Nikon FG: aperture blades wide open when locked on body

Hello,

I recently got a Nikon FG and (because I couldn't find a cheap manual lens) bought a Nikkor 50mm f/1.8 AF lens to go with it. After a few days of shooting I noticed that I never fully locked the lens in. When I do lock it in (where it can no longer be turned off clockwise), I can still change the aperture on the lens but the blades stay open at every f-number. The blades work fine when I turn the ring while the lens is off the body or not fully locked in.

Is this normal? Do the blades change as soon as I take a picture? (A-mode)

I am sorry if this is a dumb question, I tried Google but couldn't find anything (I can usually find everything on Google).

I should maybe also add that I am completely new to film and only learned how to load film last week.

Please help

The Nikon FG is a 1980's vintage film camera which relied fully upon a mechanical linkage to actuate the closure of the aperture to the shooting aperture when you depressed the shutter button on the camera.

The Nikon AF lens is a totally electrically controlled lens, which gets electrical commands from the camera thru the electrical contacts visible on the lens mount on both the lens and on the dSLR body.

And THAT is the reason why your AF lens does nothing but stay wide open on the FG body...it has no electrical actuation of the aperture by the mechanical body...levers and arms of the FG do not send electrical signals into the AF lens

Ok but is there still a way to be able to change the aperture manually once the lens is on the body? With some kind of adapter or small alteration? I mean, I guess I could turn it on without locking it in but that makes me too anxious about the lens falling down...

There is NO aperture selection ring on the lens, and there is none on the FG body.

There is NO way to focus the AF lens, either!

Find yourself a AI or AI-S lens. But not a very old non-AI'd F mount lens.

Read this to understand more about lenses for your camera https://www.dpreview.c​om …enses-ai-ai-s-af-and-af-s

But there is an aperture selection ring and a focus ring on the lens. I can use both just fine until I mount it on the camera. Then it just stays fully open.

anatabana wrote in post #18270575
But there is an aperture selection ring and a focus ring on the lens. I can use both just fine until I mount it on the camera. Then it just stays fully open.

There's not much help anyone here can offer. You have a lens and a body that are incompatible. As Wilt said, you an AI or AI-S lens, not AF or AF-S, to work properly on that body.

anatabana wrote in post #18270575
But there is an aperture selection ring and a focus ring on the lens. I can use both just fine until I mount it on the camera. Then it just stays fully open.

So you must have a Nikon AF Nikkor 50mm f/1.8D lens, which has those
http://www.nikonusa.co​m …kkor-50mm-f%252f1.8d.html

...but there is no way for your Nikon FG to send an electrical signal to the lens to stop down to the selected aperture when the shutter is pressed!

I know! I just want to change the aperture manually but as soon as I turn the lens on, the aperture stays open, at every f-number. I guess I will have to buy a manual lens.

(And yes, that's the lens I have)

Wilt wrote in post #18270512
The Nikon FG is a 1980's vintage film camera which relied fully upon a mechanical linkage to actuate the closure of the aperture to the shooting aperture when you depressed the shutter button on the camera.

The Nikon AF lens is a totally electrically controlled lens, which gets electrical commands from the camera thru the electrical contacts visible on the lens mount on both the lens and on the dSLR body.

And THAT is the reason why your AF lens does nothing but stay wide open on the FG body...it has no electrical actuation of the aperture by the mechanical body...levers and arms of the FG do not send electrical signals into the AF lens

Wilt, only E type lenses (i.e. PC-E lenses, and recent lenses starting with I think the 300/4 E PF) use an "electromagnetic" diaphragm. Otherwise, all Nikon F mount lenses use a mechanical aperture lever in the bayonet mount (even G type lenses still have an aperture lever in the bayonet mount). The body still physically drives this lever to change aperture.

To the OP's question, I am not familiar with the FG camera but it sounds like something is trying to keep the lens wide open. Your camera should be able to operate normally with that lens (aside from autofocus). Maybe the aperture drive is stuck?