[quote name='Brightcolours' timestamp='1294143533' post='5341']
The lens is not reporting anything. [/quote]
Of course it is. Both Canon and Nikon lenses have integrated electronics and CPUs as well as electronic contacts. In both worlds, lenses report their specifications, including minimum and maximum focal length as well as minimum and maximum aperture, distance information, and probably lots of other stuff to the camera.
It's definitely the lens that reports the effective aperture to a Nikon camera. And of course "effective aperture" is not something that is unique to Nikon cameras and lenses. It's just that Canon chose NOT to display effective, but physical aperture instead, regardless of the focal distance.
[quote name='Brightcolours' timestamp='1294143533' post='5341']
I know, this sounds like a big "why would one want to do that", especially since smaller f-values with macro photography are not used for longer shutter times, but rather for more DOF. It would have been done with resolution tests in mind, to show better results on review sites....
[/quote]
Sure. Just like they've never been to the moon, right? <img src='http://forum.photozone.de/public/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/wink.gif' class='bbc_emoticon' alt='' />
Think about it again. If it worked that way, they'd have to decrease sensivity of the camera, not amplify anything.
And there's a simple test device to prove that the aperture is actually working as expected: the camera's DOF preview button <img src='http://forum.photozone.de/public/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/wink.gif' class='bbc_emoticon' alt='' />
-- Markus
The lens is not reporting anything. [/quote]
Of course it is. Both Canon and Nikon lenses have integrated electronics and CPUs as well as electronic contacts. In both worlds, lenses report their specifications, including minimum and maximum focal length as well as minimum and maximum aperture, distance information, and probably lots of other stuff to the camera.
It's definitely the lens that reports the effective aperture to a Nikon camera. And of course "effective aperture" is not something that is unique to Nikon cameras and lenses. It's just that Canon chose NOT to display effective, but physical aperture instead, regardless of the focal distance.
[quote name='Brightcolours' timestamp='1294143533' post='5341']
I know, this sounds like a big "why would one want to do that", especially since smaller f-values with macro photography are not used for longer shutter times, but rather for more DOF. It would have been done with resolution tests in mind, to show better results on review sites....
[/quote]
Sure. Just like they've never been to the moon, right? <img src='http://forum.photozone.de/public/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/wink.gif' class='bbc_emoticon' alt='' />
Think about it again. If it worked that way, they'd have to decrease sensivity of the camera, not amplify anything.
And there's a simple test device to prove that the aperture is actually working as expected: the camera's DOF preview button <img src='http://forum.photozone.de/public/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/wink.gif' class='bbc_emoticon' alt='' />
-- Markus
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