It would appear that the D600 does meter with non-CPU lenses

[robin_barnes]

<p>I have been looking forward to the D600 announcement in the hope that it would be both lightweight enough so as not to cripple me (currently I use a D3100) and also allow me to use my collection of non-CPU lenses from my film days again. I was pleased when I saw the weight but very disappointed to read a number of posts, here and elsewhere, stating that it does not meter with these lenses.<br>

However this would appear to be wrong. Below is a quote from the technical specification on Nikon UK's website.<br>

"Metering Method ........... colour matrix metering available with non-CPU lenses if user provides lens data<br>

Centre-weighted .......... non-CPU lenses use 12mm circle or average of entire frame<br>

Spot: 4mm circle ..........centred on centre focus point when non-CPU lens is used" </p>

<p>It does not say whether you have to "provide the lens data" each time you attach a non-CPU lens or if you only have to do it once and the camera memorises it. </p>

 

[ShunCheung]

<p>Sorry, <strike>this thread title is providing completely wrong information.</strike>

the OP's post is providing incorrect information. The new D600 has an aperture follower tab to match the aperture ring on AI/AI-S lenses. Therefore, it definitely can meter with manual-focus AI lenses that have no CPU. All Nikon AF lenses have built-in CPU.</p>

<p>This link to B&H's web site shows an image of the front of a D600 without a lens, and the aperture follower tab is clearly there. It also has the AF motor "screwdriver" to drive AF/AF-D lenses without a motor inside the lens: <a href="http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/892427-REG/Nikon_D600_Digital_Camera_Body.html">http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/892427-REG/Nikon_D600_Digital_Camera_Body.html</a></p>

<p>See this older image below showing the difference between a Nikon D200 and D100. The D200 has the aperture follower tab and therefore can meter with AI/AI-S lenses. The D100 does not and therefore cannot meter with those lenses.</p><div></div>

[Dieter Schaefer]

<blockquote>

<p>Sorry, this thread title is providing completely wrong information.</p>

</blockquote>

<p>The thread title states that the "D600 does meter with non-CPU lenses" - which is correct. So where is the wrong information?<br /> Here is the image on Nikon's website showing the Ai follower tab on the D600: http://imaging.nikon.com/lineup/dslr/d600/compatibility03.htm</p>

<p>And here is the specification page that reads: <em>Compatible with AF NIKKOR lenses, including type G and D lenses (some restrictions apply to PC lenses), DX lenses [using DX (24x16) image area], AI-P NIKKOR lenses,<strong> and non-CPU AI lenses (A and M modes only): </strong></em>http://imaging.nikon.com/lineup/dslr/d600/spec.htm</p>

[ShunCheung]

<blockquote>

<p>very disappointed to read a number of posts, here and elsewhere, stating that it does not meter with these lenses.</p>

</blockquote>

<p>Sorry, I was referring this part of teh OP's post. The subject is fine.</p>

<p>I am not aware that any prior post on this forum providing such wrong information. I would have disputed that immediately. Can the OP provide a link?</p>

<p>I am not too concerned about wrong information elsewhere; there are tons of web sites (such as a lot of rumor sites) that provide wrong information, sometimes on purpose to generate web traffic.</p>

[Dieter Schaefer]

<p>Shun, wrong information about the D600 not metering with non-CPU lenses had been posted here: http://www.photo.net/nikon-camera-forum/00aory - and has already been disputed :-).</p>

[robin_barnes]

<p>Shun - the post is on the thread started by Ellis Vener "Hands on preview.....". It is by Frank Skomial and on page 4 of the thread. I see that Dieter has posted to that thread pointing out that this information is wrong but at the time I read it he had not done so.</p>

[ShunCheung]

<p>Thanks Dieter and Robin. That was a new post that I had not seen earlier. Frank Skomial knows a lot of about Nikon flashes but sometimes makes unexpected comments on other topics. On this forum, we quickly point out such errors, including Ellis Vener (incorrectly) suggesting that the D7000 had been discontinued.</p>

<p>As I said, we might as well call the D600 "the 24MP, FX version of the D7000." The D7000 can meter with non-CPU lenses and Nikon is not going to take that away on the D600. After I get a chance to test the D600, I'll provide more details.</p>

[robin_barnes]

<p>I look forward to your test Shun. As this is a feature on some other Nikon cameras do you have to put in the lens data each time you attach a non-CPU lens or just once and the camera memorises it? </p>

[bob_flood1]

