jerryc41 Loc: Catskill Mts of NY

Stop it!! You're tempting me! : )

Jim Bob

That’s the ticket.

AK Grandpa Loc: Anchorage, AK

How much money are you willing to spend? I upgraded from a D3300 to a D5500, and then from the D5500 to the D500. Wish I had gone with the D500 as my first upgrade. The D5500 is a good camera and an upgrade from the D3300, but the D500 beats everything else out there. If you want the best . . . Go with the D500.

rfmaude41 Loc: Lancaster, Texas (DFW area)

Remember also that the 7xxx series has the builtin focusing motor, allowing the use of almost any lens that Nikon has made since the (very) late 50's and early 60's.

Bobspez Loc: Southern NJ, USA

I have a D3100 and a D7000. The D7xxx series has a focus motor so it can be use the older AF lenses without a motor. However it can't mount Nikon Pre-AIS or Non-AIS manual film lenses without modifying the lens.

However th D3100, although it doesn't have a focus motor can mount the Pre-AIS and Non-AIS manual lenses without modifying them.

BebuLamar

So is there a problem if they go out of business?

lamontcranston

Are you sure of that? I've been trying to get a definitive answer to that question but internet responses are contradictory. For instance, I found this,

"Do not mount unmodified NAI, also called Pre-AI, non-AI, F-type (A, C, F, H & HC, K, N & NC, O, PD, Q & QD, S & SC, T, UD, Auto, etc.) lenses on your Nikon DSLR or you will be sorry. The fact that the NAI compatible Nikon Df lists certain NAI Nikkor Auto lenses as incompatible ought to be warning enough!"

http://blog.gerardprins.com/blog2.php/2010/01/27/nikon-ai-ais-mf-lenses-on-nikon-dslr-yes

I have a D3300 and a couple of non-AI lenses from my Nikon F days and I'd like to find out for certain if I can mount and use them on my camera without damaging anything. I understand the Auto Focus will not work and I will need to focus them manually.

adamsg Loc: Chubbuck, ID

I don't think that I can justify going all the way up to a D500. So, something less expensive is much more likely.

adamsg Loc: Chubbuck, ID

Will the 7000 series function with my current lenses that need a focus motor?

Bobspez Loc: Southern NJ, USA

I'm sure because when I bought the D3100 I also bought 8 different pre-ais / non-ais lenses as well. They were terrific bargains, selling for from $30 to less than $100 each. The way to know is that if they mount with no tension or stiffness, they will not hurt your camera (other than the fish eyes which protrude into the sensor). If I try to mount the same lenses on the D7000, they are too stiff to turn while mounting. The potential damage is to the camera mount, as you would have to force the lense to turn in the mount. I modified one Pre-AIS lens, the Nikon 50mm f1.4 manual lens to use on my D7000, but haven't done the rest. Interestingly, the Pre-AIS lenses also don't mount on my D200 which is older than the D3100.

I'm not sure what site you looked at but here is a link to Ken Rockwell's compatibility chart. You will note that the Nikon D3xxx and D5xxxx cameras and some other models don't meter with the pre-ais lenses, but they do mount and can be used in manual mode. Also my D200 and D7000 show up as not being able to mount, and the fisheyes don't mount on any Nikon DSLR.

http://www.kenrockwell.com/nikon/compatibility-lens.htm#dslr

Bobspez Loc: Southern NJ, USA

Yes. The focus motor is in the camera. With the D3xxx and D5xxx series the motor needs to be in the lens. I use a couple of older nikon lenses and an older Sigma lens with an internal focus motor on my D7000 and my D200. These lenses will not autofocus with the D3100. I beieve all of the Nikon FX cameras also have a focus motor.