Ai lens vs D3100

B

Bill16

Senior Member
Does anyone know of an easy way to make an Ai manual focus lens work on the nikon's D3100? The camera says there is no lens attached unless on M setting, and then the shots are so dark the shots are totally unusable. Though I admit those shot were indoors. The flash won't work either.
Will I have to somehow reset the camera so it will work? Or is this too much to expect from this model do you think?

​I appreciate your help. :)
 
B

Bill16

Senior Member
I read somewhere that I will likely need a light meter. If so, does anyone know of a good one that is cheap? I suppose it might be useful reguardless of if this lens can be used. What do you pros think? :)
 
J

jwstl

Senior Member
That lens will be manual everything: manual focus, manual metering, manual exposure, manual aperture control.

You could use a light meter or you could guess the exposure and fine tune based on the results.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk HD
 
J

jwstl

Senior Member
Sure it can. Put the lens on, set the mode to M, guess the exposure, set the shutter speed via the dial and the aperture via the ring on the lens, focus and shoot. Look at the image on the LCD and adjust from there.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk HD
 
J

jwstl

Senior Member
One more thing...the built-in flash didn't work because the default setting is TTL and TTL requires a lens with a CPU. So add one more item to my Manual list above and that's the flash. To use it with an Ai lens you will need to go into the Setup menu and change the flash from TTL to Manual. There are a number of manual power options so you'll have to use trial and error on that too.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk HD
 
J

Just-Clayton

Senior Member
I have an old 50mm lens I use on the 3100. I use it all the time. Everything has to be in manual. Aperture is by use of the lens ring and I use the focus meter in view finder.
 
Top