How to non CPU lenses?

Hi,

I have a D610 and thought it would be interesting to mount a 135MM F3.5 Carl Zeiss Jenna DDR lens to it.

I watched a number of youtube videos on how to set things up. It seemed pretty straight forward.

I bought a Urth Lens Mount Adapter: M42 Lens to Nikon F Camera Body.

I went into the menu system and under the Setup / Non-CPU Lens Data I created a new lens. Lens #1, Focal Length 135MM, Maximum Aperture F3.5.

I went into the camera’s menu system and created a shortcut where the F2 button allows me to pick a non-cpu lens.

I selected ‘M’ focus on the lens.

I selected ‘M’ focus on the camera.

I attached the lens.

Now how do I take a picture?

I was hoping for aperture priority but that does not look like it will work.

Turning the aperture ring on the lens is not recognized on the camera.

Is the correct setting complete Manual mode?

Do I select the desired aperture via the lens aperture ring and the shutter speed via the rear command dial on the camera?

Appreciate the help.

Alex


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Since a lens mount adapter is used, there is no feedback to camera body for aperture ring setting. In A mode you might have to set the ring and then adjust the front command dial to change the aperture displayed to match. Then camera can adjust shutter speed automatically. Focus will also be manual but you will get focus confirmation in the viewfinder.

Aperture would be handled the same way in manual mode. But you also use the rear command dial to set shutter.

Welcome aboard, enjoy the ride. We look forward to seeing more posts and samples of your work.

BF Hammer said:

Since a lens mount adapter is used, there is no feedback to camera body for aperture ring setting. In A mode you might have to set the ring and then adjust the front command dial to change the aperture displayed to match. Then camera can adjust shutter speed automatically. Focus will also be manual but you will get focus confirmation in the viewfinder.

Aperture would be handled the same way in manual mode. But you also use the rear command dial to set shutter.

Click to expand...

Hi

So it would be something like this

Set camera to Aperture Priority.
Set desired aperture on lens.
Adjust aperture on camera with front dial to match lens.
Camera picks shutter speed.

Correct?

Do the other functions still worked such as bracketing etc.

And since it is non ai lens and no info is passed to the camera do I even need to set it up as a non-AI lens in the menu?

Thanks

Alex

acolic said:

Hi

So it would be something like this

Set camera to Aperture Priority.
Set desired aperture on lens.
Adjust aperture on camera with front dial to match lens.
Camera picks shutter speed.

Correct?

Do the other functions still worked such as bracketing etc.

And since it is non ai lens and no info is passed to the camera do I even need to set it up as a non-AI lens in the menu?

Thanks

Alex

Click to expand...

Yes... You do need to set the lens up... Even though you're manually using the aperture ring to change the aperture...the camera uses the NON-CPU setting's Maximum Aperture setting that you set as a Baseline for it's calculations when setting the shutter speed in Aperture Priority. Those values will change as/if/when you change to a different Non-CPU lens... You need to reset the Non-CPU to the active lens number if you change lenses also.

You may get an error on camera if you don't set up the lens on menu. It will save some basic info for the exif data.

Yes that should be how aperture priority would work with the lens. Shutter priority would not work, or any mode where the camera must change aperture itself.

Now my closest personal experience is using a D600 to attach a 1970s 500mm reflex lens. That is a fully manual lens with no CPU or aperture feeler, but only a fixed f/8 aperture also. So I easily used it in aperture priority as I programmed the minimum and maximum aperture as 8. It also gave me focus confirmation since focal length was programmed to 500mm.

Hi

It’s not exactly working as expected.

In aperture priority the two command buttons do nothing when turned.

So while I can manually change the aperture I can’t change shutter speed.

In manual mode the rear command dial changes the shutter speed. The front dial doesn’t change anything.

So I could change the aperture manually and use the rear command dial to change the shutter speed but I was hoping that the aperture used would be recorded on the image.

Is this how things should be working?

Thanks

Alex


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Just taking a guess here because the behavior you describe is not right. After you enter the information for a non-cpu lens (can have up to 9 defined) then you find the other place in the menu where you select a non-cpu lens as active. I think it is in the shooting menu but need time to grab my D600 and confirm that. That last part is incorrect. See edit.

Otherwise I would be forced to guess your adapter is the issue. Physically look to see if there is cpu electrical contacts on the inside-top of the mount that goes in camera. There are aftermarket AF-confirm chips out there that does the same function as the non-cpu lens feature of the camera. It is possible the adapter could have that and requires user programming to set up.

Once upon a time I installed one of those aftermarket chips on my 500mm relex so it could autoexpose with a D80. I removed it after upgrading cameras.

EDIT: I checked my D600 and also my Z5. You just select the non-CPU lens in the same menu as defining the lens, so I am wrong about that 2nd menu entry.

And also re-reading your description on a PC screen instead of a phone, I understand better. Fred's response is pretty much correct. A-priority mode you cannot change shutter speed manually, that is done automatically by camera. You adjust the aperture by the lens ring. I cannot confirm beyond that...or maybe I can. I have an old f-mount 50mm non-cpu lens nearby. Will post below soon.

acolic said:

Hi

It’s not exactly working as expected.

