Aperture and Dial(s)

ssepan

Senior Member
My issue revolves around the sub-command dial not changing the aperture.
Although the question has been asked and answered here on Nikonites (for a D750, http://nikonites.com/d750/31439-aperture-priority-problem-main-control-dial-not- working.html), I have a similar issue and it is not resolved for me, so I'm going to post my own. I'll try to cover the most frequently asked questions and suggestions. (Sorry for the length of it, but i want to cover the points I've seen in various other posts on Nikonites and elsewhere.)

1) I have both a D610 and a D7200. The main dial on each alters the shutter speed, but the sub dial will not alter the aperture. Both are recent acquisitions, and both are otherwise performing admirably. The D7200 is new (gray/Asian market) and the D610 is used (US). Both cameras exhibit the same refusal to alter the aperture on the sub-command dial.

2) I am shooting only with old manual manual lenses adapted to the camera with a Fotodiox adapter with no electrical contacts and no aperture-coupling (M645-Nik).

3) The mode is M, but the behavior is the same in A. (No other modes are usable w/ a non-CPU lens/adapter).

4) If I manually (that is, with my finger) move the aperture-coupling lever, the aperture changes. It does this whether Live View is On or Off. It does this regardless of #5.

5) I DO have the dial selected instead of the aperture ring. (D610,D7200: f5| Aperture setting=ON)

6) The behavior is not limited to Live view. (troubleshooting - Is it normal that manual exposure does not work on the Nikon D7000 in Live-View? - Photography Stack Exchange exposure-does-not-work-on-the-nikon-d7000-in-live-view)

7) I have entered and selected Non-CPU Lens data on both cameras.

8) d8 (Easy ISO) has no effect on this (in M, not applicable in A).

9) The main/sub-commands are not switched (D610,D7200:f5|Change main/sub=OFF).

10) The sub-command dial is not broken. If I DO switch the main and sub, the shutter changes with the sub dial, but the aperture does not change with the main dial. (See also #13.). Also, if I change the ISO and Auto-ISO, the dials both work.

11) Turning the grip (610:Nikon, D7200:Vivitar) On/Off has no effect on the camera's dials.

12) Removing the grip (as suggested somewhere) has no effect on the camera's dials.

13) With the grip attached and On, the grip's main and sub dials behave just as those on the camera (see #'s 9, 10)

14) (Subjective) The cameras are not too warm. (Nikon 750 Sub-command dial: Nikon FX SLR (DF, D1-D5, D600-D800) Talk Forum: Digital Photography Review)

15) Two-button reset, as suggested by someone somewhere. D610, D7200: no change.

16) It is unaffected by the AF/MF switch, which is in MF mode right now.
 
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Danno

Senior Member
First welcome to the forum.. I will admit that this is over my head but I was curious specifically what lenses you were having issues with. And if it was only the older models that you could not set aperture... If you put an AF or AF-S does it work.

Like I said. over my head. Just those two details I thought might be helpful.
 

nickt

Senior Member
2) I am shooting only with old manual manual lenses adapted to the camera with a Fotodiox adapter with no electrical contacts and no aperture-coupling (M645-Nik).

I am not familiar with these adapters, but isn't this the answer right here? There is no electrical contacts and no aperture coupling. So what is the camera body expected to do? You should be able to shoot in manual, adjusting aperture on the lens, or maybe the adapter has a lever. The camera won't know the aperture, but it doesn't care in manual. And the aperture won't be recorded in the exif data.
 

Fred Kingston

Senior Member
Very simply... a non-cpu lens will not operate the aperture via the subcommand dial because it has no way of communicating with the camera. You must physically turn the aperture ring on the lens. If the non-cpu (AI) lens has been modified, then it will display the aperture on the LCD, as you turn the aperture ring. If your lens is NOT doing this, then I suspect you have an old AI lens that has not been modified.
 

ssepan

Senior Member
Danno,
Thank You for the Welcome! :)
I do not have any Nikon lenses, so cannot test the behavior is AF modes. I can say that it is unaffected by the AF/MF switch, which is in MF mode right now. (I will add that to the list though.)
Per #2, I am shooting non-Nikon manual lenses with a Fotodiox adapter.
Steve
 

ssepan

Senior Member
Fred,
Thank you for the quick feedback.
Per #2, Yes, it is a non-AI adapter.

I am curious -- what is the point of having the feature of adjusting aperture by dial if it cannot be turned on when the ring/meter couple is NOT used?

Thanks in advance,
Steve
 
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ssepan

Senior Member
Nickt,
Thanks for the quick reply.

Yes, I can shoot in M. As for "what is the camera body expected to do": isn't it expected to accept the aperture as input when I change the dial? My guess was that the dial was to tell the camera what the aperture is when the meter-couple is NOT used.
Or ... is it only to TELL an electronic lens without an aperture ring what to set. If so, my bad...I thought it let me tell the *camera* what to use in metering/EXIF.

Thanks,
Steve

PS -- I should add that I'm new to Nikons, adn am used to the fact that I don't have EXIF info shooting non-CPU lenses on Canon, for example. I thought maybe this was a way to capture the f-stop in EXIF, but I may have misunderstood the purpose of the dial.
 
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Fred Kingston

Senior Member
No... the older cameras... BD (before digital) never had a subcommand dial... ;)

The lens aperture communication came about as a method of setting the light meters for the various Automatic modes that developed over the years... sounds like you're using equipment that has a foot in two different worlds... It's interesting that you have two relatively NEW Nikon bodies and NO Nikon lenses to test with...
 

nickt

Senior Member
Nickt,
Thanks for the quick reply.

Yes, I can shoot in M. As for "what is the camera body expected to do": isn't it expected to accept the aperture as input when I change the dial? My guess was that the dial was to tell the camera what the aperture is when the meter-couple is NOT used.
Or ... is it only to TELL an electronic lens without an aperture ring what to set. If so, my bad...I thought it let me tell the *camera* what to use in metering/EXIF.

Thanks,
Steve

PS -- I should add that I'm new to Nikons, adn am used to the fact that I don't have EXIF info shooting non-CPU lenses on Canon, for example. I thought maybe this was a way to capture the f-stop in EXIF, but I may have misunderstood the purpose of the dial.

The camera will not capture the aperture setting. It just won't know. You can still meter in manual. you can meter with no lens mounted at all in manual. Basic metering, I don't think all the 'smarts' are available. Just watch your meter. Set your shutter, adjust your ring for aperture. You will see the meter in your viewfinder respond.
 

ssepan

Senior Member
Fred,
:)
I shoot in M mode 99% of the time, and I've had success using the Fotodiox adapters to fit my favorite manual lenses to Canon (digital/film), Sony(digital)), and Pentax (film) bodies, so I expected no problem trying them on my new Nikon bodies. And I have no real problems either. It seems I was just expecting the wrong thing of the aperture-dial feature.
These Nikon cameras are wonderful. I got them for the dynamic range, and they are everything they are cracked up to be.

Steve
 
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Fred Kingston

Senior Member
One of the things you'll find is, in the Nikon universe, Nikon has their own perception as it relates to "standards" in communicating with other manufacturer's hardware... They don't always play nice with other camera maker's stuff... :D
 

ssepan

Senior Member
Nick,
Yup, that part has been working well -- I've been able to meter in M with these, alright. I can live without the f-stop 'smarts'.

Steve
 

nickt

Senior Member
Nick,
Yup, that part has been working well -- I've been able to meter in M with these, alright. I can live without the f-stop 'smarts'.

Steve
It sounds like you are all set. Enjoy.
I looked at the manufacturer's site. Do you have the adapter with the built-in ND filter? Interesting.
 
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