Can i use a film SLR lense on a digital SLR?

My mom has an old Nikon film SLR and i wanted to buy a digital. I was considering getting a Nikon so could i just buy the body only and use the lenses on the film SLR?

You can, but you need to do your research.

Unless you buy a better than entry level camera ($1, 000) or better, you will not be able to auto focus using any lens that is NOT an AF-S lens

I have cameras that are professional level cameras, so I can use any Nikkor lens from manual focus AI lenses to legacy AF lenses as well as the faster auto-focusing AF-S lenses.

So, you have to decide if you want to spend the little extra for a Nikon D7000 or better and use your mom's old Nikkor lenses or just bit the bullet and buy your dSLR with the standard 18-55 mm lens

Interesting but you will lose auto focus

As long as it fits in the new camera it would be fine to use.

You should be able to, but you gave no model numbers for you lenses. These old lenses don't have AF motors, so you need to make sure a digital SLR from Nikon has the AF motor.entry level Nikons do not have AF motors,.So the Nikon D40, 60, D3000, 3100, 3200, D5000, D5100 have no motor.

Bodies like the D300, D300s, D7000, D90, for example will have the old screw drive AF motor.

You can use any EF-mount lens on any Canon dSLR. Using older Canon mounts will not be worth it. For Nikon, see this.

http://www.kenrockwell.com/...s.htm#dslr

For Pentax, any K-mount lens will work with any Pentax dSLR. M42 lenses will work with an adapter. Old Minolta lenses will mount new Sony dSLR's if they are A-mount.