Nikon D70 and non-CPU lenses

Archived from groups: rec.photo.digital (More info?)

On Sun, 20 Feb 2005 23:36:42 GMT, in rec.photo.digital "Tom H."
<tom_reader@att.nospam*.net> wrote:

>Hello All,
>I have a D70 and am trying to figure out if it can be used at all with
>non-cpu lenses.

RTFM? From p. 184:
Compatible Non-CPU Lenses
Non-CPU lenses not included in the list above can be used, but only in mode
M. Aperture must be adjusted manually using the lens aperture ring and the
camera exposure meter, depth-of-fi eld preview, and i-TTL fl ash control
can not be used. If another mode is selected when a non-CPU lens is
attached, the shutter-release will be disabled.
----------
Ed Ruf Lifetime AMA# 344007 (Usenet@EdwardG.Ruf.com)
See images taken with my CP-990/5700 & D70 at
http://edwardgruf.com/Digital_Phot [...] index.html

Archived from groups: rec.photo.digital (More info?)

Ed,
Yes, I read that in the manual, but then when I did the "test" with my lens
switched to "f-stop not controlled by camera" the camera became essentially
non-functional i.e. no ability to control shutter speed and disabled
shutter release even in *mode M*. Well as it turns out that "test" has a
problem. Since I posted the original message, I did another test, this time
with no lens at all on the camera. Now, I could control the shutter speed
and trip the shutter. So, it looks like that I should be able to couple
something like a telescope to the camera if I can get the appropriate
adapter. I have to make sure that whatever adapter I get does not appear
like to the camera to be a lens with the camera control of aperture switched
off.
The manual is also pretty silent on just what you *can* do with the non-cpu
lenses in M mode, but the implication is there that one should be able to at
least trip the shutter; in my so-called test, I could not even trip the
shutter. It is a shame that Nikon did not design the camera so that the
light metering function would operate with non-cpu lenses. As it is now I
will have to guess or take a reading with an external light meter.
Fortunately guessing with a digital camera is not so bad as with film
because of the ability to see the image immediately.

Tom
"Ed Ruf" <egruf_usenet@cox.net> wrote in message
news:9i9i1110lvtnp5qnurrbsfu31mhso3jo6n@4ax.com...
> On Sun, 20 Feb 2005 23:36:42 GMT, in rec.photo.digital "Tom H."
> <tom_reader@att.nospam*.net> wrote:
>
>>Hello All,
>>I have a D70 and am trying to figure out if it can be used at all with
>>non-cpu lenses.
>
> RTFM? From p. 184:
> Compatible Non-CPU Lenses
> Non-CPU lenses not included in the list above can be used, but only in
> mode
> M. Aperture must be adjusted manually using the lens aperture ring and the
> camera exposure meter, depth-of-fi eld preview, and i-TTL fl ash control
> can not be used. If another mode is selected when a non-CPU lens is
> attached, the shutter-release will be disabled.
> ----------
> Ed Ruf Lifetime AMA# 344007 (Usenet@EdwardG.Ruf.com)
> See images taken with my CP-990/5700 & D70 at
> http://edwardgruf.com/Digital_Phot [...] index.html

Archived from groups: rec.photo.digital (More info?)

"Tom H." <tom_reader@att.nospam*.net> wrote in message
news:BFaSd.60568$Th1.57637@bgtnsc04-news.ops.worldnet.att.net...
> Ed,
> Yes, I read that in the manual, but then when I did the "test" with my
lens
> switched to "f-stop not controlled by camera" the camera became
essentially
> non-functional i.e. no ability to control shutter speed and disabled
> shutter release even in *mode M*. Well as it turns out that "test" has a
> problem. Since I posted the original message, I did another test, this
time
> with no lens at all on the camera. Now, I could control the shutter speed
> and trip the shutter. So, it looks like that I should be able to couple
> something like a telescope to the camera if I can get the appropriate
> adapter. I have to make sure that whatever adapter I get does not appear
> like to the camera to be a lens with the camera control of aperture
switched
> off.
> The manual is also pretty silent on just what you *can* do with the
non-cpu
> lenses in M mode, but the implication is there that one should be able to
at
> least trip the shutter; in my so-called test, I could not even trip the
> shutter. It is a shame that Nikon did not design the camera so that the
> light metering function would operate with non-cpu lenses. As it is now I
> will have to guess or take a reading with an external light meter.
> Fortunately guessing with a digital camera is not so bad as with film
> because of the ability to see the image immediately.
>
> Tom

You can do the following with a non-cpu lens:
use it on the camera in manual mode only, manual focus (with in-focus
indicator
operative), no metering, set any aperture and shutter speed you wish and
trip the
shutter. Options for knowing what aperture/shutter speed to set are to use
an
external meter, sunny 16 rule, or guess and view histogram.

Just a couple hours ago, I used my D70 w/18-70 in manual exposure / auto
focus
mode to take some baby photos for friends with studio flash w/o any
problems.
Because I was setting the exposure, I went to the CSM and turned off "auto
ISO"
as I couldn't have that being unpredictable. And, I have used the camera
with several
non-CPU lenses going back to 1973 (actually, some are AI converted
lenses...THAT
is old).

Good luck,
George