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Aperture Settings

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D40x

t0m541

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Hi folks,

I have a D40x with a AF-S DX ED 18-55 G II lens, which keeps on taking dark to black photo's on Auto, no matter what the lighting conditions, flash used or otherwise.

I have worked out that the camera is shutting the aperture right down underexposing the shot.
If I use the manual settings, it still does the same thing, regardless of what f number I choose, but I can get it to take viewable images by altering the shutter speed.

I have tried taping the aperture lever on the lens to the biggest aperture and it will then take images that can again be viewed.

I bought the camera recently from a well known auction site, it had been dropped by the previous owner which had resulted in a cracked LCD cover glass and the bayonet mount broken on the lens, both have been repaired by myself, but otherwise supposedly in good working order...but bought as seen, no returns!.

I get the !Error press shutter again! message sometimes on any of the settings (Auto,M,A,S), quickly switching the camera off and on again clears this, pressing the shutter again just takes pictures but doesn't clear the message.

I have tried the WD40 fix as suggested on the web but this hasn't really helped.
The auto-focus works ok, and when it takes viewable images they are lovely and clear.
From reading here and other sources, I can assume that it's probably the Aperture Control Unit that has probably gone faulty as a result of the dropping, and as the camera is way out of any warranty it's going to be an expensive Nikon repair, probably more than I paid for the camera.

My solution, if you guys think its possible, is to use an older lens, probably film lens, with manual aperture control and ignore the internal electronic control, using the camera on manual full time, which is why I bought a DSLR, I have an auto camera for happy snapping.

Any help and advice is greatly welcome....what lens options are available and maybe hints as to any fixes.

Thanks
Tom

Posted 2 years ago #
jonnyapple

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Joined: May '09
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Welcome to the forum, Tom. You have lots of lens options if you're willing to meter and focus manually, which it sounds like you'll have to do. Pretty much any lens that Nikon has made for decades will work except for the recent ones that don't have an aperture ring (designated as G lenses, like your 18-55). The top line of the table at this webpage will show you what the options are for each type of lens:
http://bythom.com/lensacronyms.htm

If you'll be focusing manually, I'd recommend also getting a split-prism focus screen for your D40x. Here's a link to a brand that people on the forum have recommended before:
katzeyeoptics - *Link Removed*
It would be much easier than trying to tell from the tiny viewfinder image.

Posted 2 years ago #
TaoTeJared

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Welcome and wow. I think you are hosed. Personally I would cut your losses and sell the thing back on ebay for parts and buy a new camera and lens. It sounds before long you will be frustrated and just let the camera sit and collect dust which is just like loosing all of your money rather than just some of it.

You should enjoy photography not fight it.

Posted 2 years ago #
t0m541

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Joined: Jan '11
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Thanks for the welcome jonny,

from what I have read, I realise that the "G" designation means no aperture ring, which, from looking on the auction sites, seem to be most of the newer lenses that are more available.

Older film lenses seem to be a bit less available on the web, but hopefully a scour of the boot sales and second-hand shops will provide some treasures.

I will certainly look at the links you have provided, and that should give me a good set of lenses to be looking for. My main concern was fittings/levers that were designed for manual cameras protruding into the camera body and causing damage.

When I took those first couple of shots and got just black images I thought it was a disaster but knowing that there is a work-around is a relief....though TBH...I think the internal aperture setting is rather fiddly anyway, whilst I realise that using that method gives real time feedback as to the metering, how often, after deciding on the shot does the first image get used, there is always a tweak somewhere...the beauty of working digital over film.

Cheers

Tom

Posted 2 years ago #
TaoTeJared

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You can use any manual focus Nikon and other lenses that are Ai, Ais, AF, AFD on your body. Ebay has tons of them and you can usually pick them up for $120 or less. You can not use "Q" lenses, whatever they are. Very old Nikon lenses will mount but you will not have the aperture notch in the mount which defeated the purpose in the first place.

