Dandelion chips on Z cameras?

[Erik Lund]

Its a workaround for those hard to chip lenses like the 50/1.2 and 55/1.2 but as B mentions a properly chipped Nikkor is still the best route when possible for 100% functionality.

I'm just stoked that I have 95% of the chip functionality on the Z6 without grinding rear lens elements of my precious 50 after using it for 5 years with dumb non electronic adapters on my Sony A7S/R cameras.

Next lens will be the Canon FD 85/1.2 but have to wait a Canadian mount exchange kit to turn that into Canon EF mount before I can chip it, after that I can use it chipped on any mirrorless mount out there as electronic Canon EF adapters are available for all mirrorless mounts

Nice solution for avoiding the very complicated chipping of the fast f/1.2 lenses !

[Jan Anne]

Do you mind my asking what the missing functionality is, compared to the Nikon chip?

Thanks a lot!

The actual aperture isn't communicated to the camera or can't be set on the camera, so for the 50/1.2 it will always show f1.2 on the displays and exif which in my case is 99% of the time correct as I mainly shoot wideopen

[Hugh_3170]

At least with your Nikon Z6 you can record audio notes for those images that you are not operating the lens at maximum aperture and correct the EXIF data later.  All is not lost as they say! 

The actual aperture isn't communicated to the camera or can't be set on the camera, so for the 50/1.2 it will always show f1.2 on the displays and exif which in my case is 99% of the time correct as I mainly shoot wideopen

[mxbianco]

I suppose this counts as nerdy, even though no tools are needed ...

Can anyone clearly explain what is theoretically possible with Dandelion chipped lenses on Z cameras?

Thus far I have only used double sided tape, so my experiment 105mm micro lens is easy to revert to its dumb self. On a D750 it does everything it should, but on the Z6ii I see no aperture value when shooting, nor in the exit data.

Am I doing something dumb, or is Dandelion + Z a flakey combination?

The Dandelion chip's aperture control can be programmed in two ways:

1) via the camera's control dial (default) but, as Birna pointed out, you have to set the lens to its smallest aperture (usually f:16, f:22 or f:32), otherwise you'll see an ugly F-- in the upper LCD display.
2) via the lens aperture ring. Nice for the cameras having a metering coupling lever (all pro and semipro level Nikons have it, the lever is acted upon by the AI-AiS ridge). Unfortunately, the FTZ does not have one, so only method 1 works with Z series mirrorless and FTZ adapter. In D series cameras you also have a menu option (on D500 it's f4/aperture, on D3 it's f7/aperture, YMMV) to select how you control the aperture, there is no such thing in Z series cameras.

In case the Dandelion chip has been programmed with method (2), you'll have to reprogram it. But don't use a Nikon Z, programming does not work on Nikon Zxxx cameras. D750 will be fine.

Set it to manual mode, manual focus, exposure increments 1/3 EV, aperture is ininfluent
Shoot a 1" exposure photo
Shoot a 6" exposure photo
Shoot a 1" exposure photo
On the top display you'll see the aperture cycling between 2.8 4.5 5.6 10 20 40 60 (61 on some cameras) and 90.
Each one of these controls one feature of the Dandelion chip:
2.8 controls the maximum aperture
4.5 controls the focal length
5.6 toggles the focus block (same as AF/MF on camera)
10 moves optimum focus point backwards (default is 9 on a scale 1 to 17)
20 moves optimum focus point forward
40 program minimum aperture
60 (61) toggles aperture control between the camera’s control dial (default) or the lens’s aperture ring.
90 restore to defaults

So you have to wait until 60 is displayed on the top LCD, and then shoot a 1" photo. It will toggle the aperture control to the other setting
TURN OFF THE CAMERA BEFORE PROGRAMMING (or reprogramming). Again another 1" / 6" / 1" shooting sequence is required to restart programming. No tools required, only a little patience, and if you want to start over you always have the "90" option which restores ALL parameters to defaults (45 mm f:2.8/22, no focus block, camera control dial - if I recall correctly-)

You can find a PDF with the focal length and aperture equivalence tables at the following address: http://filmprocess.ru/nikon_prog_en.pdf
You'll notice that the "60" feature I described is undocumented in the PDF I linked, this stuff comes from my personal notes and observations from various sources.
 
Well, programming a Dandelion chip is definitely a nerdy stuff...

Ciao fom Massimo
 

[Snoogly]

Hi, I’ve ordered it preprogrammed and preinstalled on a Pixco adapter from Andrey in his eBay store:
https://www.ebay.com/itm/283766314313?hash=item4211ca5549:g:UMQAAOSwXwBf7ztg

Very friendly and helpful guy, after some quick back and forths about my usage requirements he programmed the chipped adapter and uploaded a video of it working on a Canon camera before shipping. As the chip is on an adapter no additional work was needed for the 50/1.2 to make it work with the Z6.

Please be aware that I already had the €300 Fringer EF-NZ adapter for my CV125 in Canon EF mount so chipping the 50/1.2 this way only costed me €42

I can second that this works :-) Tested using a 85mm 1.4 ais. I never realized that Z cameras have a rangefinder, and it is kind of cute to see an ‘old fashioned’ concept represented on a mirrorless camera.

Infinity focus works, but doesn’t quite match the scale on the lens.

My only issue is the rather poor quality of the Pixco adapter ring. There is a little ‘play’ when the lens is mounted, and the lever to release the pin on the F side is a little scary. Probably OK if the adapter is permanently on the lens, but I would worry about it jamming, or breaking, if the adapter ring is often removed from the lens.

(Does anyone know of a list of EOS cameras known to be able to program the Canon chips?)