# Can not get normal exposures



## Vicky12 (Nov 16, 2015)

Camera: Sony a7II.
Settings: A mode, ISO 200, auto shutter, and center weighted meter.
Lens: Vintage manual lens, Nikkor 55mm f1.2.
Shooting builtings from a hill top, background is mountains and cloudy sky, sun is at 7:30, shutter 1/8000.

First 4 shots:  Aperture at f2 and shutter speed at 1/8000.  Exposures look over oxposed.
Histogram






Second 4 shots: Aperture at f16 and shutter speed at 1/236.  Exposures look under oxposed.
Shutter speed 1/236.
Histogram




What seems to be the problem?  Or, what do I do wrong?

Help, please.


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## jaomul (Nov 16, 2015)

At a guess I'd think you'll have to shoot manual and trial and error. Does the camera even know the aperture of that lens, it has no info to feedback. If I'm completely off sorry, but manual lenses are just that


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## jaomul (Nov 16, 2015)

Also the first one f2,@ 200 iso may be out of the range, even at 1/8000 sec for proper exp, try iso 100


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## astroNikon (Nov 16, 2015)

I can't see any pictures / attachments.

If you set up your camera at 1/8000, f/2 and ISO 200 and it's over exposed
Then keep clicking the aperture to f.2,8, 4.0, 5.6, 7.1, 8.0 etc etc until you start getting a proper exposure.

Without seeing the scene and brightness we don't know.
Being in full manual with a different brand manual lens, and I assume no lens communications then it's up to the shooter to know the situations.  That when the Sunny 16 rules and stuff comes into play ==> Sunny 16 rule - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia


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## Braineack (Nov 16, 2015)

learn and _understand _the exposure triangle.


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## astroNikon (Nov 16, 2015)

Luckily you're on digital and not film.
So don't worry about making 100 exposures (experimentations) to get the proper one.

I assume you are on ISO 200 because of some film background.

reread Derrel's response to this situation too in another of your threads => How does Sony a7II spot meter if vintage lenses are mounted? | Photography Forum


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## petrochemist (Nov 17, 2015)

If the shots where taken with the same lighting they should be roughly equivalent exposures by my calculations. One issue I've sometimes met with adapted lenses is the lens not stopping down. This depends on the adapter & lens mount, in some cases it can be intermittant giving variable results.

 Many lenses are designed to stay wide open so you can see to frame/focus & only stop down when a linkage is moved by the camera as you press the shutter release (just before taking the shot). Sometimes there is an open/close setting on the adapter that operates this linkage, if not you may need to fit a gentle wedge to the linkage to hold it before mounting the lens. In A mode the lens will need to be shut down prior to metering.

It should be quite easy to check the aperture with the lens mounted on the adapter. Even if you can't check it a similar step process varying shutter speed at constant aperture (similar to  astroNikon's suggestion above) should give you an idea of where you are.


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## Braineack (Nov 17, 2015)

we cant see the images cause you linked them directly from your Google Photos which, ironically, makes it almost impossible to share online.


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