Inherited lenses

[Allison Williams]

My father was a photographer of the old school, and I inherited 4 minolta lenses after he died. Because I was not into SLR photography, the lenses have just been sitting in their case for 15 years. I think I already know the answer but just need to be sure. Will they work with a DSLR camera? Can they be used with different brands of camera? If you say yes, I may be half way to a real DSLR!

[Kathleen Setier]

If they don't work, let me know. I have a Minolta 101 SLR (from 1973?) which has only the lens it came with.

[Rick Schies]

I would say if the mm size is the same, they might as long as it is the same make camera. A friend of mine has a canon 35mm and her lenses fit on her DSLR Canon Rebel. I would doubt it.

[Matt M (lintbrush)]

My guess is you may lose autofocus or metering capabilities depending on how old they are. 15 years isn't all that old, but if they're like 30 years old that's another story. I've used some old Nikon lenses with my digital, but lose autofocus and metering - 2 things that I rely on a lot. I almost feel that the kit lens that comes with a dslr might be better than messing around with adapters and lost functionality, but that's just my opinion.

[No Name]

If they were made after 1985 they will work fine with a Sony Alpha (Sony uses Minolta Mount), with metering and autofocus, and there are some adapters for 4/3 cameras

[weslyn hoekstra]

yes, it will all depend on the mount.

[Rev. Fr. Joel Osborne]

In the old days there were only two basic lens mounts; the Leica Screw Thread and the Zeiss Ikon Contax Bayonet mount. Then in the years of the SLR, only a very few used similar lens mounts; early Pentax, Argus, Praktika, and a couple of others all used the same thread mount, but most of the not thread mounts were individual. Each company wanted to sell their own glass! You might be able to find a conversion ring that will allow Minolta to Canon or Nikon or what ever, but you will lose features. Best bet? Find a good Minolta body on one of the auction sites and put the things to work. Film can be fun, especially if you can get into the darkroom end of it. Regardless, enjoy and God bless!

[Allison Williams]

Thanks for a good historical explanation for why this is probably a dead end for me. It was worth asking but I doubt I will pursue it. I've got my hands full with the 2 cameras I use now!