Do you like De-clicked apertures?

[Thorn Berry]

A friend of mine recently lent me Rollei HFT 50mm 1.8 that has a De-clicked aperture he mostly does video work.

As I got around to playing with the lens, I'm really liking the fact that I can get aperture numbers that aren't dented on the lens, of course you can still get these apertures even with a clicked aperture by balancing between clicks but there seems to be more freedom with having something that is completely de-clicked.

I don't have much experience with these but are there any major disadvantages to having lenses de-clicked?

[iangreenhalgh1]

I find clickless to be annoying to be honest.

[Oldhand]

I have found that as I have gotten to know a lens, I can dial in the aperture that I want by counting the clicks without having to check the setting on the lens barrel itself.
This is second nature after a while and adds to the efficiency of image making for me.
I am definitely a click man
OH

[zanxion72]

Many favourite cameras of mine do not display the value of the aperture in the viewfinder. When I try to quickly overexpose or underexpose a shot by changing the aperture, I count the clicks with it. The de-clicked lenses do not help on this at all.

[kds315*]

Yes, I do.

[Lloydy]

The aperture numbers mean little to me, I just work using "open, closed , and inbetween" - I also have a lot of pre set lenses with the smooth ring, and use that to adjust the aperture instead of the click stopped ring. So I guess I do like a de clicked lens.

[DConvert]

As I don't shoot video I prefer clicks to tell me without looking I've closed down 2 stops (or whatever is wanted)
Though I agree with Lloydy that a preset can give the best of both worlds.

[Lightshow]

I like both, many preset lenses are click free, some still do click, like my Topcor R's.

[NikonD]

If you de-click a lens that has a strong spring for aperture than it can slowly move the ring...

[bychance]

I really like lenses that I have cleaned and then lost the little ball bearing on reassembly.

I sometimes do this all the time occasionaly

[Minolfan]

I liike preset lenses a lot, but for the other lenses I count the clicks for use on digital camera's.
Except for Exakta lenses with automatic aperture, then I use the external knob

[philslizzy]

Clickless are easily knocked off aperture. Thats my opinion and as others say I can count clicks so I know which aperture I am using.

[LucisPictor]

No, I don't like "clickless" aperture rings at all.
They might be good for videography, but since I hardly ever shoot videos...
They are a nuisance when taking photos IMHO.

[uddhava]

I like all of my lenses clickless or not, but I prefer them to click.
I like to click with a chick. Chickens cluck, though.

The lens had too many lensbabies so it had to be de-clicked.

[kuuan]

Definitely like clickless, on my mirrorless cams I see 'live' what the aperture chosen does, no need to count clicks.

[Gardener]

Declicked is ok if you shoot in aperture priority or if exposure compensation values are shown in VW/screen. It could also be useful for lenses made to click only at full stops. But by and large I prefer my clicks.

[duckrider]

Never doing video I'm a clicker! Declicked feels more cheap in my hand. I love clear f-stops and a smooth focussing move.

[Dazey]

Don't shoot video, clickless would wind me up. Annoys me enough that some of my lenses have got so worn that the clicks are too subtle for my liking. Good solid aperture clicks, lovely
Also means you can go fully open and count your way to your desired aperture without looking at the lens (or in viewfinder/other as applicable)

[Basilisk]

clicky for stills; too easy to accidentally brush the aperture ring when grabbing the focus ring. Video is obviously different, though changing aperture mid shot usually ruins a take anyway, so you have to reshoot.

[ZoneV]

I love the click stops of the aperture.
First because of the convenience during photography. Clickless apertures tend to be easier to deadjustet during handling, one touch on the iris ring and the setting is away. With clicks it is harder to involuntary deadjust the wanted setting. I would be upset when I make some portraiture / nude photography with studio flash and afterwards they are wrong exposed. I likely could see the DOW in the mirrorless viewfinder, but when I concentrate on the expression of the face, or the body curves I would probably not notice this. And the viewfinder / display exposure is in my normal A7II setting automaticly adjusted.

The blind setting of the iris is another advantage. And the clicks gives an easier repeatable iris setting, for example for experiments and tests.

Furthermore I like the feeling of the click stops, for me this is a part of the manual lenses tactile advantages. Without clicks the lenses feel cheaper - like most CCTV / Machine Vision lenses I use on work.

[Snowcat]

I prefer preset declicked apertures. You set the minimum aperture with one ring and the other ring is moving between wide open and preset minimum. As I use SONY A77-2 and have a great EVF which is always bright and showing me the real picture which I will get after shooting, I prefer having smooth aperture which I can stop anywhere I like the picture most.

With OVF, of course, clicked aperture was better as OVF darkens with closing of aperture...