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5D Mk ii with Nikon AIS lenses.


silverfox

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<p>I am getting a 5D Mk ii tomorrow and I have some Nikon AIS lenses that I might use with an adaptor. I have heard that some lenses can damage the mirror in the 5D. I currently own a 50mm 1.4 AIS, 55mm 2.8 micro AIS, 105mm 2.5 AIS, 75-150mm 3.5 AIS, 80-200mm f/4 AIS and a Samyang 14mm 2.8 (nikon fit.) Does anybody know if these lenses could cause damage? Or should I just avoid it, sell my Nikon system including D90 and put it towards Canon lenses. I might be wrong but does mounting such adaptors also effect the lens focus distance by moving it away from the focal plane? Thanks in advance.</p>
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<p>I have a 5D2 and 80s vintage 50 1.4 AIS, 35 2.0 AIS and 135 2.8 AI (all MF) and they work fine with an adapter. They were fun to play with but not much good for much other than "still life" as it took me too long to focus and meter. I decided to keep them and use on my FM3A one in a moon when the film itch hits me.</p>

Sometimes the light’s all shining on me. Other times I can barely see.

- Robert Hunter

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<p>The only lenses that may cause a problem, are mostly older wide-angle lenses that protrude backward too far, or have projections (flanges, etc.) that do so.<br /> They usually don't actually "damage" the mirror, but may physically interfere with its function - the hard part is getting the lens off, if that happens.</p>

<p>the list of compatibility at http://www.panoramaplanet.de/comp/ covers many older Nikkor and other lenses.<br /> In my own library of older non-AI Nikkor lenses, the <a href="../nikon-camera-forum/00Tmzo">Nikkor 20mm f/4</a> is the only one that will not work on my 5D (without modification, which I am reluctant to do).</p>

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<p>My non-pro version Fotodiox adapter works fine. Any decent adapter puts the lens at exactly the proper registration distance. That's all they do, actually, because you set your camera to read the light through your shooting aperture in the AV or manual mode. I use a 28mm f 2.8 AI, and like it, but the AIS version is more highly regarded and reported to have no or nearly no barrel distortion. The 24mm f 2.8 AIS is a classic favorite. The f2 versions offer no advantage, as the 5D2 screen brightness is no more than f 2.8. For full frame use, I don't worry about focusing (particularly with a 24) and don't care about wide open performance. I set my 28 at f8 and my 24 at f 5.6, hyperfocal distances, and decide whether or not I need infinity to be in focus. Since many of us use manual focus for macro, old MF macro lenses work fine, and are far cheaper than AF versions.</p>
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<p>Doug's answer is off the point.<br /> The problem is not with the <em>adapter</em> or flange distance in these cases but with any rearward projections of the lens itself or of its parts into the mirror chamber of the camera.<br /> These lenses typically work fine on the smaller mirror APS-C bodies.<br /> If you do a lot of this and want to try out a lens that looks 'long' in the butt, buy a nice old working Canon EOS 650 film camera for about $20 and see if that mirror clears the lens. If it does, the lens is likely to work on a 5D camera.</p>

<p>Buy the cheap adapters off eBay. They are so cheap that you can buy one for each Nikon lens you have. They all work fine.</p>

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<blockquote>

<p>I use a 28mm f 2.8 AI, and like it, but the AIS version is more highly regarded and reported to have no or nearly no barrel distortion. The 24mm f 2.8 AIS is a classic favorite. The f2 versions offer no advantage, as the 5D2 screen brightness is no more than f 2.8.</p>

</blockquote>

<p>This is true only if you use the stock Eg-A focusing screen in your 5D II, or the Eg-D version that is the same as the Eg-A, but with a grid etched on it. I use the Eg-S screen, which is optimized for wider apertures. I strongly recommend the Eg-S for people who are serious about manual focus, especially but not only at wide apertures. There are also third party focusing screens that some people like; I haven't tried them.</p>

<p>Furthermore, the f/2 lenses are not exactly the same as the f/2.8 versions except for being a stop faster. They are different designs, so one may prefer the rendering of one or the other quite aside from one lens being a stop faster. The Nikkor 28mm f/2 AI is one of my favorite lenses, though the 28mm f/2.8 AI-S (specifically the AI-S, which, as you note, is better regarded than the AI version due to its optical improvements) is also excellent.</p>

<p>My experience with using Nikkors on the 5D II matches JDM's: the 20mm f/4 is the only one I've found to be problematic. It has a protective tab around the rear element that sticks out far enough that it bumps into the surface inside the camera where the EF mount's electrical contacts are located. This prevents it from being mounted. It does, however, mount just fine on the Rebel XSi, and on the EOS Elan film SLR.</p>

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<p>Yes, ebay adapters are good, buy one for each lens. In particular I recommend "jinfinance" in China. Quick and cheap. I had to file down 1mm off the protrusion on my 8/2.8 AIS to fit my 5D II. The 80-200/2.8 D ED AF and AF-S, 400/2.8 AIS, and 14/2.8 ED AF fit without a problem. Most problems I have heard of were with the original 5D so perhaps something has changed with the II.</p>

<p>That is an excellent selection of Nikon lenses you have to build a Canon system around. Don't sell them!</p>

 

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<p>I bought several Nikon to Canon adapters from jinfinance a few years ago. I don't know if their machining may have improved since then, but I found that the adapters were very inconsistent. Some were perfect, others were just a little loose on one side or the other, and some wouldn't click properly into place on my camera, or would only allow some lenses to click into place. Their tolerances, or their quality control, just seemed a bit lax.</p>
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