NikonGear'23
Gear Talk => What the Nerds Do => Topic started by: Snoogly on March 21, 2026, 21:47:01
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This seemed a rather nerdy thing to do, but it might be of interest to others. It enables me to get focus confirmation and correct IBIS info for any of my manual F mount lenses, and I just need to use my ancient iPhone to ‘edit’ the text file containing the connected lens’s data.
Connected NW-ETZ to my Mac and copied the lens text file to the Mac. Made several copies and edited them to match some of my Nikon F mount manual lenses. I don’t think you should rename the text file, so I placed each one in a lens-named folder. Then easy to copy a chosen text file to the adapter, opting to ‘replace’ the existing file. Works a treat, and the lens exhibits correct exit data on my ZF, I get the green light (and the traffic lights), and IBIS is correct.
So far it’s not exciting, as many have done this already. But I wanted to be able to do this on the fly without a Mac. So I connected a lightning ‘camera’ dongle to my iPhone 13 mini. This has a USB A socket and USB 3 for power input. I used my smallest USB power bank for power. Then I connected the Neweer USB cable and popped it on the adapter. On the iPhone I navigated to the set of folders where I had saved text files for my F mount lenses (files saved in my Dropbox). Selected a text file and then ‘shared’ to the ‘Files’ app and then on to the connected Neweer adapter. Again chose to ‘replace’ the existing file.
Bob’s yer uncle, it worked, and only took about three minutes. No need for any file editing out in the field, just dropped an existing text file on to the adapter.
I did this with Nikon F lenses, via an F to Sony adapter, but of course it would also work with other types of manual lenses with an appropriate adapter.
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Nice work Richard.
Am I correct in guessing that this combination of adapters will also correctly enable the Nikon image stabilisation features as well as the green focus indicator?
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I think so, and the word on the streets is that the text file does tell the camera the correct IBIS setting, but until I see evidence it doesn’t I can’t be sure!
But online info is sometimes wrong .. By all accounts it should be possible to edit the text file directly on the adapter, but I tried that and it would not save. However, I think it is more practical to create a bank of edited text files (stored in something like Dropbox), then it is easy to access them from any device, including mobile.
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Richard,
That’s a handy and very portable way to edit the text file. Very impressive!
Having a customised text file for each lens is very handy. When I edited the text file directly on the adapter, I sometimes had problems and it only worked the second time round. It seems to work best if you open the file in TextEdit, edit it, and then simply close it with ⌘W.
I can confirm that the adapter supports IBIS; you can try it out yourself, for example by entering a focal length of 200mm in the text file for a 50mm lens. The viewfinder image then becomes very shaky, as the camera thinks it needs to compensate for a telephoto lens.
I’ve personally switched to treating every lens I want to use with a Z-mount camera to its own ETZ adapter. It’s incredibly handy – no more fiddling about with changing adapters; if necessary, the simple E-to-Z adapters can be precisely adjusted to the respective lens using shims.
I’ve created a small table in this post:
https://nikongear.net/revival/index.php?topic=11247.msg214971#new
showing the different behaviour of IBIS and focus confirmation with various adapters on a Zf.
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Yikes! Must have cost a packet! But I can understand why you did it at such scale.
One way of looking at it is that several of theses adapters are still cheaper than a single new Voigtlander Z lens, which may only be a tad ‘better’ than one of your F lenses.
This is really like a modern day dandelion chip, in a way …
PS, do you want to sell me one of your many Neweer USB cables? I worry I may damage mine if it gets a lot of use.
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Richard,
Exactly, those were my reasons for fitting all my F-Nikkor lenses with an adapter, just as you say.
I don’t have Neweer adapters, but ones from Funmount; they seem to be identical in construction, and on AliExpress they cost around 100 euros each.
The cable also looks like the Neweer one, and I’d be happy to send you one; the postage from Germany to Japan is about 15 euros, and the cable won’t cost you anything. If you’re interested, just send me a PM.
‘Modern Dandelion’ – every one of my Nikkors was fitted with a Dandelion, but unfortunately the IBIS doesn’t work with it; the fact that I now have to (or am allowed to) adjust the aperture on the lens is more of an additional feature than a limitation.
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Where is your reliable source to buy these adapters?
Richard,
That’s a handy and very portable way to edit the text file. Very impressive!
