How do I use a manual lens?

Just ordered the Rokinon 8mm T/3.8 Fisheye Cine Lens. I am not sure how to go about configuring the camera when shooting with it. Manual focus and manual aperture adjustment, what is the best way to set up the camera? Any guides to using the camera in manual mode?

I suggest using either aperture-priority (Av) or manual mode. Using Av mode, just set a suitable ISO and aperture. Then fire away. In manual mode, the camera should still give you its estimate as to the shutter speed. This works with my 60D, 70D, and Rokinon 8mm/3.5, and with my Rokinon 85/1.4.

There are three things you can change to create the correct exposure, Aperture, Shutter speed & ISO. Do you know what each of these does?
Set up your camera in M mode and have a play around.

As this lens requires you to manually adjust aperture, Av and Tv modes will be useless to you. Manual mode is your only option.

To adjust aperture, you move the aperture ring on the lens. This ring is marked with the different f-stops. This will be obvious when you actually are holding the lens in your hand. Despite having to manually adjust aperture, your camera will still be able to meter correctly. The only difference is having to adjust aperture using the ring on the lens, instead of on your camera body.

Focusing should be self-explanatory. For such a wide angle lens, use a tripod, and LiveView. A good rule of thumb for focusing UWA is using LiveView, magnify 10x at about 1/3 of the way into the frame. At such a wide angle, most everything is in focus, and you will find it difficult to determine where critical focus is. This will take some practice, but using this general guideline will help a lot.

With this particular lens you can almost "set it and forget it". Use a hyperfocal distance of just shy of infinity and set the aperture to f/11 and fire away.

hiketheplanet wrote in post #17152604
As this lens requires you to manually adjust aperture, Av and Tv modes will be useless to you. Manual mode is your only option.

You are completely wrong, the camera meters through the lens so AV and TV will still work.

My 3 EOS bodies meter perfectly with manual lenses. I use mine in AV 90% of the time...

maverick75 wrote in post #17152622
You are completely wrong, the camera meters through the lens so AV and TV will still work.

My 3 EOS bodies meter perfectly with manual lenses. I use mine in AV 90% of the time...

Am I missing something here? You can't adjust this lens' aperture using the camera body, what good does Av do you? And how is Tv in this situation different than Manual using auto-iso?

I also stated later in my post that your camera will still meter 100% fine. Not sure what's wrong with my post...

hiketheplanet wrote in post #17152646
Am I missing something here? You can't adjust this lens' aperture using the camera body, what good does Av do you? And how is Tv in this situation different than Manual using auto-iso?

I also stated later in my post that your camera will still meter 100% fine. Not sure what's wrong with my post...

Don't get too confused, you haven't even got the lens yet.
I use manual setting and yes the AV is set on the lens.
The rest of it is just turning the focus ring on the lens until you are in focus.

IMAGE LINK: http://s1110.photobuck​et.com …0205_zps569c49e​6.jpg.html

Set to manual or Av, I usually use the later. Set ISO, set the lens somewhere around f8, focus I set close to infinity, that's it. Camera will set shutter speed. Watch your exposure indicator and fire away. Fun lens

farmer1957 wrote in post #17152666
Don't get too confused, you haven't even got the lens yet.
I use manual setting and yes the AV is set on the lens.
The rest of it is just turning the focus ring on the lens until you are in focus.

IMAGE LINK: http://s1110.photobuck​et.com …0205_zps569c49e​6.jpg.html
Farmer

I think you have failed to read my posts. I am not the OP. I already own the Rokinon 14/2.8. I do not see the point of using Av or Tv modes with a lens that requires you to manually adjust aperture. The OP asked how to use this lens. In my post, I explained how I use my 14/2.8, which should be the same thing. Sure, use Tv mode, or Manual with auto-iso, there is no difference. Or go full auto using Av. Pick your poison.

AV mode works fine- set the lens aperture and it will give you a shutter speed that works...I can't see how TV would work though

Av just means you set the aperture value, be it with the click wheel on the camera or by hand on the lens, camera sets the shutter speed and of course you have to set the ISO. M works as well, but you need to set the shutter speed as well. Which you'll probably be influencing in Av manually as well, with exposure compensation, since such a wide lens can confuse the metering quite a bit. But Av does what it's supposed to with any lens, it sets the shutter speed.

I think that's where the confusion came from above.

I usually set aperture somewhere around f8 and never touch it again.

Oh, and keep an eye on the bottom of your frame, it's very easy to end up with a great shot that includes the tip of your shoes

hiketheplanet wrote in post #17152680
I think you have failed to read my posts. I am not the OP. I already own the Rokinon 14/2.8. I do not see the point of using Av or Tv modes with a lens that requires you to manually adjust aperture. The OP asked how to use this lens. In my post, I explained how I use my 14/2.8, which should be the same thing. Sure, use Tv mode, or Manual with auto-iso, there is no difference. Or go full auto using Av. Pick your poison.

Av works exactly the same as it does with a AF lens, you choose the aperture (as you would through the body via a normal lens) and the camera chooses the shutter speed... Not sure why you thought that wouldn't work.

I shoot entirely with manual lenses on my 6D and I use Av mode for most of my shooting.

hiketheplanet wrote in post #17152680
I think you have failed to read my posts. I am not the OP. I already own the Rokinon 14/2.8. I do not see the point of using Av or Tv modes with a lens that requires you to manually adjust aperture. The OP asked how to use this lens. In my post, I explained how I use my 14/2.8, which should be the same thing. Sure, use Tv mode, or Manual with auto-iso, there is no difference. Or go full auto using Av. Pick your poison.

Sorry, Did know I was talking to the wrong person.
Farmer

I use Av 99% of the time too. I don't tend to stop the manual lenses down too much though.