Error message when I switch to a 70-300mm lens

picklepuss

Hi, just got a hand-me-down Nikon D3200 & I will be ordering those cheat sheets asap!

I am playing around to get familiar and when I attach the 70-300mm lens I get an error message that says "lock lens aperture ring at minimum aperture. (largest f/-number)". I've tried searching online and for the life of me I can't figure out how to make this work. I have no idea how to lock an aperture ring. Any suggestions?

Thanks in advance!
Picklepuss

PBked

Hi,
You didn't say which 70-300mm lens you have. If it is an old fashioned manual or preset lens it will not work with the D3200 on auto and could generate an error message. Is it an auto lens but you've got it set to manual? You should be able to use it with the D3200 switched to full manual. I'm only second guessing on this reply so if your lens is an auto set to auto and the D3200 set to auto, then I don't have a clue except to check the contacts on the camera's lens mount and also the lens. They might be damaged or simply need cleaning.
Good luck and if you find an answer please post back so we can add to our knowledge.
Best regards,
PBked

bruto

I don't know just when this question was posted, but I had the same problem with my D3200 when putting an older 70-300mm AF lens on, and it turned out to be very simple. There is a little plastic tab (at about the 8:00 position when facing the camera) that registers the correct setting of the aperture ring. This tab does not push down very well. Some older lenses will still lock into position with that tab not pushed down all the way. Others will not quite lock on at all, or do so with difficulty.

The solution is just to push that tab down with a fingernail and make sure the lens is fully locked on. You can also just give the lens a heftier twist when mounting, but I'm a little afraid I might break the tab, so the fingernail it is.

Oddly enough, this problem exists with any chipped lens even when used manually. You can't use the aperture ring on an old AF lens.