Why won't my aperture go lower than 5.6?

I found this for a Sunpak flash which is similar to the G4500dx:

Reading from the "auto555/G4500DX" Manual, you need to:
1. Slide the Film Selector to desired ISO - (that is the same as your camera ISO used - so, make sure you turn Off the Auto ISO feature if your camera has one).
2. Slide the Mode Selector to "A" (Auto position). This will be Auto Thyristor mode on the flash.
3. Slide the Auto F/stop Selecct Know to desired lens openning - ( so use your camera in Aperture priority mode, more in Manual to prevent changes in the camera aperture value during shooting)
Shoot, and be happy with well exposed pictures by the Auto Thyristor features of the Sunpak 555 flash.
The Sunpak 555 works great with Nikon D50, D70 cameras, as you can synchrinize flash practically at all shutter speeds. Excellent for sunny days to get narrow DOF, yet get any ambient light level contribution as desired.
For other cameras, make sure (watch out for) that Aperture Priority mode does not use shutter faster than the camera max X-sync speed - so Manual camera mode could be a better choice for a novice photographer.
In the manual there is also a list of accessories for various brand cameras, How to use Power Ratio in Manual mode, some advice on using wide lenses, how to care of your 555, and Specification section.
Minimal flash duration is 1/450 at full power, so you can safely use Auto Aperture up to 1/500 sec. Flash duration decreases with lower power setting, or lower auto mode need for poser, and the shortest flash duration is 1/17000th sec.

I'm afraid you are mixing up a few things. In manual mode you can choose aperture, and shutter time yourself. You can't use any filter in Manual mode. To be save, check what the camera would choose in P, and work from there choose the Aperture and the time and if you half one of them double the other one and visa versa.
Filters only can be used in filet mode.
Please check your manual. (it is still online, if you lost yours)

You have to hold down the exposure compensation button at the same time as turning the control dial.
The values appear on the control panel screen.

I found this on page 33 of the manual...
Set the mode dial to M and turn the control dial to set the value.
• To set the shutter speed: Turn the control dial.
To set the aperture value:Turn the control dial while holding down the
[+-](exposure compensation) button.

The exposure level indicator appears on the control panel screen, showing the difference (ranging from -3 EV to +3 EV) between the exposure value calculated by the currently selected aperture
and shutter speed compared to the exposure value considered optimum by the camera.

Do you mean set the aperture at f/11?

If you want the camera to set the shutter speed for proper exposure, turn the mode dial to the A position for Aperture Priority. Press the +/- button to display the shutter speed and aperture. Press cursor-up/down to change the aperture and the camera will change the shutter speed to give the proper exposure.

If you want to set the shutter speed and aperture yourself, turn the mode dial to M for Manual. Press the +/- button. Press cursor-up/down to set the shutter speed, cursor-left/right to set the aperture.

Full details are in the Shooting Mode section of the manual.

Here's the problem.


Your aperture control is messed up. When you drop the camera, the aperture is one of the most sensitive things on your DSLR.

Solution -


Simple. You need to open your aperture wider to allow more light in, so that your sensor can pick out the image.

Go to the A mode on your dial. That's the Aperture mode. Lower the F point to the minimum. Like, 5.6 when you're totally zoomed out, and lower when you're not.


If this doesn't work.

Go to Manual mode.

That's M on the dial.

Lower your aperture to the minimum again, and start decreasing your shutter speed. Like 1/5th of a second or something.


It'll work.



Worst case scenario. Take it to a service center.

Later.

There is NOT a problem. The f3.5-5.6 indicates the maximum aperture in the zoom range. At 18mm the maximum aperture is f3.5, at 105mm it's f5.6. The minimum aperture ranges from f22 to f38.

So, at 18mm, the aperture can range from f3.5 to f22. At 105mm, the aperture can range from f5.6 to f38. At intermediate focal lengths the aperture range is somewhere between the two extremes.

Here is where you can download a copy of the manual from:
Fuji S2 Manual
This is what the manual says about your error:
If FEE in in top display: "CPU Nikkor lens other than G-type
is not set to its minimum aperture. Fix: Set lens to minimum aperture."
If FEE is in viewfinder: "Attached flash is not set at TTL
Auto Flash in “P” mode. Fix: Set the external flash mode to TTL, or set the camera’s exposure mode to “S”, “A” or “M”."
Are you using a flash that attaches to the camera?
If not, then the problem is with the aperture setting. It looks like you would have to set the camera dial to M, for Manual, and use the ring on the lens to set the aperture.
The low battery symbol looks like a battery, all black when charged, half-black as power goes down.
This looks like a nice camera, hope I was able to help.

In addition to the "quirks" of the Landscape and Aperture Priority Modes (neither mode works as documented!)..... The camera also behaves differently in full Manual Mode (it changes the settings, whether you want it to or not to compensate for available light)... At lower Zoom Levels, the camera will adjust the Shutter Speed Only, to try and compensate for available light... For example: with the Camera preset to F5.6 Aperture, and 1/48 sec. shutter speed, the camera will adjust the shutter speed between a range of 1/30 to 1/291 sec, to try and "auto expose" the shot for lower or higher light levels, even though you're in manual mode. At an Aperture Setting of 2.8 and 1/48 of a second, the number of internal steps in shutter speed the camera is willing to take, increases dramatially - for example: shutter speeds up to 1/600 of a second, even though you have the shutter set to 1/48 in manual mode. The camera WILL NOT attempt to adjust the Aperture to compensate for proper exposure in available light (OR WILL IT??).... It depends on your Zoom settings! It won't if your're near to full wide angle, but IT WILL if you are using the Zoom. Once you cross some unknown zoom threshold (it doesn't have to be at full zoom), then the camera begins to change both the Aperture and Shutter speed to compensate for available light, even though you are in "Full Manual", versus Auto Exposure Mode. In Manual Mode, (as in Aperture Priority Mode), the amount of change the camera is willing to make to your settings, appears to be related to a preset number of internal steps, with the number of steps dependent on both Aperture and Zoom Settings, before it gives an EV Warning for Over or Under Exposure conditions.... The type (shutter speed only for wide angle, shutter and aperture for zoom) and amount (number of internal "steps" it takes to increase/decrease shutter speed and increase or decrease aperture), is dependent on the amount of zoom you are using for the current shot.

They will - fully open in Av mode, and with any aperture in manual mode - after you allow the Ds through the custom settings menu to use aperture settings different then "A". To choose correct exposure with such a lens in manual mode you can use the AE-button - it stops down the aperture, reads the EV and sets the shutter speed according to the chosen aperture.