I am am trying to use adapted lenses (Nikon, etc.) on the Sony A7R II camera body, but cannot figure out how I can set the aperture on the adapted lens and see the effect in real-time in LivewView. How can I do that? And what about in magnified mode?
What kind of lenses? I'll talk about F-mount lenses first.
Pre-G lenses should work just fine, and stop down with the ring. The Otus lenses are pre-G in that sense.
G lenses need an adapter with a "finger" inside to adjust the aperture.
With E lenses, except for a trio of (IMHO, flaky) smart adapters, you're SOL.
It works in magnified mode, too. The camera can't tell whether the lens is stopped down or not.
With R-mount or M-mount lenses, see pre-G F-mount lenses.
With Canon lenses, you'll need to talk to someone who uses them on the a7x.
With A-mount lenses and the Sony adapter, the camera controls the aperture.
Jim