I know the current crop of Nikons can use old 35mm lenses and I'm sure Canon put some backward compatibility in too but I'm not 100% on that.
Also with the latest generation of lenses they do autofocus and aperture selection from within the camera so those would definitely be manual settings focus is no bother but I don't know how you manage aperture settings unless your in aperture priority mode.
The final issue (probably isn't an issue) is you get cropped sensors in the entry DSLRS I'm sure using a 35mm lens will work fine but worth checking.
Hope this is of value a chat with any Canon camera dealer will confirm the compatibility.
What 35mm Canon do you have?
I used to run with a Canon A1 which my Dad gave to me when I was merely 12! I started shooting weddings and portraits and doing glamour shoots for girls who wanted a portfolio then went onto study o and a level photography before spotting a computer and thinking nah that's the future for a job and changed tack...
Cheers
Tone
