Is a Nikon D40 compatible with Nikkor manual focus lenses?

Question

Does anyone know if I can use my collection of oldschool Nikon lenses [mostly Nikkor manual] with a new D40 body?

Answer 1

Yes you can. Virtually all Nikkor lenses from 1959 on will mount to your camera. Obviously a manual focus lens wont autofocus but they will all work. They may not all meter properly so you will have to test them out but they will mount and work.

Answer 2

You can use them but Non AI, AI converted, AI and AIs will only work in manual mode and they will not meter on the D40. AF and AF-D will work in  A, P, M, and S modes but will not autofocus.

Non AI lenses did not index automatically you had to line up a prong when you put the lens on

AI lenses were automatic indexing so you did not have to move the aperature ring when mounting the lens.

AI-d series Nikkor lenses were factory converted from Non AI to AI

In AI-s lenses the "s" means that the actuation of the diaphragm was linearized with respect to the position of the automatic diaphragm pin. This is very important for AF cameras because they have have open-loop exposure control that depends on the aperture being exactly correct or else your exposure will be off. It is not important to manual focus cameras

P lenses are manual focus AI-s lenses that have had the electronic contacts of an AF lens added to them. I do not know of this being on 50 mm I think it was used mostly on telephotos

E series lenses were one of the first "Cheaper" nikon lenses I put the "cheaper" in quotes because they had great optical quality. They were built with well thought out, simple to manufacture optics and cheaper mechanics that were more than good enough for amateur use. These cheaper mechanics are often better than what Nikon makes today in some of their cheaper plastic AF lenses. But at the time they were one of the first lenses Nikon made with plastic instead of metal parts, so they got a bad rap. These are great buys IF they work on your camera

AF were autofocus lenses and AF-n are "new" autofocus lenses that also have a manual focus ring.

AF-D lenses send distance information to the camera to be used with things like automatic flashes

AF-I have internal focusing motors on the lenses AF-S also have internal focusing motors but you can override them with the manual focus ring without moving and switches

G lenses are lenses which have been crippled by removing their aperture rings to save cost. They do not work on older manual only cameras as you cannot set the aperature.

AF-s and AF-I are the only ones that will autofocus with the D40/D60.

http://www.kenrockwell.com/nikon/d40/d40...

A good compatability chart can be found here

http://www.kenrockwell.com/nikon/compati...