Has anybody used non-cpu lenses on D60?

[pete_s.]

When in manual mode does the electronic ANALOG rangefinder bar work or not with

lenses that doesn't meter?

 

Can anyone who put a non-cpu lens (preAI, AI, AI-S) on their D60 confirm?

 

Thanks,

 

Peter

[Peter_in_PA]

Analog? I don't think there's anything analog on that camera.

 

However, with my D50 a non-CPU lens works with the focus dot confirmation.

[elyone]

I think he means the little bar that in M mode tells you it's under or overexposed. looks like this: ----0---- or something, can recall from memory. It's not a rangefinder.

 

And it does NOT work with non-cpu lens. i.e with the D40/60 there is NO way to get an exposure reading, other than to take a shot and look at the result.

[johninjapan2000]

Nikon calls it a rangefinder and that is the function it performs, quite accurately too.

 

It is analog in its visible output, which is what the poster is referring to.

 

It does NOT work on non-cpu lenses (as far as I can tell) because you must use those lenses in M mode, and M mode does not have the rangefinder function. Too bad because I have several excellent old lenses.

 

Here is what you might try: put camera in A mode, find the range, then put back in M mode to fire the shutter. It might work. Cumbersome, though, and prone to inaccuracy even if it works because your position might shift.

 

j.

[Michael R Freeman]

We seem to be confused about exactly Peter is asking about?

 

The "rangefinder" is the green focus confirmation dot. It works with ALL lenses with a maximum aperture of f/5.6 or larger, on ALL autofocus Nikon cameras (SLR and DSLR), regardless of whether the lens has a CPU or not. It is completely independent of metering mode, exposure mode, or lens type (autofocus or manual).

 

The "analog display" usually refers the the in-camera exposure metering display, ie. the +--+--0--+--+ indication at the bottom of the viewfinder that gives an analog display of over or under exposure in manual (M) metering mode. It does NOT work with non-CPU lenses on the D60 (or D40/D50/D70/D80/D100).

[Peter_in_PA]

Actually Michael, we're not confused. the D60 has a function where the metering display will

"turn into" a focus indicator. THAT is what I think our OP is asking about. This is a function

that is not present on the D40/50/70/80/100. It's new to the D60.

[johninjapan2000]

Michael: It is Custom Function 19...completely separate from the usual green dot. Don't be embarrassed, I was confused by this as well at first.

 

Doesn't function with manual lenses, as far as I have experienced.

 

The rangefinder function is MUCH more useful than the green dot, by the way. For once I agree with Ken Rockwell (when he says the rangefinder is really great).

 

j.

[Michael R Freeman]

That's an interesting feature. :-)

[pete_s.]

Sorry about the confusion guys.

 

Yes, the D60 has this function and I was hoping someone at Nikon had their thinking cap on when they came up with this function. Since metering is not used on non-cpu lenses it would have been logical that the analog rangefinder scale would have been enabled in all modes, particular in manual mode since that would be the only mode working :-)

 

If I understand John correctly it doesn't...

 

The reason I was asking was because I was contemplating picking up one of these small cameras to use kind of as a P&S with a 24/3.5 or something equally small and "retire" my P5000 (which I find too cumbersome to use).

 

Peter

[Michael R Freeman]

<i>"... I was hoping someone at Nikon had their thinking cap on when they came up with this function."</i><P>

 

If they really had their thinking cap on, they would have included firmware to allow stopdown metering with non-CPU lenses on all of these crippled bodies ... ;-) ;-)

[pete_s.]

"If they really had their thinking cap on, they would have included firmware to allow stopdown metering with non-CPU lenses on all of these crippled bodies ... ;-) ;-)"

 

Hey, how about being able to stop down at all (DOF preview)? The N80 can do it but the D70S can't...how's that for logic?

[pete_s.]

BTW, I'm so used to shooting without metering on these consumer bodies that I don't care anymore and even forget about it when using af lenses...

[frank_skomial]

"The N80 can do it but the D70S can't...how's that for logic?" - no logic except marketing or money talk.

 

D200 enables metering for non-CPU lenses, and any lenses that can be mounted on. With or without mechanical aperture lever lens linkage. T-Mount (e.g. mirror lenses, pre-set lenses), and Tamron AdaptAll mountable lenses, all measure beautifly on D200, while they do not on D70.

 

As a confirmation of the "logic", there was a fellow, who claimed mounting Nikon CPU chip into extension tube, and was able to "fool" the D70 camera into believing that a CPU lens was mounted, and the meter was enabled for any lens even if it was a non-CPU lense. Believe it or not.

[tri-x1]

"If they really had their thinking cap on, they would have included firmware to allow stopdown metering with non-CPU lenses on all of these crippled bodies ... ;-) ;-)"

 

They don't do that because then there would be a group of people who would buy the D60 instead of the D200 or D300. It's called "marketing."

[tj_aragon_herbert]

<p>I saw this thread about CPU lenses and wanted to make you aware of legacy2digital. I haven't tried them yet, but looks promising.</p>