graybeard

I occasionally want to use some of my old film lenses on my DSLR, using the manual setting. Of course I set the exposure triangle on the camera, including the f-stop, but what am I supposed to do with the f-stop ring on the lens? Set it to the same setting as the camera, or leave it wide open? I get a lot of over exposures, and it discourages me from using my old lenses. Any suggestions ??

ELNikkor

I have a D750, and no matter where I set the aperture on my vintage Nikon lenses, the camera recognizes it and stops it down to that aperture when I shoot. (I always shoot in manual mode with vintage lenses.)

JimH123 Loc: Morgan Hill, CA

New more information. You have confused me. Is your manual lens able to tell the camera what f-stop value it is set to?

If you are doing what I think you are doing, the camera and lens don't talk to each other. That being the case, you need to set the camera to aperture priority mode and use the manual f-stop setting on the lens. In this mode, the camera has the ability to change the shutter speed automatically. You might also have ISO set to auto and you would now see the camera able to set ISO and shutter speed. In aperture mode, pay no attention to what aperture the camera says it is set to. It doesn't mean anything and it is not communicating to the lens and the shutter, and maybe ISO if you have it set to auto, are going to adjust as needed for the given lighting conditions. I do this all the time with manual lenses and have no issue with wrong exposures.

With an older manual lens, do not try to use shutter priority mode. This mode expects the camera to change the aperture value, and it can't do this when it doesn't even talk to the lens.

You can also use manual mode where you set the shutter speed and ISO on the camera and you set the aperture on the lens. This can work because the camera can indicate whether you are under or over exposed, or just right.

User ID

Some half and half Okay-Not-Okay info there. Classic case of RTFM. Specifically RTFM concerning “Non CPU Lenses”. No need to spell it out here. It’s not apparent that you actually use any manual lenses ... but if you are, you’re not getting full benefit of the camera’s compatibility, based on your post.

Do not tell users that the camera does not communicate with the lens cuz it it really does. It’s analog communication and works as well as it did when the lens was new. It’s ded wrong to advise users not to pay any attention to what the camera’s aperture readout says cuz the readout is correct.

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I know that some bottom feeder Nikons cannot manage this. Don’t know the names of the deficient models cuz they don’t matter here. On a proper Nikon body the aperture ring drives an analog position detector. It’s that ring around the body flange often referred to as the Ai Coupler Ring. Natcherly one should use an Ai coupled lens (90 to 95% of surviving manual lenses at Ai).

In the camera’s info panels the whole f/stops are simplified as integers from 1 thru 9, with “1” being max aperture.

You can inform the camera of the max aperture of the lens, and then instead of 1 thru 9 it will display standard f/stop notation.

As to available modes, you can use A, M, and P. “P” will mimic “A” but no harm in that.

I know nothing about Auto ISO but would refer users to the manual rather than your post for the most trustworthy advice.

User ID

One suggestion: look for the Ai Coupler Ring locates surrounding the body flange. Not all Nikons have it. All FF models have it, as do the better APSC models.

Your questions cannot be directly answered unless you state whether your camera is Ai coupled or not. Ignore any replies that ignore that difference.

CHG_CANON Loc: the Windy City

You should tell us what camera, at the minimum, to understand where your problem might reside; both camera and lens would be better.

Regarding frustrations with manual focus lenses, all that frustration goes away with manual focus lenses on a mirrorless body. Simply set the desired aperture on the lens and let the mirrorless camera meter the resulting light. On AUTO-ISO, use Shutter Priority when you need a certain shutterspeed, or Aperture Priority where the camera will try to keep the ISO at ISO-0100 while varying the shutterspeed. You just focus on getting the lens in focus.

My experience with 'wide open' on these old lenses is the results are substandard. More so than modern lenses, stepping down yields much better images.

The mirrorless EVF and a 10x focus peeking let you focus manually better than these lenses ever could be used on SLR or DSLR bodies. Add the IBIS of mirrorless and you have a very useful platform.

Mac Loc: Pittsburgh, Philadelphia now Hernando Co. Fl.

What make and model is your camera?
I believe the Df is the only Nikon DSLR that allows for use of pre-AI lenses. Or at least both AI and Pre-AI lenses.
IF it is a non-CPU lens, in the Setup Menu you enter the focal length and the max aperture of the lens.

