How do aperture, ISO, and shutter speed work with a manual lens on a Canon Rebel T3?
Asked 2/19/2016
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I’m using a Canon Rebel T3 with a Vivitar manual telephoto lens that does not electronically communicate with the camera. I’m confused about which settings are controlled on the lens and which are controlled on the camera. When shooting with a fully manual lens on a Rebel, where do I change aperture and ISO, and what camera modes should I use to get proper exposure?
Originally by Photography Stack Exchange contributor. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
Photography Stack Exchange contributor
10y ago
2 Answers
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Vivitar manual telephoto lenses have no electrical communication with the camera.
You can disregard any instructions that came with the lens because that lens was meant to be used on film cameras that had a mechanical connection to the camera for setting aperture.
When used on your T3, the lens has no communication, the camera will always read f/00 for the aperture. Aperture can only be set by turning the aperture ring on the lens itself. ISO can only be set on the camera,
Once you set the ISO on the camera, and select an aperture on the lens, you then have to find a way to set the correct shutter speed for a proper exposure.
You can set the shutter speed in Manual mode and use the exposure meter to get the correct exposure, or put the camera in Av mode (aperture mode) and let the camera select the right shutter speed. Even though the camera sees f/00 it will still attempt to select the correct shutter speed for a good exposure.
Tell us exactly which Vivitar lens you have and we can give you some tips on how to get the best photos from it.
Originally by user39427. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
user39427
10y ago
0
Generated from our catalog & community — verify before relying on it.
With a fully manual Vivitar lens, the camera and lens do not communicate electronically.
- aperture: set it on the lens using the aperture ring
- ISO: set it on the camera body
- shutter speed: set it on the camera body
Your camera will likely show no aperture information (often f/00), because it cannot read the lens setting.
The most useful modes are:
- M mode: you set shutter speed and ISO on the camera, aperture on the lens, and use the camera’s meter as a guide
- Av mode: you set the aperture on the lens, and the camera chooses shutter speed automatically
In Manual mode, use the exposure scale in the viewfinder/LCD as a light meter and adjust shutter speed, ISO, or the lens aperture until the meter is near 0. That won’t always be perfect, but it’s a good starting point.
So it is a combination: aperture on the lens, ISO on the camera, and exposure balanced with shutter speed on the camera.
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