I posted a new vid! Its about using vintage lenses on DSLR bodies.
Stop chasing brands! Save your $$ and buy used!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R5k93ldeDQw

It's nice to have that as an option.  Not everyone will enjoy, or want to deal with, older manual focus glass.  I found that much of the older glass actually increased in price as people began adapting it to their MILCs, some older glass is reaching the point of being unobtanium.

Used Ai-S and non-Ai on my Nikons before departing for Pentax.  The Df was almost the perfect platform, especially considering the ability to use non-Ai with no mods.  Preferred their rendering to many of the newer lenses - to me, much of Nikon's newer glass is just too perfect, almost sterile.

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Currently have one "vintage" lens - SMC Pentax-A 50/1.4, which works perfectly on my K-1.  But I'm not a big fan of the 50mm FOV, and I prefer the FA Limiteds.

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I've also used Voigtlander screw-mount and M-mount glass on Fuji MILCs, and enjoyed the experience.  Edit - the Voigtlander lenses were not all vintage, the M-mount were new lenses.

I use quite a few legacy lenses with my D750, D7000 and Sony a6000.

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Photo was taken with a D7000 an f3.5 Micro-Nikkor P.C 55mm.

Same here, I have a hand full of old 1960's Nikkor glass that I love to use on my a6000, the mirrorless flange distance pretty much ensures I can use anything manually.

No auto focus capabilities, but with some practice I've had some good success even in action shots, you just have to prep a little before each shot sequence, not much different from the film days.

Nothing makes me more happy than looking into a box at a flea market or estate sale and seeing old primes, especially F-mount.

My wife is wanting a modern DSLR and we have been sort of shopping them, knowledge and skill level are both novice.

We have a couple lenses that belonged to her father (AF Nikkor 70-210 1:4 and 35-70 1:3.3-4.5) that I would like to use to reduce investment into what may be a short lived hobby.

My question is am I steepening the learning curve in doing this (which may encourage abandonment of the hobby), and are these lenses which outwardly appear basically new worth using? They would date no later than mid-90's when he expired.

Thanks

So is that to say yes they are decent lenses,worth using and will not over complicate our life while learning?

Thanks

For Nikons something to note:  Pre AI lenses that are not modified are a NO GO on any modern DSLR from Nikon.  A lot of outfits can do the modification for ~$100 or so, or if you are good with tools, you can do it at home in a half hour.

Unmodified lenses will snap off the aperture feeler lever on the camera when attaching.  The only exception to this with Pre-AI lenses are the reflex series, as they have a fixed aperture and no 'prongs' to touch the aperture feeler with.  The modification is simply relieving the metal around the lens mount and aperture ears, but I'm not going to detail that as I've never done it.

I have been fantasizing about the silver DF, or rather a retro styled major brand dslr, since I bought my first DSLR in 2007.
I want it so bad!

I loved mine, and loved being able to use unmodified non-Ai lenses, but Nikon borked the viewfinder with a 15mm eyepoint.  For me, it made using the camera useless for anything other than intermittent snapshooting.  Heavy use in a short period of time would knock my stereo vision out and I'd see double for 20 - 25 minutes, and cause a migraine-type headache that would last a day or so.  Not everyone has issues with that viewfinder spec, so it may work fine for you if you decide to try one.

I think you will find that those are fair to decent lenses. I got into Nikon AF cameras with a 4004 - which was either the 2nd or 3rd AF model they made (I think both the 2000 and the 2020 were AF). The focus systems (and lenses) of the day were not fast to focus - but that has improved remarkably. I took a LOT of pictures through both of those lenses, and still have them. The 35-70 isn't the best built lens, and sometimes has problems focusing - that is why mine is currently on an old camera body that is basically for display purposes.

I think you will quickly find that the 35-70 is somewhat limited on a DX body - it isn't as "wide angle" as you may want. While my 70-210 is fully retired (I have a 70-300 that is a bit better, and a 80-200 that is FAR superior) it did well by me for a long time.

If you buy a 7100 or 7200 and start with those lenses, you may outgrow the lenses and have a perfectly functional body.

-shooter