Nikon 50mm 1.4 G lens

[ben_lawrence_miller]

<p>Hello all,<br>

Could you answer a question for me? I just bought a used 50mm 1.4G lens. When I took it out of the box I was surprised to see the lens fully stopped down. I thought Nikon lenses remained at their largest aperture when removed from the camera. I'm just a little concerned that there's something awry with my copy. </p>

<p>Any ideas?</p>

<p>Thanks</p>

[Wouter Willemse]

<p>It's perfectly normal; your assumption is false. Lenses without an aperture ring (G lenses) will always be at their smallest aperture when not mounted. Consider also that lenses with an aperture ring (AF-D lenses for example) need to locked at the smallest aperture when you use them on all recent bodies. When you mount it, the aperture will be pushed open, and remain at maximum aperture (until you make an exposure).</p>

[bebu_lamar]

<p>Lens with aperture ring stays at whatever aperture is set. I never see any Nikon lens opened to maximum aperture when removed from camera. Including pre ai, ai, ai-s lenses. </p>

[ShunCheung]

<p>Hi Ben Lawrence Miller, welcome to photography using Nikon. For all G lenses, the natural position of the aperture diaphragm is indeed closed all the way down to the minimum.</p>

<p>As far as I know, the only Nikon F-mount lenses that are wide open when not mounted on a camera body are the E lenses with an electronically controlled aperture diaphragm. The Nikon 1 mirrorless lenses are like that, as well.</p><div></div>

[jim_mohundro1]

As an old-timer (Nikon F and rangefinders before that, including a Nikon S3, two or three Leicas, a Contax IIA and a

handful of various Retinas and Vitesses), and Ds 80, 200, 300, 700 and now a D610 in this digital era, I never realized

that, with my 24-85mm VR and my 28mm f/1.8G, the default position of the lens aperture was at its smallest, unlike the

operating function of the non-G lenses. That of course must mean that either somewhere in the focusing process the

camera and lens, working together in their mysterious ways, fully open the aperture for focusing and then close it down to

the "taking" aperture, which seems incredibly mechanically ineffcient, unless of course what I've read in this thread hasn't

mentioned what might be happening, i.e., that the unmounted G lens is fully closed down while "at rest", but opens to its

fullest aperture when properly mounted on the camera body; otherwise, we'd not see a (relatively) fully illuminated image

in the view finder.

 

My personal mental viewfinder is at its smallest aperture. What's happening here with the autofocus and diaphram-

setting process that I don't understand?

[jim_mohundro1]

I'm really surprised that no one responded to my question. Should I address it on Nikonians?