[squeek]

Never used an SLR, but I'm becoming a bit more interested in my photography recently.  I have an SLR that I've inherited, it's an old Contax one and has 3 lenses.  I was wondering if there's any chance I'd be able to use the lenses on a digital SLR, if I'd need an adaptor, or if there's no chance?

Also as a side note, when it says a DSLR says it has automatic function where it will work out the aperture, I presume you manually have to select this aperture on the lense?

[dave]

If contax make DSLRs (i don't know, do they?) then you may be able to use the old lenses, just depends on the company and how old the lenses are. by old i guess you mean  manual focus. For example you can use nikon lenses from about 1977 on any nikon DSLR, you may or may not get metering though depends on the camera model. This this is also true of pentax I believe. On the other hand I think canon changed their lens mount when they went to EF so they can't use old lenseds i think. So if there is a manufacturer out there (contax or otherwise) who makes DSLRs with the same mount as your old contax lenses then you're in luck - you'll just have to research that on tinternet. of course if they are manual focus lenses you will have to focus manually.

If theres no direct compatability then theres often a cheap adapter you can buy to fit almost any lens onto any camera, but of course you may or may not lose metering and any other automation, i.e. aperture priority etc.

Also as a side note, when it says a DSLR says it has automatic function where it will work out the aperture, I presume you manually have to select this aperture on the lense?

Certainly with Nikon cameras when you set the aperture you do so on the camera, not the lens. the lens' diaphragm is attached to a spring loaded rod which connects to the camera. When you mount the lens you set it to the biggest F number and leave it. The camera holds the diaphragm open while you are looking through the viewfinder, then the instant you take the picture it stops the lens down to the required aperture. I imagine that it is the same on all brands of DSLR or automated AF SLRs. You would only have to set the aperture on the lens itself if you were using some kinds of adapter (as mentioned above) which had no autpmatic aperture connection.

so if you are in a mode where the camera decides the aperture (like auto or shutter priority) then it will set it itself via the above mention coupling rod or similar system.

[Obi-Wan is lost...]

I think Dave's pretty much on the money, scraping the memory barrel, I believe Nikon is pretty much unique in going to great lengths to keep their lenses compatible over several generations of cameras. I believe [scrape, scrape] Contax shared the 'K' series bayonet mount with Pentax on their old manual cameras, however I think both changed when autofocus came along. Don't know if Pentax autofocus are compatible with Contax autofocus. Not many companies have changed their mounts from autofocus to digital, except Olympus who came up with a complete new system.

[Just for the record this post is after a serious red wine session, lets see if it still makes sense in the morning.... : ]

[SA Chris]

All Pentax bayonets are fully retrocompatible (is that a word?). I use my old manual 24mm on my *ist D but you need to estimate shutter speeds and apertures, then take a couple of trial shots and see how the histogram looks, then adjust accordingly.

Would be surprised if contax and pentax AF were interchangeable.

Squeek Wrote;

Also as a side note, when it says a DSLR says it has automatic function where it will work out the aperture, I presume you manually have to select this aperture on the lense?

Not sure if I understand the question, but most DSLRS and Modern Autofocus SLRS can be used in fully automatic mode (where the camera selects what it thinks is the best aperture and shutter speed), Aperture Priority (where you select the aperture and the camera selects what is (hopefully) the best shutter speed and Shutter Priority (vice versa of AP).
Older SLRS usually have AP and some very old ones you have to select both yourself using a lightmeter.

Not sure how minted you are, but it may be worth having a play with the old SLR you have, run a roll of film through it and see how you get on. Then decide if you want to "go" Digital. A quick look at the website seems to show no Contax DSLR at the moment, so might have to start from scratch.

[squeek]

Thanks for the info guys, you answered my questions.  I've since noticed that you can get an adaptor so I could use the lenses on a canon EOS 350D, and they'd maybe just fit straight onto a Nikon D50.  I can always take them to a store and see.

If I do this, will I get no metering what so ever?  Will it work out the shutter speed if I manually set the aperture?  Or does it depend?

I take quite a lot of digital photos already with my compact casio (which is pretty good and I might just keep use that for a while).  I've had the SLR for about 5 years and taken maybe, 5 or 6 pictures with it.  Film cameras aren't for me.

I'm thinking if I get one I might get one with a standard lense I can use with the auto functions, then use the contax lenses when I can judge the settings better.

Anyone know of a webpage that briefly shows you how to interpret the histogram?  I've got one on my current camera, but never really use it.

[SA Chris]

Short of calling you bloody lazy; http://www.google.co.uk/search?hl=en&q=understanding+histograms&meta=

As I said before, even if you can get the lenses to physically fit, it's unlikely you will get any communication between camera and lens, so will have to go fully manual and adjust settings based on trial shots. A hassle initially, but you get used to it quite quickly.