Exposure Issue on my Nikon D600

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StephanAlberts

Senior Member
Hi,

I am having a very strange problem with exposures on my Nikon D600 and I will try my best to explain. I am sort of a newbie in the DSLR world....

I have only used Manual focus lenses on this camera, 2 cine lenses from Rokinon (14mm & 35mm). It's been a steep learning curve as haven't actually used an autofocus lens yet. I mostly shoot in Aperture Priority mode, only adjusting the Aperture ring on the lens and setting ISO and WB. I am usually happy with the results. Sometimes I switch to Manual Mode and I use the exposure meter in the viewfinder to find the correct exposure, then tweak it a bit if I want more.

But lately it's all gone wrong.

In Aperture Priority, with ISO 100 and WB Auto, I set the aperture at F1.4, the shutter speed is set at 1/50s and it underexposes my photos. Turning the aperture all the way to F22, it sets the shutter speed for very long (10 secs!) and obviously completely whites out my image.
In Manual Mode with the same values, with the aperture set at F1.4, I follow the exposure meter in the viewfinder which guides me to the same shutter speed settings i.e. F1.4 - 1/50s and F22- 10s

As a result I have to do a lot more trial and error before I get the right image.
It does this on both lenses and it baffles me... Am I doing something wrong or is there a problem with my camera?
 
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DraganDL

Senior Member
So, basically, you're sure you did not change ANYTHING within the menu settings exposure related? Like the metering area within the frame (matrix, spot...)?

Something's fishy with your example - f1.4@1/50sec is about the same as f22@10sec, so this should end up with the two photos being equally exposed. If not, the shutter or/and aperture mechanism doesn't work properly.
 
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StephanAlberts

Senior Member
Metering mode is on Matrix.

I honestly don't think I changed any settings, if I did it must have been accidental..

My example is exactly how it happens. You're right, it should be equally exposed but it's not even close, complete opposites in fact.
 
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DraganDL

Senior Member
Try some other lens(es) - borrow them just for the sake of testing. If the problem persists, something is definitely wrong with the camera body (either the electronic circuitry that controls the shutter or the mechanism that pushes the lens aperture's lever).
 
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pedroj

Senior Member
What happens when you set the aperture to F22 smallest on the lens then set your aperture in camera..

I don't have manual focus lens...This is what I do with AF lens...
 
hark

hark

Administrator
Staff member
Super Mod
I had a lens problem with a 20mm AF-D lens. Take the lens off the camera (put your body cap on the body for a few minutes). Start with the widest aperture and check each aperture setting by pressing the little metal lever on the rear that normally adjusts the aperture. Switch from one aperture to the next smallest and press that lever after each aperture change. You should see the aperture stop down smaller and smaller with each f-stop change. If the aperture doesn't change size, the lens is the problem.
 
hark

hark

Administrator
Staff member
Super Mod
StephanAlberts said:
Hi,
I mostly shoot in Aperture Priority mode, only adjusting the Aperture ring on the lens and setting ISO and WB.
Click to expand...

Wait...you said what??? You change the aperture ring on the lens? Why? Aren't all lenses with aperture rings supposed to be set to the smallest f-stop--then the aperture gets changed by one of the camera dials? I don't use manual focus lenses, but I thought all older lenses worked this way. Does anyone know?
 
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Blacktop

Senior Member
hark said:
Wait...you said what??? You change the aperture ring on the lens? Why? Aren't all lenses with aperture rings supposed to be set to the smallest f-stop--then the aperture gets changed by one of the camera dials? I don't use manual focus lenses, but I thought all older lenses worked this way. Does anyone know?
Click to expand...

Thats How I do it. It won't let me do it any other way.
 
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Phillydog1958

Senior Member
hark said:
Wait...you said what??? You change the aperture ring on the lens? Why? Aren't all lenses with aperture rings supposed to be set to the smallest f-stop--then the aperture gets changed by one of the camera dials? I don't use manual focus lenses, but I thought all older lenses worked this way. Does anyone know?
Click to expand...

That sounds correct. I think you're right.
 
BackdoorArts

BackdoorArts

Senior Member
I think hark has the heart of your issue. You need to leave your lens aperture ring alone, setting it at the smallest aperture (f/22). Then use the control wheels on the camera to modify your aperture setting.

I have a Rokinon 8mm and that's the way I do it. It's a manual focus lens, but there's a chip in it to allow for control of the aperture. Without the chip, I'm guessing that you're going to have to go full manual and guess at the metering yourself.
 
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StephanAlberts

Senior Member
hark said:
I had a lens problem with a 20mm AF-D lens. Take the lens off the camera (put your body cap on the body for a few minutes). Start with the widest aperture and check each aperture setting by pressing the little metal lever on the rear that normally adjusts the aperture. Switch from one aperture to the next smallest and press that lever after each aperture change. You should see the aperture stop down smaller and smaller with each f-stop change. If the aperture doesn't change size, the lens is the problem.
Click to expand...


