camerapapi Loc: Miami, Fl.

I am also a Nikon user, I would say that I have been using Nikon cameras and lenses for over 50 years. I have several pre-digital lenses and all of them work to perfection with my digital camera bodies.

Gene51 Loc: Yonkers, NY, now in LSD (LowerSlowerDelaware)

There some older lenses that do not do well in digital bodies. Optically they are sound, but if/how the rear element is coated makes a difference. Film was matte, digital sensors are reflective, and a poorly or uncoated lens will have fog and haze due to reflections from the sensor. Also, digital photosites are three-dimensional - they are tiny "tubes" that light goes through. Film was flat. The angle at which the light hit the film didn't matter, but with digital sensors, light rays have to be more or less 90° to the sensor and parallel, and more evenly distributed for more consistent illumination across the field.

Sigma's DG lenses are designed specifically for digital cameras - here is Sigma's explanation:

https://www.sigma-imaging-uk.com/faq/some-sigma-lenses-are-designated-dg-what-does-this-mean/

And there is this additional question and explanation from StackExchange:

https://photo.stackexchange.com/questions/53787/is-there-a-real-difference-between-digital-and-film-lenses

Clearly there is a difference, and you are more likely to see it with wide and very wide lenses, and less with long teles.

whfowle Loc: Tampa first, now Albuquerque

Every electronic system whether it be photographic or computer will run into incompatibility issues at some point. As for cameras, Canon and Nikon took different approaches to the problem of auto focus. Nikon went drive motor in the body while Canon decided on motor in the lens. While it is true old Nikkor manual focus lens in the pre Ai, Ai, Ai-s and the Nikkor D autofocus lens will not autofocus on modern Nikon digital bodies that do not have drive motors in the bodies, they will mount on any digital body that does not have the Ai pin or has a retractable Ai pin. By going manual, I can use these lens to make pictures. It just means I don't have the auto focus and in some cases auto exposure capability provided by modern digital cameras. In most cases, I just keep my body/lens combos the way they were originally implemented. But I have on occasion, used some of my pre Ai lens on my digital bodies. The quality of the image depends on the quality of the lens, some good and some pretty bad. I have learned that those old lens were designed for film photography, not digital. The new lens are designed for digital sensors and usually produce much better results. I think of photography as an art form rather than a science. Sometimes the incompatibility of body/lens produces results that are pleasing in an art form sort of way.

ddgm Loc: Hamilton, Ontario & Fort Myers, FL

When I gave up my Canon T90 for an EOS Elan 7E, I got a Tamron 28-300 to go with it. Next, Canon 20D, then 40D and now 5D III. All work well with the Tamron and I still use it a lot. No problems so far.

lamiaceae Loc: San Luis Obispo County, CA

Ditto with Pentax. And many Nikon friends use film lenses as well.

burkphoto Loc: High Point, NC

Having used both Canon and Nikon systems 1968 — 2015, I agree. The F Mount was about Nikon’s bragging rights to backward compatibility and the *supposed* economy of that. But that comes with lots of subtle “gotchas.”

Canon’s EOS systems and the abrupt abandonment of FD/FL mounts showed the world they were willing to “eat their own dead” to move forward. At the time, we had an A1 and several lenses, which my son adapted to his Lumix GH4 over 30 years later, along with my Nikon manual lenses dating from 1966 to 1984.

Yes, film SLR lenses can be adapted to modern mirrorless cameras. But the results vary wildly from crappy to excellent. Liking two out of seven isn’t bad... One’s a 28mm Canon, one’s a 35mm Nikkor. The 55mm f/3.5 Micro Nikkor was not good enough (and too long on Micro 4/3 for our needs), so we both bought 30mm f/2.8 Lumix Macro lenses.

The main missing feature of older systems besides AF is Image Stabilization. My main lenses are all stabilized. It makes a HUGE difference for me, especially for video.

The reason modern lenses are so much sharper and more contrasty and convenient to use is simple: technology evolves. To some of us, that’s more than worth the loss of backward compatibility.

b top gun

"Dragon Lights" lantern festival in the south parking lot of Soldier Field in Chicago, May 2018; shooting this event sold me on old Nikkor manual focus lenses on a D850. Shot for almost four hours, one lens, a Nikkor 28mm f/2.8 prime, aperture priority, ISO 400, hand held, shot wide open at f/2.8 all night. Have shot video with the primes as well; waterfalls, tug and barge river traffic on the Illinois River in the Starved Rock area, wave action on Lake Michigan several times.

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Greg Futral Loc: Maryland

Sigma, unlike Tamron and Tokina did not pay Canon licensing fees, so anytime there was a software change their lenses became incompatible. None of my Sigma lenses autofocused with the 20D back in the day. The Sigmas seemed to break often, and I was told they could not be repaired as they did not have parts for them. They did however offer me a discount which yielded the same price anyone could buy the lens from B&H

JBGLADSTONE Loc: Oregon

I converted a 50mm F1.4 FD lens using a adapter by Ed Mikka from Canada. ( do not think Ed is still in business)
I simply removed the FD mount and installed Ed's adapter. I appears to me that the quality is similar the EF 50mm F1.8.

AMD Loc: Houston,TX

After you violin lessons and if your fingers are intact without arthritis !
Good luck !

Jersey guy Loc: New Joisey

Absolutely. I have a Canon Eos ELAN, circa 1995, with a Sigma 70-300mm. Lens works intermittantly with Rebel T4i. Sigma said they could "rechip" the lens for a fee. As it turned out, the images that I was able to capture fooling around were not all that impressive so I won't bother.

In the same vein, I am in the process of helping a friend unload some old film equipment on Ebay, namely a Canon 50mm Macro, and a Canon 70-200mm tele. Neither one works with my camera.....only occasionally.

boberic Loc: Quiet Corner, Connecticut. Ex long Islander

My old body doesn't work as well either

dick ranez

Your problem is with sigma not canon.

BrianFlaherty Loc: Wilseyville, CA

I have used Nikkor; Tamron; Sigma; and, Tokina auto-focus lenses on my Nikon 35mm; Nikon D90; Nikon D7000; and, Nikon D7100 bodies without any noticeable problems. . .And, I have used my pre-Y2K fixed (Nikkor f 1.4 50mm and Nikkor f1.4 85mm) and, pre-Y2K auto-focus lenses. on the same Nikon bodies with no noticeable problems.

One comment (during my 50+ years shooting): I have never had a problem over-riding the auto-focus, with MY own eye. . I hope this helps. . .. . .

lreisner Loc: Union,NJ

I am using the same lenses from my Canon EOS 1 film camera on my Canon 5D III. I never had a problem. Actually my first digital camera was the 5D. My lenses are a bit worn now, so I am moving to the Sony 7R IV. I have been using the Sony RX10 III which I really like and will continue to use when I need a 600mm lens.