E-series lenses are usually good deals from $15-$85. You can rack up a good amount of $$ chasing MF lenses. It sounds like you may like the older 24-120mm pre VR lens or the 24-85mm F4 which can be had for cheap but has the aperture ring you need.

Posted 2 years ago #
t0m541

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Joined: Jan '11
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Hello TaoTeJared,

Thanks for the welcome,

I do feel that the seller probably knew that the camera had more faults than they advertised, if I had known then I would have looked elsewhere..but caveat emptor...

As for putting it back up for spares, I most likely would lose a chunk of cash, I may give Nikon parts a call and see how much the ACU is to purchase, I have all the repair and parts manuals for the camera, the repair looks fiddly but not outside my abilities.

It might be cheaper and easier than finding and buying a couple of lenses.

I am assuming that the current lens plays no part in the metering or setting of the aperture, apart from obviously containing the iris and the mechanics to operate it.

The reason I ask, is that without having another lens to trial fit I am blaming the camera itself, assuming that apart form the broken bayonet ring, the lens took no other damage, the auto-focus works ok.

Cheers

Tom

Posted 2 years ago #
Drab

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Check the camera's aperture control arm. It is just a simple thin metal arm with a double-bend at the end to engage the aperture control of your lens. It is not uncommon for this to become bent due to improper engagement of a lens. If the mounting flange of the lens was broken the odds of this sort of unaligned engagement is much higher. This type of stress is clearly possible consider what said combo has been through.

When this arm gets bent one of two things happens, either it completely fails to engage the lens's arm by being offset to the side, in which case side scratches should be seen on the lens arm as the camera arm passes by, or it gets offset either front or back which could create exactly the situation you describe. Unfortunately this is the less likely damage based on what I've seen.

Posted 2 years ago #
Kenh571

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Joined: Nov '10
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I believe that you will find that all Nikon F mount lenses will fit. Some automatic features of some older lenses may not work on some cameras but all should fit and work in manual without difficulty. I also think that you may want to write this camera off and get something that does work in the automatic modes at least as far as metering and focus. You should be able to find a used working D 50 for a reasonable price at B&H in the used department or at KEH. I have bought used lenses from both of these places and have been very pleased.

Posted 2 years ago #
t0m541

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Hello Drab & Kenh571

In reply to your post Drab...The arm works freely and there is no sign of it catching anywhere, in fact if it didn't move freely the aperture would stay fairly wide up around f5.6, f8.
If I set the function dial to manual and take the lens off I can see everything working, shutter, aperture arm etc..

To yours Ken...unfortunately I am not blessed with such delights as B&H or KEH living in the UK, also Ebay UK is a bit scarcer on the lenses too.
The camera does work auto for focus and metering just the aperture thats faulty.

Tom

Posted 2 years ago #
Drab

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t0m541 said:
In reply to your post Drab...The arm works freely and there is no sign of it catching anywhere, in fact if it didn't move freely the aperture would stay fairly wide up around f5.6, f8.

"Moving freely" sounds like you're talking about the arm on the lens. I tried to be as distinct as possible but clearly failed. I never questioned the operation of the arm on the lens. The arm on the camera should not move freely.

t0m541 said:
If I set the function dial to manual and take the lens off I can see everything working, shutter, aperture arm etc

Again, I apologize where I wasn't clean, but I never suggested the camera's arm wasn't moving, rather that it was not properly aligned anymore and not properly engaging the lens's arm.

Posted 2 years ago #
broxibear

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Hi t0m541
I see you're in the UK, type ffordes into google and you'll find lenses there.

Posted 2 years ago #
t0m541

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Hi Drab...yes you were clear..the arm just inside the camera with the double bend, left hand side looking into the body, when I say freely, I meant it is spring loaded upwards to the top of the camera, when the shutter button is pressed it moves down, though it can be held stationary with a finger with little effort when the button is pressed.

It looks fairly square, in the repair manual it gives a measurement for the arm position it look to be within tolerances.