Having a customised text file for each lens is very handy. When I edited the text file directly on the adapter, I sometimes had problems and it only worked the second time round. It seems to work best if you open the file in TextEdit, edit it, and then simply close it with ⌘W.
I can confirm that the adapter supports IBIS; you can try it out yourself, for example by entering a focal length of 200mm in the text file for a 50mm lens. The viewfinder image then becomes very shaky, as the camera thinks it needs to compensate for a telephoto lens.
I’ve personally switched to treating every lens I want to use with a Z-mount camera to its own ETZ adapter. It’s incredibly handy – no more fiddling about with changing adapters; if necessary, the simple E-to-Z adapters can be precisely adjusted to the respective lens using shims.
I’ve created a small table in this post:
https://nikongear.net/revival/index.php?topic=11247.msg214971#new (https://nikongear.net/revival/index.php?topic=11247.msg214971#new)
showing the different behaviour of IBIS and focus confirmation with various adapters on a Zf.
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Hallo Frank,
I bought the Funmount ETZ adapters via AliExpress. No problems, better order no more than one at a time, it keeps the customs procedure simpler. When it came to the AI-to-NEX adapters, I chose one that looked as understated as possible and was not expensive.
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In a similar approach, NG supporter Jan Anne used Fringer Canon EOS to Z adapters for lenses with native Canon EOS mounts and also his Nikon 50mm f/1.2 lens with a chipped Nikon F to Canon EOS adapter: https://nikongear.net/revival/index.php?topic=9130.msg173121#msg173121
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A new kid on the block, in terms of chipped adapters. Shoten.
A slew of new adapters, virtually anything > Nikon Z. The adapters are chipped, so get green box focus confirmation & traffic lights. Also, the firmware text file can be written with up to 10 different lens profiles.
Though not quite up to Rayqual standards, I have always found Shoten adapters to be solidly made and reliable. It’s a quasi Japanese brand, though manufacturing seems to be done in China. The included USB cable is straight-outa-China, for sure. But here in Japan it is more attractive than the pure Chinese brands as there is at least some chance of local support. Also, the price! One gets a chipped lens mount with an included a Z adapter for considerably less than just a Sony > Z chipped adapter.
https://www.stkb.jp/shopdetail/000000002434/ct1276/page1/recommend/
https://www.amazon.co.jp/dp/B0GTLZGH67?ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_fed_asin_title&th=1
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Hi Richard,
That sounds promising. Apparently you can select the lens profiles by taking a shot at a specific aperture – let’s see how practical that is. But even if you use a dedicated adapter for each lens, the Shoten solution seems to be cheaper than the Neweer/Funmount option. Nikon F to Z adapters seem to be sold out at the moment, so I’ve ordered an M42 to Z adapter for my Zeiss Jena lenses. I’m really looking forward to it. I like the look of the Shoten adapters; they match the aperture ring on the old Nikkor lenses perfectly.
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Thanks Richard.
I am not too sure of how the lens aperture is to be accurately set with this adapter.
This link has some usage information: https://www.aliexpress.com/i/1005011921899971.html
A new kid on the block, in terms of chipped adapters. Shoten.
A slew of new adapters, virtually anything > Nikon Z. The adapters are chipped, so get green box focus confirmation & traffic lights. Also, the firmware text file can be written with up to 10 different lens profiles.
Though not quite up to Rayqual standards, I have always found Shoten adapters to be solidly made and reliable. It’s a quasi Japanese brand, though manufacturing seems to be done in China. The included USB cable is straight-outa-China, for sure. But here in Japan it is more attractive than the pure Chinese brands as there is at least some chance of local support. Also, the price! One gets a chipped lens mount with an included a Z adapter for considerably less than just a Sony > Z chipped adapter.
https://www.stkb.jp/shopdetail/000000002434/ct1276/page1/recommend/
https://www.amazon.co.jp/dp/B0GTLZGH67?ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_fed_asin_title&th=1
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Blimey, about ¥3000 more on aliexpress than directly from Shoten here in Japan!
I can’t get my head around this part of the instructions. Can anyone unfathom it?
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A lot of the candidate lenses for this adapter have non-linear apertures ....
I've ordered one for potential use with 1-2 non-CPU enabled F-mount lenses. Should arrive later this months if international transportation still functions.
