Noob question: Aperture ring on lens

cory a said:

I also thought you were saying that the follower tab wasn't necessary for metering on the D200 & 700.

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strictly speaking, it's not. if the function were completely removed or prevented from operation, you could still stop-down meter. if you had a lens with a completely fixed aperture and no AI flange (eg: 500mm f/8 reflex), it would still meter.

cory a said:

I checked the manual on my N2000 to make sure, but it does allow the use of program mode with AI lenses (I also verified this personally with the camera). It does not, however, allow TTL flash in program mode unless an AIS lens is mounted. It also doesn't allow Shutter priority with AI lenses, but that's only because it doesn't offer shutter priority at all.

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interesting. thanks!

cory a said:

I also did some more checking, and the F4 also differentiates between AI and AIS via the lens type notch, so that brings the total up to 4 cameras- F4, FA, N2000/F301, and N2020/F501.

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i figured one of the pro-bodies from the era would.

afoton said:

I don't think N2000 (if that is the same as F301) has shutter priority. But I know that FA has shutter priority, an that works, or at least seems to work, with AI lenses. The way it works, is that it meters as usual, then close the aperture as it was a AIS lens. But because it isn't AIS, and the camera has no clue of how much the aperture is closed down, it meters again, and compensate the shutter speed. So the exposure get right, but you don't get the right shutter speed. It works the same way in P.

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weird! i was under the impression it would either disable shutter priority with AI lenses, or use two separate scales for the activation lever.

pocketfulladoubles said:

Haven't done it myself, but I always thought that having an aperture ring is desirable when using a bellows for dedicated macro work. Is there a bellows, or cord, that will allow the data to be sent from the camera to the lens for 'gelded' lenses?

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i don't think so. but it's probably possible to make one. it's not so much an issue of the data, but it's an issue of there being no way to force the aperture open. off the camera, a G lens is always at minimum aperture. it needs a little lever in the camera to open the aperture. on a lens with an aperture ring, the ring will hold it open. (this is why you have to have it set to minimum when using camera controller aperture. if the camera tries to close the aperture more than the ring's setting, you can damage the lens)

pocketfulladoubles said:

Haven't done it myself, but I always thought that having an aperture ring is desirable when using a bellows for dedicated macro work. Is there a bellows, or cord, that will allow the data to be sent from the camera to the lens for 'gelded' lenses?

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There is adapters to other camerasystems like micro4/3 that has its own aperture ring so G-lenses can be used. That can of course be used on your bellows.

Another options is an E2-ring and an AR-2 Cable Release. You don't know exactly what aperture you get, but you can adjust it step less.