The F mount adapter quality will be the key part…

[MILLIREHM]

Unfortunately no aperture lever on the adapter so no way the camera can record what aperture was used or to do wide open metering.
Not a deal breaker, but it would have been nice to have an adapter model that could tell what aperture was being used.
http://nikongear.net/revival/index.php/topic,7659.msg124810.html#msg124810

i guess there was following thought behind. In SLR keeping the aperture open until the shot ist taken is essential for focussing in a brite undarkened viewfinder
With EVF you can measure stopped down, and the brightness of  the viewfinder can ist adjusting, so no more need.

of course it would be nice to have the lever implemented (still to set lens data because true Indexing of maximum aperture (AI) is no more part of modern cameras
Canons new R system will provide three adapters btw (no idea what for, one is including drop in filterholder which is a nice idea). There is room for future adapters with more options left and it would be an easy task if Nikon wants to do it. (BTW FTZ type adapter is not too expensive)

[Per Inge Oestmoen]

i guess there was following thought behind. In SLR keeping the aperture open until the shot ist taken is essential for focussing in a brite undarkened viewfinder
With EVF you can measure stopped down, and the brightness of  the viewfinder can ist adjusting, so no more need.

of course it would be nice to have the lever implemented (still to set lens data because true Indexing of maximum aperture (AI) is no more part of modern cameras.
Canons new R system will provide three adapters btw (no idea what for, one is including drop in filterholder which is a nice idea). There is room for future adapters with more options left and it would be an easy task if Nikon wants to do it. (BTW FTZ type adapter is not too expensive)

It is not as easy as that.

If there is no aperture lever, it means that we have regressed back to the days of stop down metering. This is not a trifle. Realistically it means that the usability of AI/AIS lenses is drastically reduced.

For example, if the lens has a max aperture of F/2.8 it is typical to stop down to F/5.6 for landscape, architecture and various nature images. Then, on a proper camera you have metering at full aperture which is the modern solution. Metering at full aperture is a truly brilliant solution.

With stop down metering, the quality of the viewfinder image is severely reduced. This is equally true with an EVF, since the clarity and dynamic range of the viewfinder image suffers greatly if the system has to compensate for the 400% light loss from 2.8 to 5.6.

This is just another reason why the days of the SLR with its optical viewfinder may not be over.

[Hugh_3170]

Well if you do resurrect your much appreciated CPU project for manual focus lenses, then I have several candidate lenses that need some cybernetic surgery.................

Actually a parallel project to build a short 5-pin block set of contacts that would completely contain the PCB would take this project to an even higher level. 

I would envisage such a block to be a shortened version of the 10-pin blocks that one sees on current lenses which have both screws on each end of the block - unlike the older 5-pin short blocks with one screw on one end and the other screw inwards somewhat from the opposite end - which forces the PCB around the screw and out of the block - like the L and long (I) forms of your current PCBs. 

Maybe I should resume the CPU project for manual F-mount lenses?  A 'mirrorless' Nikon might make chipping older lenses attractive once again.

[Eddie Draaisma]

The native manual focus lenses for the Sony e-mount (Loxia’s, Voigtlanders) all use stopped down metering and focussing, there isn’t that much complaining about that. I wouldn’t be suprised that Nikon recognised this and intended the aperture lever for CPU lenses only, all lenses without CPU to be used stopped down...

[MILLIREHM]

If i understand correctly without an AI type coupling lever (indicating which aperture is preset) even chipped AI (-S) lenses of course enable the camera to store the correct EXIF data for the type of the used lens but not detect the (pre)set aperture (on the aperture ring if this is used) so they need to be set to minimum aperture and then dialed on the camera.

Funny enough the FT1 adapter has a mechanical contact for detecting when an AI-typ lenses aperture is set to minimum (no idea how it uses this information) but as far as i could see on the pictures the FTZ adapter has not.

[Bent Hjarbo]

On the Pictures on Nikons website you can see the contact on the FTZ

[MILLIREHM]

On the Pictures on Nikons website you can see the contact on the FTZ

you are right, thanks
Now that I have seen a different photo I see it as well

[Jack Dahlgren]

Even a non-chipped lens could work if the basic data is set in the non-CPU lens menu. I will of course delve into this once my review camera(s) arrive.

