raid
Dad Photographer
I bought a week ago a Panasonic 25mm 1,4 for the M4/3 system. I have been using my SLR lenses and also RF lenses on my M 4/3 cameras so far, and I ma used to rotate the aperture ring to select the aperture. It is straightforward to do this and to select aperture priority. So I take the lens out for a shoot, and I realize that there is no aperture ring. I find this very annoying. Is this in most/all lenses for digital cameras? I never had an AF film camera (on purpose) and I disappointed by not being able to change the aperture on the lens directly. Should I set the camera to Manual, and then I change the aperture via camera settings?
Addy101
Well-known
I find aperture rings on modern lenses useless - a left over from an older generation and embraced by hipsters. The two dial on camera system Canon/Minolta developed and also was used by Nikon worked perfect. But recently, people wanted, like you, aperture rings on their lenses. Fuji did this, Sony did it on its latest lenses. Why? I don't know, probably because hipsters want it..... The two dial system is much easier then fiddling with that thing on your lens imho.
But I'm a minority here. Most people, like you, prefer an aperture ring on their lenses. Most Fuji lenses have those, some Sony's.
You should set the camera in either manual or Aperture-priority mode and use the dial that is conveniently located beneath your forefinger or thumb (depending on the camera) to change aperture.
But I'm a minority here. Most people, like you, prefer an aperture ring on their lenses. Most Fuji lenses have those, some Sony's.
You should set the camera in either manual or Aperture-priority mode and use the dial that is conveniently located beneath your forefinger or thumb (depending on the camera) to change aperture.
JoeV
Thin Air, Bright Sun
Raid, on my Lumix G5 I change aperture via the wheel adjacent to the right grip. I can see the changed values displayed in both the rear LCD and EVF. Very convenient, as I don't have to take my eye away from the viewfinder to change aperture.
Also, with a press of the wheel its function changes to exposure compensation, also a very handy way to change setting.
I've gotten so used to this that going back to a physical aperture ring seems a bit clunky, since I'd have to take my eye off the viewfinder.
~Joe
raid
Dad Photographer
I need to check out how my cameras allow aperture changes, Joe. I have to learn more about changing quickly the aperture with such cameras and lenses.
raid
Dad Photographer
I may be stuck in old times, and I have not yet gotten used to AF lenses. When Canon changed from FD to EF, I was quite annoyed!
sevo
Fokutorendaburando
The thumb/finger dial system actually is neat, and would also do well on a all manual camera. The old system of either focusing or changing aperture with the left, and holding and releasing (and clumsily changing time on the top knob) with the right arguably was the best on-eye handling they could come up with in the era of all mechanical cameras (where some force was needed to switch mechanical shutter parameters), but access to shutter times was poor. And the classic alternative with the shutter time as yet another ring around the mount makes it too easy to change the wrong parameter - I screwed up many exposures on Nikkormats and the OM-1...