Manual Lens in Auto

[Chris Harding]

Hi Guys

Referring back to the fact that I was thinking about using my Tokina super wide 11-16 Nikon mount lens on the EA-50 and stedicam for some nice wide angle shots, You can physically switch the camera to manual to turn off auto and then switch aperture to manual and then turn iso/gain and shutter to auto...This way the manual lens exposure is controlled by the camera with a fixed aperture but variable auto shutter and iso/gain so exposure is accurate. I not doing fast moving objects so the high shutter outdoors is not really an issue.

My only question is that the 11-16 Tokina doesn't have an aperture ring!! Only a focus ring and zoom ring so when connected to a non-electrical adapter for the EA-50 will the iris be fully open or fully closed??

I can live with fully open as I still have plenty of DOF but if it sticks at F22 I'm sunk unless the more fancy adapters allow manual iris somehow???

Any ideas??

Chris

[Noa Put]

Why don't you get that new rokinon 10mm f2.8 lens? That one has a iris ring.

[Chris Harding]

Hi Noa

I already have the Tokina 11-16 so I didn't really want to buy a new lens... when you put a Nikon lens on a "dumb" adapter does the iris remain fully open or fully closed??? Any idea as I don't have an adapter as yet

Chris

[Noa Put]

I"m sure Steve must know, he also gave me a answer when I used a Tamron macrolens which had no iris ring, can't find that thread anymore though.

[Paul Wood]

Chris,
I have the Tokina in Nikon mount - When the lens is off the camera, or on a dumb adaptor, the iris stays fully closed - seems to be spring loaded, and it works with the iris ring adaptors by engaging with the lever on the mount - I don't have my Nikon camera here to test, but I guess that the lens will not keep its iris setting when removed.

[Chris Harding]

Thanks Paul

Much appreciated...that saves me having to buy an adapter simply to find out that the iris will stay at F22 which isn't going to help me at all. OK, that scraps that idea ...the 11-16 was purchased for my Realty Photography on the Nikon D90 body and not for the EA-50 body at all but I figured it was worth asking if there was a workaround before rushing off and buying a cheap adapter ....I figure the Metabones adapter would work but after Steve's hassles with it and the inflated price (cost more than the lens!!) I wouldn't buy one.

Chris

[Noa Put]

Rokinon sells a 8mm f2.8 dirt cheap, it's next on my "want to get" list, with that lens you don't have to pan anymore :)

[Chris Harding]

Hi Noa

The 8mm F2.8 here isn't exactly "cheap" ...I can get them via Hong Kong for $285.00 which is still quite pricey for a "fun" lens. How much curvature does the 8mm give you ?? I expected it would be quite severe so one would need to stay away from verticals that need to be relatively vertical?? Paul Wags has the Sony 10-20 and at 10mm you can see the curvature already so I'm sure it's going to me quite pronounced at 8mm??

Chris

[Noa Put]

I can get them via Hong Kong for $285.00 which is still quite pricey

You think that's expensive for a f2.8 8mm lens? A Sigma f3.5 8mm is 3 times the price. That Rokinon is the cheapest you can get.
If you want a very wide angle and fast lens that doesn't curve that much it will cost you a lot more then that Rokinon lens. I have a Canon 10-2 lens and 10mm already makes everything crooked at the edges, especially when you pan you will notice it even more.

[Neil Chamberlain]

Hi - as we're talking super-wides here - we have the Tokina 11-16 in Sony mount wihich on the LAEA1/2 adapters performs flawlessy. Also I felt I must draw your attention to the Sigma 12-24 EX DG (non HSM version) which we use all the time for virtually distortion free shooting. It's just breathtaking on corporate HQs (interiors and exteriors) which we do a lot of for corporate intros/title sequences where straight lines must stay straight lines. Very nice either on Steadicam or a big rising jib. There's none of that wide angle 'rushing' of the image as you pan etc.

[Steven Digges]

Chris,

This is how most lens apertures worked, at least in the old days.. When the lens is off the camera the aperture blades are closed all the way by a spring. When you twist lock the lens onto the body they open up all the way. I'm not sure about Nikon and a lot of the newer stuff. Look for a lever on the back side of the lens you can move with your finger.

You guys are discussing ultra wide angle. Lenses that wide and adapters usually don't like each other. I'm glad it works for you Neil. Is that lens available in Sony E-Mount? My quick search only found a Canon?

Steve

[Neil Chamberlain]

Hi - the 12-24 Sigma is in A-mount and we use it via the Sony adapters. We picked up a couple of copies (non-HSM) on ebay for less than £300 each. They do turn up fairly regularly. I mention the non-HSM version because I seem to remember on photozone.de that a while back there was mention of the newer HSM version showing more distortion but sharper. But as we're in the land of 1920x1080 rather than 24MP any sharpness difference I considered not relevant for what we needed - i.e. straight lines in wide. Ah the joy of HD versus 36MP stills! You can get away with quite a lot (e.g. CA, softer edges, etc) which just doesn't show on HD.

[Chris Harding]

Thanks Steve

I didn't think of that!! Maybe there is a way to get the adapter to push the lever (which would open the lens fully) That would work fine for me as even at F2.8 and around 10' away the lens would be in focus from about 5' to infinity so I could use it as a fixed focus lens on the stedicam as long as I don't get too close. This is mainly also for interiors as, as Neil says, the distortion is very minimal.

I'll take a look later .. the Nikon mount may be slightly different but if I can rig it full open using a cheap chinese adapter, it's worth a shot!!

Chris