When looking at a digital Nikon, remember that almost every lens Nikon
ever made will fit the latest D-series cameras. I use a 1968 28 mm
Nikkor all the time on my D70. You have to use manual mode, but the
built-in screen lets you see the results straight away, so you can home
in on the correct aperture/shutter settings in two or three shots at
most. Older Nikon lenses are very durable, so they are well represented
in camera shops and all over E-bay. A good example of a discontinued
lens that is ideal for museum work is the brilliant 200 mm Medi-Nkkor,
which has an auto-metering ring flash built into the lens (it was made
to allow doctors to take pictures during operations). This is one of the
finest field macro lenses there is; it shuts down to f32, and focus is
mechanically linked to the aperture setting. There was an earlier
version that shut down to an incredible f48, but they are now rare. 
Remember too that earlier equivalents of the current macro lenses are
available; if you don't need autofocus, the older ('AI') versions of the
60 mm Micro-Nikkor and 105 mm Macro-Nikkor are cheaper and much tougher
than their modern counterparts (solid brass construction, as opposed to
creaky plastic). 
Finally, the D-series Nikon cameras can of course be hooked up to any
device that has a Nikon mount, including microscopes, telescopes,
spectroscopes and so on. Again, you usually have to use manual mode, but
you can see the results so that's no problem.





Paul Callomon
Collections Manager
Malacology, Invertebrate Paleontology and General Invertebrates
Department of Malacology
Academy of Natural Sciences
1900 Parkway, Philadelphia PA 19103-1195, USA
Tel 215-405-5096
Fax 215-299-1170
Secretary, American Malacological Society
On the web at www.malacological.org

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