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I can’t get my head around this part of the instructions. Can anyone unfathom it?
Will someone correct me if I'm wrong: I believe this instruction applies to AI and earlier Nikkor lenses while not applying to AIS and later Nikkor lenses. I should know. Perchance the AIS Nikkors had linear apertures for the Nikon FA's exposure system?
Dave
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It confuses me because aperture would be set on the lens, with a Z camera just metering based on what it sees.
Could this be only be applicable if one also sets the aperture on the camera for accurate shooting aperture in exif?
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Yes, this is also what is confusing me.
Hopefully once these adapters start getting delivered, we can then figure out just how one sets the desired taking aperture and get it to be correctly recorded in the EXIF data and achieve the correct exposure. I do dream somewhat ....
It confuses me because aperture would be set on the lens, with a Z camera just metering based on what it sees.
Could this be only be applicable if one also sets the aperture on the camera for accurate shooting aperture in exif?
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Could this be only be applicable if one also sets the aperture on the camera for accurate shooting aperture in exif?
Yes, but this doesn’t seem to be a problem exclusive to the Shoten adapter; it also appears to affect the Neweer and Funmount adapters.
It probably has something to do with how the aperture behaves on Nikkor Z lenses (and manual-focus Nikkor lenses fitted with Dandelion): from f/1 to f/5.6, the aperture blades close in line with the setting on the camera’s control dial. If a smaller aperture is set on the camera, the aperture blades on the lens stay at 5.6 and only close at the very moment the shutter is released.
As Richard has already suspected, the problem with the Neweer/Funmount/Shoten adapters only occurs when an aperture smaller than f/5.6 is set on both the camera and the lens. The camera seems to think that, with an aperture of 11 set on the body, the size of the blades corresponds to an aperture of 5.6 on the lens (with manual lenses, however, the aperture does indeed close to the value of 11).
With these adapters, it is therefore no problem to shoot from wide open to f/5.6 AND to set the corresponding value on the camera’s control dial for correct EXIF data.
Photographing with apertures from f/6.3 down to the smallest aperture is also no problem, as long as the control dial remains set to a maximum of f/5.6 (the EXIF entry is then no longer correct, but I suppose you have to live with that).
Side note: with the Voigtländer lenses for Nikon Z, everything works as it should; however, the camera’s control dial has no function there either.
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I wish Shoten would replace their ‘explanation’ with yours! :)
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True, but on some (sadly not all) Z camera bodies, one can record voice clips where the photographer can verbally record what settings he/she is using for a particular shot. Clunky I agree, but better than nothing.
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With these adapters, it is therefore no problem to shoot from wide open to f/5.6 AND to set the corresponding value on the camera’s control dial for correct EXIF data.
Photographing with apertures from f/6.3 down to the smallest aperture is also no problem, as long as the control dial remains set to a maximum of f/5.6 (the EXIF entry is then no longer correct, but I suppose you have to live with that).
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There are other methods to ensure that the correct aperture is displayed in the EXIF data. Beforehand, you should set the view mode to “Adjust for ease of viewing” in the camera’s custom settings, so that the viewfinder maintains a consistent brightness.
The methods, listed in order of increasing “clunkiness”.
Not too clunky:
Set the exposure compensation to -1 at f/8, to -2 at f/11 and to -3 at f/16 (nobody shoots at f/22 unless they have a large-format camera).
Quite clunky:
Set the camera to M shooting mode and meter the exposure at f/5.6. Then double the shutter speed at f/8, quadruple it at f/11 – you get the idea…
Definitely clunky and very old school:
see illustration
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Correct; AIS Nikkors changed to linear apertures for the Nikon FA's exposure system and all cameras since then.
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I'm informed by DHL that my Shoten is to be delivered soon. Will try it out in depth.
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Got the Shoten NF-NZE adapter today. Whisked across the globe super fast. Instructions were all in Japanese, not surprising as I got it from a Japanese web site :)
It wasn't that difficult to program the adapter though. I set it up for my Noct-Nikkor 58mm f/1.2 AIS as that's one of the few F-mount lenses of mine not having a CPU installed. I did own another Noct (AI) which our miracle lens doctor (Erik Lund) did graft a CPU onto, however that lens got stolen a few years ago.
The adapter is nicely finished, works as it should, and I haven't seen any exposure issues yet. Would be surprising since the lens is AIS, but who knows what the clever makers have put into the adapter logics?
