Old lens, digital camera

hi,

i have an old Tokina 20-200 lens from the mid '80s that i want to use with my Canon EOS Rebel SL-1. i bought an adaptor and it fits on just fine. i realize no auto focus or anything like that. but when i look thru the viewfinder with the tokina attached, it looks extremely dark. dark enough to make it impossible to focus. snapped a couple of pics and they're overly bright on the little camera screen. have fiddled around with every manual setting but nothing helps what i see thru the viewfinder. would appreciate any help.

thanx!

geo

Some cameras, when you attach a non OEM lens, require you to select a menu setting which says something like "no lens attached". Have you checked your manual to see if your camera requires special menu setting? Also check if the manual adapter fully opens the diaphragm or if you need to open it to focus and then manually close it down to shooting aperture. You don't say if your lens is a preset or not.

As you indicated that you have snapped a couple of pics, then although the viewfinder is dark, but you probably do have some vision of the scene through the Viewfinder, in which case it is the latter issue mentioned above, (i.e. the lens's diaphragm is closed down), so follow the advice given above... below is that same advice with expanded steps:

 

The lens should have an aperture ring which opens and closes the diaphragm. Set that ring fully open (i.e. at the maximum aperture, for example f/4 or f/3.5 or similar), this will then provide the brightest image through the Viewfinder so you can attain Manual Focus.

 

Once focus is attained and without moving the Camera or Subject you then stop down the Lens to your Shooting Aperture.

 

If you are using the Camera's TTL Metering for Exposure then, typically you would set the Camera in M Mode and use the Lens's Aperture Ring to select an Aperture in concert with the Shutter Speed and ISO (both selected on the Camera) until, the LED Exposure Display in the Viewfinder indicates the zero or 'middle' reading - or - a plus or minus exposure which you desire for the shot.

 

Please report your results to ensure correct procedure.

 

WW

Lens for which mount?

What kind of adapter? - Chipped or unchipped? i.e. does it have some electric contacts on it's EOS side?

I don't know every camera system of the 80s but most made use of aperture rings back then. - Set that ring to wide open for focusing.

Exposure: Set aperture on the lens. - I'd expect shutter and ISO on auto to give reasonable results but if you want to use manual, do so according to your histogram of a test shot.

General warning: I've never heard of any

old Tokina 20(!)-200 lens from the mid '80s

but my assorted 1980s zooms didn't knock my socks off on digital, although they had way more moderate zoom ranges, that should enable higher optical quality.

Sorry I haven't tried adapting on my EOS yet, so I can't help with menu settings for that purpose. (If I'll ever do it, it will be most likely to determine if a lens is worth scooping up a used FF body in it's native mount. Stopping down by hand after focusing feels too cumbersome for my usual shooting style.)

William Michael's explanation is, of course, correct. But, to help you understand why you need to do that, you need to know what your camera and modern lenses are doing for you that the old one is not. And that is, they have auto-aperture functionality that lets you compose with one aperture, but shoot with another.

 

For example, if you're using your Canon "nifty fifty" and you adjust the aperture to, say, f/16, you can still see the subject in the viewfinder because you're actually looking through the lens wide open, at f/1.8. It only closes down to the selected aperture (f/16, in our example) when you trigger the shutter, then immediately pops back to wide open so you can compose the next shot.

 

To do this for you, the lens and camera need to communicate with each other, and both need to support this feature. Some old lenses have it, some don't. Some have it, but can turn it off to work with cameras that don't support it. In your case, the lens probably doesn't have it and, if it does, it's not communicating effectively with your camera. The older lenses did this mechanically. Newer ones do it electronically. Not all cameras support both and not all adapters do, either.

 

So, follow William Michael's advice and have fun with it. It's a whole different experience, and you'll learn a lot from it if you stick with it.

Some cameras, when you attach a non OEM lens, require you to select a menu setting which says something like "no lens attached". Have you checked your manual to see if your camera requires special menu setting? Also check if the manual adapter fully opens the diaphragm or if you need to open it to focus and then manually close it down to shooting aperture. You don't say if your lens is a preset or not.

 

No, there doesn't seem to be a menu selection for 'no lens attached' but after taking in your advice and all the others posted, I think I'm figuring it out. Combination of aperture and internal settings. I'm now actually able to see thru the viewfinder and focus, which is a huge step:) I haven't really done too much manual shooting lately as the auto modes in modern cameras are pretty good and as I travel a bunch, I don't have time for settings as I'm often shooting from a vehicle or even a bike. So thank you so much. I really appreciate your taking the time to share your knowledge. gm

As you indicated that you have snapped a couple of pics, then although the viewfinder is dark, but you probably do have some vision of the scene through the Viewfinder, in which case it is the latter issue mentioned above, (i.e. the lens's diaphragm is closed down), so follow the advice given above... below is that same advice with expanded steps:

 

The lens should have an aperture ring which opens and closes the diaphragm. Set that ring fully open (i.e. at the maximum aperture, for example f/4 or f/3.5 or similar), this will then provide the brightest image through the Viewfinder so you can attain Manual Focus.

