Contax N1 and aperture priority oddity

[Gary Sandhu]

It's odd how in aperture priority with the 24-85 zoom the lens stops down as you zoom; and not in the normal Nikon fashion where if I set the widest aperture, the lens remains at the widest aperture as I zoom, but it stops down further. I think this confusion may be why nikon got rid of the aperture rings on its variable aperture zoom lenses (and then all the lenses).

 

[Sejanus.Aelianus]

Is that a constant aperture lens? If not, you'll find that the effective aperture reduces as you move towards the lenger focal length. It may be that the N1 is "doing it right" by moving the aperture ring, to indicate where the effective aperture now is.

 

[Gary Sandhu]

The lens is variable aperture, correct, that's widest is 3.5 at 24 and 4.5 at 85. Here's what I wrote to a fellow RFFer in private correspondence:

> I know I didn't make myself clear, sorry, I'll try again:
>> It's odd because when I set aperture 8 at 24mm, for example, I expect it to stay at 8 throughout the zoom range but when I zoom in it actually goes to 11.
>> Or of I set 16 at 24 mm, when I zoom to 85 it's stopped down to 22.
>> Makes using a non dedicated flash a chore.

And the aperture ring will continue to read whatever I set it at, but the digital display in the viewfinder and top LCD reads the actual aperture.