Using Neweer NW-ETZ to get focus confirmation and correct IBIS

[Snoogly]

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?

[Hugh_3170]

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?

[Jürgen Pfeiffer]

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.

[Snoogly]

I wish Shoten would replace their ‘explanation’ with yours! 

[Hugh_3170]

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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[Jürgen Pfeiffer]

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

[Erik Lund]

Correct; AIS Nikkors changed to linear apertures for the Nikon FA's exposure system and all cameras since then.

[Birna Rørslett]

I'm informed by DHL that my Shoten is to be delivered soon. Will try it out in depth.

[Birna Rørslett]

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?

[Birna Rørslett]

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.

[Birna Rørslett]

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.

[Jürgen Pfeiffer]

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?

[Birna Rørslett]

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.

[Jürgen Pfeiffer]

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.

[Birna Rørslett]

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.