Nikon D3 & D-Type (aperture ring lens) problem

pete4130

I was shooting the other night and I got the FEE error message up on my LCD. I had my fisheye lens mounted which is a D-Type lens (with the aperture ring). I assumed it was the lens as when I put slight pressure on the aperture ring to to rotate it all the way to f/22 (auto) the camera was able to see the lens attached. The lens was locked at f/22.
I then mounted my Nikon 50mm 1.4 D-type lens and it worked perfectly so my assumption still lay with the lens.

Today I mounted my 85mm 1.8 D-type lens and my Nikon 80-200 2.8 D-type lenses and had the same problem with the FEE error message. Again when I put slight pressure on the aperture ring to rotate it a fraction of a milimetre more it registers the lens.

The 50mm 1.4 D-type does not have this problem. It's very very unlikely that 3 lenses have developed the same problem at the same time as they were stored in different bags/places.

All my G-type (guilded) lenses without aperture rings are working perfectly (14-24mm, 24-70mm and 105mm) which again leads me to believe it is a problem with the lens mount registering some D-type lenses properly. My guess is there is a loose connection somewhere that is causing this.

Has anyone experienced this before? I've cleaned all the contacts with cleaning alcohol on both the camera too. I'm guessing it's a job for Nikon to fix. I'm just putting it out there to see if anyone else has had something similar happen?

Pete.

DaireQuinlan

pete4130 wrote: »

I was shooting the other night and I got the FEE error message up on my LCD. I had my fisheye lens mounted which is a D-Type lens (with the aperture ring). I assumed it was the lens as when I put slight pressure on the aperture ring to to rotate it all the way to f/22 (auto) the camera was able to see the lens attached. The lens was locked at f/22.
I then mounted my Nikon 50mm 1.4 D-type lens and it worked perfectly so my assumption still lay with the lens.

Today I mounted my 85mm 1.8 D-type lens and my Nikon 80-200 2.8 D-type lenses and had the same problem with the FEE error message. Again when I put slight pressure on the aperture ring to rotate it a fraction of a milimetre more it registers the lens.

The 50mm 1.4 D-type does not have this problem. It's very very unlikely that 3 lenses have developed the same problem at the same time as they were stored in different bags/places.

All my G-type (guilded) lenses without aperture rings are working perfectly (14-24mm, 24-70mm and 105mm) which again leads me to believe it is a problem with the lens mount registering some D-type lenses properly. My guess is there is a loose connection somewhere that is causing this.

Has anyone experienced this before? I've cleaned all the contacts with cleaning alcohol on both the camera too. I'm guessing it's a job for Nikon to fix. I'm just putting it out there to see if anyone else has had something similar happen?

Pete.

Yeah it does sound as though the registration distance is a smidgeon off. Might indeed be a fix for nikon. As a workaround, you can presumable still use your lenses as originally intended, and set the aperture on the lens instead there's a custom function on the digital bodies AFAIK which allows this.
The D bit btw actually just stands for 'distance' which means the lens transmits the distance information the the camera for metering and flash. There's no specific designation for lenses with aperture rings because, up until the G lenses, they all had them.
Also, the G as 'gelded' (deffo not 'guilded') started with ken rockwell IIRC, i don't think it's official nikon speak

soccerc

Pete

It may be that the mount receiver on the body is just a little bit loose.

I have encountered this a number of times and it's been only with the 80-200 and 14-24.

If you have a set of precision screwdrivers then just give the screws a slight tightening.

DaireQuinlan

soccerc wrote: »

Pete

It may be that the mount receiver on the body is just a little bit loose.

I have encountered this a number of times and it's been only with the 80-200 and 14-24.

If you have a set of precision screwdrivers then just give the screws a slight tightening.

Actually, what picks this up on the digital bodies. Is it that little switch at about 7 o'clock on the mount (as you look at it) that engages with the wee tab on the lens ? Or does the body just know when the aperture tab is pushed as far as it'll go ? Just thinking in fact, it's probably different on the bodies with no aperture following tab (ie the cheaper digitals). All my film bodies have it, and none of them have that extra little switch on the mount, but I know the cheaper digital bodies at least have it.

pete4130

Sorry, I meant Gelded....been lying in bed delierious all evening with flu so struggling to type coherently.

