Canon EOS-1V puzzled?! - Aperture shows as 00

[ecusimano]

I am trying to use a pro lenses like my sigma art 35mm with my mint condition Canon EOS 1v (SLR). I purchased and hooked up the lens adapter (EF to F) necessary to use (as its a nikon f mount) but in the viewfinder, it's a bit fuzzy/grainy and I can't take a photo. Aperture displays as '00' on LCD. Adapter and lens is definitely on right, flipped to manual mode, but appears to be a lack of communication. What am I doing wrong?

[MikeSowsun · Accepted solution]

Nothing is “off”. This is how Canon designed the camera to work. Canon did not want the camera to operate if the lens can not communicate with the lens. All EOS film cameras, and early EOS DSLRs have a mechanical switch on the lens mount to sense when a lens is mounted. Later DSLRs use the electronic communication contacts to sense the lens being mounted. 

This is what the switch looks like. It is located at roughly 10 o’clock on the camera lens mount.

You have two options:

1) add an AF Confirmation chip to the adapter to simulate electronic communication 

2) modify the adapter so that it does not physically engage the switch 

With any lens you use, you will need to manual focus, and manually set the aperture. It will not be possible to manually set the aperture on a Sigma “Art” lens.

From Bob Atkins website:

Using Manual Focus Lenses on Canon EOS bodies

The lens detection Microswitch

“On some EOS bodies there is a small microswitch in the lensmount which must not be tripped by any attached lens or lens adapter in order for the camera body to work. If an adapted manual focus lens trips this microswitch, the camera body them looks for a valid EF series lens to be attached. If it doesn't see the correct electrical connection the the camera body thinks there is an error condition and will not operate. I've never been able to find an official list of which bodies have this switch and which don't. The early 1D series bodies do, up to the 1D MkII. The 1D MkIII doesn't. I think the D30, D60 and 10D have it too (note that's the D30/D60 not the later 30D/60D). Some, possibly all, EOS film bodies have it. I know the EOS-3 does for example.”

“If you have one of the bodies with this microswitch and your adapted lens causes the camera to freeze you have to remove a small part of one of the bayonet flanges in order to avoid tripping the switch. Either that or do not lock the adapter completely in the EOS mount. If you don't fully rotate it so that it "clicks" into place it won't trip the switch. Of course the adapter is them not fully locked onto the camera, so you need to be careful not to accidentally allow the lens to part company with the camera!”

[Tronhard]

Hi and welcome to the forum

The likelihood is that your adapter is not providing communication between your Nikon lens and the camera, so there is no linkage happening for focus or exposure

[ecusimano]

Trevor- thanks for your insight! Do you think it's more than likely an adapter malfunction and that this lens and camera combo, in theory, should work just fine??

[Tronhard]

I have never personally attempted to adapt a Nikon lens for a Canon body, but I understand that this is quite challenging.  I would recommending investigating the specs for your adapter in more depth.  

[AnselAdams4x5]

It is likely that the adapter is mechanical only and also puts the lens too far away from the body for anything other than closeups

[ecusimano]

Hi and thanks for your reply!.  So even if mechanical only, this combo of lens and camera should, in theory, be able to communicate and work together, right? 

[kvbarkley]

I have never heard of an adapter that allows Canon to Nikon communication.

[Tronhard]

Neither have I

[ecusimano]

Here it is, it exists! This is what I use.

[Commercial link removed and replaced with screenshot to serve as visual aid.]

[jrhoffman75]

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@ecusimano wrote:

I am trying to use a pro lenses like my sigma art 35mm with my mint condition Canon EOS 1v (SLR). I purchased and hooked up the lens adapter (EF to F) necessary to use (as its a nikon f mount) but in the viewfinder, it's a bit fuzzy/grainy and I can't take a photo. Aperture displays as '00' on LCD. Adapter and lens is definitely on right, flipped to manual mode, but appears to be a lack of communication. What am I doing wrong?

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If you are talking about something like this:

you can see that there are no contacts, so no communication.

When the camera Av reads "00" it means that the camera isn't reading lens aperture. In that case you would manually set the lens to the desired aperture. The camera autoexposure system will select the correct shutter speed (or you could shoot in M mode and adjust settings to get the correct exposure.