Canon FD to EOS lens converter/adapter
Discussion
I.e. older FD lenses fitted to a newer EOS DSLR.
Does any one have one and would you recommend?
Is the any particular makes I should avoid or steer towards.
I understand some have a correction lens within, for focusing, but are they more hassle than its worth.
The question comes about as Im about to take the plunge to a DSLR. Tied as you'd image between the Canon and Nikons and if my existing kit can be utilised this may sway the decision.
Thanks for your advice.
Does any one have one and would you recommend?
Is the any particular makes I should avoid or steer towards.
I understand some have a correction lens within, for focusing, but are they more hassle than its worth.
The question comes about as Im about to take the plunge to a DSLR. Tied as you'd image between the Canon and Nikons and if my existing kit can be utilised this may sway the decision.
Thanks for your advice.
I looked into this when I got my DSLR a few years back to see if I could use some old glass. I think Canon did make some converters originally but these are now like rocking horse s%^t.
You can buy adapters from eBay etc but it comes down to the quality of glass in the adapters - it's not just a straight mount adaptor it has glass to change the spread of light as the sensor (or film on an EOS SLR)is a different distance from the lens in FD/EOS.
It also means no auto focus etc works which depending on the type of photography you are into may not be a problem but it was for me so in the end I didn't bother.
HTH
edited to say - this was a couple of years back so better adaptors might be available now.
You can buy adapters from eBay etc but it comes down to the quality of glass in the adapters - it's not just a straight mount adaptor it has glass to change the spread of light as the sensor (or film on an EOS SLR)is a different distance from the lens in FD/EOS.
It also means no auto focus etc works which depending on the type of photography you are into may not be a problem but it was for me so in the end I didn't bother.
HTH
edited to say - this was a couple of years back so better adaptors might be available now.
Edited by byhff on Sunday 22 March 21:04
If you've got a favourite ED lens you want to continue using, a convertor doesn't cost much and is worth getting.
I have one, but I have to say that I don't use it much as the EOS lenses I have pretty much cover the range that I had in FD glass.
About the only FD lens I still use is a nice 24mm prime which gives me a few stops over what the 17-85mm EOS kit lens can give me.
I have one, but I have to say that I don't use it much as the EOS lenses I have pretty much cover the range that I had in FD glass.
About the only FD lens I still use is a nice 24mm prime which gives me a few stops over what the 17-85mm EOS kit lens can give me.
I have a Kood converter that came with my eBay sourced 600mm L FD prime 3 or 4 years ago.
Canon only supplied their adapter's grudgingly, under pressure, for a short period and, so I read somewhere, only to Pros and Pro organisations who had a large investment in expensive glass. The last time I saw one on eBay I gave up watching it when the price passed £200.
Mine seems to work fine even with the added lens elements that provide for focus to infinity. The previous owner was a bird photog and left the intermediate lens out as he was working at closer distances which did not cause him a focus problem.
I don't think you can get the Kood anymore, or at least not under that brand name in this country. However there are quite a few vendors of various adapter combinations around these days whereas a couple of years ago there was almost no one.
eBay is a useful source of possible vendors. I would suggest it is likely best avoid the HK offers and be sure that you get metal. I noticed a couple of UK based vendors selling in the £30-£45 bracket that are probably worth considering. There were a number of possible vendors at Focus on imaging this year, one I checked with had sold out of the FD to EOS converters.
Bear in mind the converter add between 10% and 20% 'crop factor'. And mine doesn't really like wide angle (28mm) as far as my experiments have uncovered, at least not on a 400D. However and old 70-200 f4 with a 2x A type extender (wrong type for the lens)and the adapter work rather nicely, though a LOT of light is required as you might expect.
Obvious everything is manual although certain camera settings can provide a sort of metering information service by giving a viewfinder indication at the stopped down position.
Bear in mind that on a DSLR with a typical spec the focusing screen has no aids of any value and so manual focus is marginal although recent Live View developments would help somewhat unless you want to shoot handheld, close and moving subjects.
HTH.
Canon only supplied their adapter's grudgingly, under pressure, for a short period and, so I read somewhere, only to Pros and Pro organisations who had a large investment in expensive glass. The last time I saw one on eBay I gave up watching it when the price passed £200.
Mine seems to work fine even with the added lens elements that provide for focus to infinity. The previous owner was a bird photog and left the intermediate lens out as he was working at closer distances which did not cause him a focus problem.
I don't think you can get the Kood anymore, or at least not under that brand name in this country. However there are quite a few vendors of various adapter combinations around these days whereas a couple of years ago there was almost no one.
eBay is a useful source of possible vendors. I would suggest it is likely best avoid the HK offers and be sure that you get metal. I noticed a couple of UK based vendors selling in the £30-£45 bracket that are probably worth considering. There were a number of possible vendors at Focus on imaging this year, one I checked with had sold out of the FD to EOS converters.
Bear in mind the converter add between 10% and 20% 'crop factor'. And mine doesn't really like wide angle (28mm) as far as my experiments have uncovered, at least not on a 400D. However and old 70-200 f4 with a 2x A type extender (wrong type for the lens)and the adapter work rather nicely, though a LOT of light is required as you might expect.
Obvious everything is manual although certain camera settings can provide a sort of metering information service by giving a viewfinder indication at the stopped down position.
Bear in mind that on a DSLR with a typical spec the focusing screen has no aids of any value and so manual focus is marginal although recent Live View developments would help somewhat unless you want to shoot handheld, close and moving subjects.
HTH.
Thanks for all your help and advice, without the internet and this forum I would struggle to find others with experiance of this.
I think I'll go down the Canon route, as I too have a 70-200mm lens which i enjoy.
However last question....
If I buy a say 50D and some lenses to suit if one day i want to upgrate the body... do all current canon models use the same lens fitment.
Thanks for all you advice guys.
I think I'll go down the Canon route, as I too have a 70-200mm lens which i enjoy.
However last question....
If I buy a say 50D and some lenses to suit if one day i want to upgrate the body... do all current canon models use the same lens fitment.
Thanks for all you advice guys.
Calitri said:
If I buy a say 50D and some lenses to suit if one day i want to upgrate the body... do all current canon models use the same lens fitment.
Yes and No. All EF lenses will work on all EOS bodies (crop and full frame).
EF-S lenses (designed for crop bodies) will not work on full frame bodies.
So if at some point you might upgrade to a full frame body, it would be worth only getting EF (full frame compatible) lenses. Only problem you have here is that (particularly for wide angle) they tend to be more expensive for the same focal length, and you need a shorter focal length on a crop body to get the same wide field of view on a full frame.
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