Why won’t my Canon 5DS let a 50mm f/1.8 lens go below f/2.8 in Manual mode?
Asked 10/26/2019
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2 answers
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I’m using a Canon 5DS with a 50mm f/1.8 lens. In Manual mode, the widest aperture I can select is f/2.8, but in other exposure modes I can get to f/1.8. I’ve recently switched to Canon, so I’m wondering if there’s a camera setting I’ve missed.
Originally by Photography Stack Exchange contributor. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
Photography Stack Exchange contributor
6y ago
2 Answers
1
Is the "Lock" switch near the bottom on the right side of the back of the camera slid to the right in the 'Lock' position?
If so, is the control you are trying to use to change the aperture selected under Custom Function C.Fn3: Others → Multi function lock?
By default, the rear 'Quick Control Dial' on the back of the camera is locked by the Lock switch. Moving the 'Quick Control Dial' when it is locked will have no effect on the setting it is set to adjust. The 'Main Dial' (directly behind the shutter button) can also be selected to be locked, as can the eight-way 'Multicontroller' (often called the "joystick").
Another possibility is that you have 'Safety Shift' enabled, along with using the camera's "slowest" allowed ISO and "fastest" (shortest) shutter duration. If 'Safety Shift' is enabled and there's too much light at the chosen (or lowest allowed) ISO and fastest allowed shutter speed, then the only thing the camera has left to "shift" is the aperture.
For instance, if you are outdoors in bright light and the camera's fastest Tv is 1/8000 at ISO 100, that may still be too much light to allow a proper exposure at f/1.8. In fact, f/2.8 sounds about right in that scenario. 1/8000, f/2.8 at ISO 100 is EV 15, which is pretty much what direct sunlight with no clouds will give you.
Even if you are in dimmer light, if you have the ISO setting manually selected at a relatively high value, such as ISO 3200 or ISO 6400, and the shutter time at a relatively slow (longer) value, such as 1/60 second, then with 'Safety Shift' enabled and 'Av' selected within the 'Safety Shift' settings menu, the camera will stop down the aperture to prevent overexposure.
Please see pages 405-408 of your EOS 5Ds / EOS 5Ds R Instruction Manual.
Originally by user15871. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
user15871
6y ago
0
Generated from our catalog & community — verify before relying on it.
Yes — this is likely a camera-control setting rather than a lens problem.
On the Canon 5DS, aperture in Manual mode is typically changed with one of the camera dials. If the rear Quick Control Dial (or another assigned control) is locked, turning it won’t change the aperture. Check the physical Lock switch on the back of the camera and make sure it isn’t engaged.
Also check the camera menu setting for what the lock switch disables: Custom Function C.Fn3: Others → Multi function lock. By default, the rear Quick Control Dial is often included, and if that’s the dial assigned to aperture, it can seem like the lens “won’t go” below a certain value.
Another possible cause is Safety Shift being enabled while the camera is already at its ISO/shutter limits, which can prevent the selected aperture from being used.
So the lens itself is probably fine. Start by unlocking the camera controls, then review the lock-function and Safety Shift settings.
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