The GetDPI Photography Forum

Great to see you here. Join our insightful photographic forum today and start tapping into a huge wealth of photographic knowledge. Completing our simple registration process will allow you to gain access to exclusive content, add your own topics and posts, share your work and connect with other members through your own private inbox! And don’t forget to say hi!

New DF owner, Zeiss question

Hi all- Just got a silver DF yesterday. I have all these wonderful F mount lenses, including a 17-35/2.8 I bought from Jack a while ago, but have not had a body for therm in almost a year! Believe it or not, I was planning on getting my Kodak 14x repaired but decided to wake up to the 21st century. Pics on this forum and general comments here convinced me to try the DF, and I like what I am seeing so far a lot. BTW, my silver nikkor 45/2.8 never looked so at home! So, the question... I have 2 Zeiss ZF1 lenses, the 35/2 and (my favorite) 50/2 macro. I know they are not CPU like the newer ones, but does the DF see them as "AI" lenses? I thought not, but when I call them "AI" in the menu, and I leave the meter tag down, I find it meters perfectly using the aperture ring to set F stop. I can't change aperture with the control dial. I am happy using the ring, and happy with the images. I just don't want to risk damaging anything. And I'd rather not have to set F on both the ring and the camera as I have to calling the lenses "non AI". Can you clear this up fort me please? Thanks.....Peter
 

rayyan

Well-known member
Congrats on the new Df.

The zf.1 lenses are to be treated as 'AI ' lenses. That is you go to the menu for 'non-cpu lens data '. set lens #, focal length, maximum aperture ( F2 in your case ) and exposure meter coupling = ' AI '

You are correct in having the meter tag down ( up for non-AI lenses only ). The aperture you need to change manually on the aperture ring of the lens. And of course it is manual focus.
That's it. Enjoy and share your images with us.

N.B.

The zf.2 has electronic contacts on the back of the lens. ( it is basically a nikon AI-P type lens ). if your nikkor 45/2.8 is a' P ' and not the very old G/N..then just lock the aperture on the lens to the smallest aperture ( i think it is orange/yellow ). Now you can change the aperture from the back dial. Same with the zf.2 lenses. Of course, no autofocus.

Hi all- Just got a silver DF yesterday. I have all these wonderful F mount lenses, including a 17-35/2.8 I bought from Jack a while ago, but have not had a body for therm in almost a year! Believe it or not, I was planning on getting my Kodak 14x repaired but decided to wake up to the 21st century. Pics on this forum and general comments here convinced me to try the DF, and I like what I am seeing so far a lot. BTW, my silver nikkor 45/2.8 never looked so at home! So, the question... I have 2 Zeiss ZF1 lenses, the 35/2 and (my favorite) 50/2 macro. I know they are not CPU like the newer ones, but does the DF see them as "AI" lenses? I thought not, but when I call them "AI" in the menu, and I leave the meter tag down, I find it meters perfectly using the aperture ring to set F stop. I can't change aperture with the control dial. I am happy using the ring, and happy with the images. I just don't want to risk damaging anything. And I'd rather not have to set F on both the ring and the camera as I have to calling the lenses "non AI". Can you clear this up fort me please? Thanks.....Peter
 
Thanks rayan, you confirmed what I thought was the case. Having set up my Zeiss lenses as "AI" it was clear the camera was seeing the aperture I set manually both from the images and when I set auto iso, iso would change with aperture ring adjustments. In fact, it was because my 45/2.8 AI-P lens functions differently, with the camera setting F stop, that I got confused. I once new what the "P" meant, but I forgot. I will share images when I have something worth looking at.

One more question- I was initially worried when I checked focus on the LCD using the magnifier button at the highest magnification. No images were sharp. But when looking on computer at 100% they were great. I realized that the magnifier button must go past 100%, why I don't know. I couldn't find this in the manual, does anyone know what mag it goes to? And, when I set the OK button to "highest", it looks like 100%. Is it?

Anyway, I have only been shooting my Leica MM and 240 for the past few years. The DF is the closest to this experience in any DSLR I have used. Like others, I will mostly use manual focus primes- 28/2.0 AIS, 35/2 Zeiss, 45/2.8 AI-P, 50/2 Zeiss with manual metering. But it's nice to be able to throw some AF lenses on in certain situations. Really nice camera......Peter
 

rayyan

Well-known member
Set ' OK ' button to ' medium '. This is about 100% mag. High is ~200/300. I forget which.

Do not forget to set ' focus point ' = ON in playback menu. You can then know where the camera focussed. In both single point or AF-C mode.

Hope this helps.

Best.


Thanks rayan, you confirmed what I thought was the case. Having set up my Zeiss lenses as "AI" it was clear the camera was seeing the aperture I set manually both from the images and when I set auto iso, iso would change with aperture ring adjustments. In fact, it was because my 45/2.8 AI-P lens functions differently, with the camera setting F stop, that I got confused. I once new what the "P" meant, but I forgot. I will share images when I have something worth looking at.

One more question- I was initially worried when I checked focus on the LCD using the magnifier button at the highest magnification. No images were sharp. But when looking on computer at 100% they were great. I realized that the magnifier button must go past 100%, why I don't know. I couldn't find this in the manual, does anyone know what mag it goes to? And, when I set the OK button to "highest", it looks like 100%. Is it?

Anyway, I have only been shooting my Leica MM and 240 for the past few years. The DF is the closest to this experience in any DSLR I have used. Like others, I will mostly use manual focus primes- 28/2.0 AIS, 35/2 Zeiss, 45/2.8 AI-P, 50/2 Zeiss with manual metering. But it's nice to be able to throw some AF lenses on in certain situations. Really nice camera......Peter
 
I really recommend a screen from Focusingscreen dot com. I use the 'precision matte' screen and it improves focusing A LOT. It's a subtle difference at first but eventually you start noticing that your hit rate is way up. Install isn't as easy it was, but it's do-able. Live view calibration is a MUST.
 
I really recommend a screen from Focusingscreen dot com. I use the 'precision matte' screen and it improves focusing A LOT. It's a subtle difference at first but eventually you start noticing that your hit rate is way up. Install isn't as easy it was, but it's do-able. Live view calibration is a MUST.
I appreciate the suggestion. But in my experience, I prefer using the finder with the green light rangefinder. I can usually set the focus point very close to my exact choice, and between seeing the image snap and trusting the green light I find the df is very accurate and fast. When I shot the Kodak 14n, I tried a focusing screen and never felt as comfortable as using this method, and the Kodak wasn't as accurate as I find the df to be. Of course what I really want is a MUCH brighter, bigger, screen, and then a image patch for focus!
 
Top