A modified FTZ adapter with a break-out circuit is easily envisioned and would allow metering with any lens that mounts onto it. Erik made such a solution for my FT-1 adapter for the 1 series Nikon.

Lens chipping: http://nikongear.net/revival/index.php/topic,32.0.html

Almost all F-mount lenses can be chipped. Even the Noct-Nikkor and the 50/1.2** (AiS only for the 50/1.2).

If the non-CPU functionality of the adapter is limited, I think an FTZ with ability to set lens info on it directly could be quite popular and would not require lens surgery.

I await your testing with great expectations.

[Airy]

I was delighted to be able to use my old (fast) Canon FD lenses on the OM-D E-M1. Mostly the 50/1.4 and 135/2, but not necessarily wide open.
Stopped-down metering is definitely feasible until f/4 or f/5.6, even with this "old" EVF. When the light becomes dim, you won't normally shoot at f/8 anway. I take most night shots at f/2.8-f/4, with the DSLR or the m43 camera.

The Nikon Novoflex adapter in addition has a ring for forcing the diaph to open, so a quick change from wide open to pre-set aperture is possible. The lens + adapter then works a bit like the old 28/3.5 or 35/2.8 PC lenses.

The nice thing is, with increasing stopping down, the DOF will also increase the tolerance for misfocusing. The noisier EVF is ugly but still usable under such conditions.

In addition, most focus shift issues arise typically around f/2.8-f/4, where increasing DOF might not compensate for the shift. Here too, I expect some greater ease of use in relation with mirrorless.

So I expect an even higher level of satisfaction using AI(S) lenses with the future Nikon Z cameras, all the more so because there will be no crop factor. Not perfect, but certainly sufficient for my "slow" photography habits. For fast shooters, there will be the Z line.

[MILLIREHM]

For fast shooters, there will be the Z line.

For fast shooting not to forget the also numerous AF-S lenses of the F-line (may it be D, G , E or P characteristics). There is no significant tele lens in the Z-roadmap (except a 2,8/70-200) btw. but the F-mount teles and Superteles should do the job for Z-Cameras as well (and they are better and "faster" than their AI-S precedessors that still have their place for slower work)

[Roland Vink]

With stop down metering, the quality of the viewfinder image is severely reduced. This is equally true with an EVF, since the clarity and dynamic range of the viewfinder image suffers greatly if the system has to compensate for the 400% light loss from 2.8 to 5.6.

Even at f/5.6, in daylight the light reaching the sensor/meter is much greater than when shooting indoors or twilight conditions. Unlike the DOF preview of SLRs, the stopped-down lens does not need to result in a dim viewfinder, the EVF can compensate and give a bright view. Stop-down metering in theory could be more accurate since there is no discrepancy between the preset aperture and the actual aperture. Stop-down shooting also eliminates focus-shift which may occur between full-aperture and stopped down.

The disadvantages of stop-down shooting is that the DOF becomes greater so it is harder to distinguish between perfectly-in-focus and nearly-in-focus. When shooting in dim conditions with small apertures, the amount of light may be too small for accurate metering, and the EVF becomes noisy.

[Arne Hvaring]

I have so far not seen any mention of how the tilt/shift lenses are supposed to work with the FTZ adapter. If the rear opening of the adapter is small, one would expect limitations (severe vignetting) of the shift movements.

[MILLIREHM]

I have so far not seen any mention of how the tilt/shift lenses are supposed to work with the FTZ adapter. If the rear opening of the adapter is small, one would expect limitations (severe vignetting) of the shift movements.

Well the rear opening of the adapter is significantly larger than the front opening. So hope is not lost.

[Erik Lund]

I have so far not seen any mention of how the tilt/shift lenses are supposed to work with the FTZ adapter. If the rear opening of the adapter is small, one would expect limitations (severe vignetting) of the shift movements.

The PC-E type lenses will be very nice on the Z-mount viewing and composing I guess,,,


The adapter is not smaller than the F-mount mirror-box so no restrictions


However i would think they can make them much 'better' smaller in native Z-mount,,,


I will bring my 19mm along for Photokina trip and find out more hopefully

[Arne Hvaring]

Thank you Wolfgang an Erik, that's good to know. I also have the 19mm (and the 85 mm) and particularly the 19 mm I find difficult to focus, so hopefully the EVF of the Z will bring some improvement.