Maximum aperture on a D7100 with Nikkor 80x-400mm lens

johndapps

New member
I have a photo with an aperture value of 95 and shutter speed of 1/2500. The photo was taken using a 80x400mm Nikkor lens at maximum focal length, the camera was on automatic mode.
There are other photos with an aperture of 40, taken with the same lens.

My question: is there a way to obtain this large aperture setting manually? The highest I appear to be able to go is 32.

Thank you, John
 

cwgrizz

Senior Member
Challenge Team
Welcome to the forum, John. Something is just not adding up with your f numbers. The lens limits the maximum and minimum aperture settings and unless something magical (that I am not aware of) is happening, the aperture will only open or close to these limits no matter what mode you are shooting in.
 

Bikerbrent

Senior Member
Welcome aboard. Enjoy the ride.
We look forward to seeing more posts and samples of your work.

The lens you a using has a minimum aperture of F/32, so I don't see how you can be shooting at F/95 or F/40. Plus it would have to be a terribly bright scene or a very low ISO to allow an exposure of F/95 at 1/2500 shutter. Please post the picture in question with EXIF data.
 
Last edited:

johndapps

New member
Thank you for the quick answer!

The reason I posted this question was just because the numbers were a mystery...
This is a small JPG of the photo, the entire EXIF data is below the photo
DSJ_5807dxo.jpg
======== DSJ_5807.NEF
ExifToolVersion: 10.60
FileName: DSJ_5807.NEF
Directory: .
FileSize: 27 MB
FileModifyDate: 2015:06:24 16:52:56+02:00
FileAccessDate: 2017:07:13 20:17:11+02:00
FileCreateDate: 2017:07:13 20:17:11+02:00
FilePermissions: rw-rw-rw-
FileType: NEF
FileTypeExtension: nef
MIMEType: image/x-nikon-nef
ExifByteOrder: Little-endian (Intel, II)
Make: NIKON CORPORATION
Model: NIKON D7100
Orientation: Horizontal (normal)
Software: Ver.1.02
ModifyDate: 2015:06:24 16:52:56
Artist: APPS
JpgFromRawStart: 906752
JpgFromRawLength: 1463042
YCbCrPositioning: Co-sited
ImageWidth: 6036
ImageHeight: 4020
BitsPerSample: 14
Compression: Nikon NEF Compressed
PhotometricInterpretation: Color Filter Array
StripOffsets: 2370048
SamplesPerPixel: 1
RowsPerStrip: 4022
StripByteCounts: 25668827
XResolution: 300
YResolution: 300
PlanarConfiguration: Chunky
ResolutionUnit: inches
CFARepeatPatternDim: 2 2
CFAPattern2: 0 1 1 2
SubfileType: Reduced-resolution image
OtherImageStart: 182272
OtherImageLength: 724312
ReferenceBlackWhite: 0 255 0 255 0 255
Copyright: APPS
ExposureTime: 1/2500
FNumber: 95.0
ExposureProgram: Aperture-priority AE
ISO: 250
SensitivityType: Recommended Exposure Index
CreateDate: 2015:06:24 16:52:56
ExposureCompensation: -11.2
MaxApertureValue: 5.7
MeteringMode: Multi-segment
LightSource: Unknown
Flash: On, Return not detected
FocalLength: 400.0 mm
MakerNoteVersion: 2.11
Quality: RAW
WhiteBalance: Auto1
FocusMode:
FlashSetting: Normal
FlashType:
WhiteBalanceFineTune: 0 0
WB_RBLevels: 2.82421875 1.4296875 1 1
ProgramShift: 0
ExposureDifference: 0
PreviewImageStart: 26624
PreviewImageLength: 96647
FlashExposureComp: 0
ISOSetting: 250
ExternalFlashExposureComp: 0
FlashExposureBracketValue: -0.2
ExposureBracketValue: -0.167
CropHiSpeed: Off (6036x4020 cropped to 6036x4020 at pixel 0,0)
ExposureTuning: 0
SerialNumber: 4452504
ColorSpace: sRGB
VRInfoVersion: 0100
VibrationReduction: n/a
VRMode: Normal
ActiveD-Lighting: Auto
PictureControlVersion: 0100
PictureControlName: Standard
PictureControlBase: Standard
PictureControlAdjust: Default Settings
PictureControlQuickAdjust: Normal
Brightness: Normal
HueAdjustment: None
FilterEffect: n/a
ToningEffect: n/a
ToningSaturation: n/a
TimeZone: +01:00
DaylightSavings: No