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Well, there are issues with exposure when the lens is stopped down, let's say beyond f/11 or so. I had hoped using camera in M mode would help, but apparently that would only work correctly if the exposure parameters are obtained from a hand-held meter; or failing the availability of such item, by performing a exposure reading with the lens set to f/5.6 (in either A or M mode for the camera), then setting the camera to M and adjusting shutter speed and aperture according to what you had in mind initially. Awkward, but doable in a pinch I guess. Anyway, those small f-numbers introduce a slew of other issues concerning image softening, exposing dirt and grime on the sensor, potential IR hot spots, etc. etc. Also see next paragraph.
With the Shoten adapter attached, the camera can be set all the way to f/36 in 1/3 EV stops. From f/13 onward, these setting also will change the lens parameters. . Thus another reason to avoid these f-numbers.The switch to another set of lens parameters comes with the first shutter press. The lens parameters are stored in a dedicated LENS.txt file (in adapter firmware) which you can download via the bespoke USB cable delivered with the adapter. The cable uses a magnetic clip on the adapter side and the fit is not firm, thus be careful when setting up the adapter. You adjust the lens parameters in Notepad or similar simple text editor. There are 10 lens slots available, confusingly labeled 1-10, but really ought to be the activation f-number instead: 1 = f/13, 2=f/14, 3=f/16, ...., 10=f/36. Do remember to store the updated file back to the adapter.
To avoid surprises if you have just a single lens for use with the Shoten adapter, then fill all slots with the same information, You do get the correct EXIF including the set aperture, which is one step improvement on Nikon's own 'non-CPU' lens menu. That latter will record the focal length (and maximum aperture), but not what aperture was used for the shoot.
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The exterior of the Shoten is a perfect match for my old Canon TS tilt/shift lens ..... One of the very few F-mount lenses that couldn't get a CPU back in the golden age of lens modifications. As the Canon lens is unusual in not having any IR hot spot, I hope to deploy it more frequently for IR shooting in the future.
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Well, there are issues with exposure when the lens is stopped down, let's say beyond f/11 or so. I had hoped using camera in M mode would help, but apparently that would only work correctly if the exposure parameters are obtained from a hand-held meter; or failing the availability of such item, by performing a exposure reading with the lens set to f/5.6 (in either A or M mode for the camera), then setting the camera to M and adjusting shutter speed and aperture according to what you had in mind initially. Awkward, but doable in a pinch I guess. Anyway, those small f-numbers introduce a slew of other issues concerning image softening, exposing dirt and grime on the sensor, potential IR hot spots, etc. etc. Also see next paragraph.
With the Shoten adapter attached, the camera can be set all the way to f/36 in 1/3 EV stops. From f/13 onward, these setting also will change the lens parameters. . Thus another reason to avoid these f-numbers.The switch to another set of lens parameters comes with the first shutter press. The lens parameters are stored in a dedicated LENS.txt file (in adapter firmware) which you can download via the bespoke USB cable delivered with the adapter. The cable uses a magnetic clip on the adapter side and the fit is not firm, thus be careful when setting up the adapter. You adjust the lens parameters in Notepad or similar simple text editor. There are 10 lens slots available, confusingly labeled 1-10, but really ought to be the activation f-number instead: 1 = f/13, 2=f/14, 3=f/16, ...., 10=f/36. Do remember to store the updated file back to the adapter.
To avoid surprises if you have just a single lens for use with the Shoten adapter, then fill all slots with the same information, You do get the correct EXIF including the set aperture, which is one step improvement on Nikon's own 'non-CPU' lens menu. That latter will record the focal length (and maximum aperture), but not what aperture was used for the shoot.
My Shoten adapter arrived today as well. As the Nikon F-to-Z adapter wasn’t available, I got an M42-to-Z adapter instead. Yes, the Shoten adapter behaves exactly as I described in my post about the Funmount adapter (it’s probably the same electronics; the USB cable is certainly the same). If you set the aperture to less than f/5.6 on the camera, you’ll need to adjust the exposure.
Switching between the pre-programmed lenses is a bit fiddly; you really have to be careful, as you change the lens assignment when setting the aperture to 13 or smaller on the camera.