<p>I haven't seen a D600 in person yet, but I'll bet somebody else's right arm that the lens data do not have to be entered each time the lens is mounted. The D7000 is typical - there's a menu in which you can enter data for each lens (focal length, max aperture, etc). When you mount the lens to use it, you can select the lens from the list of AI lenses you've entered. I have this function assigned to one of the user-definable buttons so I can just depress that button and use the rear thumb-wheel to scroll thru the list and select the appropriate one.</p>

[robin_barnes]

<p>Thanks Bob that's what I wanted to know.</p>

[richard__]

<p>I would be willing to bet that the non-CPU lens data placed into the image metadata still reports Max Aperture Value = f/1.0, and no Lens is ever identified even when the data is specified correctly in the camera's non-CPU lens table.</p>

[johnw63]

<p>You would probably be incorrect. If the D600 works like the D7000, the non CPU data IS part of the data shown on the picture meta data.</p>

<p>Here is one of my shots, with the D7000 and a non-CPU lens. It was the 75-150mm Series E, which I abbreviated to just 135mm since you can't put a zoom range in the lens size field. </p>

<p><img src="http://d6d2h4gfvy8t8.cloudfront.net/15721552-lg.jpg" alt="" width="700" height="302" /></p>

<p>The data is still intact, if you want to right-click and view it. </p>

<p> </p>

[richard__]

<p>Please read what I said more closely.<br /><br />I didn't refer to Nikon's shooting metadata (which you have here), I mentioned the actual Lens and Max Aperture Value metadata which could be, but is not available from the camera's non-CPU lens data table. Note that those metadata values do not appear on your image. Try using ExifTools to see what values are returned for the following metadata tags:<br /><br />-m<br />-n<br />-s<br />-Nikon:ColorSpace<br />-Nikon:EffectiveMaxAperture<br />-Nikon:LensFStops<br />-Nikon:MinFocalLength<br />-Nikon:MaxFocalLength<br />-Nikon:MaxApertureAtMinFocal<br />-Nikon:MaxApertureAtMaxFocal<br />-Nikon:MCUVersion<br />-Nikon:LensType<br />-Nikon:Lens<br />-ExifIFD:FocalLength<br />-ExifIFD:FocalLengthIn35mmFormat<br />-ExifIFD:Lens<br />-ExifIFD:MaxApertureValue<br /><br />For all those tags queried, the return reads like this, which is incorrect but a 'feature' according to Nikon support for the ExifIFD:MaxApertureValue:<br /><br />ColorSpace : 2<br />LensFStops : 0<br />LensType : 1<br />FocalLength : 24<br />FocalLengthIn35mmFormat : 24<br />MaxApertureValue : 1</p>

<p>or just use <a href="http://www.henleygraphics.com/images/BridgeCS4-Original-MaxApertureValue-Metadata-1.jpg">Bridge</a> to see that f/1.0 value for the lens MaxApertureValue.</p>

[frank_skomial]

<p>I already apologized for my mistake in the other post.</p>

<p>The non-CPU lens support on D600 could use some electronic support for focusing manual focus lenses, or possibly such a support is already provided ?<br /> E.g. in NEX-7 there is a focus peaking that helps a lot. Is there in D60 something of an equivalent support ? Enjoying use of long manual focus lenses on NEX-7 (with an adapter), makes me wonder if similar experience would be possible on D60 (withouit an adapter for Nikon mount lenses needed).</p>

<p> </p>

[peter_gaunt]

<p>There will be the usual 'little green dot' (electronic rangefinder) in the viewfinder to show the user when non-CPU lenses are in focus. I use a couple of entirely manual lenses (M42 screw lenses with adaptors) and the electronic rangefinder works just fine with those.</p>

[bjørn rørslett]

<p>The D600 meters just fine with non-CPU lenses. In case anyone still doubts.</p>

<p>After using the camera with MF lenses for over 1 week I have yet to observe any gross metering error with non-CPU lenses. Meaning that the same tendency to "bright" metering seen with the AF/AFS lenses is present with the non-CPU lenses as well.</p>

<p>The camera, by the way, is a really fine performer.</p>

[bob_maichin]

<p>Yay - finally a full frame replacement for my D200 that makes sense to me.<br>

Will the larger sensor provide noticeably higher l/mm resolution? The APS sensors all yield about 55 l/mm so any better lenses were wasted on them. Which was why I sold my 35 f1.4. The price may go up on those now.<br>

I'd like to know if the new full frame sensor yields over 80 l/mm in lens resolution, that would make it worthwhile for me.</p>