Nikon SLR Cameras

Is it possible to convert a 35mm SLR into a DSLR?

computerboy13
computerboy13

I have both a 35mm Nikon n5005 and a 7.2 Megapixel Samsung point and shoot. I was wondering if it is possible to align the CCD from the Samsung to that of the lens of the SLR, and then neatly put all the rest of the components in the cameras body.
Is something like this even remotely possible?

thankyoumaskedman
thankyoumaskedman

There's currently nothing available to do that. Drawings have been made of hypotheical modules that could be inserted, but none are made. If the camera body were designed to take an interchangeable film/digital back, it could work, but there are no 135 bodies being made that way. There are medium format cameras that do that. It is cost effective because so much of the camera body is so expensive, that it is worthwhile to make the camera upgradeable with a sensor or film module rather than make a new dedicated body.

Dr. Iblis
Dr. Iblis

Nope

the only thing close to what you are wanting is a medium frame hasselblad with interchangable backs. If you want digital, you can put a digital back on it
if you want to shoot film, you get another back that takes medium format film

Guest
Guest

The earliest DSLRs were Kodak adapted film bodies, such as the EOS 1n for the Canon mount version.

There was also an american company who had got as far as the patent stage with a digital back for film SLRs, but it never got off the ground.

As for taking components from your samsung compact and adapting them for a Nikon film body, will not work:

Optics are against you: The tiny compact sensor of the Samsung would not be able to capture a 35mm or even APS-C film area, it would be more like shooting on micro film and there would be a conversion factor of something 10x making all your lenses extremely telephoto.

The other issue is that the lenses will have a far greater back focus register than the samung chip was designed for, so at best you'll probably lose infinity focus, at worst you won't manage to get the lens to focus on the sensor at all.

It's just not practical. A used Nikon D70 canbe had for very little money and is a capable camera.

John P
John P

Not possible. But I have done it the other way round, converting an early Kodak DSLR back into a Nikon F90.

Even if you managed to get all those components together, the small sensor on the Samsung would make all your lenses very telephoto - e.g. A 28mm would equate to about a 170mm relating to a film SLR - you would not be able to have any wide-angle capability.