.... I have a Nikon and Minolta old fashioned film cameras with multiple telephoto and wide angle lenses. I haven't used either in years. I wonder if there is a market for them on ebay. I'll have to check.
I don't know about a market but there is a Flickr user group:
No metering lenses on Nikon DSLRs
For anyone still reading this thread, I need a camera that takes excellent high res close ups without breaking the bank. On knife nut sites we show a lot of pictures of knife edges and the like and my present camera can't hack it.
For me that would be the Nikon D40. But then thats what I have.
The D40 and the crappy 18-55 kit lens is good enough for forensics/ shooting fingerprints/ will show Lincoln on the back of a penny. The local U is setting up a forensics program, I dropped by to informally consult, the following pictures are from the D40 with kit lens 'demo'.
Pictures are links to full size versions:
Incidentally, these are the
basic low quality JPGs, not the higher quality RAW converted to JPG. THe basic JPG is good enough for Web work.
The Academy is happy to this point, and as they and I discussed, if they need more than this they can save bucks by buying an old manual Macro (Hey, Dock! Got one of those??) and if that isn't good enough, get a generic manual extension tube or bellows and they'll get over 1:1, but that's getting into Micro Photo.
And about a manual focus lens is the camera really needs a
Katz Eye focus screen.
But I've found for us duffers shoot and review is good enough.
Continued:
I have a Nikon D40 in need of a new lens. The older Nikon lenses are supposed to fit. Do any of the ones you have offer auto-focus?
From above,
The reason I pointed the Academy to the manual lenses is because the CPU Macro lens for the D40 runs $400 ~ $600 bucks. WOW! You can get an old
Quality Macro lens for under $100, probably well under $100, and splurge on a Katz, and you got a dedicated camera. Added benefit is the unit is no longer a point and shoot, they have to learn how a camera works.
Problem with the D40 is it needs a CPU lens with the motor IN the lens for auto focus, unlike the older Nikon auto focus lenses with the motor in the camera body.
I really like a camera with Burst. I keep my Nikon set in Burst Mode. It's slow enough that I can pop just one image at a time, or if I need to capture several, just press and hold....pop pop pop pop pop.
I shoot everything in RAW+B (basic, low res JPG), RAW sure does slow the camera down. LOL!