How do I setup a manual lens on photo OR video mode.

Daryl Auguste

Daryl Auguste

Well-known member
I got my Zeiss today but I'm not sure what to do. I set the in camera AF to manual and the shooting mode to M but I'm just seeing blackness. What do I need to do.
 
I really have no idea what you mean by "I'm just seeing blackness". Are you looking through the viewfinder? Are you using Live View? You should be able to take photos in M mode and use the histogram during playback to judge your exposure. In Live View it should stop down to the F-stop you've set on the lens when you enter LV. LV is were you shoot video from and exposure is automatic unless locked.
 
I'm looking through the LCD using liveview. Its set to manual mode, but LV is the only way I can see what my photos will turn out as. My lens is set at F 1.4. so its not a case of it being to black, I simply am seeing nothing on the viewfinder or the LCD when I attach my manual 50mm.
 
Its manual glass. Same thing happened to me the first Nikon ED lens I put on it.

It pays no attention to easy iso, and you could be set to automatic. Set your ISO manually (and you will need to turn off automatic iso). Also make sure you are at your highest F number when you go into lv mode.

You will also not see any live exposure. So in still mode for instance, you need to take a shot and check the histogram, take a shot check the histogram etc to make sure you get your exposure right. (that is if you are planning on locking exposure before you enter lv mode.).

If not, just enter LV mode, and it of course disregards all settings, and then just lock exposure when you are ready, and ignore the fact as soon as you are in still mode, you cannot see anything :)..

Manual ISO. it's your friend for non nikon cpu glass, or ED nikon lenses.
 
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I'm pretty sure it is like Timmy said, you just need to be at f/22 or the highest f stop when you enter liveview, or else it won't enable. After you have done that you can readjust your aperture.
 
ED isn't a lens type. the designation "ED" on a lens just means it contains one or more ED (superior low dispersion glass) elements.

timmytimetravel said:
Its manual glass. Same thing happened to me the first Nikon ED lens I put on it.

It pays no attention to easy iso, and you could be set to automatic. Set your ISO manually (and you will need to turn off automatic iso). Also make sure you are at your highest F number when you go into lv mode.

You will also not see any live exposure. So in still mode for instance, you need to take a shot and check the histogram, take a shot check the histogram etc to make sure you get your exposure right. (that is if you are planning on locking exposure before you enter lv mode.).

If not, just enter LV mode, and it of course disregards all settings, and then just lock exposure when you are ready, and ignore the fact as soon as you are in still mode, you cannot see anything :)..

Manual ISO. it's your friend for non nikon cpu glass, or ED nikon lenses.
Click to expand...
 
Re : but LV is the only way I can see what my photos will turn out as

My experience exactly. In still mode where you see blackness, LV you are ok. Kind of a reversal. Check iso is not auto. And as Andrew says, apeature ring on f/22 before going in, and AE-L off, and you should get something in liveview.... oh... also... Lenscap? :)

Re theabsurdman, ED. You are correct, thank, I mean a non-cpu lens that does not participate in automatic metering, be it anything you chuck on there, that just happened to be the designation on the lens, and all my others are AF or AF-S. I don't know what the designation is for a non-cpu nikon lens other than the ED one I have...
 
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