Camera Talk

I now have sort of lead off to the digi world with my new{to me} Canon XTi and Canon D-60. + a drawer full of older P&Sers.
I have bought a 18/55 EF lens and a 50mm EF lens for them, they work on both cameras, I also have a 35/80 mm Canon Zoom, and a 28/105 Sigma Zoom that only works on the older D-60.
I also have an assortment of Canon FD lenses and have been thinking of buying an adapter to fit them to the EF mount so that I could use them on my DLSRs.
Any thoughts would be appreciated .
I also have a Canon EF 35/80 Zoom that I use mostly, don't know why I bought the 18/55mm lens, never use it ? And I found the 50:1/8 real cheap, like 20 bucks?

Ron B

D-60 with 28/105 Zoom---- Near Great Falls Montana

I like using older manual lenses with a digital body. The one thing that you have to watch for is chromatic aberration ("purple fringing") when shooting wide open.

I compared a single-coated and multi-coated f/1.8 Planars and found that the single-coated lens showed very little CA compared with the multi-coated version.

Wide open, you could see it. Dropping down to f/2.8 reduced it noticeably, and it was gone by f/4.0

If you shoot black and white, it's not a concern.

Always check the adapters. Some of the cheaper Chinese adapters are low cost for a reason. Some lenses won't focus to infinity by a tiny amount or will focus past infinity, because the flange-to-sensor distance is slightly off.

I do use my kit lens for some things -- casual shots and for those times when you must have autofocus.


Zeiss f/2.8 85mm Sonnar. I think I was shooting at f/4.0 to give me a bit of depth of field. Shot with the Sony NEX-7, ISO 800 with -2 stops exposure compensation. I missed a bit on the focus. Look at the eyes in the larger version. But the dress is in focus!
Link to the full version

Ron, both of your camera bodies are capable of superb images and they deserve to be used with lenses that can deliver the optical quality needed. The Canon AF-S 18-55 and the AF 50mm f1.8 can do so, but the old FD lenses will not. Even though they were very good with film, the adaptors available for digital use on an EF mount camera will degrade the image considerably because the adaptor has to correct the flange focal distance to enable the lens to focus at infinity and to do this it has to contain optical elements. There is one adaptor, made in the USA, that gives acceptable results, but it costs over USD200.00. If you want to enjoy your digital bodies, I suggest that you stick to using Canon EF or EF-S lenses.

That's a good point, Graham. I forgot that the old FD mount had a shorter flange-to-film plane distance than the EOS cameras.

Ron, now that you've made the jump, it's time to buy into a mirrorless system. Those definitely will allow you to find an FD-mount adapter.

Going through my camera hoarding boxes today I found am EOS to M42 adapter. I put it on my EOS XTi and it works. {all manual}.
I put a Vivitar 135 on it to try it out, some outdoors and a couple of shots at the TV.
With some practice I may have a new play thing? I think I may be able to really shorten my depth of field, which I haven't had much luck at with the EF lens?????

Ron B

Tried some Chinon and Sears M42s on the XTi today in my backyard, they worked fine together. {no fringing} I'll stick to my EF lenses but these will be fun to play with.
There is a saying, 'you can't teach an old dog new tricks'. But I'll give it a try anyways?

Ron B

It doesn't hurt to experiment, Ron. Not like you're wasting any film if they don't work out.

PF

BTW--- Mike, that is an outstanding photo that you put up. If I get half as good of results I'll be happy.

Ron B

My adapter arrived today and happy to say I can use my Exakta mount retro focus Angenieux 28mm 1:3.5 and 50mm Angeneiux 1.5 lens on the Canon digi Rebel XTi. Took it outside and fired a couple, stopped down some wasn't that good, but at wide open it did fine, I have a lot of learning to do ?????--- When the weather gets better.

I've done some lens swapping...

Warm November Day by fiftyonepointsix, on Flickr

1934 CZJ 5cm f1.5 Sonnar, converted to LTM using a J-3 mount. Wide-Open On the M9.

Warm November Day by fiftyonepointsix, on Flickr

And at F2.8.




Warm November Day by fiftyonepointsix, on Flickr

1936 CZJ 5cm f1.5 Sonnar, converted to LTM using a J-3 mount. Wide-Open On the Monochrom.

L1016530 by fiftyonepointsix, on Flickr

1937 CZJ 8.5cm f2 Sonnar wide-open on the M9, customized Contax RF to Leica M-Mount adapter. I used layers of copper tape to build-up an Index in the cam.