older nikkor lens

[Qarik]

some older nikkor lens state that they won't meter on some camera bodies like the d40. What does this mean exactly?

Does this mean that program modes like A and S don't work and you always have to be in manual mode?

Or does this mean the meter doesn;t work at all..meaning you have to chimp/historgram after the fact?

[ziggy53]

I believe that you have to guess the exposure, or use an external light meter, and set the exposure manually (in Manual mode). Image review and histogram should not be affected.

I believe the reason is that those cameras have no mechanical coupling and no way to sense the aperture of the lens. I'm not sure why Nikon chose to shut off metering altogether, but that is the condition.

[Cygnus Studios]

some older nikkor lens state that they won't meter on some camera bodies like the d40.

It isn't just old lenses, a large chunk of the new ones won't meter either. Ziggy is correct on the metering issues. Manual focus and manual settings.

[Grainbelt]

Do the Nikon bodies not have a button to stop down the lens and meter at that aperture? I press the 'green' button on my Pentax and it meters for me.

[ziggy53]

Do the Nikon bodies not have a button to stop down the lens and meter at that aperture? I press the 'green' button on my Pentax and it meters for me.

I believe that the more advanced Nikon cameras, notably the D200/D300 and up, have full coupling and will meter properly with all "AI" lenses.

[Tim Kamppinen]

It isn't just old lenses, a large chunk of the new ones won't meter either. Ziggy is correct on the metering issues. Manual focus and manual settings.

Not sure what you mean by "new ones" but AF-D lenses, at least, will meter on a D40 and any other Nikon DSLR. However, older AI and AI-S lenses (which are manual focus only, on any body) will not meter at all on anything below the D200/300 level bodies. So yes, you need to chimp and check the histogram for exposure, or use an external light meter. Using my manual focus 50mm 1.4 on my D40 is exactly the same as using it on my D90. However, my 50mm 1.8 AF-D works full (AF and metering) on my D90 but won't autofocus on my D40. The meter works on my D40, though, and I can set the aperture with the camera and use all the camera modes.

[ziggy53]

... Using my manual focus 50mm 1.4 on my D40 is exactly the same as using it on my D90. However, my 50mm 1.8 AF-D works full (AF and metering) on my D90 but won't autofocus on my D40. The meter works on my D40, though, and I can set the aperture with the camera and use all the camera modes.

Do you get focus confirmation (and AF assist) using the Nikkor 50mm, f1.8 AF-D on the Nikon D40 camera?

[Tim Kamppinen]

Do you get focus confirmation (and AF assist) using the Nikkor 50mm, f1.8 AF-D on the Nikon D40 camera?

Focus confirmation (green dot) works with the 1.8 and the full-manual 1.4. Also works with my lensbaby. It's just an optical system apparently, and doesn't communicate with the lens.

The AF assist doesn't come on with either lens.