Nikon D40 with a f1.8 50mm Lens

Cummiskey

I just purchased a f1.8 50mm lens for my Nikon D40. The lens will not lock in any aperture except 22. When I put the lens on, it will not take any photos unless the aperture is locked in at 22. Why is this? It's driving me crazy. How can I take photos with a aperture at 1.8 or 2.8?

angevin1

Cummiskey wrote: »

I just purchased a f1.8 50mm lens for my Nikon D40. The lens will not lock in any aperture except 22. When I put the lens on, it will not take any photos unless the aperture is locked in at 22. Why is this? It's driving me crazy. How can I take photos with a aperture at 1.8 or 2.8?

That is how all the Nikon AF lenses work as far as I know. You lock them to their highest aperture, and then the camera front scroll wheel can adjust your aperture up/down, etc! Normal!

Matthew Saville

That is correct. On ALL newer Nikon cameras, since the 90's I believe, the command dials are used to control the aperture. The only reason that 50mm lens has an aperture ring is so that you can still use it on really old cameras.

So, to answer your question,

You lock them to their highest aperture, and then the camera front scroll wheel can adjust your aperture up/down, etc! Normal!

...The D40 still has two issues however, and these issues will prompt you to either upgrade your lens, or upgrade your body. Hate to say it, but it's true!

1.) The D40 only has one command dial, so you can only control one setting at a time. This is fine in Aperture priority and Shutter priority, but in Manual exposure it gets a little annoying because you can only adjust one setting (I forget if it's the aperture or the shutter speed) ...and to adjust the other setting you have to hold down a button while dialing. Similar to dialing in exposure compensation, and not a problem if you're shooting landscapes, but for candid situations I just don't care for it. So, you might consider upgrading (eventually) to a camera such as the D70, D80, or D90 that has dual command dials. If you shoot in manual exposure a lot, this will be a huge help.

2.) The D40 has no AF motor, so the 50 1.8 will not autofocus on that camera body, period. You will need to either upgrade to the D70, D80, or D90 etc. ...or you will need to get rid of the 50 1.8 and change it for a 35 1.8 AFS or 50 1.4 AFS. More expensive, I know, but worth it.

Sorry for the semi-bad news!

=Matt=

Foques

^
ditto.
It will be locked at 22, and then you'll just manually set numbers via camera.

r3t1awr3yd

Buy a 'G' lens lol. No aperture ring at all.

reddeviljp

Matthew Saville wrote: »

That is correct. On ALL newer Nikon cameras, since the 90's I believe, the command dials are used to control the aperture. The only reason that 50mm lens has an aperture ring is so that you can still use it on really old cameras.

So, to answer your question,


...The D40 still has two issues however, and these issues will prompt you to either upgrade your lens, or upgrade your body. Hate to say it, but it's true!

1.) The D40 only has one command dial, so you can only control one setting at a time. This is fine in Aperture priority and Shutter priority, but in Manual exposure it gets a little annoying because you can only adjust one setting (I forget if it's the aperture or the shutter speed) ...and to adjust the other setting you have to hold down a button while dialing. Similar to dialing in exposure compensation, and not a problem if you're shooting landscapes, but for candid situations I just don't care for it. So, you might consider upgrading (eventually) to a camera such as the D70, D80, or D90 that has dual command dials. If you shoot in manual exposure a lot, this will be a huge help.

2.) The D40 has no AF motor, so the 50 1.8 will not autofocus on that camera body, period. You will need to either upgrade to the D70, D80, or D90 etc. ...or you will need to get rid of the 50 1.8 and change it for a 35 1.8 AFS or 50 1.4 AFS. More expensive, I know, but worth it.

Sorry for the semi-bad news!

=Matt=

First post coming up - I can confirm this exactly as I had both lenses on my D40X this w/e. It baffled me also but the pictures with the 35mm lens are superior and, should you wish, will engage the AF mode. In manual mode I had nothing but a black screen! Hope it helps.