FD to EOS adapter question

<p>I know that one cannot achieve infinity focus with the glassless versions. Can anyone tell me the <em>maximum</em> distance I could focus a 50mm FD lens on a full frame EOS camera using any of the adapters? Or will it only produce a macro-type lens on an EOS? Just wondering whether it might be worth getting an adapter as I have a couple of FD 50s. Thanks!</p>

<p>The adapter with glass is an optical adapter which is actually at the same time also a short teleconverter. It increases the focal length by a factor of 1.25x, and reduces the lens aperture by approx. one f/stop. This adapter allows for focusing at infinity.</p>

<p>Henry Posner<br /><strong>B&H Photo-Video</strong></p>

<p>Thanks Henry. What about the glassless adapters? I don't really want the adapters with optical elements.</p>

<p>It will depend on the adapter and its length. You can find out by holding the lens the same distance ahead of the mount as the adapter is and seeing what you can focus on. Its going to be less then 2-3 ft if I remember correctly.</p>

<p>So it seems that this is absolutely no use to me for the EOS at least. I was hoping it might be as far out as, say, 10 feet.</p>

<p>HENRY POSNER EXPLAINS IT WELL.<br>

THE BEAUTY OF AN EOS CAMERA IS AUTOFOCUS AS WELL AS ANTO EXPOSURE<br>

WE HAVE SINCE THE 1950'S BECOME DEPENDENT ON AUTO DIAPHRAGM/<br>

if you must g for it.<br>

I strongly suspect that if you had such an adaprter and used it on either a film or digital body,<br>

that the novelty would soon wear off and soon the fd mount lenses would be set aside and real eos lenses would be used.</p>

<p>loss of all the automatic features would mak it seem like taking photos 75 years ago.<br>

slow and a bit awkward.<br>

I realize that a tru eos lens or a third party lens sush as a Sigma is very expensive.<br>

and that may be pusing or pulling you towards re using lenses you already have.<br>

a better idea would be for a third-party manufacturer to create a digital fd mout body.<br>

than you would only need manual focus.</p>

<p>a crop-sensor digital body with any old film lens mount would be fairly easy to build and reasonably priced.</p>

<p>Walter.</p>

<p>I don't think you understand what I am asking. I already have lots of EF lenses and a couple of Canon digital bodies, so I am not trying to save money or attempt to use FD lenses instead of buying EF lenses. I have used Leica R and Nikon lenses via adapters on my Canons, so I am fully aware of the annoyance of manual apertures and manual focusing. All I am trying to establish is whether if a buy a slim non-glass-containing FD to EF adapter it will be of <em>any</em> use to me on an EOS body. For example, could I take successful portraits with a 50mm FD lens on an EF body using one of these adapters? I don't need to focus to infinity, but equally I don't want my Canon FD 50 f1.4 to just become a macro lens, as this is just not useful to me. So far it seems Mark is the only one who has understood my question. Some Chinese made adapters are very cheap, so I might just get one and see, but before I do I thought someone here could answer this question from experience.</p>

<p>Robin I can't give you the distance because of the variables I mentioned above but yes you will have a lens that will only focus to maybe a couple feet and more likely less.<br>

With my 500mm f4.5L S.S.C. I used to run a 15mm extension tube and a 1.4X extender (teleconverter) to do backyard bird photography the extension tube adds to the magnification of the lens. And I was only able to focus about 25 ft and that was with a lens that would actually focus past infinity. </p>

<p>Robin, below are some images I took with an EOS and a glassless FD adapter with my FD 50mm f/1.4 SSC mounted. The first is with the lens wide open at f/1.4. Distance was about two feet, which was maximum at that focal length. The next one was with the lens stopped down to f/8. As you can see, the more you stop down, the more depth you'll have to work with -- but it still ain't much.<br>

<img src="http://michaelmcbroom.com/images/rosebud_fd50_14a.jpg" alt="" width="1000" height="667" /></p>

<p><img src="http://michaelmcbroom.com/images/rosebud_fd50_14c.jpg" alt="" width="1000" height="667" /></p>

<p>Thanks Mark and Michael,<br>

<br />Very helpful - a complete no go then for me. I will have to get a mirrorless body to use my FD lenses. Oh well...</p>

<p>Robin, that's what I did. I bought a clean used NEX 7 (it was what I could afford), for the express reason so I could use my Canon FD and FL lenses with it. I have lots of other mf lenses, but my largest collection is Canon FD, and I was tired of being able to use them only with my Canon film cameras. Not that I mind film -- at all -- but it's nice being able to use them with a digital as well.</p>

<p>Having to use these old lenses with manual apertures is no problem. Neither is focusing, for the most part. I set my NEX to "A" for aperture priority, and it reads the light coming through the lens at whatever aperture I've set. The view screen automatically adapts to this light level, boosting it or dimming it as necessary. And the NEX's Focus Peaking and magnification features help with focusing chores.</p>

<p> </p>

<p>Robin<br>

You should check out my <a href="http://www.fdtoef.com">FD to EF conversion kits</a> that enable infinity focus without adding another piece of glass. This is the only way to get maximum use of your FD lenses on an EOS body.<br>

-Marty jr</p>

Just to repeat, with some emphasis:

 

The FD>EOS adapter only works for close-up focus.

The best way to use an FD lens is to get an inexpensive (e.g., AE-1 Program) FD-mount camera

I meant to say te FD>EOS converter WITHOUT GLASS.....

True enough, but the OP was wanting to use his FD glass with a digital camera. Which is why I agreed with him that a mirrorless would be the best way to go with FD glass.

<p>Thanks Mark and Michael,<br>

<br />Very helpful - a complete no go then for me. I will have to get a mirrorless body to use my FD lenses. Oh well...</p>

Why not get an EOS M body? The M10 is very cheap at the moment. The FD to EF-M adapter sells for around 15 bucks on ebay and then you can use all your FD glass without any problems.

The attached photo was shot with an EOS M plus the FD 2.8/135mm.

True enough, but the OP was wanting to use his FD glass with a digital camera. Which is why I agreed with him that a mirrorless would be the best way to go with FD glass.

 

from OP

Can anyone tell me the maximum distance I could focus a 50mm FD lens on a full frame EOS camera using any of the adapters?

from OP

 

<p>Thanks Mark and Michael,<br>

<br />Very helpful - a complete no go then for me. I will have to get a mirrorless body to use my FD lenses. Oh well...</p>

 

I didn't say it was his first post.

Not trying to add confusion but with large telephoto lenses and a glassless adapter you can focus at infinity. This is because the FD tele lenses actually allow focus beyond infinity to allow for thermal effects. Thus my FD 300 F2.8 works fine on my EOS bodies with an Ed Mika Adapter

Yeah, it's the Ed Mika adapter that's key here. I used to own a nFD 400mm f/4.5 and it focused beyond infinity. With a regular glassless adapter, I was able to focus out to about 30 meters, which actually made it quite useful for a variety of close-in situations. But the Ed Mika adapter would have gotten focus way out there.