 

Once focus is attained and without moving the Camera or Subject you then stop down the Lens to your Shooting Aperture.

 

If you are using the Camera's TTL Metering for Exposure then, typically you would set the Camera in M Mode and use the Lens's Aperture Ring to select an Aperture in concert with the Shutter Speed and ISO (both selected on the Camera) until, the LED Exposure Display in the Viewfinder indicates the zero or 'middle' reading - or - a plus or minus exposure which you desire for the shot.

 

Please report your results to ensure correct procedure.

 

WW

 

William, thanx for the great explanation! Haven't used manual settings very much in the past few years. Even a blockhead like me is able to almost understand this now and I'm definitely figuring it out. Thanx for the time and knowledge. Really appreciate it and the forum. gm

Lens for which mount?

What kind of adapter? - Chipped or unchipped? i.e. does it have some electric contacts on it's EOS side?

I don't know every camera system of the 80s but most made use of aperture rings back then. - Set that ring to wide open for focusing.

Exposure: Set aperture on the lens. - I'd expect shutter and ISO on auto to give reasonable results but if you want to use manual, do so according to your histogram of a test shot.

General warning: I've never heard of any

but my assorted 1980s zooms didn't knock my socks off on digital, although they had way more moderate zoom ranges, that should enable higher optical quality.

Sorry I haven't tried adapting on my EOS yet, so I can't help with menu settings for that purpose. (If I'll ever do it, it will be most likely to determine if a lens is worth scooping up a used FF body in it's native mount. Stopping down by hand after focusing feels too cumbersome for my usual shooting style.)

 

 

Hi, I'm pretty sure it's an unchipped adapter. And it's a 28-200 lens, not 20-200 as previously stated. Good advice and that's definitely starting to work for me re- aperture and then the internals on the camera. I'm also a bit dubious on quality of the old analog lens with the new digital camera. I'll spend more time during the day tomorrow and see what I can come up with but if it's not killer, I'm not lugging this thing around in my travels. My back already hurts enough:) Anyway, thanx for the much-needed help. Really appreciate it. gm

William Michael's explanation is, of course, correct. But, to help you understand why you need to do that, you need to know what your camera and modern lenses are doing for you that the old one is not. And that is, they have auto-aperture functionality that lets you compose with one aperture, but shoot with another.

 

For example, if you're using your Canon "nifty fifty" and you adjust the aperture to, say, f/16, you can still see the subject in the viewfinder because you're actually looking through the lens wide open, at f/1.8. It only closes down to the selected aperture (f/16, in our example) when you trigger the shutter, then immediately pops back to wide open so you can compose the next shot.

 

To do this for you, the lens and camera need to communicate with each other, and both need to support this feature. Some old lenses have it, some don't. Some have it, but can turn it off to work with cameras that don't support it. In your case, the lens probably doesn't have it and, if it does, it's not communicating effectively with your camera. The older lenses did this mechanically. Newer ones do it electronically. Not all cameras support both and not all adapters do, either.

 

So, follow William Michael's advice and have fun with it. It's a whole different experience, and you'll learn a lot from it if you stick with it.

 

Hi Dave. Thanks for that explanation. And you're right, there's absolutely NOTHING about this old lens that's automatic:} I'm playing around with your advice and the advice from all the other folks who posted. Terrific info. I'm getting the hang of it and we'll see what happens. Could be nice on a tripod for distance stuff but boy is it heavy for travel! I will indeed have some fun! Thanx again. gm

Hi, I'm pretty sure it's an unchipped adapter. And it's a 28-200 lens, not 20-200 as previously stated. . .

 

Yes, I thought it was the Tokina 28 to 200 F/3.5 zoom. That's why I used "f/4 or f/3.5" in my explanation

 

And yes I expected the adapter would be "un-chipped". You can confirm this by a physical examination: looking where the Camera's electronic connectors would touch the adapter when it is mounted on the camera . . . the adapter will have no connector plates. I expect the adapter to be a simple tube, the Female end receiving whatever is the Mount of the Lens and the Male end would be a Canon EF Bayonet Mount.

 

Have fun with it

 

WW

Yes, I thought it was the Tokina 28 to 200 F/3.5 zoom. That's why I used "f/4 or f/3.5" in my explanation

 

And yes I expected the adapter would be "un-chipped". You can confirm this by a physical examination: looking where the Camera's electronic connectors would touch the adapter when it is mounted on the camera . . . the adapter will have no connector plates. I expect the adapter to be a simple tube, the Female end receiving whatever is the Mount of the Lens and the Male end would be a Canon EF Bayonet Mount.

 

Have fun with it

 

WW

Thanx again William!