Why am I forced to lock the apeture?

thunderkyss · Dec 22, 2012

Ok, I visited a while back asking questions trying to learn just a little so I could purchase a camera for my daughter & give her a few tips to get her started.

Recently, I've bought an old D3000, for me. I've skimmed through the manual, played with the camera, now I'm going back through the manual, planning on reading it from start to finish.

However, I've got questions & would like to understand this thing quicker than by reading the complete manual. As a matter of fact, I'm already finding the manual to be over my head.

My biggest issue, is that sometimes when I press the shutter button I here a click, I think the shutter opens, but hangs open for a few seconds then closes. I can't figure out why. Sometimes it happens in M, sometimes it doesn't. Sometimes it happens in A, sometimes it doesn't. Sometimes it happens in S, sometimes it doesn't. It never happens in P.... I'm trying to figure that out.

But the reason I started this thread. I'm trying to learn a bit about aperture. So I've got a kit lens on this thing. I unlock the aperture & I'm able to slide it from its minimum to its maximum setting. I can see the light allowed into the lens change as I look through the view finder. So I'm inside, I spin the aperture to allow the most light in. I press the shutter release, then I get an error message telling me to turn the aperture to its lowest setting & lock it.

Why?

I'm looking to find a feature on the camera that will do the same thing, to no avail. What am I doing wrong? Or am I doing anything wrong? What is it that I don't understand?

Awiserbud · Dec 22, 2012

the idea of closing the aperture down and locking it is to allow the camera body to control the aperture from the settings you put in. the reason you are getting an error message is because the camera can't control the aperture if you havent locked it. (locking it doesn't mean it will stay in one position, it just means the aperture ring on the lens wont function, and it doesn't need to because the camera will set it for you)

Derrel · Dec 22, 2012

You need to set the aperture to its smallest size (f/16 or f/22 on most lenses). THEN, to change the aperture, you need to press that small button on the top deck, right hand side, and spin the back thumb wheel while holding down that button. The D3xxx and D5xxx series are what are called "one-button" cameras. Same with the Canon Rebels; the aperture control is active only while that top-deck button is being held down, and then the REAR wheel controls the aperture. When the button is released, the same rear thumb wheel is the shutter speed controller.

When the shutter "hangs" open in M or A modes, but NEVER in P mode??? That's because in P mode, the camera's brain is picking a decent exposure; in A or M or S mode, you are probably picking a setting that leads to a slow exposure. In P mode, the camera will try to give what was historically called an "instantaneous" or "brief" exposure.

usayit · Dec 22, 2012

Not familiar with the Nikon, but on some cameras (pentax) you need to lock the lens into the smallest aperture setting to allow the camera itself control over the lens aperture and to enable auto stop down with metering.

Awiserbud · Dec 22, 2012

further to my last post...one of the ideas of locking the aperture this way is to allow maximum light through the viewfinder, if you set your aperture to f11 for example then when you look through the viewfinder the aperture will be at its widest to allow you to see your subject clearly, only when it takes the shot will it close down to f11.

EIngerson · Dec 22, 2012

I deleted my reply to this. Is this a Nikon function? (I'm a Canon guy) I'm lost on this one.

KmH · Dec 22, 2012

You do not have a recent kit lens on the camera. The kit lenses of the last few years have not had an aperture ring on them, which is designated by the letter G in the lens description (AF-G)

You likely have have an older style D type lens (AF-D, that has a small orange aperture ring locking switch near the f/22 end of the aperture ring.

Nikkor Lens Information by Thom Hogan

If you're unwilling to read the user's manual, you will only know about a few of the features, functions, and capabilities your D3100 has available for your use.
You will never discover the page that explains what type of situations auto focus will have difficulty with, or things like 'red eye' reduction, or Active D-lighting.

Designer · Dec 22, 2012

Echo what Keith has written. The user's manual is highly condensed, meaning that there is much information in each sentence. It will take most people some serious study time to completely understand the manual, but take it in small doses, and you should be fine.

thunderkyss · Dec 22, 2012

Derrel said:
When the shutter "hangs" open in M or A modes, but NEVER in P mode??? That's because in P mode, the camera's brain is picking a decent exposure; in A or M or S mode, you are probably picking a setting that leads to a slow exposure. In P mode, the camera will try to give what was historically called an "instantaneous" or "brief" exposure.

Ok, I got it to do it in S mode. I didn't know that the command wheel did anything without pushing one of the other buttons, but you're right. It changes the settings. At one end, the shutter speed is really slow, at the opposite end, pretty fast.

Thanks.

KmH said:
You do not have a recent kit lens on the camera. The kit lenses of the last few years have not had an aperture ring on them, which is designated by the letter G in the lens description (AF-G)

You likely have have an older style D type lens (AF-D, that has a small orange aperture ring locking switch near the f/22 end of the aperture ring.

Nikkor Lens Information by Thom Hogan

Right you are... turns out it's a sigma lens.

KmH said:
If you're unwilling to read the user's manual, you will only know about a few of the features, functions, and capabilities your D3100 has available for your use.
You will never discover the page that explains what type of situations auto focus will have difficulty with, or things like 'red eye' reduction, or Active D-lighting.

I didn't say I was unwilling to read the manual, just having trouble with what the manual is saying & what I'm experiencing. The replies here have been very helpful.

That comment about the aperture not adjusting until the shutter release button is pressed helped out tremendously, Thank you AwiserBud.

STIC · Dec 22, 2012

teribithia · Dec 23, 2012

KmH said:
You do not have a recent kit lens on the camera. The kit lenses of the last few years have not had an aperture ring on them, which is designated by the letter G in the lens description (AF-G)

You likely have have an older style D type lens (AF-D, that has a small orange aperture ring locking switch near the f/22 end of the aperture ring.

Nikkor Lens Information by Thom Hogan

If you're unwilling to read the user's manual, you will only know about a few of the features, functions, and capabilities your D3100 has available for your use.
You will never discover the page that explains what type of situations auto focus will have difficulty with, or things like 'red eye' reduction, or Active D-lighting.