j2 third party lens problems

stefan22

Senior Member
hello fellow nikonite(s) ... I have a j2. recently bought a third party lens: a 35mm movie lens with a f1.6 aperture and aperture and focusing adjustments. I bought it for my sony a3000 and with that it works fine...with it being excellent in low light. so .. I bought a c mount adapter for the nikon with the intention of using it on that camera. the adapter fits just fine on the j2 and with the movie lens attached there is absolutely no play. I changed the settings (exposure and focusing) to manual (in creative mode) but I just can't get the camera/lens to work AS I BELIEVE IT SHOULD. I cannot focus on anything (achieve a focus) beyond 6 feet and when taking a picture in good light of something within 6 feet AND with the aperture fully open I need (in order to get a good/exposed correctly picture) to set the shutter speed to what I believe to be an unusally low setting..namely around 1/100 of a second. I would appreciate a step by step guide on how to precisely set up using a manual lens. I've a strong feeling that I'm doing something wrong. anticipated thanks
 

Marcel

Happily retired
Staff member
Super Mod
From what you wrote, it seems the adapter you got is not the right size. The impossibility to focus beyond a certain point until infinity is because the mount is too long. And by too long, it doesn't have to be much but this is what it does. So the adapter does not work as it should.

As for the aperture, I suspect that the aperture is not coupled to your camera and will stay closed to it minimum opening when you take the shots. Are you adjusting the aperture with the lens' ring? I would suspect not. Try using the aperture ring on the lens to see if that could solve your problem of exposure.
 

stefan22

Senior Member
am controlling the aperture via the lens aperture ring and it IS fully (opening and closing) working
the adapter itself is 7-8mm thick and could barely be any narrower (thinner)
the lens is of good quality and the seller assures me that it has been bought (together with the adapter) by a number of satisfied nikon 1 users/customers.
I am (it would seem) doing something wrong but am yet to determine what?
 
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Marcel

Happily retired
Staff member
Super Mod
am controlling the aperture via the lens aperture ring and it IS fully (opening and closing) working
the adapter itself is 7-8mm thick and could barely be any narrower (thinner)
the lens is of good quality and the seller assures me that it has been bought (together with the adapter) by a number of satisfied nikon 1 users/customers.
I am (it would seem) doing something wrong but am yet to determine what?

Whatever the seller says, if the lens does NOT focus to infinity, then it does NOT focus to infinity. I don't know what more I could tell you to help.
 

stefan22

Senior Member
j2 third party lens adapter problems

I have posted this query and had no real answers..so I am trying again.
I bought a 35mm f1.6 cinema c mount lens for use with my sony nex
it came with an adapter (third party) and the combination works fine (up to a certain point).
it's manual only with a working distance of (between) an arms length > infinity.
enter the nikon j2
the same lens (called michael and of good quality) is available from the same seller (ebay) together with an adapter for the j2...?however?
once fitted and the camera is set to manual mode (in the creative selector option) the lens will only give me a working focus of between 2-4 feet.
anything beyond that is blurred and there is no infinity focusing (long distance) ability.
additionally: I believe that the working shutter speeds are poor (low).
when compared to the sony nex..when taking a picture in good light the sony will do so (correctly compose/expose a picture) with a much faster shutter speed .. perhaps 10x quicker
I do (as it happens) have TWO j2 cameras.
both are brand new and it is the same story with both of them.
would someone tell me please what the exact settings (enacted) should be.
would someone tell me please what I must PRECISELY do to adapt the camera to the lens with an idiot proof step by step guide.
I do believe that I have set the camera up correctly but I cannot be sure as the lens does NOT work as (I believe) it should.
so .. the combination won't focus beyond 4 feet and the needful shutter speed (to correctly expose/compose a picture) seems to be too low/slow.
perhaps this is a common problem when using a third party adapter with a third party lens.
my anticipated thanks for your guidance and insight
 

Fred Kingston

Senior Member
Re: j2 third party lens adapter problems

Stefan... Let me see if I can condense your post and question.

You bought a non-Nikon lens and adapter from a non-Nikon dealer on eBay who said it would work.

It doesn't work.

You've now come to a Nikon forum and are asking folks to tell you what settings to use to make all of this work.

Is that about it? :confused:
 

stefan22

Senior Member
Re: j2 third party lens adapter problems

yes .. but you make it sound as if I'm up before the dock/judge and can be classed as being in the village idiot section.
I am almost certain that I am correctly inputting the right settings.
I am not absolutely sure that the combination works (as it should) .. but 700+ satisfied customers (for the seller) gives no indication that it could be a substandard/ineffective combination..which is why I am looking to precisely obtain the settings to be used and glean any insight to third party lenses/adapters.
I assume from your answer that you're not actually going to answer the questions asked and are looking (just) to shoot off some cheap insults
 
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Fred Kingston

Senior Member
Re: j2 third party lens adapter problems

I'm sorry you got your feelings hurt. I, and I doubt anyone else here, can answer your question because the combination is not a standard combination.

Maybe you could explain your problem to the seller, and see what he suggests.
 

Marcel

Happily retired
Staff member
Super Mod
Re: j2 third party lens adapter problems

Stefan, there is something extremely basic that you don't seem to understand.

The simple fact that you lens will not focus at infinity on the Nikon and it does on the Nex means that the adapter you got is not working properly. It is a simple physical fact that if the lens is too far from the sensor, it will NEVER focus to infinity. There is absolutely nothing you can do unless you want to have the adapter machined to reduce it's length.

NO setting from the camera can solve this.
 

stefan22

Senior Member
Re: j2 third party lens adapter problems

it would seem that there is something very basic that you're not understanding with regard to the size of the adapter being used.
the adapter is (in total) 7mm thick and reducing that thickness would be extremely hard.
the adapter fits (as near as makes very little difference) flush on/to the body of the j2
the adapter (or something extremely similar) is for sale from many sellers on ebay/amazon ALL of whom declare that their adapter will achieve infinity focus .. however I am not sure if any of the adapters (including mine) are suitable in achieving infinity focus.
alternatively it might be that the lens I am using (which is 55mm long) is the root problem .. but given that large zoom lenses are/can be used on the nikon 1 series cameras that would seem improbable.
I have informed the (ebay) seller that the combination does NOT (I believe) work with the j2 .. and would NOT (I strongly suspect) work with any of the nikon 1 series cameras.
I do note that the official (FT-1) adapter from nikon (for the nikon 1 series cameras) is some 25-30mm thick therefore placing the lens further away from the sensor .. therefore I would guess that the lens (rear/back end) is TOO close to the sensor.
I have a working parameter (available focus) of 2-4 feet with the combination I am using .. which would be ok if that was all I wanted .. but it isn't so it isn't (ok/suitable)
 

stefan22

Senior Member
Re: j2 third party lens adapter problems

what a patronizing pr**k you are.
I was going to write little but that goes without saying.
yet another contrary clot who hides behind a keyboard
 
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