"Metering is only possible with a Canon, not with a Nikon", he said - Adapter

[igmolinav]

Hi,

It is common to many people, that one can use lenses from other brand manufacturers on one's dSLR. This can be done through the use of an adapter.

I have two medium format lenses that I would be happy to use on my Nikon D50 dSLR. To do this, I need an adapter. Novoflex adapters have built a reputation for their quality, (not on the very cheap sideeither). Other adapters can be found for a very good price on e-bay. (I think i'll go for the adapters sold on e-bay)

When one thinks about using an adapter, one wishes to loss as little performance as possible when using such an adapter. I spoke to a man in Novoflex, and he said that the cheaper models from Nikon will not be able to meter when using the adapter. However, he said that most Canon EOS dSLR camera bodies shouldn't have any problem.

Have you used an adapter with your dSLR ?? How did the metering go ??

Any comments or ideas are welcome!!

Thank you very much, kind regards,

igmolinav.

 

[NoNameBrand]

Presumably the adaptor looks like any other old F-mount lens to the Nikon body; to differentiate their models, Dxx and Dxxxx can't meter old glass, while the the Dx and Dxxx can.

I use a number of 30 year old AI-S lenses on my D90 (and D50 before that), and while the lack of metering can be a pain, sunny-sixteen and chimping is an easy solution so long as you have a chance to re-shoot the shot after you adjust.

 

[compuwar]

I have two medium format lenses that I would be happy to use on my Nikon D50 dSLR. To do this, I need an adapter. Novoflex adapters have built a reputation for their quality, (not on the very cheap sideeither). Other adapters can be found for a very good price on e-bay. (I think i'll go for the adapters sold on e-bay)

Metering chips for Canon have been around for a while. The Nikon-compatible "Dandelion" chips are relatively new and therefore haven't made it into adapters. You can likely chip your own adapter, I'm going to be looking at this with a C-mount adapter I'm getting next wee if I find that metering and more importantly focus indication is necessary.

Paul

 

[HBOC]

I know that fotodiox sells several versions of adapters for the OM series, for example. They have the regular one and the PRO, which I believe adds a red blink AF light that "supposedly" lets you know the shot is in focus. I have heard it is pretty accurate. The pro adapter cost $79, whereas the one I got was $23.
Some photogs like the focus confirm version, while others do not.

The Mamiya 645 to EOS doesn't have this, and there is only one version from Fotodiox, and it is $79.

I just got my camera and my first lens I ordered (OM 28 3.5), but don't have adapter..hopefully will be here tomorrow?..

 

[gkarris]

Got hooked using adapters - love it. Just use Manual or Aperture Priority.

It's not about "Metering" - you can meter with an adapted lens.

On Nikons, unfortunately, the bodies are too thick and you need a corrective lens on the adapter - which sort of defeats the purpose of using a great lens to begin with.

Good luck!

 

[compuwar]

On Nikons, unfortunately, the bodies are too thick and you need a corrective lens on the adapter - which sort of defeats the purpose of using a great lens to begin with.

Good luck!

Depends on the adapter- and the lens. there are M43 lenses that can take a little more recessed adapter flange without protruding and will therefore focus at infinity without a glass element. My C-mount adapter that arrived today has no glass elements.

Paul

 

[gkarris]

Depends on the adapter- and the lens. there are M43 lenses that can take a little more recessed adapter flange without protruding and will therefore focus at infinity without a glass element. My C-mount adapter that arrived today has no glass elements.

Paul

Okay - thanks for clarifying - don't use Nikon's plus those Leica's are pricey...

 

[igmolinav]

Hi,

Thank you very much for your answers again : ) !!!

Very kind regards,

igmolinav.

 

[compuwar]

I'm going to be looking at this with a C-mount adapter I'm getting next wee if I find that metering and more importantly focus indication is necessary.

Paul

Just for the record, both my Nikon D2x and D3x cameras meter and provide focus indication just fine with a chrome 90mm Hasselblad C-mount lens and adapter once the lens's information is entered into the camera.

Paul

 

[igmolinav]

Hi Paul,

Thank you, that is right !!!

At the very beggining, I forgot to write that currently only the low(er)-end Nikon models don't do it. Just to have an idea, I think are all models cheaper than a 1,000 USD. Older and newer Canon EOS modells of any price should be able to meter with an adapter and an eternal lens.

