Please comment briefly on your experiences with using both post- and pre-digital manufactured lenses.

Please comment briefly on your experiences with using both post- and pre-digital manufactured lenses.
Yes, and I see a marked difference in image quality when using "digital dedicated" lenses.
87% (556 votes)
Yes, and I see no difference, or no marked difference that would convince me not to continue using the older lenses.
11% (73 votes)
No, I only work with digital dedicated lenses.
1% (8 votes)
Total votes: 637

COMMENTS
ronkII's picture

I went digital to get AF; my old OM lenses will not even fit a camera without an adapter anyway. With my E-1 and 2 lenses, the 14-54 and 50-200, I can hangle just about anything with only 2 lenses!

Bill Adkins's picture

Used correctly the "legacy glass" will give excellent results in my Canon.

Doug Fox's picture

I have on occasion used some of my older Nikon lenses and have not seen any degradation in image quality as a result of their usage.

Linda Abbott's picture

Most of my older lenses are faster than my digitals and so I am happily using both. I get excellent results from my older lenses.

W.  Pinsker's picture

I use old Cannon lenses on my new digital and get excellent results.

Mel Wolpin's picture

Don't have digital only lenses, but I have about 20Nikkor lenses and will certainly not replace them all!

Dave Kelso's picture

The only difference I see with an older lens is the quality is proportional to the cheapness of the lens.

Hector Ulloa's picture

Actually, in my experience, most "digital only" kit lenses are nowhere near non digital glass in terms of color, sharpness, and saturation. Funny, more expensive lenses are not digital-only.

Larry's picture

I have both but still prefer my older lens. Why throw away good money. Good lens do cost. Its not the camera or the lens, it the photographer that makes the picture!

Jay's picture

I have tested 2 "older" film lenses (Sigma, Tamron) against "Digital only" lenses on both my 2 Minolta 7D’s, and my wife’s new Sony A-100. I have shot "controlled" shots of a photo copier calibration document, and all of my tests have yielded the same results. The digital lenses produce noticeably sharper images than the older film lenses.

George Johnson's picture

I use my old but still very reliable older Nikon 80-200 2.8 for local high high school sports. No problem.

Sid Washer's picture

I still own a Canon FX and two A-1s with a dozen lenses that will work on any of them but none will fit any of the Canon DSLRs. On the other hand, a friend had a batch of Nikon lenses that I was able to buy as a very good package deal so I bought a new Nikon D-70 body only and saved much money. Too bad for Canon.

Dale Hazard's picture

Older lenses work just as well on modern digital cameras. It's when you try to use a lens designed for digital on a 35mm film camera or a digital camera with a full frame sensor that a problem may occur. Lenses specifically designed for digital are usually made for a smaller sensor, one that has a magnification factor, and when used on 35 mm film or full frame digital they create vignetting because they create a smaller circle of light that isn't designed to cover a full frame sensor. As time goes on and technology increases and prices subside this will no longer be an issue because full-frame sensors will become the standard and we will be glad we kept our old lenses.

Don Holbrook's picture

Depends on the lens. Haven't tried them all, but the OM 90/2 and 21/2 are hard to beat on digital.

Craig Leavitt's picture

I've used my old Sigma 90mm f/2.8 macro. Not sure how old it is, at least 15 years but it has 5 cpu pins on it. AF and auto exposer right on and still good sharp images.

William Lawson's picture

The biggest problem with older (Nikon) lenses is that many of the previously automatic functions don't work on the new digital cameras. So I bought a nice Gossen light meter and life goes on.

David Morgans's picture

The small size of digital compact lenses precludes an exact comparison but top-marque lens designs are used at lower cost for the smaller digital chip.

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