MinAZ
Veteran Member
I noticed some manual focus lenses have a focus confirmation chip. What does this do exactly? It can't actually be to confirm focus can it, being a manual lens?
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What is a focus confirmation chip for?
- Thread starter MinAZ
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BirgerH
Veteran Member
It's called, AFIK, a Dandelion Chip.
Some cameras don't know, that a lens is mounted, if the CPU contacts are not corresponded. Nikons don't care - you are able to take an "image" without a lens mounted.
And still, as far as I know -a chip is not neccesary for any Nikons for focus-confirmation, though it has to be there for the metering. (Not sure mounting a chip is quite enough for having the camera to meter, though
)I just tried my E-series 50mm (no cpu) at my D90 - the focus-confirmation dot Works - though no beep.
Guess it should have been called a "metering chip" instead.
BirgerH.
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nemokanemo
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Well, from experience with my Samyang 14 f/2.8 on the D7100, the AE/Focus-confirm chip:
- assists me in acquiring focus using the white dot and arrows inside the viewfinder
- relays all lens and exposure data to the camera
- has full metering and allows me to use auto exposure modes as the camera can handle the aperture
- no beep with manual focus confirm only with AF
Now I'm not sure if an AE and focus confirm chip are always one and the same thing.. but in my case that's what I have.
- assists me in acquiring focus using the white dot and arrows inside the viewfinder
- relays all lens and exposure data to the camera
- has full metering and allows me to use auto exposure modes as the camera can handle the aperture
- no beep with manual focus confirm only with AF
Now I'm not sure if an AE and focus confirm chip are always one and the same thing.. but in my case that's what I have.
BirgerH
Veteran Member
Yes - but that lens is "born" with the CPU - isn't it? In that case, it will have a full CPU-Circuit.
A dandelion has, as far as I know, to be programmed - and searching the net, it doesn't Work very well on Nikon.
Again - the dandelion is not the one that gives focus-confirmation on the Nikons (the dot-confirmation) - it's done by the AF-sensors - even the camera is set to MF. That's why, you can use non-CPU's - and still have the confirmation.
This is anyway - as far as I know.
BirgerH.
With Canon you need a chip to get AF confirmation - EOS cameras think there's no lens attached if there's no electronics, so they behave as such.
BirgerH
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nemokanemo
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Well I'm not too sure what's going on with them since it is advertised as coming with AE/focus confirm chip while some versions don't. Maybe they all do. There are EOS versions with and without though.
Oh sweet good to know.
Parry Johnson
Senior Member
In the case of a Nikon dSLR, a focus chip will allow the lens to relay distance information, much like a "AF-D" or "G" lens. This is useful in helping the camera determine iTTL or other exposures, such as for off-camera CLS flashes. EXIF data will also contain that distance information, whereas older (non-chipped) lenses just draw a blank.
However, in most cases, a chipped lens will behave much the same as a non-chipped lens, as the metering is much the same as any other Nikkor manual-focus lens (again, especially on pro or prosumer bodies, as they allow for custom MF lens presets via the Function button).
Parry
A chip like the Dandelion is not coupled to focus in any way, so it can't communicate any distance information. It works only as a non-D-lens.
A Dandelion-chip do communicate one focal length and biggest and smallest aperture. Other chip makers also put in where the exit pupil is.
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victorian squid
Senior Member
In my Canons, a manual lens will behave the same as an AF lens, only my hand is the motor.
I can get focus confirmation on any of the focus points depending on how I've set the camera.
Personally, I need the dandelion chip - because 1) before live focus all I had was a bad dim viewfinder and 2) even with live focus screen it's really hard to see when I've gotten focus. That old split prism made a huge difference when focusing, kinda like your own phase detect focusing.
I can get focus confirmation on any of the focus points depending on how I've set the camera.
Personally, I need the dandelion chip - because 1) before live focus all I had was a bad dim viewfinder and 2) even with live focus screen it's really hard to see when I've gotten focus. That old split prism made a huge difference when focusing, kinda like your own phase detect focusing.
Monstermayank
Well-known member
So how does the chip know that the focus is achieved when it doesn't know what I want to focus on?
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