BebuLamar

I think the OP has Canon DSLR and so I don't know which old lenses he uses.

jim quist Loc: Missouri

I use my old Hasselblad lenses on my dslr and here is what you do.
Set the f-stop you want on the lens, and then press the preview button that closes down the lens to that f-stop, take the picture.

BebuLamar

It depends a lot on which camera and which lens. I believe the OP used Canon DSLR and I don't know which lens.
With Nikon there are some manual focus lenses of the AI-P type that you can set the aperture on the camera although they are manual focus and have aperture ring.

graybeard

I have a Canon 77D with an adapter ring allowing M43 screw mount lenses to couple and "communicate" with the camera. Whatever balance is needed between the lens' aperture ring and cameras' aperture setting seems to be the root of the problem. That and my diminishing gray matter.

graybeard

So I forgot to mention the lens. It is a Mamiya/Sekor 55mm 1.4. But I have used other screw mount lenses with same basic problem.

JimH123 Loc: Morgan Hill, CA

In using your Mamiya/Sekor 55mm f1.4 lens (I had one of these lenses when it was new, that would be 1969), only concern yourself with the lens aperture control. And pay no attention to what the camera aperture is saying. It is not being used and has no effect on your results. Use live view and set the camera to Aperture Priority. I suspect that the camera has no coupling to cause the lens to open up for focusing and stop down for the picture, so set the auto/man switch on the lens to manual so that what the lens aperture is set to is what the lens will do. Pick the aperture you want to use on the lens and focus on your subject, preferably using focus magnifier. The Mamiya/Sekor 55mm 1.4 is somewhat soft wide open, so better to stop down a couple notches. In Aperture Priority, with the lens Aperture set on the lens by you, the camera will pick the correct shutter speed. Optionally, set the ISO to Auto and the ISO and Shutter speed will be selected by the camera.

By the way, I have many m42 lenses, and they are capable of great results and a fun time using them. Just remember that they are manual and you have to do some of the things that the camera would normally do.

And I just checked on one of my cameras, a mirrorless Sony A6300. When I have a manual lens on the camera, my F-stop value is displayed as F__, no mater what mode of camera operation. Perhaps your Canon 77D displays it differently. If it does display a f-stop setting, it doesn't mean anything since there is nothing in the camera to stop down with. That comes from the lens only (unless your adapter has its own aperture, and all the adapter apertures I have ever seen just give numbers such as 1, 2, 3, ... since the actual f-stop is a function of the lens being used - and if you have this, just open it up all the way).

And a reminder of what CHG_CANON said earlier, use shutter priority mode if you want to pick the shutter speed (but you have to also use auto ISO so the camera has something it can adjust).

Also not sure what m42 adapter you are using. The most sophisticated has a focus chip which all that means is it gives you an indication that the lens is in focus. Some adapters do not have this. Here is one that does, and there is no communication from the lens to the camera. And nothing to control the aperture lever. But with this model, there is communication from the camera to the adapter so you can know that you have achieved focus.

https://www.amazon.com/Fotodiox-Pro-Lens-Mount-Adapter/dp/B07KPMMSSF/ref=pd_sbs_63_1/146-2889952-5564925?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_i=B003Y2Z6X2&pd_rd_r=e8e6dbb0-3142-4f66-ac6c-081de5d1aad3&pd_rd_w=tvxSU&pd_rd_wg=sRRNX&pf_rd_p=d28ef93e-22cf-4527-b60a-90c984b5663d&pf_rd_r=JEJHQZWEXWA2Y64DPVZW&refRID=JEJHQZWEXWA2Y64DPVZW&th=1

Also, User_ID, earlier in this post says that it is possible that your adapter, if it is an "AI Coupler Ring", reads the aperture settings from a mechanical coupling from the lens and converts it into f-stop numbers displayed in the camera. But this does not seem possible for this m42 lens. The Mamiya/Sekor 55mm f1.4 lens is a plain Jane type lens and with a m42 adapter, just has no way to communicate aperture information to the camera.

rmalarz Loc: Tempe, Arizona

I use some of my older lenses. It varies with the f-stop adjustment. Some of them allow adjustment through the aperture adjustment on the camera body. Some use the f-stop ring.
--Bob

billnikon Loc: Pennsylvania/Ohio/Florida/Maui/Oregon/Vermont

On the AI and Nikon AIS lenses, once you mount the lens and turn them correctly, the metering is done by the camera and the camera sets the f stop for you in auto, aperture, and shutter priority.