I tried this but I am unable to change aperture settings with no lens attached??


hark said:
Wait...you said what??? You change the aperture ring on the lens? Why? Aren't all lenses with aperture rings supposed to be set to the smallest f-stop--then the aperture gets changed by one of the camera dials? I don't use manual focus lenses, but I thought all older lenses worked this way. Does anyone know?
Click to expand...


Blacktop said:
Thats How I do it. It won't let me do it any other way.
Click to expand...


Same here. On my manual lens, I turn the aperture ring and the values is reflected on the camera. To achieve the correct readings, I had to go into my camera settings -> Non-CPU lens data and create profiles for the 2 lenses, 14mm and 35mm which is F2.8 and F1.4 respectively. This has worked well in the past, and it still shows the correct profiles, but the results are not the same anymore.
 
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StephanAlberts

Senior Member
BackdoorHippie said:
I think hark has the heart of your issue. You need to leave your lens aperture ring alone, setting it at the smallest aperture (f/22). Then use the control wheels on the camera to modify your aperture setting.

I have a Rokinon 8mm and that's the way I do it. It's a manual focus lens, but there's a chip in it to allow for control of the aperture. Without the chip, I'm guessing that you're going to have to go full manual and guess at the metering yourself.
Click to expand...


Hmmm not sure about that... Aperture on these lenses are controlled only by turning the ring, and you are unable to change it on the camera dial. What's the point of setting aperture on the lens at F/22 if you want to shoot at F2.8? Then you have two different values for aperture and that would confuse the hell out of me!

Exif data always shows whatever setting I had my aperture set at on the lens.
 
hark

hark

Administrator
Staff member
Super Mod
StephanAlberts said:
Hmmm not sure about that... Aperture on these lenses are controlled only by turning the ring, and you are unable to change it on the camera dial. What's the point of setting aperture on the lens at F/22 if you want to shoot at F2.8? Then you have two different values for aperture and that would confuse the hell out of me!

Exif data always shows whatever setting I had my aperture set at on the lens.
Click to expand...

Apertures on those lenses when mounted on a 35mm camera will be controlled by the aperture ring; however, on DSLR's the aperture is no longer controlled by the aperture ring of the lens. The wheel on the front of the D600 (command dial I think) usually controls the aperture providing you have the aperture on the lens set to its smallest f-stop. At least that's the way ALL my 35mm lenses with aperture rings work--and it is how the DSLR's were designed to work with older lenses. Look in the owner's manual around page 77. It shows a diagram with the wheel that controls the aperture.
 
hark

hark

Administrator
Staff member
Super Mod
hark said:
I had a lens problem with a 20mm AF-D lens. Take the lens off the camera (put your body cap on the body for a few minutes). Start with the widest aperture and check each aperture setting by pressing the little metal lever on the rear that normally adjusts the aperture. Switch from one aperture to the next smallest and press that lever after each aperture change. You should see the aperture stop down smaller and smaller with each f-stop change. If the aperture doesn't change size, the lens is the problem.
Click to expand...

StephanAlberts said:
I tried this but I am unable to change aperture settings with no lens attached??
Click to expand...

What I meant by my quote is that you are testing the lens, not the camera body. That's why I told you to put the body cap on the body because the body would be sitting around while you are testing the lens. Remove the front and rear caps of the lens and look through the glass as you push the little lever. You should be able to stop down the aperture and see it inside the lens each time you change f-stops with the aperture ring.

However, I do wonder if the problem is because of not using the D600's wheel to change the aperture.
 
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StephanAlberts

Senior Member
hark said:
What I meant by my quote is that you are testing the lens, not the camera body. That's why I told you to put the body cap on the body because the body would be sitting around while you are testing the lens. Remove the front and rear caps of the lens and look through the glass as you push the little lever. You should be able to stop down the aperture and see it inside the lens each time you change f-stops with the aperture ring.

However, I do wonder if the problem is because of not using the D600's wheel to change the aperture.
Click to expand...

Ahh I thought you meant on camera, thanks for explaining that.

Thing is though, the levers on the back of these lenses are stuck in place and don't move. I guess it has something to do with the autofocus or chip, which these don't have.
They are Cine lenses with a de-clicked aperture, and are meant to have the aperture changed (smoothly) on the lens. Even knowing that the aperture is usually controlled with the front dial, I haven't been able to do it like this with my lenses.

Here's a video explaining that: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eeapOw3IRUE (about 2 mins in)
 
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aroy

Senior Member
Check if the small lever on the lense mount; which changes the aperture; is functioning. All but the very old lenses have these lever. It is meant to move the aperture blades to the value set by the aperture ring.

What I think is happening in your case is that the camera thinks that the lense is fully open (say F1.4) while you have set it at f8. That is why it is reporting the wrong values. To test if that is so
. Test if the lever for setting the aperture is working. Set the aperture to say f22. Now look through the lense and see if the aperture is fully open. If not then there is some thing stuck. If yes, then moving the lever will close the aperture to the value set on the lense.
 
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