FD to EOS

[Mark Collins]

Hey All!

So in the near future I'm getting a Canon Rebel to replace my Nikon D40. I have some older Canon FD mount lenses that I uses with my 35mm SLR's, and was wondering if there's an adapter out there to use the FD mount lenses on the Rebel.

If there is it would save me large amounts of money instead of having to buy new lenses

 

[Daniel Browning]

was wondering if there's an adapter out there to use the FD mount lenses on the Rebel.

There are two methods, neither of them particularly good:

1. Adapter with no optics. You can get these really cheap, probably $10-30. This works just like an extension tube, so you lose the ability to focus at infinity. For an FD macro lens, that's usually no problem, but for most other lenses it's not an option.

2. Adapter with optics. These range from $40 to $150, depending on the quality. It works just like a 1.5X teleconverter, so the effective f-number and focal length is 1.5X slower and longer. That's in addition to the effect that the Rebel's small sensor has on angle of view, compared to full frame.

 

[Tom.Wong]

the bower adapter is about 35 dollars, has optics though but you can focus to infinity on all your lenses no problem, i don't think it does any teleconvert last time i used it, but you do lose almost a stop and half a light, and since there are foreign optics in the way you take a hit in sharpness. You also can't shoot wide open either, it causes a haze effect. Really cool if you are going for it, inconvenient if you aren't. There is really no good way to have FD to EOS, you end up sacrificing something in a major way.

also be careful with any manual lens to EOS adapter. you have to turn off the camera before you change lenses, the mirror won't close cause there is no electronic control to tell the camera the lens is being taken off...

 

[Mark Collins]

the bower adapter is about 35 dollars, has optics though but you can focus to infinity on all your lenses no problem, i don't think it does any teleconvert last time i used it, but you do lose almost a stop and half a light, and since there are foreign optics in the way you take a hit in sharpness. You also can't shoot wide open either, it causes a haze effect. Really cool if you are going for it, inconvenient if you aren't. There is really no good way to have FD to EOS, you end up sacrificing something in a major way.

also be careful with any manual lens to EOS adapter. you have to turn off the camera before you change lenses, the mirror won't close cause there is no electronic control to tell the camera the lens is being taken off...

Good to know. So basically I just really, really need to pay attention when I'm using them.

However, that's not too bad of thing, since if I do enough photography with the lenses it will get me into a habit of paying much more attention on set.

Thanks for the recommendations though, when i get the camera, I'll probably take it into Henry's here in Toronto and see which adapters will work with the lenses. One thing I do love about the manual lenses though is that I have full control over the lenses. Most DSLR lenses only allow focus and if they're zoom lenses, control over zoom, where as most 35mm SLR lenses give you an aperture ring as well.

 

[Michael Hastings]

Hey All!

So in the near future I'm getting a Canon Rebel to replace my Nikon D40. I have some older Canon FD mount lenses that I uses with my 35mm SLR's, and was wondering if there's an adapter out there to use the FD mount lenses on the Rebel.

If there is it would save me large amounts of money instead of having to buy new lenses

Think about getting a panasonic gh1, for a lot of reasons but also no problem using your fd lenses with a simple mechanical adapter.

 

[Andy Jarosz]

I've been using Canon FD's with a GH1 for a while now with some pretty amazing results. I second Michael.

 

[hunterrichards]

Peter Sensor over at www.rplens.com has been doing some very nice FD to EOS mount conversions- no glass, just strait up high quality mount conversion.

Give him a ring, think he just did a few FD "L" sets to EOS btw...