AboutBarry Benjamin Expertise I can answer basic questions about using any camera, but I am very familiar with most of
the Nikon FILM cameras up to the FP 5. I have some background in advertising and
marketing so I know something about placement of the object or person that would be
the main focus of the photo. I did quite a bit of in home family portrature when I had my
own studio in the '80s and '90s. I also did some product and commercial photography. I
took most of the marketing photos for my families hotels in The Bahamas over the last 20
years so I have some experience about what 'sells' in the travel/hospitality industry.
Experience Started photography in 1967, also worked as a newspaper printer in Molina, Oregon in 1975, I owned my own studio from 1982 to 1996 and sold my travel images as stock since then.
Organizations Commercial Photographers International
Publications Isles of Eden, author Harvel Lloyd, published by Benjamin Publishing 1992
Education/Credentials Padgett Thompson, Basics of Design Using Desktop Publishing, 1994
Rochester Institute of Technology, Printing for People who aren't Printers, 1993
Creative Photographic Seminars, Achieving the Optimum Results in 35mm B/W photography by Harvey Glick, 1978
Seminars with Harvey Lloyd in 1980 and 1981
Seminars with Lucien Clergue in 1982 and 1983
Past/Present Clients Many families around Cleveland and Akron, Ohio; MEDI, Henderson Photography
Question QUESTION: I have a Nikon N65 camera that I acquired used. It has a Quantaray 28-90mm lens. I would like to acquire a Quantaray 70-300mm lens for this camera. In looking at various such lenses on E-Bay, I notice that there are different model designations.
Could you tell me which of the various 70-300mm lenses are compatible with my Nikon?
Also, should I sometime later decide to buy a Nikon digital, would these lenses be useable for both cameras?
ANSWER: Nikon has one of the most universal lens mounts of any camera because they have not changed it too much in the last 30 years. First, there are many different lens designations and many of them are specific to the company that makes the lens. In most cases you will have to ask the company or someone who knows those lenses about what each designation means. If you don't want to or cannot go to that trouble there are a couple that are kind of universal. The speed of the lens or how large the lens opening is the number after the length or size of the lens. An example would be 35mm f2. This lens would be faster or allow more light to possibly expose the film than a lens that said 35mm f3.5. The slower lens would in most cases be less expensive also. I have to say that in some instances it might read 35mm 1:2.8 D and I believe in very few cases the speed or f-stop would come before the lens size, such as f 2.8 ED 135mm. If you are familiar with lens sizes and f-stops then they are self evident. f-stops in general run (from widest opening to smallest) 1.2; 1.4; 1.8; 2;2.8;3.5;4;4.5;5.6;8;11;16;22;32
I will not go over the common lens sizes because I assume you would be more familiar with those and many times you are looking at a zoom lens which has many different lens sizes included.
As far as which lenses might or might not be compatible with a nikon: first you need to know if your camera is digital or film; auto focus or manual and then you can determine if the lens will fit or not and what the lens will be able to do for you on that particular body or not. I am pretty sure that ALL Nikon lenses will fit on ANY Nikon body, but since you have a third party (Quantaray) brand lens you will need to determine if the lens mount is for a Nikon or not. The easiest thing to do is compare a lens with a lens mount that does fit your camera with the lens mount of the lens you are thinking of buying. If they match you can at least try it on your camera to see if it easily fits on your camera and locks in place the normal way the lens you KNOW fits. The second way is to have someone who knows lenses at a camera store examine the lens and tell you if it has a Nikon mount and will fit your camera.
I hope this helps.
---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------
QUESTION: Thanks for your expansive answer. Unfortunately, it is unrelated to my question(s). That is; will the various Quantaray 70-300mm lenses be compatible (fit & function) with my Nikon N-65 camera? Also, will they, (Quantaray 70-300mm lenses), also be compatible with a Nikon digital camera, should I later upgrade to digital.
Thank you, John
Answer John:
I tried to answer the question as best I could. the simple direct answer is sometimes they do and sometimes they don't. The Quantaray lenses can come with any number of lens mounts including a Nikon one. YOU have to look and see if it fits or not. That is the only way to tell that I know of. sorry!
Barry
