Nikon Lens adapter at DVinfo.net

Ray Bell · October 7th, 2009, 01:20 PM

I another post today it was asked if the 'smart' type of lens adapters work on the 7D.
These are the ones that provide focus confirm, just like a Canon lens does.

So I hadn't checked it out yet, so I get out a Nikon AF Nikkor 50mm 1.8 lens.
I mount it on the 7D with the Fotodiox lens adapter.

Set the camera up in manual mode and thru the eye piece, pressing half way down on the shutter release button, I can rotate the focus adjust ring and sure enough when the lens
goes into focus the camera sends back the appropriate " I'm in focus" confirmation.
Every things cool so far, switch the camera to live view and the first thing I notice is the
exposure readings are not the same. When in live view I adjusted the shutter for proper exposure, noted the settings (ISO locked down at 400) and switched back to the view finder... without changing any settings the view finder is very dark...

So I'm thinking the adapter is messed up and I switch it out with one of the Ebay ones
and begin the test over again... this time I'm still seeing exposure issues but the symptom
is reversed.. the live view is now darker than the view finder...

So now I go and put the exact setups on the 5DMKII... both adapters work just as they
should.. exposures match in both modes and the Fotodiox adapter reports the focus...

On both 7D and 5DMKII the focus confirm for the Nikon lens is only for still shooting through the view finder.

Canon lenses show focus confirm in both still mode and video mode.

Anyway the question is the difference in exposure readings on the 7D between the view finder and the live view..

Also of note: I also tested several Canon lenses and none of them show the delta of exposure between the two modes....

can someone else confirm what I'm seeing here... Thanks

Ray Bell · October 7th, 2009, 01:38 PM

I just switched the Nikon 50MM to the Nikon 17-35mm 2.8... seeing the exact same exposure
issue with the 7D.. the 5DMKII worked as it should...

something strange about the 7D and those combinations... ???

Tony Davies-Patrick · October 7th, 2009, 01:42 PM

The main difference is that both lenses and the 5D are full frame and the 7D is partial frame, but there will also be electronic contact signal differences between bodies.

Manus Sweeney · October 8th, 2009, 12:53 AM

strange.. so are these lenses workable still with the 7d? do you know which of the exposure levels was the correct one?

Tony Davies-Patrick · October 8th, 2009, 04:51 AM

The 7D should just re-frame to a partial inner section of the full frame Nikkors, so there shouldn't be any problem if you are setting the body on aperture priority metering. Unless there are electronic signal issues between adapter, lens and body.

Ray Bell · October 8th, 2009, 10:27 AM

Manus... you can adjust the exposure in correctly for both live view (stills and video) and the view finder (stills) when you switch to those modes... Its just that I noted a big difference between the two modes... the Canon lenses do not do this.. and I did not
see the differences on the 5DMKII...

Not that the 7D is causing problems, just that one needs to be aware of the differences if
others besides myself are experiencing the same...

October 7th, 2009, 01:20 PM	#1
Ray Bell Regular Crew Join Date: Nov 2004 Posts: 1,414	Nikon Lens adapter I another post today it was asked if the 'smart' type of lens adapters work on the 7D. These are the ones that provide focus confirm, just like a Canon lens does. So I hadn't checked it out yet, so I get out a Nikon AF Nikkor 50mm 1.8 lens. I mount it on the 7D with the Fotodiox lens adapter. Set the camera up in manual mode and thru the eye piece, pressing half way down on the shutter release button, I can rotate the focus adjust ring and sure enough when the lens goes into focus the camera sends back the appropriate " I'm in focus" confirmation. Every things cool so far, switch the camera to live view and the first thing I notice is the exposure readings are not the same. When in live view I adjusted the shutter for proper exposure, noted the settings (ISO locked down at 400) and switched back to the view finder... without changing any settings the view finder is very dark... So I'm thinking the adapter is messed up and I switch it out with one of the Ebay ones and begin the test over again... this time I'm still seeing exposure issues but the symptom is reversed.. the live view is now darker than the view finder... So now I go and put the exact setups on the 5DMKII... both adapters work just as they should.. exposures match in both modes and the Fotodiox adapter reports the focus... On both 7D and 5DMKII the focus confirm for the Nikon lens is only for still shooting through the view finder. Canon lenses show focus confirm in both still mode and video mode. Anyway the question is the difference in exposure readings on the 7D between the view finder and the live view.. Also of note: I also tested several Canon lenses and none of them show the delta of exposure between the two modes.... can someone else confirm what I'm seeing here... Thanks

October 7th, 2009, 01:42 PM	#3
Tony Davies-Patrick Trustee Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: Worldwide Posts: 1,589	The main difference is that both lenses and the 5D are full frame and the 7D is partial frame, but there will also be electronic contact signal differences between bodies. __________________ www.WILDCARP.com www.NIKON.me.uk

October 8th, 2009, 04:51 AM	#5
Tony Davies-Patrick Trustee Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: Worldwide Posts: 1,589	The 7D should just re-frame to a partial inner section of the full frame Nikkors, so there shouldn't be any problem if you are setting the body on aperture priority metering. Unless there are electronic signal issues between adapter, lens and body. __________________ www.WILDCARP.com www.NIKON.me.uk

October 7th, 2009, 01:38 PM	#2
Ray Bell Regular Crew Join Date: Nov 2004 Posts: 1,414	I just switched the Nikon 50MM to the Nikon 17-35mm 2.8... seeing the exact same exposure issue with the 7D.. the 5DMKII worked as it should... something strange about the 7D and those combinations... ???

October 8th, 2009, 12:53 AM	#4
Manus Sweeney Major Player Join Date: May 2009 Location: Amsterdam, NL Posts: 217	strange.. so are these lenses workable still with the 7d? do you know which of the exposure levels was the correct one?

October 8th, 2009, 10:27 AM	#6
Ray Bell Regular Crew Join Date: Nov 2004 Posts: 1,414	Manus... you can adjust the exposure in correctly for both live view (stills and video) and the view finder (stills) when you switch to those modes... Its just that I noted a big difference between the two modes... the Canon lenses do not do this.. and I did not see the differences on the 5DMKII... Not that the 7D is causing problems, just that one needs to be aware of the differences if others besides myself are experiencing the same...