WHY won't Nikon meter with old lenses?

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

Paul Furman
wrote:
: > Exactly... it's what the Pentax does on old lenses where it doesn't know what
: > wide-open is. Hit a button to have it:
: > - Stop down to what the aperture ring is set to

: For a manual aperture lens, I assume you would have a dark viewfinder?

During the automatic stop/meter/set, yes the viewfinder is dark. Also, if
you're using an even *older* (M42 screwmount) lens, the physical linkage does not
actuate the aperture. Fortunately, those lenses have an A/M knob/ring/lever to
manually stop them down. Then you can compose wide open, manually stop, have it
meter, and fire. It's tedious, but at least it works.

: > The whole thing takes about 1/4 sec. I'm not clear from any
: > pictures/descriptions of how the D70 mount works why that cannot be done.

: The lens has a little lever facing the mount, spring loaded to open up.

Sounds like it works the same. Unless moving the ring on the aperture does
not limit the *actual* motion of the iris when the camera body moves the lever, it
should be possible to work the same way.

-Cory

*************************************************************************
* Cory Papenfuss *
* Electrical Engineering candidate Ph.D. graduate student *
* Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University *
*************************************************************************