Error with aperture

floa

New member
Hi! I just bought a used d70 that looks in great shape, except the aperture settings seem to be malfuctioning. The camera requires me to lock at smallest aperture, which I have, so I have to change aperture with the camera body. Except the pictures all look the same. I've taken two shots one directly after the other, but changing the aperture from smallest to largest, and, while the photo's info actually shows different apertures, the two photos have the same histogram.

Is the camera defective? Is the lens? Or is there something that I'm simply not getting?

Thanks in advance!

Edit: The lens is an old D model.
 
Last edited:

hark

Administrator
Staff member
Super Mod
Contributor
You need to lock the aperture ring at the smallest aperture. Then use the front wheel on the camera body to change your aperture. It's the way those D lenses work on DSLR's.
 

hark

Administrator
Staff member
Super Mod
Contributor
If you are doing it that way, then remove the lens and look through it from behind. There is a small lever near the rear element. Toggle the lever. The aperture blades should stop down to wherever the aperture ring is set. If they don't, then something is wrong with the lens.
 

480sparky

Senior Member
You need to lock the aperture ring at the smallest aperture. Then use the front wheel on the camera body to change your aperture. It's the way those D lenses work on DSLR's.

Technically, you don't need to lock it. The lock is purely mechanical and will not affect performance in any way. It is there simply to prevent you from accidently moving the aperture ring off the minimum.
 

floa

New member
There doesn't seem to be anything wrong with the lever.

It's as if the camera "cant tell" the lens to which aperture it should open. The ring is set to it's smallest aperture as needed, but no matter what aperture I set from the front wheel it still shoots at the smallest.
 

480sparky

Senior Member
If you've set the lens aperture ring to minimum aperture, and the camera to, say, f/5.6......... and it's still closing the aperture down to minimum,, it sounds like a camera issue. It also might be the pin on the lens is bent.
 

floa

New member
Any idea if it'd be difficult or expensive to repair? I'm bummed since it's working perfectly otherwise. Awful thing to not be able to change aperture with the ring!
 

480sparky

Senior Member
Depends on whether the issue is in the camera or the lens. Most likely, a D70 would cost more to fix than it's worth on the open market. Depending on the lens, it may or may not be worth it. Repairs on D-series lenses run $250 and up.
 

Bikerbrent

Senior Member
Any idea if it'd be difficult or expensive to repair? I'm bummed since it's working perfectly otherwise. Awful thing to not be able to change aperture with the ring!

You cannot change the aperture on the D70 using the lens aperture ring. You must use the front dial to change aperture and the rear one shutter speed. Believe me, one you learn it this way, you will not want to go back to the aperture ring.
 

floa

New member
You cannot change the aperture on the D70 using the lens aperture ring. You must use the front dial to change aperture and the rear one shutter speed. Believe me, one you learn it this way, you will not want to go back to the aperture ring.

I know, I just mean it's a shame that, being the front dial the only option, a malfunction within the body doesn't let the user change aperture manually. I'm stuck at the smallest aperture because there's no manual option.
 

mikew_RIP

Senior Member
Hi! I just bought a used d70 that looks in great shape, except the aperture settings seem to be malfuctioning. The camera requires me to lock at smallest aperture, which I have, so I have to change aperture with the camera body. Except the pictures all look the same. I've taken two shots one directly after the other, but changing the aperture from smallest to largest, and, while the photo's info actually shows different apertures, the two photos have the same histogram.

Is the camera defective? Is the lens? Or is there something that I'm simply not getting?

Thanks in advance!

Edit: The lens is an old D model.

I must admit ime getting a bit confused here, you say whether you set minimum F stop or maximum you are getting the same histogram and the pictures all look the same,my understanding from the way you have put this is they should, unless the camera is in M mode it will be adjusting something else to give correct exposure.:confused:
 

nickt

Senior Member
I was wondering the same as Mike as I read though here. I would just add to be sure auto iso is off turned as well.
 

floa

New member
I must admit ime getting a bit confused here, you say whether you set minimum F stop or maximum you are getting the same histogram and the pictures all look the same,my understanding from the way you have put this is they should, unless the camera is in M mode it will be adjusting something else to give correct exposure.:confused:

Camera is set to Manual, with constant ISO and speed.

Viewfinder shows a change of aperture as I move the front wheel, but nothing changes. I can see the difference in lighting if I turn the ring, but that's not an option for actually shooting since the camera shows FEE error.
 

480sparky

Senior Member
Camera is set to Manual, with constant ISO and speed.

Viewfinder shows a change of aperture as I move the front wheel, but nothing changes. I can see the difference in lighting if I turn the ring, but that's not an option for actually shooting since the camera shows FEE error.

If you're looking through the viewfinder and turning the aperture ring and the light level in the viewfinder changes, there's a mechanical issue. The camera should be holding the aperture open regardless of where the ring is set. Issue could be either the camera or the lens.
 

Fred Kingston

Senior Member
The aperture doesn't change when you move the wheel... it doesn't close down until the shutter fires... It closes based on the setting and then opens wide open after the shutter fires, it remains open for view finding... If you turn the aperture ring, it obviously closes down, but signals the err message...

Why not post two pictures taken with the camera, and be sure you follow the recommendations for posting images here so we can see exactly what the EXIF data says is going on... 1. with the aperture set to its widest setting and one with about 3 or 4 stops of aperture...
 

nickt

Senior Member
My Nikon 50mm D does not stop down if I turn the ring when it is mounted on my d7200. If it is off the camera, it does stop down automatically and I can turn the ring and open it up. Also when off camera, I can set the ring for minimum and push the aperture lever to open the lens and it returns by spring to the stopped down position. I don't know if all d lenses and all bodies behave that way, but just throwing it out there. If you were in M with fixed iso, it does sound like something is wrong, but hard to say if its the lens or camera.
 

floa

New member
The aperture doesn't change when you move the wheel... it doesn't close down until the shutter fires... It closes based on the setting and then opens wide open after the shutter fires, it remains open for view finding... If you turn the aperture ring, it obviously closes down, but signals the err message...

Why not post two pictures taken with the camera, and be sure you follow the recommendations for posting images here so we can see exactly what the EXIF data says is going on... 1. with the aperture set to its widest setting and one with about 3 or 4 stops of aperture...


Both set to ISO 400 and speed 1/10. Sorry for the lack of creativity!

f20
DSC_0920.jpg

f3.5
DSC_0921.jpg
 

floa

New member
Thanks to everyone who's been commenting here :)

It is a used camera after all, and a fairly old model, so I was aware that something could go wrong. But still -- not what you expect.
 
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