Filling all slots with the same lens data when you’re only using one lens is a very good trick, Birna. The adapter is actually so cheap that you can use a separate one for each lens and save yourself the hassle of fiddling around.
I’ve now fitted almost all my F-Nikkors with F-to-E and Funmount E-to-Z adapters; otherwise, I’d certainly be doing that with the Shoten adapters now.
Although – the Funmount adapter has the advantage that both the maximum and minimum aperture can be entered in the text file, whereas with the Shoten it’s only the maximum aperture.
Hmm, perhaps you could also flash the Funmount firmware onto the Shoten adapter – who’s brave enough to be the first to give it a try?
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Perhaps one can add a 'Minimum_Aperature* line to the Lens.txt? If the adapter is set up for a single lens, one can use the native range of the lens without issues anyway.
I ordered another Shoten adapter so the Noct and the Canon TS get one each.
Setting the camera to 'M' and reading exposure at lens wide open, then setting the equivalent aperture/shutter speed works perfectly. I come into world of photography using a Lunasix way back in the dark ages, so have been there before and can do it again. Now using the camera meter instead, of course. Since the camera automatically would include any filter factor, it's in fact a tad easier.
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Perhaps one can add a 'Minimum_Aperature* line to the Lens.txt? If the adapter is set up for a single lens, one can use the native range of the lens without issues anyway.
I ordered another Shoten adapter so the Noct and the Canon TS get one each.
Setting the camera to 'M' and reading exposure at lens wide open, then setting the equivalent aperture/shutter speed works perfectly. I come into world of photography using a Lunasix way back in the dark ages, so have been there before and can do it again. Now using the camera meter instead, of course. Since the camera automatically would include any filter factor, it's in fact a tad easier.
I take it all back. Being able to set the smallest aperture in the text document doesn’t really make much difference. So there’s no need to experiment with the firmware.
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Here is an example of the manual exposure setting, with the Canon TS 35mm f/2.8 lens on my IR-modified Z5. Kolari clip-in 729nm filter.
EXIF reads "36mm f/2.8" to differentiate TS 35 from its non-tilting Nikkor PC counterpart. This allows the EXIF module in my DB to extract and store the correct lens identification without manual intervention.
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Happy that I could introduce these adapters to the clan :-)
I don’t know how Shoten pulled it off, as they are offering the same as the ‘other’ Chinese Sony > Z adapters at a quarter of the price, and making them Z compatible from the get-go.
(Based on Shoten prices in Japan.)
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With an asking price of just $35-40 + very fast global shipping (<1 week), the Shoten NF-NZE adapter is a no-brainer. Exterior finish is nice, and the bayonet-mount fit is 100% -- no play whatsoever.
I'll dedicate one to my Noct-Nikkor and the other to the Canon TS 35/2.8, provided the latter lens has sufficient image quality for my IR work. Test shooting in progress, so far everything looks good although image contrast is on the low side compared to modern optics. Perhaps I'll return to the PC-Nikkor 24mm f/3.5 in the end? The Canon is a neat thing to play with, though.
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Just curious please, but has this lens had its Canon-FD mount replaced by a Nikon F-mount?
If so, are the tilt and shift and rotation mechanisms still able to be utilised and the T/S still coupled as in the original form?
I have such a 35mm Canon T/S lens, but still with its original FD mount.
I am thinking that a Shoten CPU adapter in a Canon-FD to Nikon-Z mount version might be the easiest option for myself, as Shoten have several other versions of this adapter for non Nikon-F lens mounts. I have a Nikon-F to Z adapter version already in transit to Australia for other F-mount lenses.
The exterior of the Shoten is a perfect match for my old Canon TS tilt/shift lens ..... One of the very few F-mount lenses that couldn't get a CPU back in the golden age of lens modifications. As the Canon lens is unusual in not having any IR hot spot, I hope to deploy it more frequently for IR shooting in the future.
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Yes to both questions.
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Thanks - in that case a very nice conversion.
Yes to both questions.
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My copy of the electronic Nikon F to Z adapter arrived from Japan in 8 days to Australia - half of which was involved in covering the last 55 km from Melbourne airport to home!!!
I can confirm that my copy has the same excellent finish and fits that Birna reported in respect of her copy. The fits are a nice change from an expensive German adapter that I have whose fits are just impossibly too tight.
An English manual is here - mine arrived with a Japanese one.