTW, I don't know if the D600 has the option to program in non-CPU lenses the way the D800 does. I have my most used non-CPU lenses programmed into the D800 so when I put one on the lens data goes to the metadata. It is a neat feature....

I just checked the D600 manual and yes, it is possible to program in up to 9 non-CPU lenses into the D600. I use my Ai-converted Nikkor-S 50 1/1.4 from 1971 on my D800, and it can not only be used on a D600, but the lens information can be written to your metadata. How cool is that! I really am pleased that the D600 came out at the price it did. I am thinking second body now...

Posted 8 months ago #
msmoto

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New member (davideanastasia) was asking about

old Nikkor 18-35 on D800?

Any thoughts?

Posted 6 months ago #
macsavageg4

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msmoto said:
New member (davideanastasia) was asking about

old Nikkor 18-35 on D800?

Any thoughts?

Should work fine just fine short of something being wrong with the lens. From what I can tell it is an AF lens so there shouldn't be any issues at all with it.

Posted 6 months ago #
Sonny

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Sonny said:
I WASN'T planning on getting 14--24 mm f/2.8G ED, 24 mm f/1.4G ED or 35 mm f/1.4G

What a fool I was. Now that I own D800 14-24mm is the lens I pretty much want right now. :)

I understand davideanastasia wants to use 18-35mm or something like 20mm 2.8D on D800.

I can't help you with 18-35 but I personally use 24mm f/2.8D until I get cash for something better. :) It's a good lens that's pretty sharp for the price. Quote "It is as sharp as the $1,800 24-70mm AF-S" Quote -Ken Rockwell
Im not sure about the 20mm 2.8D but I think it's not bad either just don't look in the direction of a 28mm 2.8D and you will be good.

Posted 6 months ago #
Wataru

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Sonny said:
What a fool I was. Now that I own D800 14-24mm is the lens I pretty much want right now. ...

I bought one with funds from a client at the beginning of the year. My client elected to use the 17 to 35 lens for his application instead so I got to keep the 14-24.

I haven't used it yet, as it is not something I use for work, and I have never used a lens wider than 24 mm before. I will try to take some pictures with the widest of angles on my holiday trip to Nikko next week and post them on PAD. (There, now I have promised to use the lens and post pictures!)

Wide angle lenses (I use the 24 mm all the time) are glorious with FX sensors.

Posted 6 months ago #
Sonny

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Wataru said: (There, now I have promised to use the lens and post pictures!)

Please do :) Im still not really sure what wide angle to get but i guess all i will be shooting with it will be landscape and startrails.

Wataru said:
Wide angle lenses (I use the 24 mm all the time) are glorious with FX sensors.

Yaaay :)

Posted 6 months ago #
rortmanns

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If you need 36MP in actual resolution, which really requires you to use a tripod, mirror lockup etc, then you will want a very good lens to fully resolve this. In the Nikon literature that comes with the D800 there is mention of lenses they recommend but I bet they only considered current lenses. Nikon have a vested interest in trying to sell their 24f1.4 etc. When I do landscapes I do use a tripod etc and I go for my best lenses. I have also tried my 75-150E lens on my D800e and the results are stunning, are they as sharp as my 85f1.4 at f8, well no but they are still stunning quality if you take care. There is much more to a sharp image than a sharp lens. Most people don't need to resolve all 36MP, I like to get max sharpness and res for my landscapes and I've slowly migrated to all primes for that work. If I shoot a portrait, I am happy with the 75-150 hand held, the D800 is a stunning camera and out resolves the D700 even hand held.

Buy a D800 use old lenses and be happy you get 20MP in res or whatever but when you do use the best lenses you'll get the best results possible. It depends on your work if you really need that quality.

All those quoting Ken, he's a tosser. There are much better sites.

Posted 6 months ago #
Sonny

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This topic is old I already got D800 and a Manfrotto 055CXPRO4 tripod so I think i'm golden there... :)

Sadly I can't upgrade everything at the same time (I wish I could but that would not be that much fun)

rortmanns said:
All those quoting Ken, he's a tosser. There are much better sites.

"one who suffers from chronic masturbation" ... I'm not very sure if urban dictionary helped me with that one. :)

Let's stay on topic... I had a question that was bugging me for a few days and that is if the older 50mm 1.2 is any good on D800. I was planning to get the 50mm as my "last" lens in a few years but I just want to know if the 50 1.2 is something to consider if I find one for a good price. Also I found something about "coma" and Im not sure if this applies to this lens but if so then it's probably not that useful to me.

Posted 6 months ago #
rortmanns

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Sonny said:
Let's stay on topic... I had a question that was bugging me for a few days and that is if the older 50mm 1.2 is any good on D800. I was planning to get the 50mm as my "last" lens in a few years but I just want to know if the 50 1.2 is something to consider if I find one for a good price. Also I found something about "coma" and Im not sure if this applies to this lens but if so then it's probably not that useful to me.

I can't answer that, don't own that lens. I do have an ais 50f1.4 and 50f1.8, the AFD 50f1.4 and the new AFS 50f1.8. I've accumulated these over the years because there was a time when a 50mm seemed to be sold off with every SLR on the secondhand market or maybe it was just me. Of all those lenses the AFS 50f1.8 is the best, I tried the AFS 50f1.4 at the same time but it weighed a lot more was only a little bit faster and cost a lot more. I stop down to f5.6 or f8 most of the time anyway so it was no contest. The new 50f1.8 is a no brainer it's brilliant, light good IQ. I bought the new one when I decided to go all primes.

As for the 1.2, it's only a tiny bit faster, it costs a lot more, it's manual focus only (ok by me). I have read there is a coma issue but its a really old lens design. Can't imagine why a tiny bit faster is worth it, the 1.4 is pretty good.

Posted 6 months ago #
Sonny

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Yeah I probably get the 50 1.8G anyway... It seems to me like a very good lens for the price.

Posted 6 months ago #
TaoTeJared

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Sonny said:

Let's stay on topic... I had a question that was bugging me for a few days and that is if the older 50mm 1.2 is any good on D800. I was planning to get the 50mm as my "last" lens in a few years but I just want to know if the 50 1.2 is something to consider if I find one for a good price. Also I found something about "coma" and Im not sure if this applies to this lens but if so then it's probably not that useful to me.

I have an early 60's 50mm 1.4 and I use it fine on the D800. Technically the newest lenses produce better photos but when you use older lenses or the 1.2, you are going for a "Look" not technical perfection.

Of the 1.2s probably only the newest version (that is still made) would take the most advantage of the sensor. MF is hard to hit and anything off, you will see it.

Posted 6 months ago #