Limited Aperture Adjustment

jacob_ski4

New member
I'm very new to photography so this could be an easy fix I'm not tracking, but I also can't find anything relating to the issue on Google. My problem is that I am running a Nikon D5300 with a Nikkor 18-55mm 3.5-5.6 lens and as of today I have limited adjustability of my aperture in manual and aperture-priority mode. I can fully rotate the aperture dial on the lens, but the aperture reading on the camera will only adjust from 5-5.6 (I visually confirmed the aperture is only adjusting in this range). However, in shutter-priority and auto mode the lens will fully adjust from 3.5-5.6, and I can fully open the aperture with the lever on the back of the lens. There are no loose parts as far as I can tell in the lens, and everything in the body looks fine. Any ideas as to why I can't fully adjust my aperture would be greatly appreciated!
 

nickt

Senior Member
If this lens is the same vintage as the camera, it does not have an aperture ring, ​only a zoom ring. I'm not sure if there even was a version of the 18-55 with an aperture ring. 3.5 to 5.6 is not the range of the aperture. Its the maximum wide open aperture. On this lens the largest aperture available varies with zoom. At 18mm it is f3.5 at 55mm it is f5.6. If you mess with the zoom ring while set for minimum aperture, it will change from 3.5-5.6. It sounds like you are zooming and physically watching the lens and the display on the camera. You also won't see the aperture physically change other than the wide open change from 3.5-5.6 as you zoom. The aperture will stop down to the selected setting at the moment the picture is snapped. Otherwise it stays wide open to let the most light in for focusing. Wide open is anywhere between 3.5 to 5.6 depending on zoom.
I'm going away for a couple days, so not ignoring you if you write back with a question.
 

Bikerbrent

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

I have nothing to add to the above replies.
 

jacob_ski4

New member
If this lens is the same vintage as the camera, it does not have an aperture ring, only a zoom ring. I'm not sure if there even was a version of the 18-55 with an aperture ring. 3.5 to 5.6 is not the range of the aperture. Its the maximum wide open aperture. On this lens the largest aperture available varies with zoom. At 18mm it is f3.5 at 55mm it is f5.6. If you mess with the zoom ring while set for minimum aperture, it will change from 3.5-5.6. It sounds like you are zooming and physically watching the lens and the display on the camera. You also won't see the aperture physically change other than the wide open change from 3.5-5.6 as you zoom. The aperture will stop down to the selected setting at the moment the picture is snapped. Otherwise it stays wide open to let the most light in for focusing. Wide open is anywhere between 3.5 to 5.6 depending on zoom.
I'm going away for a couple days, so not ignoring you if you write back with a question.



Okay, with that information let's see if I can better describe what's going on. As I adjust the zoom ring from 18-55mm, the aperture should adjust with the change in zoom as you explained. At 18mm I should be at F3.5, and at 55mm I should be at F5.6. This is how the camera has been working until now. I just went through some pictures I took yesterday to confirm the settings when the photos were taken and what's happening is as I adjust the zoom ring, the aperture number is no longer changing when I adjust the zoom. For example, I have photos taken at 55mm and F5.6... but I also have photos that read being taken at 18mm and F5.0 (when the it should be F3.5). Like I said in my original post the aperture will not go below 5.0 no matter the zoom level.

Another thing worth mentioning is that you said "The aperture will stop down to the selected setting at the moment the picture is snapped. Otherwise it stays wide open to let the most light in for focusing". This isn't happening in manual and aperture-priority mode. If I look at the aperture through the front of the lens, it stays very small no matter the zoom, staying in that F5.0-5.6 range. It isn't opening up past that.
 

480sparky

Senior Member
Do you have access to another camera to try the lens on it? At least find out whether the issue it with the lens or the camera.

One thing to try is to clean the contacts on both the body and the lens.
 

nickt

Senior Member
Okay, with that information let's see if I can better describe what's going on. As I adjust the zoom ring from 18-55mm, the aperture should adjust with the change in zoom as you explained. At 18mm I should be at F3.5, and at 55mm I should be at F5.6. This is how the camera has been working until now. I just went through some pictures I took yesterday to confirm the settings when the photos were taken and what's happening is as I adjust the zoom ring, the aperture number is no longer changing when I adjust the zoom. For example, I have photos taken at 55mm and F5.6... but I also have photos that read being taken at 18mm and F5.0 (when the it should be F3.5). Like I said in my original post the aperture will not go below 5.0 no matter the zoom level.

Another thing worth mentioning is that you said "The aperture will stop down to the selected setting at the moment the picture is snapped. Otherwise it stays wide open to let the most light in for focusing". This isn't happening in manual and aperture-priority mode. If I look at the aperture through the front of the lens, it stays very small no matter the zoom, staying in that F5.0-5.6 range. It isn't opening up past that.

I'm still not hearing a definite problem. But before I explain too much without seeing what you are seeing, take some pictures on full auto. Take some indoor flash pictures and some outdoors. Be sure to include some very bright scenes. Let us know how they look and what kind of apertures you are seeing when reviewing the pictures. You seem to be focused in on the bottom end, f3.5 to 5.6. Your lens has a range of 3.5 to f22. As you zoom the range changes to 5.6 to f22. What you see when you look down the throat is the difference between 3.5 and 5.6. Both relatively wide open. If you lens truly stopped down at rest, you would see very dark or nothing though the viewfinder. So let us know how auto works and if you can see some higher numbered apertures in your results.
 

jacob_ski4

New member
I'm still not hearing a definite problem. But before I explain too much without seeing what you are seeing, take some pictures on full auto. Take some indoor flash pictures and some outdoors. Be sure to include some very bright scenes. Let us know how they look and what kind of apertures you are seeing when reviewing the pictures. You seem to be focused in on the bottom end, f3.5 to 5.6. Your lens has a range of 3.5 to f22. As you zoom the range changes to 5.6 to f22. What you see when you look down the throat is the difference between 3.5 and 5.6. Both relatively wide open. If you lens truly stopped down at rest, you would see very dark or nothing though the viewfinder. So let us know how auto works and if you can see some higher numbered apertures in your results.


In auto, I got some outdoor pictures up to F16. Auto seems to be working just fine, but my problem is in manual. In manual, I can only get pictures from F5-5.6. Why is this?
 

nickt

Senior Member
In auto, I got some outdoor pictures up to F16. Auto seems to be working just fine, but my problem is in manual. In manual, I can only get pictures from F5-5.6. Why is this?

It sounds like you might not be setting the aperture.

In manual mode, set the shutter speed with the command wheel. Then hold the +/- button while turning the command wheel to set the aperture.

In aperture mode, the command wheel should set the aperture without holding the +/- button. The camera will pick the shutter speed.

In shutter mode, you set the shutter with the command wheel and the camera will pick the aperture.
 

jacob_ski4

New member
It sounds like you might not be setting the aperture.

In manual mode, set the shutter speed with the command wheel. Then hold the +/- button while turning the command wheel to set the aperture.

In aperture mode, the command wheel should set the aperture without holding the +/- button. The camera will pick the shutter speed.

In shutter mode, you set the shutter with the command wheel and the camera will pick the aperture.

Well...it's really that simple. Thanks for your help!
 
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