D7000 vs. 50mm lens FEE - Nikon aperture, cannot shoot outside f/22

[bkkhillbilly]

My Nikon D7000 will only read my Nikkor 50mm f1.8 D lens at f22. Every other setting gets the dreaded FEE signal. What am I doing wrong?

[admin]

The error code "fEE" (f-stop Electronics Error, also "FEE" or "FEE") is one that's been around since at least the early 1990s, and means that there is a mechanical f-stop error present on your Nikon.

In almost all cases, this means that either:
(1) The lens is not fully bayonet-mounted to the body, or
(2) In the case of modern electronic/non-mechanical bodies, that the lens is not properly locked at the maximum aperture. In the case of the D7000, it has to be locked at f/22 in order to function. (All aperture settings are controlled via the command dials only.)

In more unusual cases, it's also:
(3) The lens or Nikon SLR camera body mount is broken or damaged. Given that the D7000 is new, I'll assume you're a first-time user, and that the camera is new. So I'm guessing this is not likely the problem. Again, more often it's simply your choice in settings or mounting torque that caused issue -- and this is reinforced by the fact that it does work at f/22.

If you want to manually control the aperture, do it with either the:
(1) "A mode" or "aperture priority mode", which controls aperture, and shutter is set automatically by the matrix metering, or
(2) "M mode" or "manual mode", where you must set both aperture and shutter on your own; the meter functions, and will warn you with the small -/+ gauge seen in the viewfinder (or on the LCD, for many more recent DSLR camera bodies).

Aperture is controlled by the front dial, while shutter is set by the rear dial.

I'd have to cycle through all my bodies to recall which ones were some of the last bodies to allow for non-electronic manual settings. I know the N6006 was one, and I believe I could do it with an F5. I don't off-hand recall if the D1 or D2 series bodies allowed for manual ring settings. I know the D200 does not. I don't believe the D3, D3x and D3s do, either.

Canon dumbed-down their bodies in the 1980s and removed all manual aperture controls for the EOS systems, and Nikon began to mimic that in the 2000s. Notice all the "G" mount bodies out there in the consumer lines, which cannot even function fully with any lens that has old-fashioned aperture rings and AF/AF-D focal system.

Let me know if you have further problems.

And welcome to The Digital FAQ. Do stay, and share your photos. Come back and ask questions anytime.

[bkkhillbilly]

I must say thank you for such a great response!

[admin]

Glad to help.

(Side note: I seem to have stopped mid-sentence for reason #2 -- oops. I've edited it as a complete thought now.)

I wanted to add that the Nikon D7000 digital SLR body is an amazing camera, and should serve you well for quite a few years.
And then the Nikkor 50mm f/1.8 lens is one of the best lenses you could possibly own.

One of the best tests of a photographer's skills is how well he/she can shoot with a single fixed-length "prime" lens. Zooms are great tools, but many novice/beginner photographers rely on it too much, and end up missing opportunities to get better shots. They were too busy twisting or push/pulling the lens instead of paying attention to what was in the viewfinder, or to other more-important settings on the camera. Even pros can fall into the rut of becoming a zoom addict, and it becomes a handicap that deteriorates their work. All new photographers should be forced to learn SLR photography with a 50mm lens, and then non-beginners should force themselves to do so from time to time as a refresher to get back to the photo basics. There's a reason the best photographers are prime users. As an added bonus, prime lenses tend to be the sharpest of all lenses, and have some of the very best low-light performances (aka a "fast lens").

Happy shooting. Feel free to come back here and show off your work, ask for critiques, etc.