Question:
Bob, You have gotten a lot of bad advice I think because you have misstated the name of the lens you have. There is a Micro-Nikkor-P Auto 55mm f3.5 lens which works just like any other AI type lens. There is no such thing as a 55mm PC-Nikkor which is what the N70 manual is talking about. They are only 28mm and 35mm. I have the 28mm f3.5 version and it has a "preset ring" which you must rotate in order to stop down the lens because the camera cannot do this automatically. Just read the N70 manual for how to use AI lenses which do not autofocus. Yours will stop down automatically. Bill Zimmermann
– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Good day – Please excuse the amateur question, but I have recently inherited a Micro-Nikkor PC 55mm f3.5 macro lens to use with my N70. The N70 manual states that the lens and camera are compatible, so long as the "preset ring" is used in determining exposure. (This is as the lens does not have a means of communicating the apeture setting to the camera.) So my question is: what preset ring. Where is it located? I’m inferring from context that it is a means of closing the apeture to the set f-stop, as opposed to the normal mode of keeping it open until just before the shutter is released. However, I don’t see a means of doing this on the lens, and the ‘preset ring’ is mentioned nowhere else in the N70 manual that I could find. (I do not have the manual for the lens). Any assistance you could render in this matter would be greatly appreciated. Please, if you would, include my email address regularly. Thanks, Bob
Response:
– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – … But you really have no problem since you CAN meter at f3.5 – then simply go to manual mode and correct exposure by common arithmetics: Set aperture / 3.5 * shutter speed 7 / 3.5 * 1/20 = 1/10 NOT!!! 1/40 … The aperture seems to be working OK, and I am getting underexposure if I stop down the lens, which is what I would expect. The DOF preview trick (loosening the lens) works, but is awkward.
Just do the arithmetics, it’ll work fine I’m sure! Good luck! — http://hjem.get2net.dk/Egedorf/
Response:
– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – The problem is that the apeture remains open at the widest setting (f3.5, in this case) until the shutter is released. So no matter what the setting of the apeture is, I still get an exposure meter reading as if I had set the apeture at f3.5. When the picture is actually taken, the apeture is closed to the desired setting, and so I usually end up with an underexposure unless I leave the apeture at f3.5. I get it now. Try this: Set the camera for Aperture priority. Turn the aperture ring on the lens. If shutter speed changes, there is no problem. If it does not change, well, you have a nice paperweight. SF4 suggests something advanced to do with a middle ring whereas I don’t think Richard’s DOF trick will work – maybe give it a try? But you really have no problem since you CAN meter at f3.5 – then simply go to manual mode and correct exposure by common arithmetics: Set aperture / 3.5 * shutter speed 7 / 3.5 * 1/20 = 1/10 NOT!!! 1/40 Anyway, if the camera does not know that aperture is changed, are you sure that the aperture stops down at all? Are you getting overexposure rather than underexposure? Could the aperture indexing mechanism be broken?
The aperture seems to be working OK, and I am getting underexposure if I stop down the lens, which is what I would expect. The DOF preview trick (loosening the lens) works, but is awkward. I may just limit this lens to the f3.5 setting on the N70 body, and not use it as a general purpose lens. Seems a shame, though. Maybe I can talk my dad out of one of his old bodies (it was his lens) 
Thanks, Bob
Response:
The problem is that the apeture remains open at the widest setting (f3.5, in this case) until the shutter is released. So no matter what the setting of the apeture is, I still get an exposure meter reading as if I had set the apeture at f3.5. When the picture is actually taken, the apeture is closed to the desired setting, and so I usually end up with an underexposure unless I leave the apeture at f3.5.
I get it now. Try this: Set the camera for Aperture priority. Turn the aperture ring on the lens. If shutter speed changes, there is no problem. If it does not change, well, you have a nice paperweight. SF4 suggests something advanced to do with a middle ring whereas I don’t think Richard’s DOF trick will work – maybe give it a try? But you really have no problem since you CAN meter at f3.5 – then simply go to manual mode and correct exposure by common arithmetics: Set aperture / 3.5 * shutter speed 7 / 3.5 * 1/20 = 1/10 NOT!!! 1/40 Anyway, if the camera does not know that aperture is changed, are you sure that the aperture stops down at all? Are you getting overexposure rather than underexposure? Could the aperture indexing mechanism be broken? HTH Henrik — http://hjem.get2net.dk/Egedorf/
Response:
Please excuse the amateur question, but I have recently inherited a Micro-Nikkor PC 55mm f3.5 macro lens to use with my N70. The N70 manual states that the lens and camera are compatible, so long as the "preset ring" is used in determining exposure. (This is as the lens does not have a means of communicating the aperture setting to the camera.) So my question is: what preset ring. Where is it located The "preset ring" is, I think, a "BR-6", which takes a cable release, you push the cable release to close down the aperture. Such functionality is built into the PB-6 bellows; it’s very handy for many cases where the lens is not directly mounted on the camera.
You can achieve the same effect by simply loosening the lens on its bayonet mount. This will disconnect the auto diaphragm coupler and stop the lens down. It’s a "poor man’s DOF preview". Obviously, use extreme caution not to drop the lens when using this technique. If you like the lens, you could find a cheap old Nikkormat that can use the lens as intended, or get a new FM2n or other Nikon with DOF preview. –Rich
Response:
- Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Good day – Please excuse the amateur question, but I have recently inherited a Micro-Nikkor PC 55mm f3.5 macro lens to use with my N70. The N70 manual states that the lens and camera are compatible, so long as the "preset ring" is used in determining exposure. (This is as the lens does not have a means of communicating the apeture setting to the camera.) So my question is: what preset ring. Where is it located The "preset ring" is, I think, a "BR-6", which takes a cable release, you push the cable release to close down the aperture. Such functionality is built into the PB-6 bellows; it’s very handy for many cases where the lens is not directly mounted on the camera. Can you describe in more detail what you’re trying to do? The manual makes no suggestion that a non-AI lens can be mounted directly on an N70, although there are several ways to make use of the lens. While many 55/3.5’s were AI’d, these don’t need anything special to work on an N70.
Basically, I just want to be able to close down the aperature on the lens so that I can get an accurate exposure reading. Page 104/105 of the manual seem to be hinting that I can do this, but I can’t see how. The best hint I’ve gotten so far is to partially remove the lens, so that the aperature closes down, but I’m still hoping for something better. Thanks, Bob – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – sf4
Response:
Good day – Please excuse the amateur question, but I have recently inherited a Micro-Nikkor PC 55mm f3.5 macro lens to use with my N70. The N70 manual states that the lens and camera are compatible, so long as the "preset ring" is used in determining exposure. (This is as the lens does not have a means of communicating the apeture setting to the camera.) So my question is: what preset ring. Where is it located
The "preset ring" is, I think, a "BR-6", which takes a cable release, you push the cable release to close down the aperture. Such functionality is built into the PB-6 bellows; it’s very handy for many cases where the lens is not directly mounted on the camera. Can you describe in more detail what you’re trying to do? The manual makes no suggestion that a non-AI lens can be mounted directly on an N70, although there are several ways to make use of the lens. While many 55/3.5’s were AI’d, these don’t need anything special to work on an N70. sf4
Response:
– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Follow-up til Bob Hablutzel’s indl
If you like this post and would like to receive updates from this blog, please subscribe our feed.