Which way does your lens rotate?

[NK Guy]

<p> Hi, folks!<br>

I'm working on a writeup on camera lenses, and wanted to run this by everybody. Different camera makers make their lenses do different things when you rotate the zoom or focus rings. (or aperture ring for that matter) Could you help me by confirming the following?</p>

<p>From what I can tell, turning a lens ring clockwise, when you look at the camera from the back or photographer's side, does the following:</p>

<p>Focus: infinity to near. Canon, Olympus, Sony.<br>

Focus: near to infinity: Nikon, Pentax.</p>

<p>Zoom: wide to long. Canon, Olympus.<br>

Zoom: long to wide: Nikon, Pentax, Sony.</p>

<p>Does this match up to what you have? Thanks!</p>

[William Kahn]

<p>My question is fueled by mild curiosity and several sips of Jack Daniels: Why does it matter?</p>

[bob_sunley]

<p>He's way ahead of you William. :)<br>

All Nikon manual focus lenses are as you state, Nikon also made single ring push/pull zoom lenses.<br>

Pentax 645 manual focus lenses rotate clockwise to infinity from the rear, same as Nikon. <br>

Nikon mount lenses from other makers vary.<br>

This is slightly more interesting than updating a film inventory. :)</p>

<p> </p>

[Mike Gammill]

<p>Even more relevant: does the filter ring rotate when focusing? Good to know if using a polarizer or graduated filter.</p>

[JDMvW]

<p>Do you hang the paper over the roll or have it feed from the back and down?</p>

<p>Does water in toilets in the southern hemisphere really spin the other way when they flush?</p>

<p>Big end or little end?</p>

<p>Life is ha-ard.</p>

[jeff_livacich]

<p>I only shoot film, and one reason I use Nikon, Pentax and Bronica gear is that their lenses and aperture rings all turn the same way, making switching from one to another very simple. The Bronica lenses even mount the same way as the Nikon lenses, possibly a legacy of having Nikon as their original lens supplier.</p>

[Wouter Willemse]

<p>Do you also take into account that some lenses project the whole image upside down?</p>

<p>___<br>

<em>Sigma turns like a Canon, Tamron like a Nikon, Tokina most of them like Nikon except one recent superzoom.</em></p>

[chris_waller]

<p>I have both Canons and Nikons and the fact that the aperture and focussing rings turn opposite ways causes me a lot of missed shots out on the street.</p>

[akgraham]

<p>My Olympus allows me to set the focus direction to match my other (film) camera. This set-and-forget mechanism is most welcome.</p>

[SCL]

<p>Somebody dropped a dollar bill...do I pick it up with my right hand or my left hand ;)</p>

[NK Guy]

<p>Thanks, Chris, for understanding the point of my simple question. I didn't actually think it'd be necessary to spell that out.</p>

[Hector Javkin]

<p>I used Olympus for many years, then switched to Nikon. During the transition, the change of direction for mounting lenses was even worse than the one for focus. I never quite dropped a lens as a result, but came close too many times.</p>

[willis]

<p>A few of my lenses for various cameras turning a lens ring clockwise</p>

<p>Focus: infinity to near. Schneider Kreuzach, Meyer-Gorlitz Telemegor 5.5/400, Westrogon, Rodenstock-Eurygon</p>

<p> <br />Focus: near to infinity: Meyer-Gorlitz Oreston 1.8:50, Exakta 75-300mm zoom 4:4.5-5.6 (zoom push-pull)</p>

<p>I really hadn’t thought about it until I read this post.<br>

As an aside, my Exaktas VX, VXiia, 2b, VX 500, and VX1000 are all left handed cameras.<br>

My Exakta TTL and RTL 100 can be used either right or left.<br>

My Canons and Minoltas are right handed.</p>

 

[jcuknz]

<p>My Leica lens zooms far to wide clockwise... focus is fire by wire and I've not worked out how it does it :-)<br>

+1 Stephen... LOL</p>

[User_3804048]

<p>This is fun. Just to add to the mix, which way does your lens turn when bayoneted onto the camera? And where is the lens release button located? Do any two brands do all of these things the same way?</p>

[User_2000406]

<p>My camera is a very early digital model. Which pixel should I use- the left one or the right one? ;-)</p>

[chris_waller]

<p>Yes, I understood your point straight away. :) My focussing these days is slower due to my being long-sighted (and even with a correction lens, the viewfinder isn't pin sharp). I turn the focussing ring, the view goes even further out of focus because I've forgotten which camera I'm using, and by the time I've turned it back the other way, the shot is lost. And yes, Donald, the same applies to bayonet mounts! :)</p>

 

[leicaglow]

<blockquote>

<p>Focus: near to infinity: Nikon</p>

</blockquote>

<p>Unless it is a 45mm GN Nikkor. Besides, if you use multiple camera systems, it's always backwards.</p>