# Do any of you have experience with FD to EOS adapters?



## Negative ISO (Sep 16, 2010)

I did a forum search and found a lot of conflicting feedback.  A friend offered me a couple of FD lenses, and I'm wondering if it's worth the $30 to grab this adapter?

It is my understanding the lenses would be MF only, but would focus properly assuming I get an adapter with a teleconverter (of course this would result in at least a stop or two of light loss, right)?

One of the FD lenses is a 35mm f/2.8, the other is a zoom of some kind (200mm I think)

Thanks


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## Negative ISO (Sep 18, 2010)

Follow up:  Interesting resource I found regarding this topic in case anyone else was interested.  Manual lenses with EOS cameras


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## reznap (Sep 18, 2010)

Didn't think you could put old canon lenses on an EF mount... but after reading:



Negative ISO said:


> Manual lenses with EOS cameras



I learned that you need some (super rare and expensive) adapter that contains optics and works almost like a teleconverter, and you can pull it off with the longer telephoto FD lenses.

Pretty cool.

If you want to use older manual focus lenses, Nikon/Nikkor has some great stuff to choose from and it's very available - people practically give the stuff away on craigslist.  The adapters might run you more than the lenses - but the $20 photodiox ones are sufficient enough and it's best if you keep one on each lens you plan on using and don't attach/remove them constantly (the release latch is flimsy).


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## LCARSx32 (Sep 19, 2010)

Another good option is M42 lenses.  M42 was a "universal" mount, meaning lots of manufacturers used them on their cameras.  What that means for you is lots of cheap lenses.

I just bought a 135mm f/2.8 for $25.  I've also got a 50mm f/2 that I paid $30 for, and a 55mm f/1.8 (in admittedly rough shape) for $8, lol.

Plus, with the adapter I got, I still have Auto Focus (AF) confirm (the little lights and beep when you're in focus), as well as metering.


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## Negative ISO (Sep 19, 2010)

LCARSx32 said:


> Another good option is M42 lenses.  M42 was a "universal" mount, meaning lots of manufacturers used them on their cameras.  What that means for you is lots of cheap lenses.
> 
> I just bought a 135mm f/2.8 for $25.  I've also got a 50mm f/2 that I paid $30 for, and a 55mm f/1.8 (in admittedly rough shape) for $8, lol.
> 
> Plus, with the adapter I got, I still have Auto Focus (AF) confirm (the little lights and beep when you're in focus), as well as metering.



I've read those adapters induce at least 1 full stop of light loss, possibly more.  Can you comment on your experience with this?  135mm f/2.8 for $25 sounds awesome, but if I put the adapter on and end up with an effective 135mm f/4 or f/5.6 that seem quite as exciting.  (Don't get me wrong, it still seems cool).  Am I misunderstanding the issues here?  Seems likely...haha.


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## AgentDrex (Sep 19, 2010)

I cannot comment on the FD, but I have growing intimate knowledge of the M42 lens adaptation to an EOS body, and it doesn't seem to be particularly bad with stopping the light...in which I mean...have it on a tripod and it seems to work just fine if you slow the shutter down...


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## LCARSx32 (Sep 19, 2010)

The m42 adapters don't need any optics between the camera and the lens, so you don't loose any light at all.  If you want, I can post some pictures I've taken with my m42 lenses.


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## Big Mike (Sep 20, 2010)

I haven't tried one, but I wouldn't mind, as I have a couple FD lenses, included a 50mm F1.2 that I want to try out on a digital body.

Back in the late 80s, when Canon make the big leap to Autofocus lenses & bodies, they switched their mount/lenses from FD to EF.  The two were not compatible, which understandably pissed off plenty of Canon shooters who had a lot invested in FD glass.  So Canon made a limited production of converters (with a lens element) and they were only available to pro photographers or Canon's preferred customers.  Theses have been bouncing around the used market since then, and can fetch a pretty penny.

Of course, others have make cheap knock-offs, which are the ones you can find for $30-$40.  The problem is that the quality of the optics usually isn't good, which obviously hurts your image quality.  The usual consensus is that it's not worth all the hassle if you are only going to get sub-par results anyway.

There are adapters that don't have a lens element, they are just a mounting ring adapter.  The problem with that is that you loose the ability to focus at infinity.  Which makes the set up rather limiting for many types of photography.

So IMO, unless you have a really good FD lens, it's probably not worth it....unless of course, you want to do it 'just because'.  
You could always get yourself an AE-1 or T-50 etc., and shoot some film.


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