Thanks Broxibear..I will have a browse

Tom

Posted 2 years ago #
t0m541

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I think the !error press shutter again! message has a connection with the aperture...as it seems to come up when the image captured is way off what it should be for the settings...ie:- super underexposed for the correct speed/aperture/lighting.
If I wedge the aperture lever on the lens so the iris stays open and gets a reasonable image the message doesn't show...though, obviously there is a little over-exposure.

Will see if I can borrow a non "G" lens from someone to try and when the holidays are over will try to find out what kind of cost would be involved in getting it repaired by Nikon or price of parts..

Posted 2 years ago #
t0m541

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Hello everyone who posted..here is an update.

I managed to borrow a manual lens yesterday, and also visited a couple of camera shops for their opinion on the fault.

The consensus was that it is the camera body as suspected and that sending it to Nikon would cost more than the thing is worth, so that left the manual lens option.

On this point the opinion was that it wouldn't work as the software looks for the lens and aperture, which is correct, in Auto/A/S modes the camera asks for the lens to be attached and the aperture ring to be set at the highest setting, so that it then can control the aperture electronically.
But, as that is faulty, it doesn't solve the issue.

However, set the camera to Manual, it will work without a lens attached, whether this a fault on my camera or how it's supposed to be I have no way of knowing.

The camera knows the lens is fitted and all other lens settings and controls by the row of contacts just inside the "F" mount.

So my solution, that works for me, is to put a thin strip of electricians tape over the contacts, breaking the connection, fooling the camera into thinking that a lens is not fitted and then so allowing it to function and use the full range of aperture settings and focus manually.

This, of course, does away with the cameras TTL metering and electronic control over the speedflash, which, again has to be set manually.

But, as I said it works for me and is very much like going back to basics and how photography used to be with 35mm film SLR, just need a hand held light meter, though for most shots, a quick test shot and look at the LCD will give a baseline for any adjustments that may be required, and after a while and practice getting the settings almost spot before the first shot on will be second nature..hopefully :-).

Obviously I'll not be able to use the camera in any other setting than Manual....but then, like I said previously, I didn't buy a DSLR for happy snapping.

Thanks for reading....hopefully if anyone else has this issue with their camera and don't mind getting basic...then it's worth a shot and cheaper than a Nikon repair bill.

Tom

Posted 2 years ago #
TaoTeJared

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"put a thin strip of electricians tape over the contacts, breaking the connection, fooling the camera..."

Nice work my friend!

Posted 2 years ago #
Paperman

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I used a Minolta XD7 which suffered sea water damage manually for another 10 years without any electronics and only 1/100 shutter speed ( manual flash sync speed - the only mechanical shutter speed on camera except Bulb ) - so you are in a lot better position than me :-))

Posted 2 years ago #
Mike Gunter

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Hi,

In reading your trials and tribs, I would have never gone down your road. I'm happy that it worked out for you (you're the only one you have to please), but I would have never taken your path.

Good on you. :-)

My best,

Mike

Posted 2 years ago #
t0m541

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Joined: Jan '11
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Well gave it a trial run today in various conditions, (indoors/outdoors), and it seems ok...exposure is going to take a little while to pin down getting right first or second time without a meter...but shots are coming out clear and well lit.

Got my eye on a couple of old lenses, and the one I have borrowed I may see if it's for sale.

Posted 2 years ago #
adamz

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Joined: Mar '09
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guys, I heaven't went through the whole posts, but I had a similar issue once, and it was a problem with aperture (iris) in the lens. it got stocked on one level and couldn't be moved any direction, needed to send the lens to repair center to make it working again.

Posted 2 years ago #
t0m541

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Joined: Jan '11
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I checked my auto lens on another D40 today that I know works perfectly and the lens is fine, focus aperture all does what it should, so looks like I'll be sticking it on that well know auction site and try to re-coup some of the extra expense I have had to go through.

Got my first manual lens today as well, an 80-200 zoom, was priced right, been taking some great shots, now I can finally control the aperture.

Posted 2 years ago #
NSXType-R

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Hey, whatever works for you right?

Glad you're happy with what you have.

Posted 2 years ago #

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