I just checked the notch at the 7 'clock position. It's part of the AF system/motor for the lenses so I don't think that has anything to do with the lenses being registered with the camera. All screw on the lens mount seem tight. I'm still investigating and with some luck I might be able to sort things out myself without poking around too much.

I'm still confused that it is only some of my aperture ring lenses (all bar the 50mm 1.4) that aren't registering and all my G type lenses are working. Hopefully it won't be expensive or take too long to get it repaired

DaireQuinlan

pete4130 wrote: »

I just checked the notch at the 7 'clock position. It's part of the AF system/motor for the lenses so I don't think that has anything to do with the lenses being registered with the camera. All screw on the lens mount seem tight. I'm still investigating and with some luck I might be able to sort things out myself without poking around too much.

Yeah the D3 doesn't have it, I assume it picks up the f22 value by the fact that the aperture following tab is all the way to it's farthest extreme or something. If you look at a picture of some of the consumer level cams without a lens mounted you'll see a little tab at the 7 o clock position. It's not actually on the mount, it's slightly outside it. This is what they use to check that the lens is at f/22, as they don't have an aperture following tab.

pete4130

I've set my body up to use the aperture rings to change the aperutre (obviously won't work for the G type lenses) and even on the 50mm 1.4 lens it isn't reading the correct aperture on the camera compared to the lens

eg: on 50mm 1.4

1.4 on lens = 1.4 on camera
2 on lens = 2 on camera
2.8 on lens = 2.8 on camera
4 on lens = 4 on camera
5.6 on lens = 5.6 on camera
8 on lens = 8 on camera
11 on lens = 8 on camera
between 11 & 16 on lens = 11 on camera
16 on lens = 11 on camera
rotate slightly past 16 on lens = 16 on camera

The same is happening with the 16mm fisheye, 85mm 1.8 and the 80-200 2.8

My guess is there is definitely something loose on the camera or there is a calibration issue. At least I have a workaround, so thanks for that DaireQuinlan.

DaireQuinlan

pete4130 wrote: »

My guess is there is definitely something loose on the camera or there is a calibration issue. At least I have a workaround, so thanks for that DaireQuinlan.

Hmm, it definately sounds as though the registration on that aperture ring is a bit off. Explains why you're getting the FEE aswell. These are the sort of problems that probably made nikon abandon the aperture ring in the first place. Once people started demanding shutter priority and program modes the aperture ring, while actually a more precise way of setting the aperture, was doomed ...

Barname

a D3 ? correct ?

I suggest you contact the dealer from whom you purchased it.

I am certain they will remember you.

pete4130

Yeah it's a D3 but I'm living in London now and bought in Bermingham's about 22 months ago so it'll be hard to get back to them and I'm not sure when I'll be back in Dublin. I only had the body serviced less than 6 months ago too.

Barname

pete4130 wrote: »

Yeah it's a D3 but I'm living in London now and bought in Bermingham's about 22 months ago so it'll be hard to get back to them and I'm not sure when I'll be back in Dublin. I only had the body serviced less than 6 months ago too.

scheise

let me get this correctly, for example if you have an 85 mm 1.4 you lock the aperature at 16 (orange) for use with the D3 etc

BUT when you do this you are getting the wrong aperature readings?

pete4130

Barname,

When the lenses are locked at f/16 or f/22(orange) depending on the lens I ge the FEE error message. When I rotate it a fraction more towards the locked position it registers it. So effectively I am not getting any aperutre readings from the lens when it is locked in the orange position

I get the wrong aperture readings when I have my custom function F7 (which allows the aperture to be changed on the lens rather than through the command dials) set to the aperture ring I am getting the wrong readings towards the orange mark.

When the lenses are sitting at f/11 the camera is reading f/8 (and shooting at f8 as I've checked by moving through the apertures with the DoF preview button enabled).

When I move the aperture ring between f/16 & f/11 it reads f/11.
When the lens is set at f/16 it also reads f/11.
When I rotate the lens slightly past f/16 it reads f/16.