Can't get F3.5 aperture on the 18-135mm kit lense on d80

If you are using an older lens the aperture ring will be close to the camera body when the lens is on the camera. In order to set the aperture with a D80 and older lens you must set the aperture ring to "22" or the highest number on the aperture ring available. For newer lenses there is no aperture ring. You set the aperture by setting the dial on the top left of the D80 to "A" for Aperture Priority. You then set the aperture by rotating the front dial on the right side of the camera under the shutter release button. On older lenses, after setting the aperture ring to the highest number, you then set the aperture in the same manner.

If you are focusing very close that may be a consideration. But if it does not change at any focal length, and focal distance then it will need to be repaired. Or, try KEH.com for excellent quality used lenses. That lens can be replaced to the same or less than a repair.

The sensor on the D80 is smaller than a piece of 35mm film. This means the camera will only use the center portion of the image cast by the lens. This reduces the angle of view, effectively increasing the focal length. The 35-70mm will give you an angle of view similar to a 52-105mm lens on a film camera. Likewise the 70-210mm lens will give you an angle of view similar to a 105-315mm lens.

I don't think you're going to see much difference in sharpness between the two lenses, because they're both such good lenses.

You can use the lens in any exposure mode. Leave the aperture ring set at f/22. Control the aperture from the camera body, the same way you do it with the 18-135mm. The zoom doesn't have an aperture ring --- so just set the ring on the 50mm to f/22 and then pretend it doesn't have one either.

You're trying for what's called a narrow depth of field. DoF is controlled by three factors: distance from camera to subject, lens focal length, and lens aperture. The closer the camera is to the subject, the narrower the DoF. The longer the lens focal length, the narrower the DoF. The larger the lens aperture, the narrower the DoF.

Get as close to the subject as practical, and use as long a focal length as practical. I realize these two aims conflict with each other. For portraits, you want a focal length in the 50-90mm range and move in to fill the frame.

You want to shoot with as wide an aperture as you can. Unfortunately most lenses are not at their sharpest wide open. Also, the 18-55mm lens doesn't open up all that wide, f/3.5 at 18mm and f/5.6 at 55mm. To get the widest aperture, you can shoot in the P or A modes. If you don't want to leave the point&shoot modes, try using the Portrait mode.

Since you're not paying for film, I suggest you experiment with the different settings and shooting setups, moving closer and farther from the subject, using different focal lengths, and using different apertures, and see what results you get.

Hi - I own this lens and it manually focuses at all focal lengths (hard to see at 18mm unless your subject is extremly close). You may need to get the lens checked. BTW - Mine was set as follows when I checked for you:

• D80 was "on"
• M/A
• VR = Off
• Normal (not Active)

Hope this helps!

davidsucklin,
You can use the film lens with the D80, but it it not react to the same settings as it did with the film body, the multiplier factor for the focal length is going to be different and it may be stopped down a bit. When you are shooting in aperture mode are you adjusting your shutter and ISO? The camera and the lens have to be communicating the same info to one another inorder for it to work. First set the camera back to auto mode the check the shot to see the settings (f-stop, shutter speed) test them with different ISO's to see what the camera thinks the settings should be, then go back to manual on the camera and lens and try the shutter priority mode with the aperture ring set at the 2.8 to see if it works then change to Aperture mode with the same settings that can take the picture. If it doesn't work keep in mind som of the older D lenses will drop some functionality (like aperture) in certain configurations. You can verfify compatibilty of your specific lens on Nikon's support site.
randy320sgi

There is no problem. The lens is f/3.5-6.3. That means that at 200mm the maximum aperture is f/6.3. At long focal lengths you will not be able to open up beyond f/6 or so. At the short end, at 18mm the maximum aperture is f/3.5.

release the lens at smallest aperture then reattach....

Tamron has identified this problem with the Canon. See link: http://www.tamron.com/about/updates_canon.asp, but I am not sure about your Nikon.