Lens error...

[PerfectlyFlawed]

I bought a "macro extension tube" on ebay...

Just curious to see what it did, so I didn't want to spend too much on it...
Got it today and hooked it up on my kit lens ( just in case...because its the crappier of the 2 lenses I own)

ANYWAY, I hooked it up and it was useless. I got an error like ... "Lens not attached" or something along those lines.

What was I doing wrong? ... or is it just a Piece of S**t! haha.

anyone ever have this issue? Advice?

 

[Sawblade]

You need to switch to M mode. Also, you'll be stuck at the smallest aperture on a G lens.

 

[PerfectlyFlawed]

You need to switch to M mode. Also, you'll be stuck at the smallest aperture on a G lens.

ah... ok. well then that explains the half of it.lol:lmao:

 

[PerfectlyFlawed]

I read something online (yes, i googled it first) lol... that by switching it into -M-mode and turn VR off, and Manual off the lens....move the camera to focus it...

now I think i can handle the man-focus. However, gotta get the "lens error" to go away.. gonna mess around with it tomorrow... half asleep right now.lol


any one else?

 

[Dao]

On a older Nikon, I believe there is a "Auto/Manual" switch on the body for AF. If your camera have the switch, I will try it on "Manual".

And if your lens is capable of manually adjust the aperture, adjust the aperture on the lens.

I do not know too much about Nikon camera since I use Canon myself. But I remembered seeing something like that in the past. I could be wrong.

 

[PerfectlyFlawed]

I think i posted this in the wrong section....=/

 

[TJ K]

Put the camera in manual. The switch on the camera, the switch on the camera body near the lens, and the switch on the lens. You will have to try and figure out a correct exposure yourself with no help from the camera and a very dark view finder.

 

[reznap]

I have some cheap tubes also. They don't have electrical contacts so autofocus and aperture control go out the window. HOWEVER someone gave me a great tip on here. If you mount the lens to the camera, set your aperture, and then press and hold the depth of field preview button while you dismount the lens, the aperture will stick at whatever you set it to. Then mount the lens on your tubes and voila, f/11 or f/22 or whatever you set it at before.

That's for Canon but Nikon should have something essential the same, I'm guessing.

 

[Overread]

Nope - sadly the lens trick only works with Canon lenes and not Nikon. The other downside for nikon shooters is that your lenses default to closed aperture blades when removed from a body - so that means a very dark viewfinder image, harder exposure requirements (more light needed) and also softer images through the fact that you will be using such a small aperture and thus will have issues with diffraction.

You do however have the advantage that some of your lenses have manual aperture controls still on them but I have no idea how these function nor which lenses have this feature.

 

[Derrel]

The Nikon G-series lens workaround is to move the manual stop-down lever and to use a piece of paper or tape to keep the stop down lever in the position that yields the f/stop you want. Or, to use Nikon lenses that have aperture rings on them (around 40 million of the 50 million Nikkors made have aperture rings on them; the G-series lenses are fairly new,and comprise a minority of lenses.)

These new ULTRA-cheap extension tubes coming out of China are a pretty new thing; until about a year ago, I had never heard of extension rings for AF cameras being built without contacts...but the flood of bargain-basement products out of China has changed the idea that a product should actually work fully before it is made...and at the incredibly low prices of these ultra-cheap-o tubes, I am astounded that the Chinese can make,wholesale,and ship these things and make any profit whatsoever.

 

[Overread]

Oh I think the idea of cheap wholesale products that don't work was in the making a long time before china got involved - they are just able to go to more extreme lengths because of the lower production costs (labour and materials) than other nations.

Also remember that whilst tubes without contacts might be new, bellows setups often come without contacts either.

 

[PerfectlyFlawed]

Well thank you guys for the help! I appreciate it...

I'll play around with it. Give it a whirl...see what happens. If anything, its just a cheapo tube from hong kong...so out the window it goes.. then i know better next time.LOL

Curiosity got the best of me.

Is there a better ( but still reasonably cheap ) tube I could get without second guessing---or have to use tricks to get it to work?:scratch:

Im just gonna start saving up for a damn macro dedicated lens. arg!:gah:

 

[Overread]

About the most common good tubes are Kenko AF tubes - these have electrical contacts in them so allow you to retain control over your lens and also retain your metering features with your camera body. You also get your auto focus back, though often its easier to work with manual focus in macro.

These will cost you a fair bit more but are a lot cheaper than ownbrand nikon (or canon for that matter) tubes and come in a set of three.

 

[PerfectlyFlawed]

About the most common good tubes are Kenko AF tubes - these have electrical contacts in them so allow you to retain control over your lens and also retain your metering features with your camera body. You also get your auto focus back, though often its easier to work with manual focus in macro.

These will cost you a fair bit more but are a lot cheaper than ownbrand nikon (or canon for that matter) tubes and come in a set of three.

Awesome, I'll check the Kenko's out.
I think id like to have my AF back...
still haven't played around with these crap-o ones i ordered..
But once i get them working on there... see how they shoot. ( not holding my breath) :lmao:

.....check back later.

 

[SushiWarrior]

1. Make sure the camera is set to Manual, not Aperture priority or Shutter or god forbid auto.
2. Use a piece of tape to stick the little bar on the back that moves into the wide open position or whatever the desired aperture is (it has a spring revert to F/22).
3. Set the lens to M, VR off.
4. Take a shot at a guessed exposure. Compensate in shutter speed or ISO to get a properly exposed shot.
5. ???
6. PROFIT!!!