Mousie M Loc: Coventry, UK

That's interesting. Is this feature on other Nikons (I have a D70 and a D600)?

MT Shooter Loc: Montana

This is true, but then you have to go back through the menus to change it back to the sub-command dial if you mount a "G" lens. Its a feature selection I have never personally used, but you are correct that it is available.

MT Shooter Loc: Montana

I don't think its available on the D70, but it is on the D600, D800 and D7100 as well as the D7000. I think the D300S may have that capability also but I don't have one to check right now.

Erik_H Loc: Denham Springs, Louisiana

I've not used it either, but I suppose that if you had a lot of "D" lenses you could set it up in one of the two user modes. That way you'd just need to select U1 or U2 on the mode dial.

MtnMan Loc: ID

No. The number on the lens is only the minimum f-stop (maximum aperture) it can achieve. Most lenses stop down to f twenty something.

Mousie M Loc: Coventry, UK

OK, I have spent (wasted? no, never wasted!) a couple of hours on this one for my D600! I found it at last, a small paragraph re: F5 Customise Command Dials (page 245). You can change the sub-command dial to Aperture Ring, and it works fine for D type lenses, including of course all the non-Nikons eg my lovely little lightweight Sigma f2.8 macro. When you mount a G type lens, it auto picks it up, and uses the dial instead. So you could leave it set to Aperture Ring if you wanted.

Having tried it out round the garden for a bit, I have decided to unset it, and leave all the lenses D and G behaving the same. That is, first finger on the shutter button and second on the sub-command dial to change aperture when required. I have no idea why Ken Rockwell makes such a fuss about losing the aperture ring, calling G lenses "gelded". It seems a great way to handle the camera to me.

So in conclusion, interesting knowledge, but I am not going to use the feature!

Incidentally putting an AI or AI-s lens (ie non-CPU lens in recent Nikon language) onto the D600 it just picks it up automatically, and lets you use the aperture ring. In aperture priority mode it meters OK, but does not display the correct aperture in the viewfinder. I have one such lens I would like to use (a 500mm f5.6 mirror) is it worth putting the data into the user setting U1 or U2? Does it just display the aperture, or does it actually meter better? Has anyone tried this?

Apologies for a long post, I have tried to stay on subject!

funhunter63 Loc: Ponca City, OK

I also have a "new to me" D7000 and AF-D 50mm F1.4 lens. I mount with the aperture ring at 16(min) and lock it there. I set the "Non-CPU lens data" and it appears to work. What confuses me is when I look in through the lens with the command dial on F1.4 or F16 I can't physically see any difference in the appearance. I am expecting to see the aperture close by looking into the lens. Am I way off base?

MtnMan Loc: ID

All lenses have a designation like that. It means the MINIMUM aperture is 1.4.

A zoom lens shows a range which, again, is the MINIMUM aperture of the range. At all zoom settings you can go up to the maximum aperture, usually f22 or higher.

Pine1 Loc: Midland & Lakeway

I have a D7100 and bought one for the heck of it. It works fine.

RDH

No, I think he is hung-up on the max aperture. Zoom lenses often have one max aperture zoomed in another zoomed out. Of course they have a series of apertures for each focal length.

RDH

Not minimum, Maximum. I know 22 is larger than 1.4, but f22 should be read as 1/22 and f 1.4 as 1/1.4. 1/1.4 is larger than 1/22.

wilsondl2 Loc: Lincoln, Nebraska

I think you have it backwards. Minimum is the smallest opening which is f/22 and Maximum would be the largest opening f/1.4. Like the shutter speeds aperture size is a fraction. When you set your shutter at 500 it is 1/500th. I know folks say the larger numbers the smaller opening but I think it just makes the whole thing as clear as mud. - Dave

wilsondl2 Loc: Lincoln, Nebraska

'Looks like three of us had the same thought at the same time - Dave

funhunter63 Loc: Ponca City, OK

Thanks for correcting the min and max issue. I just wrote it down backwards. Anyway, my question is: Should I be able to see the different size opening in the aperture by looking into the front of the lens with the lens mounted?

CaptainC Loc: Colorado, south of Denver

NO. The aperture only closes as the shutter opens. When viewing, the aperture is wide open. It is true that with the REALLY fast apertures like f/1.8 or 1.4, the view will be a bit brighter since the wide open lets in a LOT of light.