rwinch Loc: Walkersville, MD

Question about using older lenses on new DSLRs. I have my dad's old Pentax Spotmatic he purchased in the 60's. There are two lenses that I wonder if I could use if there are mounting adapters
1) 1:1.4 50mm and 2) 1:3.5 135mm (both from Asahi Optical Co. "Super-Takumar" lenses)
These are both faster lenses than the kit lenses I got with my Nikon D90. So...until I can afford to buy better Nikon (or Tamron or Sigma, etc), is there an adapter that I can use?
I know that these would be used in completely manual mode with my D90! Thanks for all the help!

GoofyNewfie Loc: Kansas City

They do exist but without an optical compensating element, they won't focus to infinity because the distance from the lens mount to the focal plane is deeper in Nikons than the Pentax M42 mount. Takumar lenses were great but adding another element of unknown quality is most likely going to degrade the image a bit. Google Pentax M42 lens to Nikon camera.

I found a $10 one here: http://m.ebay.com/itm?itemId=151033550254
There must be something better out there.

Absolutely not an endorsement as I've never used these. Just an FYI

oldtigger Loc: Roanoke Virginia-USA

focus confirm here
http://www.ebay.com/itm/AF-Confirm-M42-Lens-to-Nikon-F-Mount-Adapter-Ring-With-Optical-Glass-D3200-D7000-/221112633818?pt=US_Lens_Adapters_Mounts_Tubes&hash=item337b5709da

Mik Minick Loc: Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada

I'm using an Oly 4/3 SLR and I,ve been using my old Pentax 50mm 1:1.4 screw mount using a $7.00 non-optical screw mount adaptor. I must say that the Oly 14-42 and 40-150 lenses that came with my camera are way better than the '60's 50mm but the old lens does produce some interesting and usealbe results...fun!

f8lee Loc: New Mexico

The reason your camera can use a cheap adapter while the D90 DSLR (and others) cannot has to do with the distance between the lens flange (where you attach the lens) and the CCD. This is a critical part of the calculation made in the optical design of the lens.

Because the flange-to-CCD distance in your camera is less than the 40+MM distance (give or take; each DLSR brand differs) the simple adapter of which you speak is designed to be precisely thick enough to match the original lens' requirement to focus to infinity. That is, if the Oly's flange-to-CD distance is, say, 25MM then the adapter for a Nikkor lens (which is designed for a 42MM distance, itself the distance on all Nikon SLRs and DSLRs) would be 17MM thick 9with appropriate flanges at each end).

But for the OPs D90, there is no "room" so without additional optics most non-made-for-Nikon lenses cannot be adapted without losing infinity distance focus.

romanticf16 Loc: Commerce Twp, MI

So, in essence you could use an adapter without optics and use these lenses for MACRO Photography, but not for focusing to infinity, or use an adaptor with optics and have poor results.

f8lee Loc: New Mexico

Well yes because at that point the adapter is acting as an extension tube

f8lee Loc: New Mexico

Well yes because at that point the adapter is acting as an extension tube

Pablo8 Loc: Nottingham UK.

Buy a good adapter, and you will NOT get poor results. I've used mine OK.

houdel Loc: Chase, Michigan USA

I bought a similar Fotodiox optical correcting adapter from Amazon to use my Konica SLR lenses on my Canon EOS 20D. I did some rough testing using the EIA 1956 lens resolution chart and it appears images made using the Konica lenses with the Fotodiox adapter are about equal the images made with my EF-S 18-55mm kit lens, decent but not outstanding.

Note also the lens in the adapter results in about 1.4x magnification of the image and I suspect a corresponding 1 stop reduction in lens speed due to the reduction in effective image area, although I have no way to confirm the latter. So I'm guessing your 50mm f/1.4 Super Tak will act like a 90mm f/2.0 lens when adapted. You will also lose AE coupling so you have to open the lens wide out to focus and then stop down to shoot if you don't want to shoot wide open. Maybe not what you had hoped for, but an inexpensive way to get a couple more lenses into your camera bag.

rwinch Loc: Walkersville, MD

Thanks for all the feedback. Since I first posted (yesterday), I was able to do a lot of internet research and I am now convinced NOT to use an adapter with the optical correction. To cover all bases though, I can get one with the best of both worlds....one that has the ability to have the correcting glass in or out (FotodioX M42-NK-PG ):
http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/995104-REG/fotodiox_m42_nk_pg_pro_nikon_f_mount_lens.html

I will update when I get the adapter and use the lenses!