Nikon lens problems, plz help

czarben · Oct 9, 2014

I recently purchased a Nikon Nikkor 50mm 1.8D lens for my Nikon D3200. The first time I put it on it worked great. Now when I put it on, the camera screen reads "Lock lens aperture ring at minimum aperture" and will not let me use the camera until I move the aperture ring to f22. The first time using the lens I could use the lens at any aperture, now I can only use it at f22. How can I fix this? I thought the only restriction with this particular lens and camera combo was with metering. Please help. Thanks

Derrel · Oct 9, 2014

You are supposed to set the lens to f/22 if you want to have light metering. This is the standard, mid-1980's Nikon method: the AF and AF-D Nikkors even have a small locking mechanism, to KEEP the lens LOCKED at the smallest f/stop, which is usually f/16 or f/22, and that is the way you want to use a 50/1.8 AF or AF-D model lens on a D3200.

You CAN use the lens at ANY f/stop on the D3200, but the way to enter the desired f/stop is to press the small button on the top deck, hold that button, and then use the main control wheel to adjust the aperture. Let go of the small button on top and then the control wheel operates the SHUTTER speed adjustment. In Program mode, the main control wheel operates the shutter and f/stop in lock-sterp, synchronized movement.

Nikon has a standard operating method, which is to set the lens to the minimum aperture, and then to use the camera body controls to set the exposure parameters. I can tell that you are a beginning Nikon user, so I will not go into minute or obscure details or exceptions on this. Suffice it to say there is more to the entire situation that what I am telling you, but for MOST users, with AF or AF-D lenses with aperture rings, the desired method is the standard method: set the lens to f/16 or f/22 (f/32 on a select handful of macro lenses) and LOCK it there using the provided locking twist-button or slider switch, and leave it there. Adjust the f/stop on your D3200 with the top deck button held down while manipulating the rear " thumb wheel " control.