Does anyone have a foreign feeling when changing from, say, a Nikon FTN SLR to digital?

I actually feel as if I'm taking pics with a foreign object. I did take photography at university level, and haven't even read the manual with the new really tiny Nikon.

I was actually thinking of getting a new Nikon that would fit all the filters and lenses of the FTN.

Ok, I know, I should stop being lazy and learn the new technology. Nonetheless, I'm wondering if anyone else has had the same problem when changing cameras?

If you get a DSLR, you won't have any problems making the switch. All the standard settings (ISO/ASA, shutter speed, aperture) are there and mean the same thing. There's a bunch of other settings which you will need to learn about, but with the basic 3 settings, you shoot just like you did before. The only thing that you need to be careful when shooting with digital cameras is overexposure, which tends to wash out colors, and white balance. The rest is fluff.

Transition for me. No more film costs or developing. I get all the pictures I could ever want, and print only the ones I want.

When I converted over from film to digital, I found that the lens set that I owned with my film camera was not really optically compatible with my DSLR. (for that matter, they were from the pre-autofocus era, too, or as the photography field calls it, "the stone age") I bought (at the same time) a PHD digital ("push here, dummy) and a DSLR. If, as you say, you are well trained with an SLR, then by all means, you should upgrade to a DSLR, and you will be much happier being able to fiddle with lens and filter selection. Just be prepared for the possibility that you will need to invest in all-new glass. (filters will change over assuming sizes match - mine didn't) and you will probably have to learn new focal length calculations (I replaced a 28-75 and 70-210 zoom lenses with one zoom lens that goes to 85mm. - I forget the short focal length)

I'd recommend models, but I'm a Canon guy, so I don't know Nikon models.

Part of this is often caused by the crop sensor on most digital cameras (except like the Canon 5D, 1Ds Mark 2 and 3, etc or the nikon d3) as when you use a lens it looks so different between the 2. That is one reason why I went and got a full frame digital camera and Love it. Granted I give up some of the extra reach that the crop sensor gives, but its worth it to me.

If you look at the nikons, take your lenses with you to make sure they will work. I can tell you now that they will not work of the D40/d60 series for sure. And I think the older lenses like that don't mount to the newer camera properly as they don't have any of the needed electronics in them.

Good Luck and keep shooting there are still many of us out there that still shoot film. I love to shoot and develop my own B&W and even IR film.