Why is my Lens stopping to F,0?

Question: Why is my Lens stopping to F,0!?

Hello!.
I use a Nikon D200 and have recently acquired a
Nikon 28mm f/2!.8 Ai-S Series E!. It's a manuel focus Lens and when put on my D200 and setting the aperture ring to it's lowest value of 2!.8!.!. I get a reading of F-0 on the D200!. At F-4 I get -2 and at 5!.6 I get -3 and so on!. Im sure this is normal for a manuel E series being put on a digital Af camera!. But can anyone give me a abit of technical knowledge as to whats actually going on!? Thank you : )Www@QuestionHome@Com

Best Answer - Chosen by Asker:

You have to go into the menu under the "wrench" and set up "Non CPU Lens Data" (or something like that, I'm not %100 sure what!. You tell the camera what your focal length is and what the maximum aperture is!. Once you do that, the camera will know when you are at f/2!.8, f/4, etc and will provide full 3-D matrix metering!. You can set it up so that the function button when held allows you to enter manual lens data easily and quickly, but if you only have one manual lens, its not really an issue!.

You have to tell it the maximum aperture because there isnt a chip on the lens telling the camera what it is!. Www@QuestionHome@Com

You'll have to wait until a Nikon expert shows up, but on a Pentax you have to set the 'using aperture ring' setting to enable in the Custom Setting Menu, there will be something similar on your D200!.

This setting reads the position of the aperture lever on the lens and the camera then knows the aperture selected on the lens!. It also makes metering possible as the camera now knows both parts of the exposure!.

Currently your camera only knows the light level coming through the lens (which it assumes to be wide open) so any alteration of the aperture in stop down metering it assumes is an EV adjustment, which is what it is showing you!.

ChrisWww@QuestionHome@Com

The use of older lenses is explained on pages 93-95 of your D200 manual!.
Or read Neil's answer in this thread: http://photo!.net/nikon-camera-forum/00G1!.!.!.

(A fellow D200 user and once the proud owner of a 50mm E lens!.!.!. along with a matching Nikon EM body)Www@QuestionHome@Com