In aperture priority the two command buttons do nothing when turned.

So while I can manually change the aperture I can’t change shutter speed.

In manual mode the rear command dial changes the shutter speed. The front dial doesn’t change anything.

So I could change the aperture manually and use the rear command dial to change the shutter speed but I was hoping that the aperture used would be recorded on the image.

Is this how things should be working?

Thanks

Alex


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Click to expand...

Here's what happens on my D810... with Aperture Priority

I have the lens setup in the Non-CPU menu...
I have ISO set to auto <-- you can set the max. ISO to whatever you want...
I have the Minimum Shutter speed set to 1/250... <-- the rear command dial will let raise the shutter speed from 1/250 UP...but not lower because the Minimum is set in the ISO Sensitivity Settings menu...

If I need a slower speed, I adjust the Minimum shutter speed in the ISO setting menu...

Aperture remains static (front command dial does nothing) unless I manually turn the aperture ring on the lens...

Soooo... Basically, you can control everything by manually adjusting the aperture ring... and within the above defined parameters, the speed/ISO automatically adjust...

If you set ISO to a single ISO (not on auto) then you have chosen a fixed aperture, and a fixed ISO, so regardless of what you turn the shutter speed to, the camera will adjust the shutter speed automatically when you press the shutter release...

Then there is Full manual mode... that's where you control all 3 settings and use the camera's light meter to adjust 1 of the 3 parameters for a proper exposure...

acolic said:

Hi

It’s not exactly working as expected.

In aperture priority the two command buttons do nothing when turned.

So while I can manually change the aperture I can’t change shutter speed.

In manual mode the rear command dial changes the shutter speed. The front dial doesn’t change anything.

So I could change the aperture manually and use the rear command dial to change the shutter speed but I was hoping that the aperture used would be recorded on the image.

Is this how things should be working?

Thanks

Alex


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Click to expand...

OK, I know this is not exactly your setup. I inherited a Nikkor 50mm f/2 all-manual lens from my brother. No CPU contacts, but it does have the aperture lever that the camera body moves to close the aperture down when firing the shutter. My 500mm lens does not have that.

I set lens 3 as 50mm, f/2. Now when I set to Aperture Priority I can rotate the aperture ring and I see the f-stop change on the LCD and it matches the lens ring. When I accidentally set to lens 1 (the 500mm lens) it shows f/8 when the lens is at f/2, and goes up from there when I turn the ring. And of course the focus confirmation is wildly wrong on that preset also. The front dial on the camera does not change anything, so not as I was thinking there.

So remember you cannot change your shutter speed at all in aperture priority mode (handled by camera AE). You must use Manual Exposure mode to be able to change shutter speed and f-stop, and it is up to you to get the exposure right as the camera will not try to handle that automatically unless you have Auto-ISO on, where the camera will adjust the ISO (to a point) to make exposure right.

As suggested I took the adapter off and checked the back of the lens.



There is just an aperture pin which if I push down stops down the aperture.

I am using a M42 type two adapter which has a flange which when screwed on permanently pushes down this pen.



So I’m guessing this lens can only be used in manual mode.

Unfortunately I was hoping I could use it in aperture priority mode.

Alex


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Welcome aboard, enjoy the ride. We look forward to seeing more posts and samples of your work.

You might also want to consider introducing yourself on New Member Introductions.

Actually with the lens in A mode I took a series of photos of the same item and all I changed between photos was the aperture.

Photo. Aperture. Shutter. ISO
1. 3.5. 1/30. 4000
2. 5.6. 1/30. 5600
3. 8. 1/10. 6400
4. 11. 1/4. 6400
5. 16. 1/2. 6400

So I stand corrected. It looks like as I change the aperture the camera is changing the shutter speed and ISO.

So I think this is working correctly.

Although for some reason the ISO value on the back LCD is displayed in red?


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acolic said:

Actually with the lens in A mode I took a series of photos of the same item and all I changed between photos was the aperture.

Photo. Aperture. Shutter. ISO
1. 3.5. 1/30. 4000
2. 5.6. 1/30. 5600
3. 8. 1/10. 6400
4. 11. 1/4. 6400
5. 16. 1/2. 6400

So I stand corrected. It looks like as I change the aperture the camera is changing the shutter speed and ISO.

So I think this is working correctly.

Although for some reason the ISO value on the back LCD is displayed in red?


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Click to expand...

Displayed in red if photo was taken with auto ISO sensitivity control on.

I appreciate this thread as I learned a lot also. Now that I finally tried the 50mm manual lens on one of my bodies, it worked slicker than I expected.

Have fun with the Zeiss.

The only thing I really, really don’t like is the shutter speed is recorded with the image but not the aperture.

Tough to improve your shooting when after you’ve taken a couple of images and you’re reviewing them you don’t know what the aperture was unless you wrote it down.

I am an information junkie.