Manual Aperture not working?

[Shak]

As you'd expect, my 50mm f/1.4 has an aperture ring. I haven't played with the ring much (oo-er Mrs) but when I tried with both manual mode and aperture priority on the body, the error symbol kept appearing in the viewfinder.

What have I missed? :shrug:

[CT]

What body are you using it with?

[Shak]

Oops forgot to mention; Nikon D80.

[Si Micklewright]

think you have to set it to wide open before you mount it...
...or is it the other way round?
it tells you in the manual

[Ross]

Set it to f/32 or as wide open as it will go. Doesn't matter if it's on or off the camera to do this

[chuckles]

It needs to be set to it's smallest aperture (f32?). Control is then set through the camera body. There is a little lock on the side of the lens body to ensure the aperture stays "set" to minimum. Anything other than the minimum will result in an error message.

[Shak]

It's always been on the smallest aperture and works via the aperture control on the body. But how I do adjust the aperture using the lens ring itself?

[Ross]

You can't, on your body anyway

[chuckles]

It's always been on the smallest aperture and works via the aperture control on the body. But how I do adjust the aperture using the lens ring itself?


Quite simple..... you don't! Manual control is achieved ONLY through the body.....:eek:

PS.... after thought.

I imagine if it's being manually operated totally then the aperture ring could be used but you'd have no metering. I'm not certain the shutter would release if the camera had detected an error :shrug:

[Shak]

Right, OK. So why is there a ring? Excuse my ignorance.

[CT]

Right, OK. So why is there a ring? Excuse my ignorance.

Proabably because the lens is a transition one.

When auto Shutter Priority and Programme modes became available in cameras way back in the 70s, a further position was added on the aperture ring - 'A' and these modes only worked in the 'A' position with the camera choosing the aperture. Usually if you moved the aperture ring off the 'A' position you got an 'error' message in the viewfinder.

With the introduction of autofocus and more and more push button type controls, the aperture ring was eventually dropped, but appeared on quite a few of the later versions before that.

[Ross]

I imagine if it's being manually operated totally then the aperture ring could be used but you'd have no metering. I'm not certain the shutter would release if the camera had detected an error :shrug:

Correct on both points :D

[donutagain]

Right, OK. So why is there a ring? Excuse my ignorance.

so that people with manual cameras can use them .