Kind regards,

Ignacio.

 

[miloblithe]

Why wouldn't lower-end Nikon's be able to meter with adapted lenses? Is metering disabled via software if the camera thinks there's no lens attached? What possible reason is there for this?

 

[compuwar]

Why wouldn't lower-end Nikon's be able to meter with adapted lenses? Is metering disabled via software if the camera thinks there's no lens attached? What possible reason is there for this?

I don't think they add the firmware to support adding manual lens settings, likely because they expect less than 1% of the users to use the feature. I don't know how much it ads to the size of the firmware, of if there's another reason such as simplifying the menu options or if it's just that they don't want to feature-bloat the low end since most people "trading up" to digital go for the higher-end cameras and they see no reason to stop that trend.

Paul

 

[miloblithe]

I don't think they add the firmware to support adding manual lens settings, likely because they expect less than 1% of the users to use the feature. I don't know how much it ads to the size of the firmware, of if there's another reason such as simplifying the menu options or if it's just that they don't want to feature-bloat the low end since most people "trading up" to digital go for the higher-end cameras and they see no reason to stop that trend.

Paul

But doesn't it still meter? I use a Tamron adaptall lens with my Rebel (just a physical adapter, no electronic contacts). It records the aperture as f/1.0 regardless of the setting and says the lens is 50mm and "unknown" in the metadata. But the metering works fine. Would the Nikon do the same thing?

 

[compuwar]

But doesn't it still meter? I use a Tamron adaptall lens with my Rebel (just a physical adapter, no electronic contacts). It records the aperture as f/1.0 regardless of the setting and says the lens is 50mm and "unknown" in the metadata. But the metering works fine. Would the Nikon do the same thing?

I have no idea, I don't own a low-end body. However, with digital, you can always chimp in manual, so I don't think it's that big a deal.

Paul

 

[TWLreal]

Why wouldn't lower-end Nikon's be able to meter with adapted lenses? Is metering disabled via software if the camera thinks there's no lens attached? What possible reason is there for this?

I don't think there a definite explanation as to why every model below the D200 will not meter with AI lenses. It's a technical thing, laziness or model differentiation, we don't know.

The vast majority of people would not care is a good reason enough for Nikon.

But doesn't it still meter? I use a Tamron adaptall lens with my Rebel (just a physical adapter, no electronic contacts). It records the aperture as f/1.0 regardless of the setting and says the lens is 50mm and "unknown" in the metadata. But the metering works fine. Would the Nikon do the same thing?

No, it wouldn't meter at all on a Nikon below a D200.

There are no electronic contacts needed for the meter to function on Canon bodies. The meter will be active, regardless of what is in front of the mount. It simply does not care what you mount on the body. It's a simple thing. Light comes in, take reading, display in viewfinder or screen, done deal.

And for the record, I don't think there's such a thing as "metering chips for Canon". Adapters with electronic contacts are used to provide a semblance of EXIF info and also used to fool the body into confirming focus. It's a focus confirmation chip.

 

[Policar]

Be careful mounting pre-AI lenses on a new Nikon body! It can destroy the AI tab, found on some of the higher-end models.

While pretty much all the Canon dSLRs will meter with off-brand lenses using adapters, the metering is poor and inaccurate, in my experience generally a stop and a half too fast and somewhat inconsistent. I'm not sure why. That said, you can use exposure compensation or enter a faster shutter speed manually so it's fine. With the d50 you could use an external meter or just guess and adjust.

Personally, I don't like adapters. They're all essentially the same--except for build quality, which does matter. Just slightly bad tolerances will screw up your hyperfocal distance, and so you can't get infinity focus right and your focus marks are meaningless. The aperture is totally manual and stays closed, too, which is a huge pain since you get a really dark viewfinder and you have to focus by hand with the slow aperture you choose (typically you focus at the widest f-stop, then the camera adjust the aperture before taking the shot). This is not much fun unless you invest in a split prism screen.

Unless you've got some very nice lenses (Zeiss in general or a particularly good Pentax/Bronica/Mamiya lens) you'll probably get softer image quality with a medium format lens. They're not as sharp as modern Canon and Nikon primes, and generally two stops slower for a given focal length. The coverage means you can use one with a bellows like shift/tilt, though, which is kind of cool. I may try to build a bellows system for my rebel xt....