DateDisplayFormat: D/M/Y
ISOExpansion: Off
ISO2: 252
ISOExpansion2: Off
AutoDistortionControl: On
LensType: D VR
Lens: 80-400mm f/4.5-5.6
FlashMode: Fired, Manual
ShootingMode: Single-Frame
ContrastCurve: (Binary data 578 bytes, use -b option to extract)
ShotInfoVersion: 0227
FirmwareVersion: 1.02
NEFCompression: Lossless
NoiseReduction: Off
NEFLinearizationTable: (Binary data 46 bytes, use -b option to extract)
ColorBalanceVersion: 0218
LensDataVersion: 0204
ExitPupilPosition: 128.0 mm
AFAperture: 5.7
FocusPosition: 0x03
FocusDistance: 59.57 m
LensIDNumber: 101
LensFStops: 5.67
MinFocalLength: 80.0 mm
MaxFocalLength: 403.2 mm
MaxApertureAtMinFocal: 4.5
MaxApertureAtMaxFocal: 5.7
MCUVersion: 107
EffectiveMaxAperture: 5.7
RawImageCenter: 3018 2010
RetouchHistory: None
ShutterCount: 3188691343
FlashInfoVersion: 0106
VariProgram:
MultiExposureVersion: 0100
MultiExposureMode: Off
MultiExposureShots: 0
MultiExposureAutoGain: Off
HighISONoiseReduction: High
PowerUpTime: 2015:06:17 14:27:05
AFInfo2Version: 0100
ContrastDetectAF: Unknown (243)
AFAreaMode: Contrast-detect (normal area)
PhaseDetectAF: Off
PrimaryAFPoint: (none)
AFPointsUsed: (none)
ContrastDetectAFInFocus: No
FileInfoVersion: 0100
MemoryCardNumber: 0
DirectoryNumber: 100
FileNumber: 5807
AFFineTune: On (1)
AFFineTuneIndex: n/a
AFFineTuneAdj: 0
RetouchInfoVersion: 0200
RetouchNEFProcessing: Off
UserComment:
SubSecTime: 40
SubSecTimeOriginal: 40
SubSecTimeDigitized: 40
SensingMethod: One-chip color area
FileSource: Digital Camera
SceneType: Directly photographed
CustomRendered: Normal
ExposureMode: Auto
DigitalZoomRatio: 1
FocalLengthIn35mmFormat: 600 mm
SceneCaptureType: Standard
GainControl: None
Contrast: Normal
Saturation: Normal
Sharpness: Normal
SubjectDistanceRange: Unknown
GPSVersionID: 2.3.0.0
DateTimeOriginal: 2015:06:24 16:52:56
TIFF-EPStandardID: 1 0 0 0
Aperture: 95.0
AutoFocus: On
BlueBalance: 1.429688
CFAPattern: [Red,Green][Green,Blue]
ImageSize: 6036x4020
JpgFromRaw: (Binary data 1463042 bytes, use -b option to extract)
LensID: AF VR Zoom-Nikkor 80-400mm f/4.5-5.6D ED
LensSpec: 80-400mm f/4.5-5.6 D VR
Megapixels: 24.3
OtherImage: (Binary data 724312 bytes, use -b option to extract)
PreviewImage: (Binary data 96647 bytes, use -b option to extract)
RedBalance: 2.824219
ScaleFactor35efl: 1.5
ShutterSpeed: 1/2500
SubSecCreateDate: 2015:06:24 16:52:56.40
SubSecDateTimeOriginal: 2015:06:24 16:52:56.40
SubSecModifyDate: 2015:06:24 16:52:56.40
ThumbnailTIFF: (Binary data 57816 bytes, use -b option to extract)
CircleOfConfusion: 0.020 mm
DOF: 166.06 m (34.96 - 201.02 m)
FOV: 3.4 deg (3.55 m)
FocalLength35efl: 400.0 mm (35 mm equivalent: 600.0 mm)
HyperfocalDistance: 84.08 m
LightValue: 23.1
 

Bikerbrent

Senior Member
One thing that strikes me is the Exposure Compensation value of -11.17 EV (should be near zero for this subject, this helps explain why an exposure value of F/95 at 1/2500 shutter speed works) I also see, "AFAperture: 5.7" which is really a more realistic Aperture setting. Finally, I also see that "ExposureProgram: Aperture-priority AE" and "ExposureMode: Auto" which also confuses me. Since this picture was taken back in June of 2015, I hope you have since corrected the Exposure Compensation value and have got off of Auto mode, which I believe somehow has created these strange exposure values.
 

johndapps

New member
Thank you once again for taking the time with this! Auto is in the past now...
I already adjusted settings to reflect what you recommend some time ago. The reason for posting this is that I found the values when extracting EXIF data from all my NEFs using EXIFTOOL and then analysing them with Excel.

Thank you, John
 
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